England's Frank Lampard Dismisses Two Holding Midfielders System

As Fabio Capello prepares to send England out in his much‑criticized 4-4-2 formation at Wembley against Bulgaria in the opening Euro 2012 qualifier, Frank Lampard has dismissed the 4-2-3-1 system favoured by the elite international and club teams, who include the World Cup winners, Spain, and Internazionale, the European champions.

The midfielder told Chelseafc.com: "Because football has become a bit more tactical and organized, it is about becoming harder to beat and teams want two holding midfielders. I don’t like the system too much. I think one holding midfielder, if they are good at their job, is enough and I find if you have two in a straight line then it doesn’t give you so many angles to play through midfield.

"I always think it is better to have people at different angles, which means one being deeper and the other two taking up different positions [further forward]."

Spain employed Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso as their defensive screen, and in the World Cup final faced Holland, who had Nigel de Jong and Mark van Bommel in the role. Internazionale benefited from Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso during their successful Champions League campaign.

Yet Lampard, who is injured but lined up in central midfield in Capello’s 4-4-2 during England’s disappointing World Cup, is unsure how much security two dedicated holding players offer.

He said: "Playing against two holding midfielders hasn’t really made a difference for me, because the opposition can’t have players everywhere. If you are clever about your movement, if two players want to sit and hold all the time then you can make angles to the side of them and you can still play through them. It depends really on the quality of the players.

"Formations do generally go in cycles. In the 90s it was 4-4-2 and then it changed and I think we [Chelsea] were probably the instigators as much as anyone in England in making it 4-3-3 when [José] Mourinho was in charge."

Chelsea Consider £5m Move For French International Centre Back

Chelsea may make a January move for experienced Roma centre back Philippe Mexes as Carlo Ancelotti looks to beef up his defensive options. Having sold Ricardo Carvalho to Real Madrid the Italian does not have many options at centre back and should the club lose either of their first choice pairing of John Terry and Alex then they do not have a wealth of options to fall back on.

The 28 year old French international is reportedly upset at the potential lack of first team football at Roma after the arrival of Nicolas Burdisso at the Stadio Olimpico and the former Auxerre man, who is out of contract in the summer, has stated “If I don’t find space in the first half of the season then I may decide against renewing my contract”.

The Stamford Bridge boss is an admirer of the battling defender and knows him well from his days as AC Milan boss and he may decide to make a move when the transfer window re-opens and could capture him for as little as £4m and Roma boss Claudio Ranieri appears to not be standing in the way of his potential departure.

After six years in the Italian capital a move to the Premier League may well be tempting for Philippe Mexes who is also thought to be a target of Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

Daniel Sturridge Flies To Pearce's Rescue

Stuart Pearce’s side battled their way to within touching distance of next summer’s European Championship finals.

Daniel Sturridge’s superbly taken first-half goal leaves England needing to beat Lithuania in Colchester on Tuesday to almost certainly book a qualifying play-off for next season’s tournament in Denmark.

Pearce chose not to start with ­Arsenal youngster Jack Wilshere, who made his senior England debut last month.

But Manchester United’s shock £7m signing Bebe picked up his first Under-21 cap for Portugal.

David Simao had the first effort for the hosts eight minutes in but his long-range strike flew well over the bar.

The cagey opening to a game both sides needed to win was summed up 24 minutes in when England keeper Frank Fielding was booked for time wasting.

England should have gone ahead just after that when Danny Welbeck tapped in Kyle Walker’s cross – only for the flag to be incorrectly raised for offside.

But they snatched the winner on 32 minutes when highly-rated midfielder Tom Cleverley played in Sturridge and the Chelsea man chipped keeper Rui Patricio.

Bebe was largely disappointing for the home side but he tested Fielding for the first time with a shot in the 65th minute that the Blackburn man beat away.

Portugal then began to crank up the pressure but England held firm to pick up all three vital points.

Kalou Nets In Africa

Salomon Kalou scored the 12th international goal of his career as Ivory Coast began their qualification campaign for the next African Cup of Nations with a win.

The Elephants, under Sven Goran Eriksson's successor Francois Zahoui, beat Rwanda 3-0 at home with all the goals coming from Premier League-based players.

Kalou's goal was the second of the game when he converted a cross with a shot into the left-hand corner on 21 minutes. It was his 36th cap. Yaya Toure and Emmanuel Eboue were the other scorers. Didier Drogba attended the match but was not part of the on-pitch action.

Ivory Coast's next match is in October. Nigeria, with John Mikel Obi in the squad, are in action at home to Madagascar tomorrow (Sunday). The Super Eagles are yet to name a new permanent coach. Swede Lars Lagerback, who led them in an unimpressive World Cup, left at the end of his contract.

In Saturday's Under 21 football, defender Slobodan Rajkovic, who is on loan at Vitesse Arnheam, played in Serbia U21s' 2-2 home draw against Croatia. Serbia will not qualify for the European Championships.

Youth Report: Coventry City 1 - 1 Chelsea

Chelsea faced a tough Coventry side this weekend, losing a one-goal lead established by Philipp Prosenik in the first half.

Both sides were committed to attacking, entertaining football throughout in front of an impressive crowd on a sunny afternoon at the Alan Higgs Centre.

Rohan Ince and Billy Clifford both featured for the first time since the FA Youth Cup Final, playing 45 minutes a piece.

City was first to find to the net, despite the referee already blowing his whistle. Jonson Harris lobbed Jamal Blackman on that occasion, while the Chelsea keeper played to the whistle instead of attempting to stop the ball.

George Saville then forced two consecutive and acrobatic saves from Coventry keeper Lee Burge but it took until the 33rd minute for Chelsea to find the net.

When the hosts appealed for a freekick on the right flank, the referee waved play on, allowing the Blues a chance to counter.

Devyne then set up Prosenik with a superb ball before the goalscorer expertly slotted home to give Chelsea the lead.

The Under 18s went into the break 1-0 up and boasted the better play at the start of the second-half. It was Coventry who'd find the net next though.

With 66 minutes gone the hosts pulled one back, equalizing the game. A cross from Aaron Phillips eventually fell to Harris who drilled a shot under Blackman and into the back of the net.

Chelsea failed to find a second goal as both sides battled for possession in midfield, despite having the better exchanges in the latter part of the game, and the game ended 1-1.

'It was a really tough away game,' said youth team manager Dermot Drummy.

'There was a lot of tackles and it wasn't a very flowing game but the boys are competing, so I am pleased with the performance.'

Carlo Ancelotti Has No Plans To Coach Italy In The Immediate Future

Carlo Ancelotti has put his nostalgia for Italian football to one side to focus on Chelsea as he excludes a role with Italy.

The Blues boss has expressed a desire to coach a national team in future, but for now he is firmly drilled on furnishing his time around Chelsea.

And he made it clear he is in with the Blues for the long haul as he hopes to continue on a trophy-filled journey with plenty of sticking power.

"I want to open up a cycle with Chelsea, and then we will see," he told TG1.

"I hope Cesare Prandelli stays with Italy for 20 years. According to statistics Italy win the World Cup once every 24 years which means we will win again in 2030.

"But I hope they can win it before then."

Spartak Moscow Willing To Throw A Lifeline To Chelsea's Yury Zhirkov

Spartak Moscow boss Valeri Karpin has confirmed that his side are keen on giving Chelsea outcast Yury Zhirkov a new lease of life in his career.

The 27-year-old wide man has been making appearances only on an intermittent basis - partly owing to injuries - since he joined the Blues last summer, and Russia boss Dick Advocaat recently warned the player that he could risk losing his place in the national team without regular football.

The Dutchman also cited Everton's Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Tottenham Hotspur striker Roman Pavlyuchenko among those who run the risk of being dropped.

Zenit St Petersburg were thought to have been interested in the versatile left-back, who can also play on the wing, but any interest that may have existed did not reach fruition in the form of a transfer.

Now Spartak boss Karpin has revealed that his side were also interested in luring the player back to Russia, as he is quoted by the Daily Mail as saying: "I was interested, I am now and I will be in the winter."

Zhirkov has made only 17 appearances for Chelsea since his big money move from CSKA Moscow.

Chelsea And Inter Set To Battle For Anderlecht Starlet Romelu Lukaku

Chelsea and Inter are interested in securing the services of Anderlecht starlet Romelu Lukaku, according to tuttomercatoweb.

The 17-year-old, who was top-scorer in Belgium last season, is considered one of the top rising stars in European football and has a very bright future ahead of him.

Despite plenty of interest this past year from numerous European clubs, the starlet has already decided to remain with the Belgian champions until at least the summer of 2011 in order to finish school.

However, next summer it appears the door is open for both Chelsea and Inter, who are aiming to strengthen in attack.

Inter have yet to replace striker Mario Balotelli, who left for Manchester City, while two of Chelsea's most prolific strikers - Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka - are both in their 30's and might only have a handful of years of top level football left in them.

Essien Sets Sights High

Midfielder Michael Essien says Chelsea can crown last season's double success by winning the Champions League.

The Ghana international has returned to Chelsea's midfield after spending much of last season on the treatment table with a knee injury that eventually cost him a trip to the World Cup finals in South Africa.

Chelsea stormed to the Barclays Premier League title last season and then clinched their first-ever double with an FA Cup final victory over Portsmouth at Wembley.

Now Essien believes the Blues can add the Champions League crown to all the domestic silverware they have won.

Chelsea are confident of getting through their group which includes MSK Zilina, Spartak Moscow and Marseille.

"We have set our targets as high as we possibly can and the aim is to win every competition we enter," said Essien.

"We now have four trophies to go for and we are all focused on giving it 110 per cent.

"You cannot ask for more than three games played, three wins with 14 goals scored and none conceded. That is the reason why I am excited about this season. The team has been together for the last four to five years and the understanding is getting better each year.

"We cannot get carried away and have to keep working hard to win everything. As a player you get the inner feeling that something big is around the corner and I feel the same way I felt last season when we won the double.

"However I am sure we can go one further and add the big one - the UEFA Champions League to our collection of trophies.

"Everyone knows how much winning that will mean to us. As a team we have won every domestic trophy and so it's only natural that we have the hunger for the European trophy.

"That is not to say we don't care about the Premier League, FA Cup or Carling Cup. We want to win every competition we enter this season and we will do all we can to win them all."

Didier Drogba Named West Africa’s Player Of The Year

Didier Drogba has won the inaugural prize for the best footballer in West Africa awarded by the West Africa Football Union (Wafu).

The sub-region's maiden awards ceremony was held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Wednesday and chaired by Ghana’s FA president Kwesi Nyantakyi, who represented the Wafu president Amos Adamu.

The awards were meant to distinguish footballers from West Africa who performed exceptionally during the year under review. The votes were conducted via phone calls and SMS from the sub-region’s public.

Drogba received the biggest award of the night, tagged “Best of the Best”, beating Ghana’s trio Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari and Andre Ayew.

The Elephants' Yaya Toure and Kader Keita were also distinguished as well as two Nigerians: John Obi Mikel and Yakubu. Emmanuel Adebayor from Togo was also awarded.

Two of the Ivory Coast's former players Laurent Pokou and Cyrile Domoraud, along with Toure and Drogba, were designated as ambassadors of an Abidjan-based orphanage home called “SOS d’Abobo” so its residents can benefit from the players education projects - a prime mission of UFOA.

Essien Puts International Career On Hold

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has stood down from international football for the foreseeable future, telling Ghana he wants to return to form at club level, coach Milovan Rajevac said.

Essien has been missing without explanation from two Ghana squads named since the World Cup, including the selection for Sunday's start of the 2012 African Nations Cup qualifiers.

Rajevac told the BBC Essien had asked for time off to consolidate his place in the Chelsea side after a long injury lay-off.

"He contacted me and wanted to ask for permission to be excused for a while," Rajevac said in Swaziland ahead of Sunday's Group qualifier.

"I understood his thoughts and of course I wanted to help him to get into his old form, to start playing regularly and I gave that permission," the Serbian-born coach added.

Essien, who missed the World Cup in South Africa, has suffered two serious injuries while on past international duty.

"I'm sure that after sometime he will come back to the national team," Rajevac added.

Essien has won 50 caps for his country and played in the 2006 World Cup for the Black Stars.

Lampard Reveals Secret In New Magazine

Frank Lampard is looking sharp and ready to talk on the cover of October's Chelsea magazine, now on sale.

Inside the new edition he reveals secrets behind his play that helped him net 27 goals last campaign - a magnificent total for a striker, let alone a midfielder.

Talking exclusively to the club's official publication, Lampard describes how movement, stamina and sharpness all play a role in his game, but another factor is the team around him which allows our number 8 so many opportunities to strike.

'I'm very lucky to play in a team with such good movement,' Lampard tells Chelsea, 'especially when we're really firing.

'Defenders are worried about [Didier] Drogba and [Nicolas] Anelka, especially when they're running in behind players and pushing the defensive line back, because that opens up space for me to arrive when the ball comes into the box.

'The easiest way I ever score goals is when we win the ball and move it quickly forward. What's the point in winning the ball back and just keeping it?'

During the in-depth interview, Lampard also discusses new arrivals at the Bridge, as well as the experience our side already boasts, before talking of Chelsea's recent run of form and how it affects the opposition.

'The fans enjoy it, we enjoy it, but it's not reality winning sixes, sevens and eights. There was a time last year when we couldn't score. We've got to be ready for teams who shut up shop against us so that we have to find a way to make a breakthrough.

'Those are the games where you have to find a goal from nowhere and be happy with a 1-0 win,' he adds.

Elsewhere in the new-look Chelsea magazine, Ramires tells fans all about his footballing career, which didn't really begin until he was 17. He also reveals how his first time out of Brazil was when he left for Benfica last year.

You can learn all about the young Brazilian's football idols, what role he expects to play for Chelsea and his first impressions of the club and our impressive training facilities.

Then there's Florent Malouda's Photo Album, a collection a snaps from his childhood and time at Chelsea, each accompanied by a description from the man himself.

There are images of him in his first football team and he also divulges the belief he once had of being Superman and the drastic repercussions which followed!

Salomon Kalou stars in this month's Family Secrets feature, as the Ivorian reveals all sorts of facts, from his favourite songs and sporting idols, to his most important shirt swap and the last holiday he took.

And as Chelsea magazine looks back over days gone by, Ken Shellito takes part in this month's The Boys Are Back In Town.

In it Shellito discusses Jimmy Greaves, a fellow east London boy who would go on to achieve great things.

The former full-back describes the decision to sign for Chelsea and how it came about in this exclusive and insightful interview.

DJ and supporter Johnny Vaughan then discusses his love of Chelsea before Carlo Ancelotti answers fans' questions in You Ask The Manager.

This month's feature includes queries such as 'Having not made too many signings this summer, what gives you the belief that we can retain our title or win the Champions League?'

Or 'Do you have any superstitions going into a game, as a manager or back when you were a player?' and 'How does the atmosphere compare in Premier League matches to that of Serie A?', all of which the Italian expertly answers.

Internationals: Benayoun Blows Malta Away

Yossi Benayoun was the star turn as Euro 2012 qualifiers began for Chelsea players on Thursday evening, scoring a hat-trick in an Israel win.

Our summer signing struck all his side's goals in a 3-1 home win over Malta. He scored within the first 10 minutes from inside the area, only for the visitors to equalise before the break. Benayoun then converted from the penalty spot in the second half before heading his hat-trick goal on 76 minutes, following up after a save. He also had a goal disallowed for handball after two minutes.

Former Chelsea players Tal Ben-Haim and Ben Sahar (currently on loan at Hapoel Tel-Aviv from Espanyol) also played for Israel.

England Under 19s were also in action on Thursday evening with Josh McEachran and Aziz Deen-Conteh both making their debuts at this level.

The Chelsea Academy products started a 2-0 win over Slovakia at Crewe's Gresty Road. McEachran played the first 61 minutes and Deen-Conteh came off on 69 minutes. Their team-mate in last season's FA Youth Cup win, Milan Lalkovic, played 64 minutes for the Slovakians.

More Chelsea players will be involved in Euro 2012 qualifiers on Friday.

Chelsea Name Reduced Squad

Chelsea has included just four 'home-grown' players in their 19-man matchday squad for this season.

Under new rules this campaign, Premier League clubs must register a minimum of eight players who have trained for three years with any English or Welsh outfit before the age of 21 if the full 25-man quota is used.

Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti has instead submitted a reduced party in which John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Ross Turnbull are the only 'home-grown' names.

Amongst the 'non home-grown' players are Stamford Bridge stars such as Didier Drogba, the top goalscorer in the Premier League last season, Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka.

Top flight clubs had to make their squad selections by 5pm on Wednesday following the closure of the summer transfer window.

The Blues have opted against the big-spending antics of some of their Premier League rivals this summer, making just two captures in the form of midfield duo Ramires and Yossi Benayoun, who have both been named in the squad.

In addition to the named line-up, Ancelotti can call upon unlimited players aged 21 or under, with the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Jeffrey Bruma and Gael Kakuta at his disposal.

Chelsea squad: Ashley Cole, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ross Turnbull, Petr Cech, Branislav Ivanovic, Michael Essien, Ramires, Yossi Benayoun, Didier Drogba, John Mikel Obi, Florent Malouda, Jose Bosingwa, Yury Zhirkov, Paulo Ferreira, Salomon Kalou, Alex, Henrique Hilario, Nicolas Anelka.

Frank Lampard Happy With Chelsea's Stability And Continuity After Summer Transfer Dealings

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is pleased that there have not been major changes at Stamford Bridge this summer, with continuity so important to maintaining success.

Ramires and Yossi Benayoun have been the major arrivals at the club, with a number of squad members exiting the club, but there has been little change to the core group that won both the Premier League and FA Cup last term.

"Continuity is nice, especially when you have won a double but you do want to add to it and make it better although at the same time you don't want to add to it and make it worse," Lampard told his club's official website.

"There is an element of keeping what you've got and only adding if you are adding better or good squad players.

"Five first-team squad players have left but we have started off very well and we have to keep that going. If we get injuries to big players we hope we have got the cover there."

Lampard also feels that winning the double last season has benefited the squad in terms of collective experience and confidence.

"I don't know about individually, everyone is a bit different. But as a group the double certainly has an effect on collective confidence," he added.

"That is a big positive but the negative is if people think we have won the double, let's rest on our laurels.

"It is very important to keep the confidence but make sure that you never get the feeling that we can easily do that again. The moment you think that then you won't win anything else, so it is a balancing act."

Meanwhile, Lampard feels that the current trend for two holding midfielders in managers' formations is not the one he prefers.

Rather, he feels that one defensive midfielder alongside a more advanced player is more effective.

"Formations do generally go in cycles. In the 90s it was 4-4-2 and then it changed and I think we were probably the instigators as much as anyone in England in making it 4-3-3 when [Jose] Mourinho was in charge," he explained.

"Then because football has become a bit more tactical and organized, it is about becoming harder to beat and teams want two holding midfielders sometimes.

"I personally don't like the system too much. I think one holding midfielder if they are good at their job is enough and I find if you have two in a straight line then it doesn't give you so many angles to play through midfield.

"I always think it is better to have people at different angles which mean one being deeper and the other two taking up different positions [further forward]."

Michael Essien Determined To Emulate Last Season's Achievements

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien is determined to lift more silverware this season to make manager Carlo Ancelotti sing in celebration.

Essien, 27, was on the sidelines as the Blues enjoyed a club first Premier League and FA Cup double. After recovering from a knee ligament injury, the Ghana international was determined to help the club to further success at home and in Europe.

Speaking to the club's official website, Essien declared he had his eye on some new additions to the Stamford Bridge trophy cabinet.

He said: "I still have memories of the double parade at the end of last season and would love to do it all over again at the end of this season.

"I can't wait to hear the manager sing 'Paa-pa-pa-pa-pa-paa' again. It's the best Italian song I have heard since Pavarotti and it still makes me laugh even watching the DVD now."

The ex-Lyon player added: "As a player, you get the inner feeling that something big is around the corner and I feel the same way I felt last season when we won the double.

"However, I am sure we can go one further and add the big one - the Uefa Champions League trophy - to our collection of trophies.

"Everyone knows how much winning that will mean to us.

"As a team, we have won every domestic trophy and so it's only natural that we have the hunger for the European trophy.

"That is not to say we don't care about the Premier League, FA Cup or Carling Cup. We want to win every competition we enter this season and we will do all we can to win them all."

Chelsea Youngster Jeffrey Bruma Signs New Four-Year Deal

Young Chelsea defender Jeffrey Bruma has signed a new four-year contract to keep him at the club until at least 2014.

The 18-year-old has made four substitute appearances for the Chelsea first team following his arrival in 2007.

Bruma became a professional last summer and since then has made both his full Chelsea and Netherlands debuts whilst also guiding the Chelsea youth team to the FA Youth Cup last season.

Speaking to the club's official website, Bruma said: "I am very happy to stay here."

Bruma thanked the Chelsea staff for recognizing his improvement but conceded that even more improvement would need to be made to stake a claim for a regular first-team spot.

"I have been working to improve all the time I have been here and a next step is getting your next contract, and now it is time to improve again," he said.

"I often speak to [assistant first team coach] Paul Clement because when I came over here as a 15-year-old and was in the youth team, he was the youth team manager. We sit down and lay out a sheet of targets. We did this when we were away in the Champions League in Milan last season.

"I have made my international debut already and that was the aim for two or three years' time. It has come so early and when you reach your targets you obviously have to set new ones, so my new targets are to play as much as I can at Chelsea in the first team and get in the Dutch full squad again as soon as I am fit."

Bruma will now be looking to progress to the Chelsea first-team after appearing in the Carling Cup last year.

The champions allowed Ricardo Carvalho to move to Real Madrid earlier in the transfer window and Bruma could be seen as the long term replacement for the Portuguese international, should his development continue.

Chelsea To Recruit Barca's Director Of Sport

As transfer day limps to its underwhelming conclusion, there are rumours in Spain that Chelsea could be making a new off-pitch signing.

The man in question is Txiqui Begiristain, who would set a new Scrabble record with his first name alone. Txiqui was the Director of Sport at Barca under the previous President, Joan Laporta. Laporta`s mandate ended over the summer, there were elections, and the new bloke, Sandro Rossell did what all newly-elected leaders do, i.e. replacing the previous incumbent’s people with his own. Txiqui, an essential architect of Barca’s success, left the club in June, after 7 years at Barcelona. He made it clear that he was keen to look for pastures new.

And those pastures could be in London, where it is said that Roman Abramovich wants to build a football empire similar to that at Barcelona. Begeristain has there been made an offer that 'cannot be refused`. The man behind this rumour, well-known journalist Guillem Ballagué, says that 'from what I’m told, Txiqui will become the new Director of Football from the beginning of January`.

Ballagué has a mixed record on rumours. On the one hand, he has his entries to a lot of corridors of power in Spanish football. On the other, he has been the man who has broken out some quite excitable cobblers. Fernando Torres to Chelsea was, according to him, a 'done deal`. However, the rumour that Chelsea could be interested in Begeristain has been floating around for some months now.

The rumour would cast doubt on the future of Chelsea’s current 'Director of Football`, Frank Arnesen. If there is a different title in Spain compared to England, Spanish clubs tend to give the title 'Director of Sport` as they tend to cover more than just football. Barcelona, for instance, also has an all-conquering basketball team, as well as a pretty good handball team. Chelsea, of course, only has football.

Arnesen has been given the role of head talent scout, in charge of uncovering football talents. Despite a moderate hype, it is hard to point to many youngsters ready to break into the first team. If anything, for all the reported promise, the kids tend to be locked in the lower levels, leaving on loan deals, but not making the jump to the Chelsea first team. José Mourinho blamed the lack of talented youth in the Chelsea ranks on Frank Arnesen.

On the other hand, the Barcelona model is one that must be attractive to any club. Xavi Hernandez, Lionel Messi, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Victor Valdes … many of the Barca first team (and most of the 2010 World Cup winning Spanish side) were home grown at the Barcelona school at La Masía, an institution where kids of all levels learn a football philosophy, as well as schooling in life. No wonder that, as well as being extraordinary footballers, they are also well-balanced individuals. It’s a model that is the envy of world football.

And the rumour is that Roman wants to change the club structure to create a new Masía at Chelsea, and he considers that the best person to oversee this project is the one who has had such an impact on the original Masía, Txiqui Begeristain. It would mean changing the way the club does many things, from training to schooling, not to mention the role of the younger levels in relation to the first team, as well as modifying the role of the first-team coach.

And if the rumour is true, it would be a powerful declaration of intent. Watch this space.

Delac Signed On And Loaned Out

Goalkeeper Matej Delac, who turned 18 last month, has signed as a professional for Chelsea and has been loaned for the season to Vitesse Arnhem.

The Croatian had previously been subject to a pre-contract agreement and spent a fortnight training with our first team in December.

He joins from Croatian top-flight side Inter Zapresic where he played in the first team and he represented his nation at the recent European Under 19 Championships.

His side reached the semi-finals before being beaten 2-1 by France. Gael Kakuta was a scorer past our new keeper in that match, the first time Delac had been beaten for three matches in the tournament.

The 6ft 3in keeper joins Serbians Nemanja Matic and Slobodan Rajkovic as Chelsea players on loan at Vitesse who play in the Dutch top division.

Ancelotti Talks With Coaching Elite

While many of his squad are away on international duty, Carlo Ancelotti is also abroad this week for a brainstorming session with other top-level managers.

He is attending the 12th Uefa Elite Club Coaches Forum in Switzerland where he is joined by former Blues bosses Jose Mourinho and Claudio Ranieri, future Champions League opponent Didier Deschamps, Alex Ferguson and Roy Hodgson, plus Barcelona's Pep Guardiola, Auxerre's Jean Fernandez, Schalke's Felix Magath, Benfica's Jorge Jesus, Lyon's Claude Puel, Malaga's Jesualdo Ferreira, Basel's Thorsten Fink, Ajax's Martin Jol, Werder Bremen's Thomas Schaaf and Nikos Nioplias of Panathinaikos.

They are at Uefa headquarters in Nyon where they are will be discussing trends in and concerns about the sport at the highest level.

The Forum began yesterday [Wednesday] and continues today with a press conference given at the conclusion.

Ancelotti follows on from Mourinho and Luiz Felipe Scolari who were delegates at the Forum whilst Chelsea manager.