Blues Must Learn From Stoke City Approach In FA Cup Tie

The modern reputation and prestige of the FA Cup is a source of frequent discussion among football fans, with many wondering if it still retains much relevance in an era where the Premier League and Champions League are the main priority for the big teams.

But Chelsea are quickly becoming aware of the benefits that succeeding in the knock-out tournament can bring.

Last year the world's oldest cup competition was a welcome consolation for the Blues, with its capture seeing Guus Hiddink rescue a season that had been all-but ruined by Luiz Felipe Scolari’s disappointing tenure. This term, however, no-one in and around the club will be happy if that is the only trophy they finish the season holding. Having been top of the league for much of the campaign, a failure to go on and win it would be a massive disappointment for Carlo Ancelotti’s men.

But the club's league and European challenge has floundered in recent weeks, not helped by John Terry’s difficulty in preventing his off-field problems affecting his on-field performances. A 2-1 defeat to Inter Milan in the first league of their Champions League tie gives them work to do in the return leg in under two weeks' time at Stamford Bridge, while Manchester United are rapidly overhauling the Blues in a title race that was once Chelsea's to lose.

But, once again, the FA Cup offers up the chance to save the Blues’ season. This time by giving them a timely reminder of the approach required to win one, or both, of those other more important prizes.

Chelsea will be favourites to beat Stoke City in front of their own fans on Sunday, but in the process they should ensure they learn from their opponents’ approach.

Tony Pulis’s side have been in the spotlight this week, after defender Ryan Shawcross left Aaron Ramsey with a horrific broken leg in last weekend’s 3-1 victory for the Gunners. That terrible incident has led to scrutiny of the Potters' aggressive and perhaps overly physical playing style.

Despite Arsene Wenger’s initial comments that Shawcross’s tackle was “unacceptable”, replays showed the 22-year-old’s tackle was not malicious, merely poorly timed. It was telling that Wenger, while updating his club’s official website on Ramsey's condition and recovery yesterday, declined the opportunity to heap further criticism on the player and club that had inflicted the injury.

With time to reflect, even the Frenchman seems to have accepted it was an unfortunate accident.

Hopefully the fallout from the incident doesn’t affect Pulis’s men when they arrive at Stamford Bridge. If it doesn’t, and they continue to play in the same uncompromising style, Chelsea’s players will get a first-hand demonstration of the effectiveness of their methods.

Shawcross, the player most likely to be adversely affected by the experience, has already insisted he will continue to play in the same way.

"What happened in the Arsenal game will not be a factor when I next play again for Stoke," the defender assurred The Mirror this week.

"Whenever I pull on the Stoke shirt I have got to be 100 per cent committed and I have got to be the same as ever. Hopefully, when I am back from the suspension I can do well again."

Chelsea should learn from Stoke’s approach to the game, and then look to add it to their own gameplan.

After all, despite their clearly inferior talent, Pulis’s team have only lost to Manchester City once this season in four meetings (beating them in a replay to get to Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final), while Chelsea have failed to get anything from two games against the Eastlands club.

Sometimes, especially against the more technically gifted sides, a more direct approach can bring tangible rewards.

Last time the two sides met, at the beginning of September, only a last-gasp Florent Malouda strike deep into injury-time earned the Blues all three points. The Frenchman and his side need to get back to that 'never say die' attitude they seem to have lost.

Terry was lucky not to be castrated, literally, by his wife in light of his extra-marital dalliances, but on the football pitch he seems to be showing many of the signs of emasculation. In recent weeks he has seemed marginally off the pace, perhaps fearful of the reaction of already unsympathetic fans and media, making uncharacteristic errors as a result of being slightly more reticent to put his foot and head in where it hurts or to ‘leave his mark’ on an opposition player.

With Michael Essien out injured, that leaves Chelsea with a noticeable lack of ‘bite’ — and the likes of Everton and Inter Milan have conspired to take advantage in recent times.

A quick refresher course from Stoke on the powers of physical play might do the Blues the world of good. Having for much of the season beaten sides through quality and reputation alone (in their October-November run of 4-0 and 5-0 wins, teams just seemed to give up before the whistle even blew) opponents are now smelling blood and going in for the kill, and the players are struggling to rise to the challenge.

Ancelotti, as much as it might go against his better judgement, needs his players to incorporate an uncompromising style of gameplay. Get challenges in early; make your opponents know they are going to be in a game all day. Stoke will demonstrate how effective that approach can be.

If Rory Delap plays, the midfielder with few other discernible talents might also once again show the benefit of having a long-throw specialist in a team. By now every club should have one — surely it can only take a few hours after training for a player to master the art — because, as unfashionable and 'anti-football' as the technique is, it brings proven rewards.

And with a Premier League title on the line, can Chelsea afford not to utilise every advantage at their disposal?

Alex: Stoke Are Just Like The Dutch

Fit again after injury, Alex has been considering how to effectively combat Stoke City's direct style of play.

The Brazilian centre-half is expected to fill in for Ricardo Carvalho at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, where he is likely to meet the aerial bombardment of Rory Delap's long throw-ins and the physical style of Potters forward Ricardo Fuller, both equally intimidating and effective.

It is an attritional form of football the 27-year-old admits he anticipated seeing more of when he arrived on these shores in the summer of 2007, and has been pleasantly surprised by the passing style most sides adopt, not that he was a stranger to the long-ball game in Holland, where he was a Cup winner with PSV in 2005, as well as a three-time league champion.

'When I came to England I thought only Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United liked to play, all the other teams I thought would be long ball, but after some time I knew only two or three teams play like this and the rest of the teams like to play,' admitted the defender.

'In Holland it is the same as Stoke, and Bolton too, there are many teams who have tall forwards and put the ball in the air and play like this. They don't have the good quality like Stoke have also.'

So how best to deal with the Potters' throw-ins, which cause so much damage with their flat trajectory as well as Delap's staggering range?

'They have someone with a tremendous delivery and if you're a fraction out with marking you'll come a cropper.' That's the opinion of assistant manager Ray Wilkins, and Alex summed it up in a similar way, albeit in a more traditional sense.

'We have to pay attention to the second ball, sometimes it is difficult to win the first ball but you have to win the second,' Alex explained. 'You have to play very concentrated and stay compact.

'Fuller has quality with the ball and he is a strong, strong man, so we have to play strong also and don't leave any space. We received four goals in the last game, which is no good at home.'

Michael Essien & Jose Bosingwa In Race To Be Fit For Chelsea's Champions League Clash With Inter

Jose Bosingwa and Michael Essien are fighting an uphill battle to be fit for the second leg of Chelsea's Champions League first knockout round tie against Inter Milan on March 16.

Essien has not played for Chelsea since he suffered a hamstring injury in European action against Apoel Nicosia in December.

More recently has been recovering from a knee problem sustained in January while on international duty with Ghana at the African Nations Cup.

The 27-year-old had an operation in January but he is currently still recuperating at a sporting injury clinic in France alongside left-back Ashley Cole, who has a fractured ankle.

Chelsea trail 2-1 after the first leg of the last-16 tie at the Giuseppe Meazza, and it looks unlikely Carlo Ancelotti will have a full-strength squad to pick from as he looks to defeat Jose Mourinho.

Bosingwa is back in light training after knee surgery but still short of match practice. However, Russian international Yury Zhirkov, who missed the first leg with a calf problem, should be fit to play at left-back.

Portugal midfielder Deco, another who has struggled with a knee problem, should have a chance to prove his fitness during the FA Cup quarterfinal against Stoke City on Sunday.

Ancelotti will be able to call upon Branislav Ivanovic, who has been praised by team-mate Joe Cole:

"I think Ivanovic for us is fantastic," the midfielder said.

"He is a great player for Chelsea. I think he has been our player of the year to be honest."

Rooney Backs Cole Inclusion

Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney hopes Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole can force his way into England's World Cup squad.

Cole, who has made just 11 Premier League starts this term, has struggled for form and fitness since Carlo Ancelotti took over the reigns at Stamford Bridge last summer.

The 28-year-old was left out of national team boss Fabio Capello's squad which beat Egypt 3-1 in midweek, despite being an England regular figure with 53 caps.

The former West Ham man suffered a miserable year in 2009 in which he spent eight months sidelined through a knee injury, but England's main striker Rooney would welcome Cole's return to the set-up in time for South Africa this summer.

"Joe has had a bad injury but, if he gets fit, I think he has a great chance of getting back into the England squad," Rooney told the Daily Mail.

"He has great skill and he can score and create goals, so he will be a fantastic player for us to have at a World Cup if he gets selected.

"He was a great player in the last World Cup in Germany. He scored a fantastic goal against Sweden and he is someone who has experience at major tournaments, which is something you always need.

"England will benefit if he is there," he added. Cole, who has 10 goals for his country, has not featured for the national side since September 2008 in the 4-1 win over Croatia in Zagreb.

Ray Wilkins Says Joe Cole Contract Can Be Sorted Out

Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole still has a future at Stamford Bridge, says assistant coach Ray Wilkins.

Cole has failed to start regularly since his return from injury and his contract is due to expire this summer.

Talks to extend his deal have stalled prompting rumours of Cole's departure but Wilkins is hopeful that the 28-year-old will stay at the club.

"We sincerely hope he will be here next season," Wilkins said. "I am sure he and the club will sort it out."

Cole and his representatives are thought to have infuriated Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich with their hard-line stance over wages during contract negotiations.

The midfielder, who has scored once since his return from a serious knee injury in September, is understood to be chasing wages in excess of £100,000 a week.

But Wilkins said he had spoken to former West Ham player Cole numerous times and said he was "upbeat" about his future at the club he joined in 2003.

"He loves Chelsea," he added. "He wants to stay at Chelsea and I am sure that the club and his people will sort the situation out.

"We are desperate to keep Joe. I know the club are and we as a management group feel the same.

"He is a very valuable asset to us. It is a contractual situation that he and the club I am sure will sort out at a later stage."

Wilkins dismissed suggestions that contract wrangles were affecting Cole's form, insisting that he was returning from a 10-month lay-off and adding that the player is still in contention for a call-up to England's World Cup squad.

"He was outstanding in the Carling Cup against Queens Park Rangers and then you find, when you have had a long lay off, that your form does drop.

"Joe has just had a dip in form. He has shown in certain games, when he has played, a lot more of that good form.

"He has got to get a little bit more consistency back and then there will not be a problem with him.

"I think he will give England something slightly different. He can play on both sides of the pitch and in different formations so Joe has a very good chance of being selected for England."

Chelsea face Stoke on Sunday in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and Wilkins says the holders still see the competition as a major target.

"The FA Cup is massive," said Wilkins. "Thinking back to last May and the joy we experienced in the dressing room at Wembley. These guys play this game to win trophies and we want to win the trophy badly."

Chelsea Call On Sports Psychologist To Help Dejected Ashley Cole

Chelsea officials have sent a specialist sports psychologist to France to work with Ashley Cole, who is recuperating from a broken ankle and a split from his wife Cheryl.

The move is believed to have been sanctioned by the club’s owner, Roman Abramovich, after concerns about how the £82,000-a-week defender is coping in a remote sports clinic 800 miles from his Surrey home.

His pop star wife, Cheryl, said she was splitting from Cole 10 days ago. Since then, Cole, 29, has cut an increasingly dejected figure as he has moped around the CERS complex in Capbreton, South West France. He is expected to remain at the centre until Tuesday.

The psychologist was flown out from London on Wednesday night. A spokesman for Chelsea denied that the move was related to player’s marriage split, saying: ‘It is a very normal procedure. We have a duty of care to our players and we regularly send members of our medical team out to help them get fit, especially those undergoing long-term treatment.’

Ray Wilkins Rejects Recent Criticism Of Chelsea Captain John Terry

Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins has defended under-fire stopper John Terry, praising his recent form for club and country.

The 29-year-old was booed by sections of the Wembley crowd in England's midweek 3-1 victory over Egypt, but Wilkins believes he rose to the occasion and put in a good performance.

"That's the way you have to do things when things aren't quite going your way, and John did that on Wednesday," Wilkins told the club's official website.

"His first touch he must have been dreading and then he put it out of play bless him, but after that he was outstanding and turned those people round."

Terry has made a few mistakes in recent games for the Blues, but Wilkins is very happy with what he has seen over the course of the season.

"He's been doing it all season for us, we have no problems whatsoever with John and the atmosphere in the camp has been superb," he said.

"Where John plays, if he makes a mistake more often than not the opposition will get a chance of scoring a goal, and that's been the case. John's openly admitted he's made a couple of errors but that's one of those things, all players make mistakes.

"I've been thrilled with the way he's played, I thought he was excellent against Egypt and we have no qualms whatsoever, he's been in top, top form for us."

Stoke City are the visitors for Chelsea on Sunday, in the quarter-final of the FA Cup, and Wilkins is expecting a tough contest.

"I am sure a lot of us were thinking it might be Manchester City we were playing against on Sunday, but credit to Stoke and we're in for a very tough game," he said.

"They have quality, what Tony Pulis has done has been quite exceptional and they've played with a lot of style at times.

Yes we'll have to defend very bravely when these long throws and set plays come in but that's part and parcel of the game and we'll have to be up for that."

Lampard Backing For Coles

Frank Lampard has backed Chelsea team-mates Ashley Cole and Joe Cole to make it to this summer's World Cup.

Both Coles are in danger of missing the tournament in South Africa - but for differing reasons.

Ashley Cole is battling to recover in time from his broken ankle, while Joe Cole was omitted from the last England squad as he struggles to regain a regular starting spot in Chelsea's first-team.

But Lampard is confident both will be on the plane to South Africa.

On Ashley Cole, Lampard told Sky Sports New: "Our doctors are confident they can get him there.

"Ash didn't know [how long he would be out], he just knows how he felt in the beginning and it is very difficult for us players to know.

"But fingers crossed, if everything goes right he has a very good chance. If there are complications, then who knows, it is not for me to say, you just have to hope that he is fit as he is one, if not the, best full-backs in the world."

With Joe Cole, Lampard is hopeful he will regain the form that made him an integral member of England's 2006 World Cup squad.

"I think you certainly know with the England manager now, if your form deserves to get you in, you will be," he said.

"I don't think the door is shut for Joe or anyone else, and that is how it should be and that is the beauty of the era over the last few years, it is on form and how you are playing.

"So if Joe is playing for Chelsea at the top of his game then I think the England call will come."

Fabio Capello Insists World Cup Door Not Closed On Joe Cole

Fabio Capello has insisted that Joe Cole still has a chance to secure a place in his World Cup squad if he performs consistently for Chelsea between now and the end of the season.

Cole, 28, has had an indifferent term so far under Carlo Ancelotti at Stamford Bridge after coming back from cruciate ligament damage in his knee.

The former West Ham child prodigy was not named in Capello's squad for Wednesday’s Wembley friendly against Egypt, raising expectations he had missed his chance to add to his 53 England caps in South Africa this summer.

But speaking at his pre-match press conference, England manager Capello said the door was not closed on the midfielder. "I saw the games he played after his injury and he played only so-so, but the last game he played very well," the Italian said. "He has to play more games like that and then he will be here, probably."

Wednesday’s match was the first for the national team since the furore over former captain John Terry's affair with the ex-girlfriend of Wayne Bridge. Terry has since been stripped of the captaincy while Bridge has ruled himself out of contention for the Three Lions while his former Chelsea team-mate is in the squad.

Moving to dismiss claims of dressing room unease over the affair, Capello said: "You have to understand that privately some players were not so good, but on the pitch it is different. We wear the England shirt and it is really important they help us every moment.

"He will be like the other players. I've spoken to him and I said 'you have to be like a leader'."

Dembele Wants Dutch Departure

Chelsea's interest in AZ Alkmaar's Moussa Dembele may have been reignited as the striker is ready to quit Holland in the summer, according to his agent.

The 22-year-old is expected to be sold at the end of the season as his contract expires in 2011 and he made no secret of his desire to leave in the winter transfer window.

Chelsea were warned by AZ that they would need to act quickly last summer if they wanted to sign Dembele, while Genoa had an offer turned down and Juventus and AC Milan were said to be monitoring the situation.

Ajax are the latest team to be linked with the Belgium international as Martin Jol is bracing himself for the probable sale of Luis Suarez, who has been linked with Sunderland this week.

But the Eredivisie side's interest has been knocked at the expense of clubs from abroad after Dembele's representative, Patrick Vervoort, told RTV Noord Holland of possible destinations: "The Dutch league is normally excluded."

Ajax are thought to be desperate to secure a replacement for Suarez as interest mounts in the 23-year-old after a dazzling season in which he has already scored 26 Eredivisie goals in 25 games.

It has been reported in the North East of England that Sunderland chief scout Ricky Sbragia is set to watch the Uruguayan in Wednesday's international friendly against Switzerland. Suarez signed a one-year contract extension in January, however, the new deal has done little to deter admirers and Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is thought to be keen to partner Suarez with Darren Bent.

Steven Gerrard: John Terry Was Superb And Great Leader Against Egypt

Stand-in captain Steven Gerrard praised the performance of John Terry during England’s 3-1 victory over Egypt, as the disgraced defender made his first appearance for the Three Lions since Fabio Capello stripped him of the armband.

“I thought he was superb tonight, John. I thought he handled everything really well and he showed he is a fantastic player and a great leader for us,” Gerrard told ITV Sport.

The Liverpool midfielder praised the visitors performance at Wembley, admitting that his side found them hard to compete against in the first half.

“You’ve got to give credit to them,” said Gerrard. "They played very well first half and the difference was we never converted the chances we had.

“We were unfortunate to come in 1-0 down but we showed good character and great togetherness to get back into the game and go on and win it.”

“I think we needed to press better together, we were a bit individual in the first half,” he explained. “We were pressing in ones and twos and they were passing it well around us.”

“We pressed a lot better in the second half and we won the ball further up in their pitch and we were more dangerous going forward.”

England Defender John Terry Hails Fans After Victory Over Egypt

England defender John Terry has applauded the Three Lions fans for the support shown during the 3-1 victory over Egypt at Wembley on Wednesday. The Chelsea captain was jeered during the early stages of the match, but the barracking died down as he went on to put in a performance worthy of manager Fabio Capello's mention.

The centre-half acknowledged the early reactions from the fans, but felt that the overall reaction was positive. "The supporters were fantastic in the way they got behind us," Terry is quoted by The Sun as saying "Obviously there were a few jeers but as a player I can handle that and they are fully entitled to their opinion.

"Whether or not I am cheered or booed it was important we got the win. "I was delighted with the response I got from all sections of the crowd. "It meant a lot to me the way we played and I thought Steve Gerrard was magnificent tonight." The ex-Three Lions captain had further words of praise for Gerrard, who was handed the armband in the absence of defender Rio Ferdinand.

Terry also hoped to keep the positive run going through to the 2010 World Cup, insisting that Capello's men have a good chance of going all the way in the showpiece event if the fans stay behind the team. "Steve played a great part with the captain's armband," he added. "And to come back from a goal down against a really good side that won the African Nations Cup was great.

"They worked really hard for each other and were great on the ball. "So what we have seen tonight is we have a real chance of going to South Africa and causing some problems in the World Cup because we are a very good side.

"We need everyone behind us, which they will be - we have the best fans in the world. "With everyone cheering all night, and us playing the way we are at the moment, it's important to we keep this run going."

Frank Lampard Wants England Boo-Boys To Leave John Terry Alone

Frank Lampard has called for the boos that greeted John Terry in the win over Egypt to stop for the sake of England's World Cup hopes.

A minority of Wembley fans jeered Terry at the start of the match, which Lampard admitted was 'half expected', but he hopes that marks the end of the dissent against his Chelsea team-mate following his recent off-field problems.

Lampard said: 'The unity in the squad is fine. We've only been together two or three days and everyone is here to concentrate on football and not concentrate on anything else.

'We've certainly done that. The manager is always very strong on that. We've trained, we've rested and there is a good spirit in the team.

'The boos for John (Terry) were half expected. It has happened before. We know it doesn't do too many favours and I hope it doesn't happen again.

'Overall It was the kind of work-out we were looking for. Egypt showed themselves to be a very capable team, very good on the ball.

That's why they are Africa Nations Cup champions. 'I think we worked hard but missed chances in the first half and, once we had got a goal back, we showed our character and quality.' Gareth Barry praised the performance of Terry and the boos turned to cheers as the match progressed.

He said: 'There is a lot of talk about other distractions which the players don't really need at this moment in time. It was good to show we are all together on the pitch and to put in a good performance.

'John is experienced and as soon as he is out there on the pitch, everything else that has gone on is all forgotten.

'In the second half, he made a couple of challenges that were cheered. 'Initially there might have been a few grumbles but the fans were brilliant and realised we need everyone behind us.'

John Terry Must Take David Beckham's Road To Redemption

The demonisation of John Terry has reached the stage where people are heckling him without knowing quite why.

Something to do with that woman and the reserve left-back. England's sacked captain was being booed by Premier League crowds long before Wayne Bridge said not-on-your-nelly to the World Cup.

What we have here is disapproval as a kind of new Mexican wave. Captain Sensible is a role Fabio Capello identified this week as one he urgently wants to see filled by the injured Rio Ferdinand and the third man down the line of illusory power, Steven Gerrard, who must have been overjoyed to be given the chance to repeat stock phrases in press conferences about responsibilities and role models.

Gerrard will hand the armband back to Ferdinand with all the reluctance of a childminder hearing a parent's ring on the bell when an upset toddler is screaming the walls down. For Terry, on the other hand, it is mortification in ribbon form, flashing around the pitch on another man's biceps.

Life would be much simpler if he could get it back and resume his East End guv'nor role. After a consoling word from Sir Dave Richards, chairman of the Premier League, Terry lined up for the ceremonials four from the end rather than in the old meet-and-greet position.

Lord Triesman, the Football Association chairman, moved to clasp his hand in upright, arm-wrestling mode, but then thought better of it, tapping Chelsea's skipper on the arm, as if His Lordship felt His Pariah's pain.

This solicitous gesture prompted the thought that Terry is close to entering the next phase of his trial by fire, when the mob stop taunting him and admire him for his resilience, his "quiet courage", as they did, in another context, with David Beckham, many months after he had been hung in effigy outside a London pub.

Beckham is easily the England centre-back's best bet for advice on cultivating an appearance of dignity and making it work in one's favour. Terry needs it, too, because the booing of his name before the kick-off was followed by persistent jeering that was dark and disdainful and took 20 minutes to subside.

A core of (Chelsea?) supporters tried to drown this hostility in cheers, which created the dissonant soundtrack of a previously admired bulldog leader being at once encouraged and condemned less than a hundred days before a World Cup.

The disconnect in Terry's brain that allows him to treat emotional turmoil as nothing more serious than an annoying squeak under the bonnet of a Bentley conceals damage below the surface.

Despite Capello's insistence that his centre-half's form is unaffected, Terry was bamboozled by Manchester City's Carlos Tevez at Stamford Bridge on Saturday and passed straight into touch on his first contact with the ball in this 3-1 victory over Egypt.

It was wishful thinking on Capello's part to believe that spending a week in Dubai with his deceived wife, having the England captaincy taken off him inside 12 minutes and then being held responsible for Bridge's international retirement would not affect Terry's equilibrium on some level.

Not forgetting Bridge's refusal to shake his hand at Chelsea and Capello's subsequent declaration that Terry would not be captain again on his watch, which was accompanied by a sermon about kids and how England players need to show them a path through life.

On the evidence of this tussle with the best team in Africa, Terry retains his outcast status in the eyes of his manager and many England fans, who have developed a generalised antipathy to hedonistic and narcissistic conduct.

Terry always exemplified the lionhearted geezer persona many England fans have always warmed to, so you would think it must have taken a lot for them to turn on him, when it really only took extra-marital slap and tickle, plus clear evidence of greed in the way he chased every buck that could be wrung from his position.

So the question for Capello, for England, is how long Terry will be locked out in the cold before being allowed back inside to his basket. Booing serves no purpose beyond allowing fans to feel righteous and they soon tired of it. For the England coach, meanwhile, there is the inescapable knowledge that successful teams are built around strong centre-back pairings.

With Ledley King plagued by knee trouble, a Terry-Ferdinand partnership is England's only fully credible combination for a World Cup quarter-final against a top-five nation. Neither Matthew Upson nor Joleon Lescott consistently attains the standards needed to nullify the world's best strikers.

The slip by Upson that led to Mohamed Zidan's first-half goal was attributable to the continuing farce of a £757m stadium being home to such a bad pitch, but the point remains: Terry is the best stopper in the English game.

After the interval the ex-captain was more vocal and demonstrative than the stand-in, but when Gerrard was withdrawn the armband passed under JT's nose to Wayne Rooney, then Gareth Barry. Another few weeks of shame and then a weird kind of sympathy will kick in.

Carvalho Scare For Chelsea

Ricardo Carvalho has handed Chelsea an injury scare after picking up an injury on international duty.

The Blues defender was a late withdrawal from the Portugal side for Wednesday's friendly with China because of a thigh problem.

The decision to leave him out was taken as a precautionary measure after the experienced centre-back reported pain in his right thigh.

Carvalho is now a doubt for this weekend's FA Cup quarter-final against Stoke, although Chelsea are waiting to find out the full extent of the injury.

Carlo Ancelotti will be hoping it is not serious as the Italian coach gets ready for a busy period of fixtures including the return meeting with Inter Milan in the Champions League on March 16.

John Terry Would Not Survive In Argentina, Says Carlos Tevez

The Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has spoken out about John Terry's recent off-field troubles, saying that had such allegations been made against an Argentinian a player "would not survive".

"If you acted like this in Argentina you'd be dead," Tevez told the Sun. "It's complicated to say something about what Terry did to [Wayne] Bridge. I don't think you can do that with the wife of another player.

It's wrong. In my opinion, Terry has no moral code for what he did to Bridge. In my neighbourhood if you do that, you lose your legs, or more – you don't survive."

But Tevez denied that his angry confrontation with Terry at Stamford Bridge last Saturday was a result of his support for his City team-mate. "I didn't fight with Terry because of that," he said.

"I fought with him because he took me by the shirt and I didn't like it. I became furious with him because of that."

The striker, who played for Argentina against Germany in Munich last night, did however reserve some opprobrium for Chelsea's German international Michael Ballack.

"I have always had problems with Ballack but, you know, it is just football, not personal issues between us," he said.

"I don't know, maybe he doesn't like me, as I don't like him. On the field, I have never understood what he is saying to me but I am sure he didn't understand me either."

Man City Defeat 'An Accident' - Desailly

Chelsea legend Marcel Desailly is "worried" by the Blues' current inconsistencies, but maintains Carlo Ancelotti's men can get it right as the race for the Barclays Premier League title hots up.

Defeat by Manchester City on Saturday, a first in 37 home matches, saw Chelsea's lead over Manchester United down to just one point.

Indeed, with the Blues in FA Cup quarter-final action this weekend, they could find themselves knocked off top spot before they host relegation battlers West Ham on March 13.

Much has been made of the form of captain John Terry, while goalkeeper Hilario - standing in for the injured Petr Cech, was also exposed by City.

However, Desailly - who made more than 200 appearances for Chelsea between 1998 and 2004 - believes the league leaders will come good in the end.

"I am worried, but at the same time we have people who have the capacity to reorganise whatever is going on," Desailly told Chelsea TV.

"We are not pressing in midfield and we are also making some mistakes defensively but let's be patient.

"We are still at the top of the table and in the Champions League.

"We have a huge record here at Stamford Bridge and it doesn't happen often that teams can come here and win like that, so let's take it as an accident."

Desailly added: "Everyone concerned wants to fight for the club and for the team to come back because we need Chelsea at the top level.

"It is the year of Chelsea again, but we have to be careful.

"We have a clever coach who is going to get back the link we had before and the luck will come.

"The only problem I have is that at the end of the season in April we have a couple of games against the big four and it is going to be very difficult."

Football Transfers: Chelsea No Longer Big Spenders

Another day, another study on football finances. No, not the Deloitte and Touche one (which we will come to later), this study comes from Spain, the Football Transfer Review.

Yesterday we had a look at the first part of the study, which analysed the general health of football in the 5 biggest Leagues. The conclusion is that, despite the economic crisis, these Leagues are in rude health … if we judge the revenues generated by the clubs in the Leagues, not to mention the state of the transfer market, which is in constant progression. The Premier League is in a particular state, however, of constant growth (there seems to be no levelling off of our national game). It continues to be head and shoulders above its nearest competitor, the Primera Liga, and that despite the relative terms of trade having changed to the detriment of the Premier League as a consequence of Sterling`s slump.

The report carries out a case study of Chelsea, with an interesting tableau of annual spending in transfers between, 2004 to 2009. It shows pretty much a constant drop in our spending: whereas Chelsea spent some €91,6 million in 2004 (that was the first year of Mourinho, and he was indulged with Ferreira, Kezman, Drogba, Tiago and Carvalho as well as Čech and Robben who signed the winter before but were only available when José took the reigns), we spent only €28,5 last summer (on Yuri Zhirkov, Daniel Sturridge, and Nemanja Matic). Already by 2005-2006, spending had tailed off: that was the year of €54,4 million on Asier Del Horno, Lassana Diarra, Shaun Wright Phillips, and Michael Essien. In 2006-2007, Chelsea spent €46,5 million (Kalou, Boulahrouz Ashley Cole and Andriy Shevchenko), and 'only` €40,2 million in 2007 (Malouda, Anelka, Ivanović and Belletti). Actually the low point was 2008-2009, when €24,1 million was spent on Bosingwa and Deco.

These figures, considerably less than most of our rivals spent, contradict a myth of Chelsea being a chequebook team. Even in England, Chelsea are outspent by any number of our rivals: in a list of the 10 biggest spenders this year, Chelsea come only 8th. Needless to say, Real Madrid, with their €260 million, come first, followed by the €140 million of Manchester City and €112 million at Barca. In England, ManU spent more (44 million), as did whinging Liverpool (43 million). Bayern spent €51 million.

Then again, it is interesting also to compare the purchases with player sales, to give an idea of the investment potential of clubs. If we look at the 2009 figures, ManU clearly come first, with the €100-odd million they made selling Cristiano Ronaldo to Madrid: they made €103 million in player sales, so made a net profit of €59 million. Madrid, surprisingly, comes second, with €89 million in sales. Then again, Madrid had to offload a load of players. Most of their profit comes from the sale of Arjen Robben. However, net spending at the Bernabeu comes to a loss of €166 million, which is still an appalling figure.

Third comes Inter Milan, who made €84 million in sales (mainly Ibrahimovic) whilst paying €83 million in purchases. That`s a profit of €1 million. Milan also made a profit: they mugged Madrid for Kaka, trousering €78 million in total for €15 million in purchases, ending the exercise €63 million up. Arsenal also made a profit: €46 million (mainly Adebayor and Traore), whilst spending €13 million. That`s plus €35 million for Arsène. Liverpool managed to make €38 million in sales (Xabi Alonso) whilst spending €43 million. Therein lies the nature of Tubby Benítez` whinges: he only had a net €5 million to play with.

In this exercise, Chelsea recovered only €3 million in player sales, so our net outlay was €26 million. That still puts us in a rather modest situation compared to the big spending plans of Madrid, Barça (€90 million spent net), or Manchester City (€118 million net). We spent almost as much net as Bayern (€24 million for €51 million in purchase), and less than Juventus (€35 million for €48 million in purchases).

This gives a general idea of where Chelsea stand in overall spending, i.e. 5th overall. Chelsea are far from being the big spenders of yesteryear, and this picture is all the more restrained in that 2008-2009 was a very atypical year for the transfer market. Transfers were dominated by 2 clubs going on an insane and unsustainable acquisitive spree. Those two clubs were Manchester City and, particularly, Real Madrid. It is a spree that has been profitable for a number of other European clubs: Manchester United, Milan, Arsenal, and Liverpool.

Chelsea were one of a few European clubs (Bayern was another) that managed to resist losing our best players to this onslaught. The result was helpful from the point of view of squad stability, but other clubs made a handsome profit from selling players to mugs for overinflated prices. In addition, the consequence was that Chelsea had to strengthen a number of contracts of our existing players, which has not been positive from the point of view of our balance sheet. A good example of this was that Chelsea resisted selling John Terry to Manchester City. We could have received upwards of £30 million for the guy. Instead JT stayed at Chelsea, with the help of a £150,000 per week new contract, or €8,5 million per year. In light of recent events, we could ask whether it wouldn`t have been a good idea (and not only financially) to have offloaded our captain?

Since this is a Spanish study, the report ends with some interesting considerations about La Liga. This is pertinent to Chelsea since we are effectively competing with La Liga`s big clubs. The interesting considerations are to heighten the uncompetitive nature of La Liga, and how Real Madrid have smashed the market with their unsustainable practices. For whilst La Liga increased its overall transfer spending last ear from €257 million to a whopping €455 million, if you take off Madrid and Barça, there has been a net decrease, from €131 million to €79 million for the remaining 18 clubs. Most of this increase is Madrid`s (who only spent €31 million the summer before last), but Barça also increased their spending, spurred on by their capitol rivals. Whilst Madrid spent €265 million and Barça €111 million, the only 2 other Liga club to spend over €10 million were Villarreal (€16,9 million) and Sevilla (€12,5 million). This is reflected in the top 10 transfers last season: the first 8 are for Madrid and Barça between them. The report concludes that this is a 'worrying increase in polarisation`. It is worrying if two clubs weigh more than the other 18 in the League.

On a more global observation, the report points out that a number of clubs (ManU, Milan and Arsenal) spent the money they received from their exorbitant sales to Madrid and Manchester City. That is hanging over the market. The clubs probably thought that should they reinvest this immediately, all prices would be multiplied by 2, it was therefore in their interest to wait.

In addition, the report remarks the increasing importance and size of clubs in Russia and Ukraine, who are now regulars in the Champions League, and who are flush with oligarchs` cash. This is on top of the growth of Turkish football. Some of these clubs are in a position to compete with the medium-sized European clubs. Finally the report points out that regulations (particularly tax rates, but also nationality rules) are increasingly considered to be factors in competing between Leagues. It recommends that contracts be somewhat rationalised to be shorter in duration, but also a more results-oriented salary: many players are on contracts that simply don`t correspond to their results. Deco springs to mind.

In the longer term, the report points out that the new tax rates will apply in Spain (closing a loophole whereby foreign players pay advantageous rates). In the UK, however, there is a new 50% band which is going to make the Premier League less competitive. Also to note are the new FIFA rules of 6+5 (in terms of locally-developed players), and whether the EU will concede to a restriction on the free movement of workers. In addition, we have to consider that 2009 was particular in that there were elections in Real Madrid, which lead to the explosion in signings there. 2010 sees elections at Barça, which could lead to an inflation of electoral promise in Cataluña.

The full 2010 analysis will come in our assessment of the Deloitte and Touche Money League report, which has just been published.

Chelsea Star Michael Ballack Advises Inter To Be Prepared For Stamford Bridge Showdown

Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack has sent an ominous warning out to Inter, advising the Nerazzurri to be ready for their Champions League clash on March 16. Despite the Beneamata taking a one-goal lead into the second leg at Stamford Bridge, the German international says that the Blues are a different beast to tame at home. "We need to concentrate on ourselves," Ballack was quoted as saying to Corriere Dello Sport. "We are a very strong squad, and know what we need to do. "The players also know what to expect from [Inter coach] Jose Mourinho, because he is a very good coach, and prepares his team well. They will be 90 minutes of fireworks, and we hope to have a happy ending in our favour. "Italian teams are hard to beat, even away from home. They can defend, and know what they need to do in order to qualify for the next round. But we are stronger at home, where we have a good record. "It is a precarious position to be in, but we have finished twice in the semi-finals and once in the final over the past few seasons, and our aim is to hoist the trophy," added the German midfielder.

Bayern Munich's Arjen Robben Backs Chelsea At 'Difficult Time' For The Club

Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben believes the off-field antics involving both John Terry and Ashley Cole have made life difficult at Chelsea.

The Premier League leaders were beaten 4-2 by Manchester City on Saturday, but the Dutch international, who spent three years at Stamford Bridge, thinks his former team-mates have the strength of mind to overcome this troubled period.

"It is a difficult time. It is not good for the club or football in general but these things happen," Robben told Sky Sports News.

"I think it is going to take a long time for people to forget about it but they have to handle it.

"I think they are strong enough and they have so much quality. Also mentally they are up for it I think."