Chelsea Face Stiff Champions League Test As Big Beasts Bare Teeth

Last May, as the sun warmed the roof terrace of Chelsea's training complex at Cobham and the chefs put on a barbecue, the glinting Premier League and FA Cup were passed around the staff as nonchalantly as the relish. Carlo Ancelotti was entitled to feel content with all he surveyed. A convivial end of term celebration crowned a debut year in England that could scarcely have been bettered.

The obvious supposition is that the pressure is on for the Italian to improve this season, to somehow enhance his opening act in the months of intense competition to come. That can only equate to one heavyweight calling: the Champions League. It was the four European Cups on Ancelotti's CV (two as a player and two as a coach with Milan) that leapt off the page so there is no reason to assume that the powers at Stamford Bridge are not expectant on that score.

But Ancelotti is a smart and experienced enough football man to know that however much the club's owner, Roman Abramovich, might hunger for a European coronation, however keenly Chelsea's fans might trade another domestic prize for the big one, and however desperate John Terry and his cohorts are to put an end to the gallingly close shaves, the maximum he can guarantee them is his best effort. No more. The rest is down to the Champions League gods. And they clearly do not believe anybody has a divine right to their blessing.

Just look at where a couple of past winners with glowing European pedigree kicked off their continental adventures this season: Liverpool travelled to Skopje to take on Rabotnicki in the Europa Cup qualifiers. Juventus dropped into Dublin to play Shamrock Rovers. What they wouldn't do even to have a shot at aiming for a grand occasion with the Champions League music ringing in their ears at Wembley next summer.

Every season there are a handful of super-strong favourites, yet it is anyone's guess which of them will prevail. Over the past decade, some 14 different teams have reached the final. There have been eight different winners. Only Milan and Barcelona have hoisted the trophy more than once.

Ancelotti is far too shrewd to deliberately or overtly focus his resources during this campaign on the Champions League. The risk of disappointment in a notoriously fickle competition is too great. The field is too strong. The margin of error is too slim.
Just ask Real Madrid about expecting certainties from this competition. They outspent the national debt of several countries this time last year on Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká and Karim Benzema in a bid to give themselves the best chance possible of a fairytale 10th European Cup, won at their home stadium, the Bernabéu. They duly bombed out in the round of 16 for the fifth season running. Now they have installed José Mourinho – the hottest plotter around in terms of this particular tournament – to see if his magic wand will do the trick.

The cult of the coach has perhaps never held quite so much store in Europe's elite tournament. Mourinho made sure of that last season, to the extent that some of the outstanding contributions of his players were a little overshadowed come the curtain call against Louis van Gaal's Bayern Munich in Madrid. Despite the expectation that Mourinho alone can conjure in a flash a ruthless team from the ornate ingredients at his disposal, Real's recent history of blighted hopes in this tournament really should have taught them not to expect a guaranteed miracle. Not that they will be able to help themselves. They will be powerless to resist catapulting their thinking towards another date with the trophy they feel like they part-own.

But let's be honest, no matter the club, the coach, the footballing talent, no one with any sense can go into a season with all their eggs in the Champions League basket.

Mourinho knows the competition is as strong as ever. It took him three years at San Siro, as well as a generously supportive board, to weld together a team capable of taking on everything Europe could throw at them. Having said that, as Van Gaal demonstrated by guiding Bayern to an impressive renaissance, and Pep Guardiola showed the previous year by launching Barcelona into the history books, alchemy can happen quickly with the right blend of quality, unity, inspiration and fortune.

What is changing is the ability of the top teams to challenge on all fronts. Last season Internazionale, Bayern and Chelsea mounted an assault on the Champions League while winning the double at home. Barcelona came close alongside a successful defence of La Liga. The most powerful clubs are setting a heck of a standard, by showing it can be done to go hell for leather on both the domestic and European scenes. Once upon a time, the treble was such a mythical achievement you would be lucky to witness it once in a generation. We have just seen it done two years running.

Anyone thinking about loading extra demands on Ancelotti would do well to swallow a dose of perspective. Chelsea are hardly the only club who hanker after the Champions League like the holiest of grails. It is certainly no lower on the agenda at Barcelona and Real Madrid, at Manchester United, Bayern Munich,Milan and, naturally, at the club where it is now on show – in the trophy room of the holders Inter.

The fact that it is too competitive a field to pick a favourite is part of what gives the Champions League its allure. Mourinho was not wrong when he announced that it was a higher level than the World Cup before Inter's triumph. The only thing we can be sure of from this edition is that a handful of excellent teams, marshalled by first-rate managers, will end up disappointed.

Chelsea Target Asmir Begovic As Back-Up To Injured Petr Cech

Chelsea have expressed an interest in the Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic as the manager, Carlo Ancelotti, considers his options behind his injured No1 Petr Cech.

Henrique Hilário is Ancelotti's current first-choice back-up ahead of Ross Turnbull and the Portuguese was given the starting nod at Wembley in the Community Shield against Manchester United.

However, both goalkeepers have made errors during the pre-season and have looked shaky at times, forcing Ancelotti to consider whether a new signing might offer more stability.

Begovic, 23, has the added advantage of qualifying as a home-grown player because, despite his Bosnian nationality, he moved to Portsmouth on a youth contract in 2003. That means that although he had loans spells at Macclesfield Town, Bournemouth and Yeovil Town before he turned 21, he has spent the required three years before that birthday training at the academies of English clubs.

Chelsea have only five home-grown players at present – John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Michael Mancienne and Turnbull – meaning that, with the Premier League's new regulations stipulating that clubs must name eight such players in a senior squad of no more than 25, Ancelotti stands to play the first half of the season with only 22 senior players.

With Ramires, Benfica's Brazil midfielder, set to move to Stamford Bridge to replace Deco, who has signed for Fluminense, Ancelotti has his full compliment of 17 senior overseas players.

Were he to sign Begovic, he would have the option to loan out Hilário to free up a space for another overseas signing. Chelsea has been linked with a move for the Benfica defender David Luiz.

Cech tore a calf muscle last month and he was ruled out of the pre-season friendlies against Ajax, Eintracht Frankfurt and Hamburg. His total pre-season playing minutes amount to 30 in the opening fixture against Crystal Palace. Ancelotti says that Cech will be fit to face West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League opener at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Begovic cost £3.25m when he moved from Portsmouth to Stoke in last winter's transfer window, a reflection of his ability and potential, but he was unable to dislodge Thomas Sorensen as the manager Tony Pulis's first choice. He made four appearances at the end of the season, after Sorensen injured his shoulder against Chelsea.

Bologna Set To Seal Loan Deal For Chelsea Starlet Nemanja Matic

Serie A side Bologna are hopeful of completing the transfer of young midfielder Nemanja Matic from Premier League giants Chelsea on a one-year loan deal in the coming days, if a report in Corriere dello Sport is to be believed.

The Felsinei are keen to strengthen their team this summer after finishing only one place above the Serie A relegation zone last season. Head coach Franco Colomba supposedly sees Matic as the perfect addition to his squad.

The 21-year-old signed a four-year contract with the Blues last summer, but made only three substitute appearances last season. Matic has already won two caps for the senior Serbian national side, despite his youthful age, but missed out on selection for the 2010 World Cup squad.

The report claims that Bologna are close to reaching an agreement with Chelsea and the transfer could be a done deal sooner rather than later.

Didier Drogba: Blues Need To Find Match Fitness Quickly

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has admitted that the Blues looked a little flat during their Communtiy Shield defeat to Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday.

The Ivorian insists however that the World Cup has affected some players, with late returns to the club meaning that pre-season training has been disrupted.

"We had a difficult pre-season, a lot of players were coming back from holidays," Drogba told Sky Sports News.

"I came back only 10 days ago. I think we have a lot of players like this coming back very late."

That limited pre-season training has made it hard for players to be at their sharpest, but Drogba admits that time is running out for the squad to find full fitness.

He added: "It's difficult to be fit after only days so we'll need more time but the competition is starting next week so we have to find a solution."

Carlo Ancelotti Says Time, Not Transfers, Will Cure Chelsea's Poor Form

Carlo Ancelotti insists there will be no panic buys at Chelsea following their dismal build-up to the new season which culminated in a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United in the Community Shield on Sunday.

The defeat at Wembley marked Chelsea's fourth consecutive defeat as they prepare for their defence of the Premier League title with just one new senior player added to their books this summer.

Aside from Ramires, who is expected to join the London club imminently, Ancelotti insists he is happy with the resources at his disposal and that recent results reflect only the lack of time he has had to work with his World Cup players since they returned to training.

Furthermore, the Italian laughed off the possibility of making further signings as a response to his side's current form.

"Fortunately, it's pre-season," he said. "I think that there is time to come back to win. It was not a good pre-season for results. We lost four games but I think we did our best.

"We need for the players who came back the on July 26 to have more time to train."

Ancelotti does not believe his World Cup players - such as John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba - will be fully match fit for another fortnight.

For that reason, he is grateful for this week's international fixtures, which will give many of his players additional game time.

"The England players are very close to being fit," he said. "It's good for them to play an international game. They could play 70 minutes without a problem."

Despite appearing unconcerned about recent displays, Ancelotti accepts his players need to rediscover their form fast if they are not to be playing catch-up at the start of the season.

"I'm not worried but I think that we have to improve," he said. "We have to have more time in possession."

Ancelotti felt his side played "too slowly" yesterday and allowed United too much time on the ball.

Paul Scholes did most of the damage with a midfield masterclass which Ancelotti was able to appreciate but felt was helped by his own side's lack of match sharpness.

"Scholes is a fantastic player; he played a very good game," he said. "Maybe we gave him more possibility to play well because we didn't put strong pressure on him.

"When you are not fit 100 per cent, it's difficult to put strong pressure on during the game. But he showed fantastic touch, fantastic switch of play. I agree that he was the man of the match."

Carlo Ancelotti Admits Chelsea Were ‘Too Slow’ In Community Shield Defeat To Manchester United

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti insists Sunday’s Community Shield match against Manchester United was a good workout - despite losing 3-1.

Luis Antonio Valencia and Javier Hernandez gave the Red Devils a 2-0 lead before Dimitar Berbatov wrapped up the win in style following Salomon Kalou’s late consolation.

However, despite Ancelotti's concerns that his side were ‘too slow’ against United, he insists his Premier League holders gained a lot of good preparation ahead of the new season from the Wembley encounter.

Ancelotti told Sky Sports: “We played too slow in the first-half. We didn’t have chances, our play was slow and Manchester [United] went up at the end of the first-half.

"It was difficult, it wasn’t our best day but this can happen at the start of the season. Our players played 90 minutes and this is a good thing for us ahead of the start of the Premier League.”

A number of Chelsea’s players were given an extended break after World Cup 2010 and have only recently returned to full-time training with the Blues.

“It’s impossible to ask our players, after 10 days of pre-season, to be quick and fit," he added.

"We’ve got a lot of players who came back on July 26 and to improve their conditions it’s important to play 90 minutes and I think this game will be a positive.”

With international fixtures coming up in midweek, Ancelotti believes the games could help Chelsea’s players continue to build up their fitness before the Premier League curtain-raiser next weekend.

“I think playing could be a good thing to improve their condition. I don’t worry about this,” he added.

Ashley Cole Snubs Fabio Capello Handshake After Community Shield

Ashley Cole has risked the ire of England fans again by snubbing the offer of a handshake from manager Fabio Capello after Chelsea's defeat to Manchester United in the Community Shield on Sunday.

The defending Premier League champions and FA Cup winners were beaten 3-1 by their rivals at Wembley - but the main talking point afterwards was the apparent bad blood between Capello and Cole during the presentation ceremony afterwards.

Cole ascended the steps of the national stadium to collect his medal but walked straight past Capello without shaking the Italian's hand.

The incident, which was captured on camera, left the England boss red-faced - especially since he was left high and dry with his arm outstretched.

Afterwards, Cole claimed his snub was nothing personal and that he had merely tripped on the top step and was concentrating on regaining his footing and forgot to greet his coach.

However, other observers may interpret the incident differently - either as a show of dissent towards the manager who led England through their worst World Cup finals campaign for decades, or, worse, as another example of the sort of petulance Cole has been accused of before.

Cole has been linked with a transfer away from Chelsea to Real Madrid this summer - especially after reports emerged of his phone message rant about England, saying he 'hates the country and all the people in it'.

There was no such awkward moment between England striker Wayne Rooney and Capello as the Manchester United striker came up to collect his medal and the trophy.

Despite flopping in spectacular fashion in South Africa, Rooney was greeted with a broad smile and a warm handshake as he claimed the first silverware of the season for his side.

Sturridge Feeling Stronger

Daniel Sturridge was delighted to step up his return to full fitness with a run out in the Community Shield.

The Chelsea striker has seen his pre-season preparations disrupted by a niggling ankle problem.

The injury kept him sidelined for the Blues' recent five-day trip to Germany, preventing him from getting vital minutes under his belt.

He was, however, able to step off the bench in Chelsea's 3-1 defeat to Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday and insists he is raring to go ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

"It is good to get some fitness from the game, and we'll come back in the week and try and put things right," the England U21 international told the Blues' official website.

"The ankle is improving, I still have pain and I only trained twice last week. I wasn't sure if I would be able to go through the pain barrier but my leg is getting stronger every day and in the next few days hopefully I will be able to play without pain."

Sturridge, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Manchester City last summer, is also hoping to make more of an impression at Chelsea this season.

He admits he struggled to feet his feet upon arriving in the capital, but feels he is now ready to show his true colours.

The 20-year-old added: "I've been working very hard, as hard as I can and need to to go forward and break into the team to help retain the title and FA Cup.

"I've been trying to impress the manager. In football you need to be patient and hopefully this year my time will come.

"It was a difficult six months when I first joined the club, when I didn't have my family and was living alone, but this season I feel a lot more comfortable, part of the lads and as though I am at home a lot more.

"Players have put an arm around me and I have a good bond, with the younger players especially where we have a bit of banter."

Reserves Beat United In Cobham Friendly

The first team may have come out second best against Manchester United on Sunday but the reserves were 4-1 victors over United's second string at Cobham earlier in the day.

Manager Steve Holland was delighted with his side's application after defeats to Woking and Wycombe, and felt having more experience in the side made a huge difference, even if United also had their fair share of first team experience in their side, with an 11 that included Gary Neville, Danny Welbeck, Rodrigo Possebon and Ritchie de Laet.

'The first team have had a difficult pre-season and that has impacted on reserves and youth, so we still had a younger side out than Manchester United with four or five that will still play in this year's youth team, but having somebody like Michael Mancienne at the back makes such a difference to the team,' explained Holland afterwards.

It was United who took the lead early on though through Welbeck, but the Blues equalized through Borini after a smart pass from Josh McEachran, and quickly took the lead before half-time when the Italian forward finished off a swift move after United had lost possession inside their own half.

In the second half Chelsea added two further late goals, the third from McEachran and the fourth probably the pick of the bunch following a well worked move, with right-back Billy Clifford getting forward in trademark fashion to finish high into the roof of the net.

The reserves have one more friendly game before the start of their competitive season, against Blackburn Rovers at Cobham on Wednesday, August 18. It will be played behind closed doors.

Match Report: Manchester United 3 - 1 Chelsea

Antonio Valencia's goal gave Manchester United a half-time lead in today's Community Shield against Chelsea.

The Ecuador winger swept home Wayne Rooney's superb cross four minutes before the break at Wembley.

Both sides missed chances to score in a 15-minute spell earlier in the half, the best of them falling to Branislav Ivanovic, whose header was brilliantly saved by Edwin van der Sar.

Michael Carrick was a shock starter for Manchester United in today's Community Shield at Wembley.

England midfielder Carrick was ruled out for a fortnight by United boss Sir Alex Ferguson just two days ago and, although he did train yesterday, his selection against Chelsea was a huge surprise.

Michael Owen started alongside Rooney in what was his first competitive appearance since injuring his hamstring at the same venue in February's Carling Cup final.

Owen last week hinted the much maligned Wembley pitch may have been to blame for the problem, and the surface was duly reinforced last month with synthetic fibres.

In a move which summed up his relaxed attitude towards this afternoon's fixture, Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti named his starting XI days ago.

Hilario got the nod in goal, Ivanovic partnered John Terry at the back, while Didier Drogba was only the bench.

Sunday’s clash was a repeat of last year's contest, which Chelsea won on penalties, denying United a hat-trick of Shield victories.

The contest sprung into life in the fifth minute when Ashley Cole - whose every touch was jeered by United supporters - misjudged a crossfield ball from Rooney, giving Antonio Valencia a sight of goal.

The winger tried to chip Hilario from just inside the box but did not get enough height on the ball.

Valencia turned provider four minutes later, his right-wing cross met full on the volley by the unmarked Paul Scholes, who could not keep the ball down.

Moments later, Edwin van der Sar spilt a 25-yard strike from Nicolas Anelka, Salomon Kalou was first to the rebound, but could only send the ball back across goal and away to safety.

Van der Sar made amends brilliantly seven minutes later, springing left to turn aside Ivanovic's six-yard header from Florent Malouda's free-kick.

The action immediately swung back to the other end, a delightful clipped ball by Scholes finding Rooney six yards out, but the England striker scuffed his finish wide from a tight angle.

Park Ji-Sung then saw a half-volley blocked by Paulo Ferreira, with Rooney's cries of handball rightly falling on deaf ears.

The frantic pace relented until the 40th minute, when the excellent Scholes played in Owen, this time with a clever header.

But the striker could only hook the ball wide via an Ivanovic clearance.

Scholes' latest gem of a crossfield ball a minute later helped break the deadlock.

Rooney drifted to the right to collect it before matching it with a brilliant first-time cross that was swept into the net by Valencia.

Moments before half-time, Michael Essien sent a 30-yard half-volley wide as Chelsea tried to hit back.

United made a triple substitution at half-time, replacing Rooney, Owen and Park with Dimitar Berbatov, Nani and summer signing Javier Hernandez.

Chelsea started the second period on top, Malouda flashing a 20-yard shot narrowly wide six minutes in.

But Scholes almost proved their undoing again, his 50-yard ball finding Hernandez, whose cunning reverse pass was just too far in front of a lunging Berbatov.

John Obi Mikel then pulled off a Scholes-like ball to Kalou but the Ivory Coast striker could not take it in his stride.

That proved Mikel's last major contribution as Drogba entered the fray on the hour, with Daniel Sturridge joining him for Anelka.

Carrick failed to connect properly on the turn with a Nani pass seconds later, while Kalou's first-time bullet was too close to Van der Sar.

Essien then curled narrowly wide from 25 yards, while Van der Sar was quick off his line to prevent Malouda reaching a Drogba ball.

The goalkeeper then blotted his copybook again by palming a Paulo Ferreira cross straight to Cole before snaffling the full-back's tame finish.

Moments later, Hernandez slipped trying to turn in Berbatov's cutback.

Sturridge screwed a long-range effort wide before Hernandez helped himself to a debut goal in comic fashion 14 minutes from time.

John O'Shea released Valencia down the right and the winger's low cross was met by Hernandez, who slipped again, kicking the ball against his own face and into the net.

Both sides made a double substitution, Cole and Ferreira off for Yuri Zhirkov and Jeffrey Bruma, with Ryan Giggs and Darren Fletcher replacing Scholes and Carrick.

Sturridge wasted a golden opportunity to pull a goal back seven minutes from time when he shot too close to Van der Saar after an inch-perfect sliderule pass from Essien.

But Van der Saar handed Chelsea a lifeline seconds later when he parried the striker's next shot straight to Kalou, who swept home the rebound.

Last season's double winners were well on top and Drogba hit the side-netting from the narrowest of angles.

Kalou failed to control a Drogba cross in stoppage-time before United sealed victory, Nani releasing Berbatov, who coolly lobbed the ball over a stranded Hilario.

Mourinho Admits Defeat Over Ashley Cole

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has admitted defeat in his attempts to sign Chelsea defender Ashley Cole.

Madrid had appeared confident of signing Cole earlier in the summer, with goalkeeper Iker Casillas saying he expected a deal to be reached.

However, Carlo Ancelotti - along with assistant Ray Wilkins and chairman Bruce Buck - has repeatedly said Cole will not be sold at any price and Mourinho has accepted Chelsea's stance.

"Carlo Ancelotti was very, very clear and that's the best way in football," he told the Sunday Times. "He killed the story by saying, 'No money can buy Ashley Cole, Ashley Cole needs to stay'.

"I think Ashley thought about leaving for personal and professional reasons. We thought about him because he's a good player who I enjoyed working with, but when a coach says no, it's no, and we have to accept that."

Lampard: I Want To Go Into Property

Frank Lampard’s football pedigree is impeccable.

The son of West Ham hero Frank Snr., who became a coach and assistant manager.

The nephew of Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp.

The cousin of former England midfielder Jamie Redknapp, who is now a respected media pundit.

Yet the 32-year-old Chelsea star surveyed his life after hanging up his boots and ­revealed: “After I finish I don’t want to be involved with football – not as a manager, coach, agent or in the media.

“I want to have a career after this. I don’t want this to be everything.

“I don’t want to spend the rest of my life just living in the past.

“I’ve been getting to know a lot about property, not just for me to live in, but as a business.

“That interests me. I’ve met a lot of people in that game, I listen to them and take on board what they can teach me.

“I’m learning about it and investing in it. I’ve got time in between football and family to do that.”

Lampard said: “We went to the World Cup on a high after an impressive qualifying campaign and I can’t begin to tell you how disappointed I was.

“But I want to carry on with England.

“The thought of ­retiring has never crossed my mind.

“At the end of the day, only one team wins the World Cup and the rest go home at some stage and don’t win it so the talking is by the by.

“It is great for the people who are involved in that sort of thing, but it doesn’t actually make any difference. We’ll try and carry on, that’s what we have to do. We’ll have to come back and try and perform.”

Lampard is happy to focus on Chelsea’s title defence.

He said: “The expectations remain the same.

“You know when you are going into a new campaign with Chelsea that you are under pressure to deliver.

“Given all the investment in the side and the progress we have made since Roman Abramovich bought the club, it’s understandable that the owner and supporters want to see a winning side on the pitch. Winning the Double last season was a huge achievement for the club.

“It will arguably go down as the best year in Chelsea’s history.

“But the onus is on us to sustain that success.

“Defending the title is always harder because everyone is out to beat you.

“The teams that missed out will be nursing the pain and disappointment that comes with that and will go into the campaign with greater determination.”

And as he gets older the pain of defeat still hurts him.

Lampard added: “It is harder after you’ve had that feeling of winning.

“You realize how special it is, it hurts even more when you lose.

“I loathe it, but as you become older you accept you are not going to win everything.

“There will be patches in your career when you are unlucky or you don’t win things.

“The older you get, the more rounded you are to deal with those things.”

Fluminense Sign Deco On Two-Year Contract

Ambitious Brazilian club Fluminense have signed former Portugal international Deco on a two-year contract. The 32-year-old, who arrived at the side via a free transfer, will reportedly earn $9 million a year at his new club.

Deco had been informed by Chelsea earlier in the summer that he was free to look for a new club as he did not feature in manager Carlo Ancelotti's plans for the 2010-11 campaign. The Brazilian-born Portuguese international himself had admitted that he wanted to play for Fluminense and end his playing career in his native country Brazil, and is now set to fulfil his ambition.

The 32-year-old joined Chelsea from Barcelona in 2008 but failed in his plight to light up the Premier League. He started his footballing career with Brazilian giants Corinthians and moved to current Portuguese champions Benfica in 1997.

After winning the Champions League with FC Porto in 2004, Deco moved to Spanish giants Barcelona with whom he won two Primera Division titles and the European Cup in 2006.

Chelsea Should Take Real Madrid's Ashley Cole Bid

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti should cash in on Ashley Cole IF Real Madrid come calling with a huge offer.

That’s the verdict of Blues legend Kerry Dixon, who reckons England defender Cole is the best left-back in the world but says every player has his price.

Bernabeu boss Jose Mourinho has signalled he is out to snare Cole, 29, but Dixon, now 49, is confident he will remain with the Double winners – unless the Spanish giants offer “silly money”.

He said: “I firmly believe Cole is the top left-back in the world and I can see why Madrid want him. But Chelsea want to keep their best players and, unless they offer really silly money, I think he will stay.”

Dixon, says the Blues have a real chance of silverware again this season, especially after being boosted by the capture of Brazil World Cup star Ramires, 23, for £18.2million from Benfica.

“He’s good so I don’t see any reason why Chelsea won’t be challenging again.”

Carlo Ancelotti Tells Players He Will Ignore Off-Field Matters As Long As They Keep Winning

Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti has told his players that he will continue to ignore off-the-field matters provided his stars maintain their performances from last season and carry on winning matches and ultimately trophies.

Despite a number of high-profile stories involving captain John Terry and Ashley Cole, the Blues went on to claim the first Double in the club's history, and Ancelotti has insisted that for him, that is all that counts.

"We are not interested in what happens outside of our training ground," Ancelotti told The Daily Mail.

"Last year, some players had private problems but if they keep this outside the pitch, for us this is good.

"We want to keep this training ground clear. We don't have a problem at this training ground."

It was rumoured last season that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich sent chief executive Ron Gourlay to speak with the squad after what he believed were stories dragging the image of the football club through the mud.

But Ancelotti said: "There are not rules outside this training ground because everyone has his rules on his private life.

"We can't put on our players how they have to behave outside the training ground. Private life is private life."

England left-back Ashley Cole has reportedly been a transfer target of Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid, and was said to be welcoming the possibility of a move because of the reaction he receives from fans at away games and while on England duty.

However, Ancelotti dismissed reports linking him with a move away from the club, and believes the former Arsenal man has the character and mentality to overcome the boo boys this season.

"They can boo. Ashley [Cole] does not have a problem with someone doing this. Mentally, John Terry and Ash are top players. They have fantastic characters. If you don't have a fantastic character, you're not a top player. Terry showed fantastic behaviour on the pitch last year. He has never been nervous or without motivation.

"He has always been focused. He has fantastic preparation. I don't think that we'll have a problem this season. He has very good control of his emotions."

Blues Close To Finalizing Ramires Deal

Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins has said he expects the deal to sign Benfica midfielder Ramires will be completed "pretty shortly".

With only Yossi Benayoun having arrived so far, Chelsea is looking to bolster the squad after Deco joined Joe Cole, Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti in leaving Stamford Bridge this summer.

Ramires appears certain to arrive in the near future after the clubs agreed a fee of £18.2 million, and Wilkins is hopeful he will arrive in the coming days.

"Nothing has been finalized as yet, but we are certainly in the mix for Ramires," he told Radio Five Live. "We would like him to join us and hopefully that will go through pretty shortly."

Asked if he could feature in Chelsea's opening Premier League fixture, Wilkins said: "We would like to think something like that would happen."

Brazil team-mate Kaka believes Chelsea will be making an excellent signing in Ramires.

"I am pleased that Ramires has joined a top European club, but I actually think it's pretty scary for the Premier League and for teams who are looking to win the European Cup this season," he told the Daily Star Sunday. "For me, there is no doubt that Chelsea have signed the very best young central midfield player in the world.

"Now he is at Chelsea I think he will become the best midfield player in the world within two years and will be placed in the same bracket as Claude Makelele, Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira. Not only is Ramires a great player but he is a humble boy and is always willing to listen and learn from those that have been in the game a long time."

He added: "Frank Lampard still probably has another two years left at the top and I am sure he can be a great mentor to him. Those two can form a devastating partnership that nobody in the Premier League will be able to cope with.

"Ramires is the complete central midfield player. He can tackle, pass, he works hard, he is strong and he can score goals. He will make the Chelsea midfield look frightening. At such a young age, Ramires plays with no fear and playing at such a big club and in such big games won't trouble him. I don't see anybody stopping Chelsea making it two Premier League titles in a row."

Wilkins: Mancini Needs To Make A Team

Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins believes Manchester City can challenge for the Premier League title this season - if they are properly moulded into a team by Roberto Mancini.

City have already boosted their ranks this summer by recruiting David Silva, Yaya Toure, Aleksandar Kolarov and Jerome Boateng, while Mario Balotelli and James Milner are expected to be two more expensive arrivals.

Expectations for the coming campaign are high at Eastlands ahead of next weekend's opening round of Premier league fixtures, but Wilkins feels it will be vital for City boss Mancini to shape a coherent side from his star-studded squad if they are to be genuine contenders for the title Chelsea won last season.

"It is a lot of money (they have spent) but they have very wealthy backers and I would imagine before we kick off next week there will be a few more players going in there as well," Wilkins told BBC Radio.

"But it is never easy when so many new players come together. It is very nice and pleasant to have new players come in but you have to mould a team.

"The game is a team game and it is not easy for Mancini to put those guys together all at once. It is a juggling job and Roberto has been in that situation with Inter Milan before, so he'll understand that situation and I'm sure he'll handle it very well.
"Manchester United will be genuine contenders, but I think there are two or three others who will have a little dabble at us - like Manchester City, if they can form that group. They have very good individuals and could challenge us."

Chelsea hope to make an addition to their own squad in the next few days, having agreed an £18.2m fee with Benfica for Brazil midfielder Ramires.

"Nothing has been finalized as yet, but we are certainly in the mix for Ramires," Wilkins said. "We would like him to join us and hopefully that will go through pretty shortly."

Asked if the player might figure in the Blues squad by next weekend, Wilkins said: "We would like to think something like that would happen."

Ancelotti: The Right Philosophy

Carlo Ancelotti hopes the season ahead will provide our promising youngsters with an opportunity to break through into the first team.

The Barclays Premier League has introduced new rules limiting squad sizes to 25 players, a number that can be supplemented by under-21s, which means our emerging talent from the Academy could play an important role in the coming months.

Having seen Manchester United develop their own talent effectively though the Premier League era, the Italian hopes to see Chelsea do the same.

'We want to have the same philosophy,' he said. 'It is the philosophy of the club, I am involved in this philosophy and I agree with this philosophy, I want to bring players up from the Academy. I have a lot of experience and it is good to work with the young players because you can teach a lot of things.

'We have to have courage and everyone has to support these young players, maybe we take a risk, we put them in the squad in maybe important games but we have to take this risk.'

After winning the FA Youth Cup last season, as well as having five youngsters make first team debuts, the future certainly looks bright at Stamford Bridge.

'We want to put maybe three or four players through this year. We have Van Aanholt, Bruma, Kakuta, Borini and they have to improve but we have to be patient with them,' he explained.

'Michael Mancienne is training with us now and he is here. We have to consider him as a Chelsea player. Now he is here and I don't know if for him it is better, we will take a decision maybe next week about his situation.'

Community Shield Preview: Chelsea vs Manchester United

Chelsea and Manchester United meet in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday hoping to collect silverware in their first game of the season.

The Blues secured their first ever Double last season when an emphatic 8-0 win over Wigan Athletic won them the league title for the first time in four years, before a 1-0 victory against Portsmouth at Wembley saw them win the FA Cup for the second successive year.

Meanwhile, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side will be looking to emulate their achievements of the season before last, when they won the Premier League to complete a hat-trick of titles. Last season saw them win the League Cup and finish runners-up to Chelsea in the Premier League, so they will be determined to go at least one better than that. Their task may prove to be more difficult this season, though, as rivals Manchester City have strengthened over the summer and are ready to launch a genuine title challenge.

Both sides have had an indifferent run-up to the new season with players joining up at different times due to their World Cup commitments, but both Carlo Ancelotti and Ferguson have added new players to their squads.

Chelsea have brought in Yossi Benayoun from Liverpool for a fee believed to be in the region of £6 million, and are expected to complete the £18m signing of Benfica’s Ramires in the next few days, while United have signed youngsters Chris Smalling and Javier Hernandez for undisclosed fees.

Ancelotti’s side has had a poor pre-season results wise. A 1-0 win over Crystal Palace has been followed up by three consecutive defeats away to Ajax, Frankfurt and Hamburg, prompting criticism of Ross Turnbull, Hilario and John Terry for defensive errors made in these games.

Manchester United began their pre-season with a tour of America where they beat Celtic, Philadelphia Union and the MLS All-Stars, but losses to Kansas City Wizards and Guadalajara prevented them from leaving the States unbeaten. A 7-1 win over a League of Ireland XI in midweek sends the Red Devils into Sunday’s clash on form and they will be looking to get one over on the Blues, who beat them on penalties at Wembley in last season’s Community Shield.

TEAM NEWS

Chelsea

Petr Cech will miss the start of the season with a calf injury so Hilario will take his place ahead of Ross Turnbull.

Didier Drogba has to settle for a place on the bench, while Alex (calf) and Jose Boswingwa (knee) are ruled out.

Carlo Ancelotti has named his starting line-up and has stuck with the same 10 outfield players who began the 2-1 loss to Hamburg on Wednesday.

Confirmed starting XI: Hilario; Ferreira, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Essien, Mikel, Lampard; Kalou, Anelka, Malouda.

Manchester United

England captain Rio Ferdinand is again missing with the knee injury that ruled him out of the World Cup.

Brazilian duo Rafael da Silva and Fabio da Silva will also miss the game through illness, while Michael Carrick (ankle) has been ruled out for the first two weeks of the season.

Sir Alex, who has confirmed that Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney will play 45 minutes each, has given Patrice Evra an extra week off following his exploits with France at the World Cup.

Possible starting XI: Van der Sar; Neville, Vidic, Evans, O’Shea; Valencia, Fletcher, Scholes, Park; Owen, Berbatov.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chelsea

Didier Drogba will undoubtedly play a major role for the Blues this season, and could make the difference this Sunday once again - as he has done so often. The Ivorian enjoyed his best season at Stamford Bridge last season, netting 37 times throughout the campaign on his way to winning the Premier League Golden Boot. Although the Ivorian is starting on the bench, don’t put it past him to be the match-winner.

Manchester United

The Red Devils’ key man against Chelsea could be new signing Javier Hernandez. The 22-year-old starred for Mexico at this summer’s World Cup and has already caught the eye of the United faithful, scoring on his debut after coming on as a substitute against the MLS All-Stars. Sir Alex has a tendency to start the players who did so well for him in the previous season in these kind of games, but the Mexican will be desperate to make an impact if called upon from the bench.

Manchester United And Chelsea To Play On Wembley's New Artificial Pitch

Everyone seems to think Desso is the answer, and when Chelsea and Manchester United contest Sunday's Community Shield the first evidence will be provided of whether artificial fibres can finally solve Wembley's terrible pitch problems.

At a cost of no less than £250,000 and probably closer to twice that amount the Football Association last month turned to a system that employs 20 million artificial fibres to support Wembley's natural grass, having previously relaid the surface an embarrassing 11 times. Every player who experienced it has criticised a surface that Michael Owen, who should feature for United on Sunday, believes caused the ruptured hamstring he suffered in February's Carling Cup.

Yet as Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool are among clubs that use Desso all Premier League footballers happily perform on the surface each week. Helga Webers, a spokeswoman for the company, said: "The system is a proven solution. All Premier League players are used to it as it has been in place already at Arsenal [2006], Liverpool [2001], Tottenham [2002], Manchester City [2003], Aston Villa [1997].

"Obviously the Wembley pitch is still a very young pitch. But from day one of the installation of the Desso fibres into the seeded grass the stabilising effect is present," Webers adds. "And the quality of the total pitch will continue to improve as the roots of the natural grass will further entwine with the artificial fibres."

Huddersfield Town's Galpharm Stadium was the first in the world to have the Desso technology installed. "We had it installed in 1997," said Phil Armitage, whose company oversees the surface. "It is very similar to ordinary pitches but Desso pitches do not take divots as easily as so it is hard wearing, which is obviously a very good thing."

The Galpharm, like Wembley, is a multi-functional venue that hosts football, rugby and pop concerts. Armitage said: "With the two sports some years we might have 65 or 70 matches – which is more than twice the 30 home games most clubs have – plus the concerts. It has been very successful indeed."

Armitage said whether Desso is a success at Wembley depends on whether the surface's natural grass is maintained: "I'm no expert but at Wembley isn't there an issue growing the grass? They can use lights to help it I'm sure. But you can't just scoop it out and relay it as it is so expensive. We're having ours relaid next year and it'll cost at least £500,000."

Webers confirms that Wembley's grass will have to grow. "That is important. Therefore we have a special maintenance program in place, together with our [English] partner, the Wembley green-keepers and our own experts," she said.

Beyond Sunday's Community Shield the FA is conscious that the first real test of whether Desso is the answer comes on 10-11 September, when Muse play concerts at the stadium. While the governing body is adopting a watching brief Webers points to the Denver Broncos' Mile High Stadium as evidence that Wembley should have no issues.

"For any concert there the surface will be covered by special plates. The Denver Broncos have had a multi-function stadium since 2001 and have had no problems. Climate conditions can be the biggest challenge for Desso but in Denver they can get a metre of snow. The pitch received the awards for best Professional American Football and Best Professional Soccer Field in 2005."

When England walk out on 12 October for their Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro, a month will have passed since the Muse concerts. If the pitch cuts up and further complaints ensue then the FA will have yet another serious headache. The plan is to use the Desso pitch for the 2018 World Cup, should the bid be won.