Chelsea Category
Chelsea football club news, Chelsea transfers
Transfer Balls: why Everton rejected Chelsea’s bid for John Stones
John Stones wants to leave Everton. Chelsea have been tapping on the player’s door all summer, keen to spend all that filthy lucre on the great English hope. Everton are not a big brand. They cannot offer Stones Champions’ League football and massive wages. Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea can.
But Everton can offer Stones a home where he can make mistakes and learn his trade. They can offer him loyal fans who do not turn up only to see their side win, and a young talented manager who wants to keep him.
Stones should stay at Goodison Park, writes Tony Barrett.
The theory throughout an increasingly tortuous transfer saga has been that there would be an offer that would make Everton buckle, but by adopting such a strong position through their manager, the club have given themselves the best possibly chance of keeping Stones.
Should they do so, they will send a message to clubs in a similar position that they do not have to yield to the league’s biggest fish; that even when a player has formally expressed his desire to go, they can ensure that he sticks to the contract he signed and prevent a scenario in which a club as powerful as Chelsea make themselves even stronger at your expense.
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Posted: 27th, August 2015 | In: Chelsea, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Chelsea undercut Barcelona’s winning Pogba bid
Transfer Balls salutes the work of the Daily Mail which today reports that Chelsea have tabled a £54million bid for Paul Pogba. Juventus saw the bid and rejected it.
The paper than adds that Chelsea won’t get Pogba anyhow.
Barcelona held formal talks in June with Juventus over Pogba and believe they have an option for signing the 22-year-old next summer with the valuation set at around £73million.
So how can Chelsea have hoped to by the former Manchester United player for less then the £73m Barcelona had set aside?
And earlier the Mail said that Barcelona had seen a bid or £57m rejected – still more than chela’s bid.
And what of the part about Manchester City giving up on Pogba? That’s odd because the Mail told us the Citizens had £70m earmarked for the Frenchman.
Such are the facts in the Daily Mail.
Posted: 27th, August 2015 | In: Chelsea, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Trasnfer Balls: Chelsea finally get John Stones to leave Everton
John Stones has finally asked to leave Everton. The Barnsley lad has popped in a transfer request and kickstarted his lucrative move to Chelsea.
The ubiquitous and mysterious ‘Sky Sources’ says the Everton centre-half has handed in a transfer requests at Goodison Park in order to push through his move to the Blues.
Chelsea have already made three bids for the 21-year-old, the last of which hit the £30million mark, which shows just how desperate Jose Mourinho is to get his hands on the England starlet.
Roberto Martinez has consistently denied that Stones, seen as a natural replacement for John Terry in Chelsea’s backline, is going anywhere but this latest apparent twist may well pave the way for the big-money move.
Surely this one is now going to happen.
John Stones handed in a transfer request at Everton this afternoon. He wants to join Chelsea #EFC #CFC
— Oliver Kay (@OliverKayTimes) August 25, 2015
John Stones hands in transfer request … pic.twitter.com/qGLVUWXkDC
— FootballFanCast.com (@FootballFanCast) August 25, 2015
John Stones: Everton’s ‘new Rio Fedinand’ will be a Chelsea great
John Stones is football’s player in demand. The Everton and England defender is being stalked by Chelsea. The Londoners say Stones is worth £30m. Everton rejected an offer for that sum. They want more. He’s that good.
The Times‘ Jonathan Northcroft has bene speaking with David Moyes, the then Everton manger who signed Stones from Barnsley.
The scouts picked Stones. They told Moyes: “That young defender at Barnsley you’ve had us tracking — go and get him. He has a real chance.”
What did Moyes see?
“He looked this young, thin boy, but he had a natural comfort on the ball, a comfort that didn’t look coached or taught but was just something he’d got. You could see he’d need to get stronger and work on his speed, but his ability to take the ball was special. It’s something you don’t see a lot in British defenders and that’s what made him stand out. He’s the most comfortable English central defender on the ball I’ve seen since Rio Ferdinand. He reads the game and he’s calm in possession, a natural footballer. He has an ability to not look under any pressure.”
Moyes says Stones was bought for £1.25m.
Says Moyes:
“I have to give credit to my recruitment department at Everton. They were always looking exhaustively in the lower leagues. We always looked for British players, English talent, because that formed such a huge part of the identity of the club and the teams I built.
“We had John watched from the start of that season and the reports always came back positively and, because the deal was at the lower end of the financial scale, I was trusting my scouts anyway. But when I saw John for myself I didn’t take much convincing.”
Moyes reminds us that Stones is just 21.
“As a young boy, John took some risks, but his decision making got better and better and we played him at right-back for experience. He will need time and, at his age, he’ll make mistakes. There’ll be days he does things that he will learn from, so people need to be patient. But England could have a top, top centre-back if he’s allowed to develop.
“The way football is getting played now, the centre-backs have more touches than midfielders do. It’s often their job to start the moves and John’s attributes are perfect for that. And he’s got a good personality. He’s calm in himself and gets good support from his family. The first day he came in and said to our fitness guys ‘Whatever I have to do to get into the first team, I’ll do it’. He immediately impressed you as a likeable boy with a great aptitude for learning. Self-development is a vital quality in a young player.”
Stones is ambitious. He can’t stay at Everton. Chelsea look favourites to sign him. But surely we can expect others, chiefly Manchester United, to compete for his signature.
Transfer Balls: Chelsea buy Paul Pogba without agreeing a deal with Juventus
Transfer Balls: The Sun says “Chelsea in £69m Pogba deal.”
Chelsea have bought the Juventus and France star?
CHELSEA have agreed a stunning £69million deal to sign Juventus’ Paul Pogba. The champions made the Italian giants an offer they cannot refuse for the French midfield powerhouse.
But have they refused?
Sources say Oscar, Willian and Juan Cuadrado could be involved in a move in the other direction.
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Chelsea: Mourinho reveals the secret of beating Manchester United and Tottenham to players
When Pedro picked Chelsea over Manchester United he underlined a point: the Blues always get their man. Manchester United wanted Fàbregas; Tottenham wanted Willian; Manchester City wanted Eden Hazard. Chelsea signed them.
Talking about nipping in for Pedro, Jose Mourino recalls the phone call that made the Barcelona winger head to Stamford Bridge.
“It was one minute. “I asked if it was true he wanted to leave. ‘Yes, it’s true. It is my home, but it is time for me to leave.’ ‘Did you already sign for another club?’ ‘Almost, but not yet’. ‘Do you want to come here?’ ‘Yes, I want.’ For me, it was one minute.”
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Chelsea: Mourinho is one game from the sack if you consider the West Brom factor
Chelsea manager has José Mourinho has attacked himself, says the Times. He told a press conference:
“I am not happy with my form. I used to get better results than I am getting now. This is the start of everything. I am not happy with Ivanovic’s form, Cahill’s form, John Terry’s form, Azpilicueta’s form, Fàbregas’s form, Nemanja Matic’s form. No, there is not one [I am happy with]. We have one point from two matches. I am not happy at all with anyone. I am either happy with everybody or not happy with anyone.”
The BBC says the Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho “named seven first-team players who have underperformed” in the club’s worst Premier League start in 17 years. Surely not naming them all was a matter of rhetoric rather than a deliberate policy.
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Posted: 22nd, August 2015 | In: Chelsea, Sports | Comment (1)
Chelsea club statement on signing Pedro contains sly dig at Manchester United
Chelsea have hired Pedro. The Spaniard never did join Manchester United, preferring life in London to playing under Van Gaal at Old Trafford.
Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of Pedro from Barcelona.
The Spaniard arrives as a highly coveted winger who can also play as a central striker. He is proven at the very highest level and already possesses an impressive medal haul.
The 28-year-old has accumulated three Champions Leagues and five La Liga titles, as well as being a world and European champion on the international stage.
He said: ‘I am very happy to be here. I am very excited to start my adventure at Chelsea and I am here to keep winning titles.
‘Thanks to the club and the supporters for giving me the opportunity to put the blue shirt on.’
Born in Tenerife, the diminutive Pedro, whose full name is Pedro Eliezer Rodríguez Ledesma, signed for Barςa’s academy in 2004 and made his first-team debut in January 2008 after catching the eye for their B team.
By 2009/10, the two-footed, fast and direct winger had become an important part of the Barcelona team. He was the first player ever to score in the Spanish league, Copa del Rey, Champions League, both the European and Spanish Super Cups as well as the World Club Cup.
His brilliant performances at club level saw him secure a place in the Spain squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Pedro started both the semi-final and final, and was a key figure in their victory over the Netherlands.
And out of all the game of hark back to, Chelsea pick this one:
A year later he scored the opening goal in the Champions League final at Wembley as Barςa beat Manchester United 3-1.
Zing!
He was a substitute alongside then Chelsea players Fernando Torres and Juan Mata in Spain’s Euro 2012 victory over Italy. The winger was also part of the squad which travelled to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup.
Pedro came on as a late substitute in Barcelona’s most recent major success – May’s Champions League final win over Juventus in Berlin. He concluded his time at the Catalan club in the most memorable manner, scoring the winning goal in their 5-4 UEFA Super Cup triumph over Sevilla.
Posted: 20th, August 2015 | In: Chelsea, Sports | Comment (1)
Chelsea Balls: tabloids say Mourinho put Eden Hazard’s life at risk
The Sun continues to hammer the spat between Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and club Doctor Eva Cerneiro. And today it gets deadly:
Muamba: Player could die Ex-Bolton star warns Jose over pitch docs
To recap: Eden Hazard, the player Dr Carneiro and Chelsea physio John Fearn dashed on to treat, had not passed out. He was not in his death throes. He was not in a dire state, as Muamba was when the then Bolton player’s heart stopped beating on the Tottenham pitch. The former England Under-21s midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest in March 2012. His heart stopped for 78 minutes.
Hazard was, to quote Mourinho, “tired”.
FABRICE MUAMBA has warned Jose Mourinho one of his players could die if he tries to stop a doctor going on the pitch.
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Posted: 20th, August 2015 | In: Chelsea, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Manchester United: the incredible reason why Pedro joined Chelsea
Why did Spanish footballer Pedro join Chelsea and not Manchester United?
Chelsea gazumped United
The Times‘ says losing out on Pedro is a “blow” to United. Oliver Kay says Chelsea outbid United for the Barcelona player.
Manchester United’s desperation in the transfer market has grown after they were gazumped by Chelsea in a £21.1 million deal to sign Pedro from Barcelona.
The Fabregas Factor
The aforesaid Kay adds:
Chelsea’s pursuit of Pedro was helped by Cesc Fàbregas, who, along with his girlfriend, Daniella Semaan, helped to persuade his former Barcelona team-mate that he should move to London rather than Manchester.
Mourinho Nicked Him
The Daily Mail says Pedro ‘snubbed” United because Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho talked him into picking the Blues.
The Other Woman
Another woman played a key part in the proposed deal. Marina Granovskaia, a long-time and trusted employee of Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, was also instrumental in getting talks started.
Not Fancying Van Gaal
The Daily Express says Van Gaal has a problem with Spaniards.
Louis Van Gaal’s brutal treatment of former Barca keeper Victor Valdes may have had an influence on Pedro’s decision while the presence at Chelsea of former Nou Camp star Cesc Fabregas is also likely to have been a factor.
Pedro is understood to have spoken to both players to help make up his mind.
And Van Gaal briefed the media against David De Gea?
Operation Pedro
The Telegraph says Chelsea performed a planned “hijack”:
While [Ed] Woodward was haggling with Barcelona, Chelsea were putting ‘Operation Pedro’ into practice with Granovskaia conducting discreet negotiations with the Spanish club and, with the permission of Barca, Mourinho and Fabregas both speaking with the forward directly.
But The Local Paper Knows What Really Happened
The Manchester Evening News says that Pedro did not “snub” Man United. Pedro was not seduced to London by Mourinho or any number of women. He was not “hijacked”. No. The local Manchester paper says Pedro is not playing for Manchester United because club manager Louis Van Gaal rejected him. Yeah, really.
We are supposed to believe that Ed Woodward, the United executive vice-chairman, flew to Barcelona to buy Pedro, only to be recalled at the 11th hour because Van Gaal realised the 28-year-old three-time Champions’ league winner was not wanted.
Oh, and in any case, Van Gaal has his heart set on Sadio Mané, the Southampton forward, who United bid for before they went to see Pedro in Barcelona.
#mufc briefing the media bid for Sadio Mane was made last week #saintsfc sources say they are yet to receive a formal offer #brinkmanship
— Alex Goring Crook (@alex_crook) August 19, 2015
Such are the facts.
Posted: 20th, August 2015 | In: Chelsea, manchester united, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Manchester United Let Pedro Joined Chelsea And Other Fairytales
Pedro was shoo-in to join Manchester United, said all the British Press. But the Barcelona winger has joined Chelsea for a fee of £21m.
Did the mainstream media see this one coming? No.
On Augsut 13, the Indy stated:
Pedro to Manchester United: Barcelona winger verbally agrees to join United after late interest from rivals Manchester City
Sky Sports is so behind the news curve it reports today: “Pedro and Manchester United agree personal terms.”
Maybe Sky is right and Pedro did agree terms with Man United. Maybe Pedro told them ‘no’ and Manchester United agreed not to take it personally.
But the M.E.N. says we’re wrong because “Louis Van Gaal kills Pedro deal.”
@mattwynnmedia I think Chelsea Arsenal and Liverpool sent Van Gaal as A Trojan horse to destroys us from within check his bank statements
— Trevor W Fallon (@w_fallon) August 19, 2015
The Manchester paper reports:
United were happy to pay Pedro’s buy out clause and it appeared to be a simple transfer to complete. But LVG has decided he no longer sees the forward as the man United need.
So Ed Woodward, United’s executive vice chairman and deal maker, went to Barcalona, met the club and player’s reps, and was then recalled by Van Gaal because he went cold on the player? It has nothing at all to do with the theory that Pedro preferred working with Jose Mourinho, playing for Chelsea, living in London and avoiding the hammer-headed, vain Van Gaal. When Chelsea came calling he dropped United like, well, Van Gaal dropped Robin Van Persie. The offical line is that Van Gaal called all the shots and dumped Pedro.
Poor old Chelsea get the sloppy seconds (surely Champions’ League winning Spain winger – ed) while Man United buy… Well, any ‘top’ player with no alternatives keen to get rich.
Posted: 19th, August 2015 | In: Chelsea, manchester united, Reviews, Sports | Comment (1)
Chelsea Sign Pedro For £21m, Manchester United Gutted
After all the talk of Pedro to Manchester United, the Barcelona winger has joined Chelsea for a fee of £21m.
The BBC says the 28-year-old is flying to London to finalise terms on the transfer.
Or as Sky Sports says in its news today:
Pedro and Manchester United agree personal terms
And as the Star stated just yesterday:
They really don’t have the foggiest, do they.
Posted: 19th, August 2015 | In: Chelsea, manchester united, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Chelsea break the bank for Everton’s John Stones
Chelsea are desperate to land Everton’s John Stones. Having failed to impress The Toffees with a John Terry-led charm offensive (and how could that have failed?!), and bids of £20, £26m and £30m the Blues will need to come again with an even bigger offer.
The Liveprool Echo says the winning bid will be £40m. That’s an absurd amount of money for a player with four England caps and less than 50 Premier League matches under his belt, but if Raheem Sterling is worth £49m who can argue?
The Guardian says Chelsea are “considering” that £40m. It notes that Stones, who has four years remaining on his Everton contract, “has not agitated for a move… his form for and commitment to Martínez’s side to date this term has been exemplary.”
His Everton teammates agree. Steven Naismith is quoted in the Indy:
“I think the club’s stance on it has been pretty straightforward and the manager is looking forward with Stonesey in the team. The manager has mentioned wanting to bring in three more players in to strengthen, and I don’t think anyone has ever thought about Stonesey moving on… John has gone about his business day-to-day in training in such a professional manner. He has then taken that into the games, because he has been one of the stronger performers in the team since the start of the season.”
Chelsea have noticed. Blues manger Jose Mourinho has called his defence “fragile” after their 3-0 defeat by Manchester City. He’s desperate. And Everton, who hold all the cards, know it…
Transfer Balls: Chelsea chase Antoine Griezmann in a human centipede of tabloid news
Transfer Balls: The Daily Star has been talking about Chelsea FC. It has a scoop.
Chelsea Transfer News: £40m demand, flying in to seal deal, Griezmann approved
The £40m player is Everton’s John Stones. Have Everton placed a £40 price tag on the player’s head? No. It’s utter balls.
The other part of the headline – the bit about Griezmann – goes like this:
The Metro say that Abramovich has personally given the green light to the signing of Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann.
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Chelsea: Jose Mourinho says his side are even better this season – panic buys John Stones
The season so far has exposed Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. Defeated by Arsenal in the Community Shield – a cup that when he wins it counts as a major trophy and when he doesn’t is reduced to a bit of silver less valuable than the shiny tinfoil on his KitKat; seeking someone to blame for a 2-2 draw with Swansea and settling on the physio and club doctor; and telling Manchester City they won only by three lucky goals to nil – Jose Mourinho is wobbling.
It was only last May that the bitchy Portuguese was telling everyone he would be spending nothing major:
“Next season will be even better than this season and without big investments, because we don’t want to do that because we are happy with the players. Our group is top. The qualities are good. The most important thing in the market for us is not to lose players, I want to keep my players.”
Now he says Chelsea have a “moral right” to spend money. John Stones is the target. But Everton have knocked back Chelsea’s £30m bid for the player. At the weekend, John Terry was substituted by Mourinho for the first time in 177 Premier League games. The message is clear: Mourinho is ready to spend big again.
In the Times, Rory Smith writes on how Jose wins the titlte:
First, the foot goes to the floor, and then it goes to the throat… In years in which he has won the league, Mourinho’s record in the first third of the campaign is astonishing: he has never lost more than one of his first 13 games.
Adding:
The greatest worry of all is less tangible: it is that Mourinho’s success has always been built on the short term. He extracts the maximum from his players. Those coaches who have followed him have spoken of finding squads physically and psychologically exhausted, not just by success but by his demands.
Plenty of time to recover, of course. Chelsea remain a formidable obstacle. But Mourinho is looking desperate.
Posted: 18th, August 2015 | In: Chelsea, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Chelsea get John Stones for £35m as Everton read the future
When you read the Sun’s news that “Stones haunts John Terry” you feel sorry for the ghost. Of course, this is about Everton’s John Stones, who is on his way to Chelsea in a “£35m coup“.
It’s not a coup, is it. A coup is described as:
1. a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government.
2. an instance of successfully achieving something difficult.
Lobbing tens of millions of pounds of Russian cash at Everton for human flesh is not a coup; it’s a transfer.
The Sun says:
CHELSEA are poised to sign John Stones after a huge U-turn by Everton. And that heaps even more pressure on John Terry.
The Sun says Chelsea will offer £30m for the defender. But that won’t be enough. They will then return with more money. The paper says “£35m — a British record for a defender — will clinch the 21-year-old’s move despite Everton boss Roberto Martinez insisting he will not be sold.”
As Everton gaze into the Sun’s crystal ball, we wonder why any of this haunts John Terry. The Sun makes a stab at explaining:
Jose Mourinho hauled off skipper JT at half-time in Sunday’s 3-0 mauling at Manchester City. And the Blues boss is desperate to increase competition in his defence.
Surely the increasingly ridiculous Mourinho hauled Terry off to send a message to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich that once Terry leaves The Blues will be rubbish. Because how on earth can Mourinho and Chelsea compete in the Premier League if they are only £1bn in debt to their owner and muddle along on wages of 192.7m a year. It’s impossible!
Unless John Stones can save the day…
Posted: 18th, August 2015 | In: Chelsea, Sports | Comments (2)
Chelsea: Offical Blues website meets Pravda in biased Man City match report
Tonked 3-0 at Manchester City, Chelsea were clearly the inferior side. Well, so you’d think. But it turns out that football according to the offical Chelsea FC website is a little less monocular; a little less concerned with the obvious, seeking, as it does, to enlighten and broaden knowledge of those fans for whom the scoreline is all.
Highlights for Roman Abramovich’s in-house Pravda are as follows:
A Ramires goal incorrectly ruled out for offside with Man City a goal ahead changed the complexion of this early-season Premier League fixture.
…
Sergio Aguero had put the hosts ahead having already been thwarted by the excellent Asmir Begovic on three occasions, while Diego Costa had a strong shout for a first-half penalty.
…
Within 25 seconds of his first Chelsea start Begovic was called upon to make a telling contribution… It set the tone for an assured performance by the Bosnian.
…
Kompany cynically scythed Diego Costa down to earn the game’s first booking...
Before the break, Diego Costa was on the receiving end of a brutish aerial challenged from Fernandinho…
Mangala resorted to WWE-style tactics to stop the ever-dangerous Diego Costa getting free down the right…
…a game of very fine margins.
For thsoe of you still watching in black and white, the game finished Manchester City 3, Chelsea 0.
Posted: 17th, August 2015 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Sports | Comment
Eva Carneiro: doctor’s crime was exposing Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho as a ‘cheat’
Why was Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho so enraged when Dr Eva Carneiro dashed on to the field of play and treated a writhing Evan Hazard?
Dominic Lawson has an idea, writing in the Sunday Times he says what really irked the bitchy Chelsea boss was not Dr Eva’s womanhood or her decision to place her own moral compass and professionalism ahead of team tactics. Her crime was exposing Mourinho’s plot to stretch the rules:
It looked as if the player concerned was badly hurt but he wasn’t — and Mourinho understood this. Indeed the reason why the rules now state that injured players must be removed from the field of play — so the match can continue — is precisely because so many players were feigning injury to waste time.
Lawson adds:
What Mourinho appeared to be saying was that his medical team were not in on the scam — and it was unforgivable that they did not sufficiently grasp that faking or exaggerating injury is part and parcel of the professional game. In other words, it was their job to spot those rare occasions when the player really was badly injured — and to ignore the referee’s summons when the official might not have realised that this was just play-acting.
Can players use a secret signal to tell the bench it’s an act? Time, perhaps, for a return to daytime tell Una Stubbs, whose mega TV careeer includes a role as team captain on Gives US a Clue. Move over Dr Eva, there’s a new woman on the Chelsea bench and she’s got a bigger media profile than even you:
Now play along: see if you can spot the fakes in our great collection of football ‘injuries’.
Posted: 16th, August 2015 | In: Chelsea, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Kiss and tell: my sex and more sex with sex mad Chelsea doctor sexy Eve Carneiro
Did you know that Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro is “sex mad”? It’s all she thinks about.
When Arsenal fans are asking “Have you ever had a Gooner up your arse?” and Manchester United supporters are telling her to “Get your tits out for the lads”, Dr Eva is thinking about sex. When she’s treating Eden Hazard in the closing stages of Chelsea’s opening game of the 2015-16 season at Stamford Bridge she’s thinking about sex. When bitchy Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is belittling her in public, she’s thinking about sex. Even when she’s rubbing John Terry’s thighs she is thinking about sex. Eva Carneiro is “sex mad”.
The Sun delivers the news that matters, reporting the words of one Rupert Patterson-Ward. He says he and Dr Eva had sex “a million times”. He says:
“This woman ruined my life. Eva would blurt out she had slept with one of the players during heated rows. She said it just to make me feel bad. I don’t believe it was true.’’
He didn’t believe it but does believe we should know.
Rupert, 33, then talks about sex.
“Eva is a very sexual woman and not many people know the real her. She’s ruthless and gets whatever and whoever she wants. I was besotted with her and we were planning a family, but she chewed me up and spat me out.”
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Posted: 16th, August 2015 | In: Chelsea, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Thomas Muller: ‘Ask Manchester United If They Will Pay More For Me’
Is Thomas Muller heading to Manchester United?
MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 23: FC Bayern Muenchen head coach Louis van Gaal (L) and Thomas Muller celebrate victory at the end of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between Inter Milan v FC Bayern Muenchen on February 23, 2011 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
The Sunday Express leads with news that Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller, 25, wants to join Manchester United. Readers learn that United have had a £60 million bid rejected this summer but Bayern manager manager Pep Guardiola is “prepared to cash in”.
The Telegraph says the bid was £50m.
The German champion’s chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is wary of Premier League cash, telling media:
“The Bundesliga has to be careful not to fall further behind. We would be out of our minds to sell Muller… It’s difficult. Everyone knows our old friend Louis van Gaal. He is very stubborn in those things. Maybe he thinks that there is a price where Bayern will start to ruminate but there is no price at all. As I said because of our partners and our really good financial situation we are completely resistant. There is no price, Thomas Muller has four years more on his contract. There is no one, not here or anywhere, who can explain to me why we should sell Thomas Muller.”
But he wants to join, right? The Express reports:
“Muller has confided in friends that he is interested in a move to United alongside Schweinsteiger who has been delighted with his Old Trafford welcome. Muller knows that his wages would enjoy a hefty rise.”
Is that the ploy: confide in’ friends’ who betray their pal’s trust by telling media that the star could earn a lot more at another club thus triggereing a pay rise? Are those nameless friends also employees of Muller’s agent?
The Metro reads the Express‘ “exclusive” and thunders: “Thomas Muller desperate to make Manchester United transfer.”
Helpfully, Thomas Muller was happy to talk about the rumours after scoring twice in Bayern’s 5-0 tonking of Hamburg. Asked if Van Gaal was after signing him, Muller replied:
“I don’t know, you have to ask him. I am the wrong man for this question.”
So. He’s not desperate to join Manchester United, then.
Posted: 16th, August 2015 | In: Chelsea, Manchester City, manchester united, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Chelsea: Jon Fearn is the real victim of sexism
It’s sexism, isn’t. The row between Jose Mourinho and his medical team is all about sex and gender. It’s Jose Mourinho v Dr Eva Carneiro. No one spares a thought for Jon Fearn, the domestic-reared male who works as the Chelsea physio. When he and Dr Carneiro dashed onto the Stamford Bridge turf to treat the stricken Eden Hazard, the journalisomobile noticed only Mourinho jittering on the sidelines and Dr Eva looking astonishing female.
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Posted: 15th, August 2015 | In: Chelsea, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Arsenal: Wenger slaps Mourinho with a delicious swipe at Chelsea
What the row over Chelsea club doctor Eva Carneiro needed was the views of Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger. Jose Mourinho has behaved badly, comparing Dr Carneiro to a secretary and banishing her from the bench for the match away to Manchester City on Sunday. Her offence was to have raced onto the pitch to treat a stricken Eden Hazard (Jose said he was “tired”) against his wishes during Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Swansea City at Stamford Bridge last Saturday.
So. Here’s Wenger fielding a question on the fracas from the Press pack:
“I’m not greatly interested about what is going on at Chelsea. It is a problem inside the club that if you are not united it is more difficult. It is the trust and unity that makes the strength.”
Ping!
“The rules are quite clear that when the referee gives an indication that the medical [staff] can come on they come on. After that what happens specifically in the situation I don’t know but the rules are quite clear. It is the referee who makes the decision.”
Slap!
Cue Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta:
“The way he behaved and the way he defended the club when we were really under pressure is something I admire. We all owe him.”
Unity they name is Arsenal.
Posted: 14th, August 2015 | In: Arsenal, Chelsea, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Chelsea: Eva Carneiro flaunts her curves in naughty doctor and ‘secretary’ gear
More on Eva Carneiro, the Chelsea club doctor compared to a “secretary” by team manager Jose Mourinho.
Carneiro is aware of her gender:
“In every medical television programme I have ever watched in my life, the female doctor is hyper-sexualised. She goes off with Tom Cruise and it is all happy endings. Or she is not present.”
Or as the Daily Mail puts it:
Dressing up as a sexy Cleopatra and getting soaked in the ice bucket challenge: How the alluring Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro became the most talked-about woman in football
…
Her pre-Raphaelite curls and toned figure have attracted the attention of many a fan but little is known about her love life
Nothing to do with sex, then.
In other news, the Mail notes:
FA urge fans to report sexist abuse after ‘horrible’ footage emerges of Chelsea club doctor Eva Carneiro being abused
If in doubt, blame the fans.
The referee’s a w***ker…
Chelsea: Eva Carneiro exposes what Jose Mourinho thinks of working women
When Chelsea FC’s manger Jose Mourinho thought it a good idea to admonish club doctor Eva Carneiro in public for treating Eden Hazard on the pitch, he crank-started the journalisomobile.
Michael Oliver, the referee, indicated that Hazard required attention. Mourinho felt that the more important factor was his team being down to nine men against Swansea (one had already been sent off).
Mourinho was upset, stating:
“I wasn’t happy with my medical staff because even if you are a medical doctor or secretary on the bench you have to understand the game.”
A secretary? Smell that whiff of sexism?
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Posted: 13th, August 2015 | In: Chelsea, Reviews, Sports | Comment
Transfer Balls: Manchester City will get Kevin de Bryune for £45m, West Brom go for Salomon Rondon and stunning Chelsea news
Is Kevin de Bryune heading to Manchester City from Wolfsburg? Yes, says the Guardian, so long as City cough up £45m for the 24-year-old former Chelsea player. But even if they do, Wolfsburg managing director Klaus Allofs says Man City will have to persuade De Bruyne to ask for a transfer, reports the Daily Express.
The Birmingham Mail says West Brom are to invest £15m in Venezuela striker Salomon Rondon, 25. The player, currently knocking them in for Zenit St Petersburg, would become Albion’s most expensive player.
The Daily Star reports that Everton want to take 23-year-old Inter Milan midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri on loan.
The Sun says nippy Aaron Lennon, 28, is on the verge of leaving Spurs. They’ve not even given him a squad number. Aston Villa are said to be interested.
The mighty Bournemouth have seen their £3m offer for Crystal Palace’s Glenn Murray, 31, rejected by Palace. The Guardian says the Cherries will now up that offer.
The Daily Telegraph states the bleedin’ obvious by reporting that Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho thinks you can only sign players from Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Real Madrid if a) the club wants to sell them or b) the player wants to leave. No sh*t Sherlock.
Posted: 8th, August 2015 | In: Chelsea, Manchester City, Sports, Spurs | Comment
