Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of former player Ray Wilkins as their new assistant first-team coach.
Wilkins, 52, has joined manager Luiz Felipe Scolari's backroom staff with immediate effect following former first-team coach Steve Clarke's decision to move to West Ham United.
The former England international midfielder is no stranger to working with the Chelsea players having been part of ex-manager Gianluca Vialla's coaching team in the late 1990s.
While working with the Italian, he helped Chelsea win the FA Cup and Charity Shield in 2000.
Wilkins, who has also spent time as the manager of Fulham and QPR plus a spell as number two to Peter Taylor in the England Under-21 set-up, also spent six years as a player at Stamford Bridge.
He made 198 appearances for the Blues, scoring 34 goals, and remains the club's youngest ever captain after being handed the armband during the 1974/75 season.
joi, 18 septembrie 2008
Wilkins back with Chelsea
Rosicky agent slams quit talk
Tomas Rosicky's agent has rubbished reports that the Czech Republic international's career is threatened by a long-running hamstring problem.
Rosicky, 27, has not made an appearance for the Gunners since January and surgery towards the end of the last campaign forced him to miss Euro 2008.
However, agent Pavel Paska has angrily denied rumours that the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder could be forced to call time on his career.
"It is nonsense," he claimed.
Rosicky recently admitted that he does not know when he will be able to return to action.
Earlier in the month, he said: "My return is still going to take some time.
"Each treatment runs the risk of bringing complications."
Meanwhile, Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure has revealed that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger tried to lure him to the Emirates Stadium during the summer.
Yaya in the younger brother of current Gunners defender Kolo Toure.
"Wenger, as well as my brother, asked me if I would join Arsenal during the summer, but I told them that I was very happy at Barcelona," revealed the Ivory Coast international.
Pompey make winning start
Portsmouth beat Guimaraes 2-0 in their first European game in their history to boost their chances of reaching the group stage of the UEFA Cup.
Lassana Diarra and Jermain Defoe both found the net and there were also two penalty misses in an entertaining clash at Fratton Park.
Pompey boss Harry Redknapp named the same side that had finished Saturday's victory against Middlesbrough after John Utaka passed a fitness test on his injured knee.
Guimaraes, third in the Portuguese League last season behind champions FC Porto and second-placed Sporting Lisbon, moved into the UEFA Cup after losing to Basel in the third qualifying round of the Champions League.
Portsmouth dominated the first half and almost took the lead when Peter Crouch found Defoe whose right-foot shot was superbly tipped over the bar by Correia Junior Nilson.
Utaka also went close before Pompey broke the deadlock in the 39th minute. Diarra and Defoe combined well before the former lashed the ball home.
The visitors had a great chance to draw level three minutes later when Sol Campbell was harshly adjudged to have brought down Calmon Felix Roberto but Joao Fajardo blasted the resulting penalty over the crossbar.
Shortly after half-time Defoe's own spot-kick was saved by Nilson after the former West Ham United and Tottenham striker had been brought down by Joao Moreno.
However, Defoe was soon on the scoresheet volleying home the impressive Nadir Belhadj's 60th-minute cross to give Portsmouth a two-goal advantage to take to Portugal for next month's second leg.
Jo brace sinks Omonia
Manchester City once again failed to impress in Europe as they scrambled to a 2-1 victory against Omonia Nicosia in their UEFA Cup first-round first-leg match in Cyprus.
Having laboured to an unimpressive Intertoto Cup win against EB Streymur in July, Mark Hughes' side had required penalties before seeing off Midtylland to reach this stage of the UEFA Cup.
But they were forced to come from behind to secure a narrow win in Cyprus against a side that had finished third in their domestic league last season.
Hughes opted to start with Jo, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Robinho and Elano and it was £32.5million Brazilian Robinho who almost netted after only two minutes when his fierce shot was parried by Omonia goalkeeper Antonis Georgallides.
Stephen Ireland and Wright-Phillips also went close to breaking the deadlock in the opening stages but it was Jo who wasted the clearest first-half chance in the 27th minute.
Ireland squared the ball to the Brazilian who somehow managed to slice the ball wide with the goal gaping.
Thirteen minutes later Jo's shot hit the post and, just before the break, Ireland's effort also came back off the woodwork.
After dominating the first period, City were shocked to fall behind early in the second half when Klodian Duro's superb free-kick beat Joe Hart.
After Ireland had wasted another excellent chance, City finally equalised when Jo turned home Wright-Phillips' pinpoint cross.
After 72 minutes Jo was on target again as he gave City the lead after showing good skill to control Pablo Zabaleta's cross before firing his low shot home.
Omonia almost hit back immediately when Klodian Duor's long-range effort came back off the crossbar with Hart beaten.
However, City deserved their victory which should have been comprehensive but for some wayward finishing.
luni, 15 septembrie 2008
Brittle Bolton upset Megson
Livid Bolton Wanderers manager Gary Megson has slammed some of his fringe first-team players who he believes have let the club down in the last few weeks.
Megson had hoped that injuries to Johan Elmander and Matt Taylor, along with Gary Cahill's suspension, would give other players the chance to shine.
However, since beating Stoke City on the opening day of the campaign, the Trotters have lost at Newcastle United and Fulham, and drawn with West Brom.
The 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage on Saturday was particularly galling for Megson, who told the Bolton News: "It rankles a little bit when people come telling me what they can do, or what they used to do, and yet it isn't happening now.
"It annoys me when people come knocking on my door and say they should be in the team and then don't take the opportunity.
"I don't expect everyone to play well every week, but I'd certainly expect them to go about things in a better manner."
Clarke wins Lamps backing
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard believes the Blues should allow assistant manager Steve Clarke to join West Ham United.
Clarke had his resignation turned down on Friday and has been placed on gardening leave while the two clubs argue about compensation for the 45-year-old's services.
It has been reported that the current Premier League leaders are demanding £4.8million for Clarke, who still has two years left on his Stamford Bridge contract.
However, the Hammers are only willing to pay out £500,000 in compensation.
Lampard told the Evening Standard: "If he goes to West Ham it will be a loss, but I don't think you can ever take away a man's right to do what he wants to do.
"I think Clarkey has been an unbelievable servant for Chelsea for many years as a player and as a coach.
"He has been an important member of the back-room staff for what we've done over the last few years.
"But if he feels he wants to go and do something different - I know he has intentions to be a manager in his own right - you can only wish him all the best."
Southgate waits on Digard
Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate fears that three of his midfielders could miss Saturday's Premier League clash against Sunderland after Didier Digard picked up a knee injury in the 2-1 defeat at Portsmouth.
The 22-year-old Frenchman suffered a twisted knee at Fratton Park to join Mohamed Shawky and Julio Arca on the sidelines.
Gary O'Neil is now Boro's only recognised experienced midfielder and Southgate faces the prospect of fielding full-back Andrew Taylor in midfield against the Black Cats.
He said: "Digard twisted his knee a bit and we'll be assessing him this week. At this moment it's impossible to say whether he'll miss games or how long he'll be out.
"But you expect to pick up injuries. As a manager you have to deal with them.
"I had no problems asking Andrew Taylor to play in midfield on Saturday. It's something we know that he can do."
Meanwhile, Southgate is investigating the possibility of claiming compensation from the Egyptian and Turkish FAs after Shawky and Tuncay returned to Teesside from international duty with injuries.