David hires Carla - a baby proofer - to make the house safer, but instead of creating a sense of security, it puts a wedge between him and Bryan, causing them to bicker. Meanwhile, in the process of decorating the Christmas tree and getting into the holiday spirit, it is revealed that eggnog makes Jane an unusually nice person. Later, Bryan and Jane attend a Hollywood party at Los Angeles realtor to the stars Nancy Niles' house that will turn out to be the boost that Jane has been looking for.
Thursday 28 February 2013
Rafa Benítez takes Chelsea training as manager insists relationship with Roman Abramovich is 'very good'
Rafael Benitez to take charge of Chelsea at weekend as Spaniard insists his relationship with club's owner is 'very good'.
~Chelsea Football Club~
Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com/2013/02/28/rafa-benitez-takes-chelsea-training-as-manager-insists-relationship-with-roman-abramovich-is-very-good/
~Chelsea Football Club~Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com/2013/02/28/rafa-benitez-takes-chelsea-training-as-manager-insists-relationship-with-roman-abramovich-is-very-good/
Chelsea training @ UCLA
Read more... Chelsea training @ UCLA
Rafa: Roman relationship fine
Rafael Benitez has insisted his relationship with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is "really good" despite his rant on Wednesday night. ~Football365 | Chelsea~
Read more... Rafa: Roman relationship fine
Read more... Rafa: Roman relationship fine
Chelsea target Schalke star
Schalke general manager Horst Heldt says top European clubs including Inter Milan and Chelsea are tracking youngster Julian Draxler.
~Chelsea : ClubCall.com~Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com
Five Youngsters Who Can Guide Chelsea to the Premier League Title
Chelsea are some way off mounting a genuine title challenge, here are five young talents who can help bring the Premier League trophy back to the Stamford Bridge.Check in to Chelsea vs West Bromwich Albion
5. Luke Shaw
At just 17, Southampton full-back Luke Shaw is destined to become one of the Premier Leagues greats over the coming years and Chelsea should be ensuring that those days are at Stamford Bridge.
Shaw has been a revelation with his performances for Southampton having been entrusted to begin the Premier League season in the first-team by former manager. And he is reported to have been the subject of a £10million bid from Chelsea in the January transfer window.
Although Ashley Cole has signed a new one-year deal to stay at Chelsea for another season, Shaw is the club's future left-back and can help form part of a new era when the current Stamford Bridge number three retires of leaves. He should also replace him in the England team eventually too.
4. Andre Schurrie
As far as young strikers on the market go, German international Andre Schurrie is one of the best around and better still hasn't been snapped up by one of Europe's biggest clubs yet.
The Bayer Leverkusen forward, who can play as an out-and-out striker or in one of the wider roles, was understood to have been a £23million target last summer but should complete that move at the end of the current season.
Times are changing and we should see a younger Chelsea side next season and with Schurrie, who combines hard work with natural skill in a typical German way, part of the attack things can improve dramatically from next season onwards.
3. Neilton
If you can't sign the real Neymar, then it seems a sensible decision to go for a player who is already being branded the new Neymar!
Neilton is 19-year-old - two years younger than Neymar himself - and has been linked with a £5million switch to Chelsea from Santos to joining a growing Brazilian contingent at Stamford Bridge that includes David Luiz, Ramires and Oscar as well as Lucas Piazon who is currently on loan in La Liga.
Neilton would be a very cheap purchase in the present transfer climate because of a £5million buy-out clause, but could be a fine addition to the ranks and would aid Chelsea's quest to get back to the top of the Premier League.
2. Isco
The Spanish midfielder was a target for Chelsea in the January transfer window, but a deal never materialised with Isco instead signing a new deal with Malaga in which his release clause figure was increased to £31million.
Isco is set to become the latest creative Spanish midfielder in the Premier League in the summer, however, with Chelsea to bring him in as a replacement for Frank Lampard.
Chelsea need to kick off a new era after the struggles of last season and Isco could be the man to compliment international team-mate Juan Mata and help Chelsea back to the top of the Premier League. He could be followed to Stamford Bridge by his current Malaga manager Manuel Pellegrini.
1. Romelu Lukaku
As far as young talent goes, Chelsea already have one of the best on their hands in the shape of Romelu Lukaku. The striker should be back in a Chelsea shirt next season and would be as good as having a new signing on board.
The Belgian international has impressed on loan at West Brom this season with 12 goals for the Hawthorns club and some breathtaking displays to prove he already is a Premier League star.
There has been talk that Lukaku will spend a second season with West Brom, but he is exactly the right man to be at Chelsea firing the club to the Premier League. A young Didier Drogba in the making, Lukaku deserves the chance to fulfil the £17million price tag that Chelsea paid Anderlecht to sign him and would be like having a new signing.
~CaughtOffside » Chelsea FC~
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Middlesbrough 0 Chelsea 2: Chelsea ease to victory as John Terry returns
Will an FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford be enough to unite the fragmented football club that is Chelsea? It is the latest question to emerge from a season of chaos. You would not bet on it, but then you would not bet on anything at Stamford Bridge right now.
~Evening Standard - Football~Brighton manager Gus Poyet welcomes link to Chelsea job
Brighton boss Gus Poyet admits he is happy to be linked to the job of Chelsea manager. ~Football365 | Chelsea~
We're all interim managers - Clarke
West Brom boss Steve Clarke "didn't see a lot wrong" with the comments made by Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez and expects the Spaniard to remain in his role for the rest of the season. ~Independent.ie - Soccer RSS Feed~
The impossible job: how previous Chelsea managers compare to Rafael Benitez in pictures
In pics: how previous Chelsea managers compare to Rafael Benitez.
~Chelsea Football Club~
Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com/2013/02/28/the-impossible-job-how-previous-chelsea-managers-compare-to-rafael-benitez-in-pictures/
Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com/2013/02/28/the-impossible-job-how-previous-chelsea-managers-compare-to-rafael-benitez-in-pictures/
Chelsea step up hunt for Malaga star Isco – regardless of manager uncertainty
Chelsea have made Malaga sensation Isco their top summer transfer target and plan to press ahead with a deal regardless of who takes over as manager.
The Blues have kick started their planning for life without Rafa Benitez, who will leave when his contract expires in the summer, and a deal for Spain wonderkid Isco is the top priority.
According to reports in Spain, the 20-year-old was recommended to Roman Abramovich by his right hand man Michael Emenalo in January, but a decision was made to hold off until the summer.
Isco has since signed a new contract with Malaga, that sees his wages and buyout clause increase, but it will still run until 2016, fuelling speculation that it was only renewed with a transfer in mind.
Manchester City hold a lengthy interest in Isco, as do Real Madrid, and the play-maker hinted last week that he would move if the deal helped cash strapped Malaga.
'If a club decides to come and sign me they'll have to be a big club because it'd be a lot of money,' said Isco.
It's thought Chelsea would pay up to £30million – his release clause – to land Isco, but hope that a deal could be struck that allows Brazilian staret Lucas Piazon to remain on-loan in return for a reduced fee.
~Metro » Football | Metro UK~Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com/2013/02/28/chelsea-step-up-hunt-for-malaga-star-isco-regardless-of-manager-uncertainty/
SEAMUS O'CONNELL 1930-2013
Seamus O'Connell, one of the original Chelsea champions of 1954/55, has died peacefully at his home in Spain, aged 83... ~Chelsea~
Abramovich relationship 'fine' - Benitez
Rafael Benitez insists his relationship with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and the playing squad is strong despite his rant criticising Blues supporters and the club's decision to give him the title of interim manager. ~Independent.ie - Soccer RSS Feed~
Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com/2013/02/28/abramovich-relationship-fine-benitez/
Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com/2013/02/28/abramovich-relationship-fine-benitez/
Poyet welcomes Chelsea link
Brighton boss Gus Poyet admits he is happy to be linked to the job of Chelsea manager. ~Sky Sports | Football News~
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Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com
Poyet flattered by Chelsea link
Brighton manager Gus Poyet has welcomed his link to the job of Chelsea manager. ~Independent.ie - Soccer RSS Feed~
Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com/2013/02/28/poyet-flattered-by-chelsea-link/
Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com/2013/02/28/poyet-flattered-by-chelsea-link/
Chelsea supporters' groups turn on 'isolated' Rafael Benítez
• Spaniard's reign compared to that of Brian Clough at Leeds
• Fans won't criticise Abramovich, and want Mourinho to return
A leading figure in the Chelsea Supporters Trust says he was "astonished" by Rafael Benítez's condemnation of dissenting supporters and can see shades of Brian Clough's ill-fated reign at Leeds United in the Spaniard's interim stewardship at Stamford Bridge.
Tim Rolls had just left a suddenly fog-bound Riverside Stadium on Wednesday following Chelsea's 2-0 FA Cup win against Middlesbrough and was preparing for the long journey back to London when his radio began reporting Benítez's outburst. "A lot of people were pretty unhappy about his implosion," he says. "His appointment has been likened to Brian Clough going to Leeds; it seems to be one of those pairings which just don't fit.
"Benítez has isolated himself from the majority of the supporters. After Middlesbrough, I wouldn't have thought he'll get a very good reaction at the West Brom game at Stamford Bridge on Saturday."
Rolls disputes Benítez's assertion that the abuse from the stands is jeopardising Chelsea's chance of success. "People are astonished by what he said," he says. "The fans get behind the team and they will be behind the team against West Brom."
He suspects the outburst was carefully planned. "Otherwise it seems strange to come out with it at Middlesbrough where he got far less stick than usual. The criticism he got a few weeks ago when they lost at Newcastle was far worse. People didn't protest after the final whistle at Middlesbrough, the team had won, they weren't angry, they just left the ground."
While Rolls sees Benítez's assertion that prefixing his title with "interim" was a massive mistake as "totally bizarre – he must have agreed to it when he took the job"– he is more concerned with the manager's claim that it is only a minority of fans who are against him. "To say it's a minority is wrong," he says. "Most fans don't want him at Chelsea, it's just that some protest, others don't. He tends to get much less stick at away games."
Dave Dunbar, the chairman of the Swindon Blues supporters club, is far from an apologist for Benítez but he believes the opposition to Chelsea's interim manager has, on occasion, been carried too far. Dunbar listened to Benítez's suggestion that those who constantly sing abusive songs and wave "Rafa Out" banners are jeopardising Chelsea's chances of success' with interest.
"I agree that a lot of the stuff that has happened at Stamford Bridge has possibly put the players off and can be distracting," Dunbar says. "Some of it is not on but some of it is justified. I don't think too much of Benítez's tactical ability or his substitutions. He's very predictable. Or his policy of resting players when he should be fielding his strongest team and getting into winning positions before taking them off. Rafael Benítez is not a liked man at Chelsea."
Much of the dislike stems from the Champions League rivalry between Liverpool and Chelsea during the days when Benítez was in charge at Anfield and made certain comments which irritated followers of the London club.
"It was almost certainly a wind-up, all managers get involved in mind games," Dunbar says. "But his Liverpool past is a big reason why people have been digging into him since day one. He would not have been the fans' choice."
The man who chose to replace Roberto Di Matteo with Benítez seems immune from any flak. "The fans will not criticise Roman Abramovich, at the end of the day it's his money," says Dunbar, who is adamant that backing for Chelsea's owner remains staunch although there may not be a flood of season ticket renewal applications. "It's Roman Abramovich's club, he can do what he wants. Some people are saying they will review renewing their season tickets if he doesn't sort things out." Rolls agrees. "There's no criticism of Roman Abramovich but there is a disillusionment with the club's hierarchy," he says. "Season tickets are an issue. Renewals usually go out in April so Chelsea could do with knowing who next season's manager will be by then."
It is safe to assume that, even at Stamford Bridge's high prices, there will be a stampede for seats should José Mourinho be recalled. "We'd love the Special One back," Dunbar says.
It appears that, despite Wednesday's diatribe, Benítez could well stay until the summer. Should he depart earlier, Dunbar is cool on the prospect of Avram Grant again keeping the seat warm. "I'm not sure," he says. "Maybe John Terry could take a senior role."
Rolls does not necessarily see imminent change as the answer. "We've already sacked one manager this season in Roberto Di Matteo which fans are still unhappy about and there's a shallow pool out there at the moment," he says. "We don't need yet more uncertainty."
He too would like Mourinho back. "He's got that element of surprise. He can spot weaknesses early and make quick tactical changes and substitutions. He's one of those charismatic people who transform clubs."
guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
~Football: Chelsea | guardian.co.uk~John Terry vs Frank Lampard: Who Is the Bigger Chelsea Legend?
Every club has its legends, players whom fans of the generation will sing about until they draw their last breath. John Terry and Frank Lampard are the biggest Chelsea legends of this generation.
John Terry signed for the club at the age of 14, long before Chelsea were the powerhouse they are today. He had played with the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King at Senrab FC as a youngster and was lauded as the next big thing in English football. In his early career Terry played in midfield, but as his strength developed he moved to centre-half.
His decision to join Chelsea came despite overtures from Sir Alex Ferguson, who reportedly took the young Terry out for his favourite meal, beans on toast, in an attempt to persuade him to sign for Manchester United back in 1994. The Scot was unsuccessful, and to date Terry remains the only player in the Chelsea squad to have successfully risen through the academy ranks at Stamford Bridge.
Since joining the academy in 1995, Terry has captained Chelsea more than 400 times, scoring over 50 goals in the process.
Frank Lampard followed his father's footsteps into the West Ham setup. He was never the most naturally athletic or gifted player, but his desire to succeed drove him to put in extra hours on the training pitch, a habit he continues to this day.
Lampard made the move across London in 2001 in an £11 million deal and immediately stamped his authority on the midfield. The fans were not entirely welcoming at the beginning due to his roots at their fierce London rivals, but his modesty and professionalism soon won them over. He is Terry's second in command as vice-captain and he led the side in their greatest ever triumph in Munich on May 19, 2012.
With 199 goals for the club, Lampard needs only three more to equal Bobby Tambling's record of 202. When you consider the fact that he plays in midfield, the feat of scoring 10 or more goals a season for 10 consecutive years speaks volumes about how hard he works to continuously improve his game.
Neither player has entirely avoided negative publicity. Terry's trials and tribulations are well remembered as in recent years there have been allegations of adultery committed with an ex-teammate's ex-girlfriend to go along with the Anton Ferdinand racism row.
Lampard has kept his nose clean as his career has begun to wind down, but in 2000 a sex tape was released featuring him, along with Kieron Dyer and Rio Ferdinand. A year later, both players were fined two weeks' wages after drunkenly harassing American tourists at Heathrow airport on September 12 2001.
When Chelsea reached their first Champions League Final in 2008 Lampard traveled to Moscow despite grieving the loss of his mother to pneumonia just a few weeks previously. When he scored the equaliser that took the game to extra time and eventually penalties, he ran to the fans and lifted his arms to the heavens in tribute to his departed mum.
In the same final, the penalty shootout progressed to a point where if Chelsea could convert the fifth kick, they would be crowned Champions of Europe for the first time ever, beating Manchester United because of a mistake by Cristiano Ronaldo.
With Didier Drogba having been sent off for slapping Nemanja Vidic in the face, Terry stepped up to take the vital fifth penalty. He slipped, it hit the post and Chelsea were eventually beaten when Nicolas "Le Sulk" Anelka saw his penalty saved in sudden death.
After that miss, Terry wrote an open letter of apology to the fans. He understands how much the club means to the supporters, and Lampard is no different. During the Club World Cup in Japan, the players were wandering off the pitch after their defeat in the final until Lampard reminded them to thank the fans who had traveled halfway around the world, at great expense, to support their team.
There is so little to choose between the two men, one dubbed "Super Frank" and the other titled "Captain, Leader, Legend," that the only factor to decide between them is length of service to the club.
Whilst Lampard is a far superior role model, Terry is a rare breed of footballer in the modern game: a one-club man. That loyalty and the passion behind it give him the edge in what is the closest call of any debate amongst Chelsea fans.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @agirlintheshed
Read more Chelsea news on BleacherReport.com
~Bleacher Report - Chelsea~Rafa Benitez hails 'excellent' relationship with Roman Abramovich as Chelsea boss says: I'm staying
Interim manager Rafa Benitez insists he is staying at Chelsea despite appearing to be heading for the axe after his extraordinary attack on the club's fans and owner Roman Abramovich. ~Chelsea | Mail Online~
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Do Chelsea have anywhere left to turn after Rafael Benítez? | Owen Gibson
Unless José Mourinho can be tempted to return, Roman Abramovich is running out of willing, or available, candidates
Even if Rafael Benítez does limp on until May, it is becoming harder to see where Roman Abramovich goes from there. A man used to being able to secure whatever he covets is potentially running out of options. After 10 years, 10 managers and £1bn of investment, the turbulence associated with the top job at Stamford Bridge has made a post once coveted by many of the biggest names in European football into a poisoned chalice. Chelsea said yesterday it was "business as usual" as Benítez took training. That, perhaps, is the problem.
By most measures it should be an attractive proposition. Yet even the prospect of a hefty pay packet and the lure of working with some of the best players in the world has not been enough to stop some of the names highest on his wanted list removing themselves from the frame.
Despite the soothing mood music from Stamford Bridge, it is unwise to second guess anything in a court where the word of one man is king. Benítez looks likely to be in charge for Saturday's meeting with West Bromwich Albion, managed by the former Chelsea defender and assistant manager Steve Clarke, but beyond that all bets remain off. With the Spaniard just the latest "dead man walking", the Chelsea owner is left contemplating the next phase of a "project" that long since lost all coherence.
When Benítez was appointed, the prize of Pep Guardiola, long coveted for his marriage of style and silverware, still hovered tantalisingly within reach as the former Barcelona coach watched on from New York. Many speculated that by ruthlessly dispatching Roberto Di Matteo and highlighting the instability at the heart of the club, Abramovich had made west London an even less appealing destination for Guardiola. So it proved, as it emerged he had already pledged himself to Bayern Munich. Borussia Dortmund's highly rated Jürgen Klopp has also insisted he will not be lured by the Russian's siren call.
For the bookmakers José Mourinho is the clear favourite and the prospect has clear appeal, not least for fans and the media. But the dramatic return of the Special One from Madrid may create as many problems as it would solve. For better or worse, Abramovich appears wedded to a backroom model that leaves the likes of the technical director Michael Emenalo firmly in place. That would clash with a likely demand from the Portuguese for full control over football matters – the very flashpoint that ended his first successful tenure.
Mourhino knows there may be rival offers from Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain with more control and less baggage. On the other hand, those positions are not currently vacant and he may be drawn to the idea of being able to tie up his future before the end of the season.
Contrary to external impressions, there is some continuity at Chelsea. The assistant first-team coach, Steve Holland, has worked with a succession of managers and others have been there even longer. Away from the first team, the academy director Neil Bath has been on staff since well before Abramovich arrived.
The chairman, Bruce Buck, and the chief executive, Ron Gourlay, again under fire for their lack of visibility but aware whatever they say could be undermined at a stroke by their boss, would argue they are attempting to put in place a structure that can sustain personnel changes.
But it holds little water when there is so little sense to the expensive but incoherent collection of players bequeathed to the next man to take up the reins. Clubs can survive a high turnover, but only if there is a clear footballing and recruitment philosophy underpinning them. Both have been lacking at Chelsea.
Abramovich appears wedded to two paradoxical aims: to establish a structure that can withstand endless revolution, while craving the charismatic auteur who can repeat the success of Mourinho and also add a swashbuckling sense of adventure. The Russian may argue the trophy cabinet tells its own story, but the towering European triumph last May obscures diminishing returns. Of his four least successful managers, according to their win percentages, three are the most recent incumbents.
The daunting rebuilding task that was supposed to begin under André Villas-Boas, who will this weekend celebrate the anniversary of his sacking by hoping to cement the position of Spurs ahead of Chelsea in the table, has stalled. Didier Drogba is gone but not replaced and the rest of the spine of Mourinho's team has not been adequately overhauled. Questions over Frank Lampard's contract have proved an endless distraction and the squad lacks balance. A trio of exciting young players expensively signed to usher in a new era – Oscar, Eden Hazard and Juan Mata – have alternated between brilliance and bewilderment as chaos has swirled around them, while Fernando Torres increasingly resembles a lost cause.
Like other chaotic institutions, it is possible Abramovich will lurch from one extreme to the other and seek to replace a manager virulently unpopular with the fans with another who is a former hero. Gianfranco Zola would certainly tick that box. But although he has impressed at Watford, he struggled in the Premier League with West Ham.
Gus Poyet, who perhaps ranks less highly in the affections of Chelsea fans due to his stint at Spurs, is untested at the highest level but has shown himself to be a progressive young manager at Brighton. Both would be tempted by what would be a huge step up; both would be huge gambles.
But other highly rated young coaches – notably Swansea's Michael Laudrup – would now surely think twice about cashing in their rising stock to take the Abramovich shilling. David Moyes, who enjoys absolute control at Everton but is endlessly frustrated by a lack of resources, is an intriguing possibility but for him the knotty internal politics might be a deal breaker.
Chelsea have worked their way through many of the usual suspects who used to be mentioned whenever one of the bigger managerial jobs in Europe came up. But from that seam of speculation, two former Real Madrid managers – Fabio Capello and Manuel Pellegrini – might reasonably be considered. The former is in charge of Russia but has recently made noises about wanting to return to England. Pellegrini's agent said this week that the Chilean coach of Málaga would "love" to come to the Premier League and claimed Chelsea and others had been in touch to ask about his availability.
But neither would represent the new broom Abramovich would appear to crave to reshape a squad that badly needs a vision for the long term. Of course he could always go to the other extreme, take player power to its logical conclusion and install John Terry as manager.
When he was appointed, Benítez insisted the task before him was "easy when you have experience at this level: to win games, try to do it playing well, and win trophies". It's unlikely even he feels the same way now. His experience, like those who came before him, will be just the latest salutory tale to weigh on the minds of those weighing up the demands of one of football's most peculiarly challenging jobs.
guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
~Football: Chelsea | guardian.co.uk~Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com
Rafa remains as Chelsea say 'business as usual'
Chelsea have given their temporary backing to interim manager Rafa Benitez, with the club's official line stating "it's business as usual". ~Football news from ESPN.co.uk~
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Rafa Benitez odds on to leave Chelsea before the end of the season
RAFA BENITEZ is odds on to leave Chelsea BEFORE the end of the season, following his rant at owner Roman Abramovich.
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Read more... Rafa Benitez odds on to leave Chelsea before the end of the season
Middlesborough 0 Chelsea 2: Fernando Torres flukes it for Rafa
JOB done for Chelsea but hardly a ringing endorsement of the troubled reign of Rafa Benitez.
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Middlesbrough 0 Chelsea 2: Fernando Torres flukes it for Rafa
JOB done for Chelsea but hardly a ringing endorsement of the troubled reign of Rafa Benitez.
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Rafa Benítez takes Chelsea training session as fallout from outburst sees chief executive Ron Gourlay visits Cobham
Rafael Benitez to take charge of Chelsea at weekend but chief executive Ron Gourlay makes rare appearance following outburst.
~Chelsea Football Club~
Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com/2013/02/28/rafa-benitez-takes-chelsea-training-session-as-fallout-from-outburst-sees-chief-executive-ron-gourlay-visits-cobham/
Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com/2013/02/28/rafa-benitez-takes-chelsea-training-session-as-fallout-from-outburst-sees-chief-executive-ron-gourlay-visits-cobham/
Sacking Rafa Benitez now won't hurt Chelsea's chances of hiring a quality replacement
I keep hearing this insane theory that Chelsea FC would be putting themselves into real trouble going forward if they make the decision this evening to part ways with interim manager Rafa Benitez. After all, Chelsea have earned themselves a reputation of being quick to fire managers when things start to turn sour, so who in their right mind would one want to leave their perfectly stable job in order to take the Chelsea hot seat?
Here's the thing with managers though,,,the best of them, like the best players, are not short on confidence at all. They're going to look at what they have to work with, and think about what they are capable of doing with those parts. Sure, any sane candidate isn't going to be expecting a 15-year tenure with the club, but nobody that should be considered for the job is going to approach with an expectation of failing.
When it comes down to it, any potential Chelsea manager is going to be looking at several very appealing things when they are considering the club. Just off the top of my head...
- Notoriety - With the Chelsea job comes plenty of publicity, and managing a club like Chelsea (even if it ends in the sack) is going to be good for your career in the long term. Being a former Chelsea manager has loads of prestige, and probably hasn't hurt anyone in the Roman Abramovich era.
- Paycheck - The Chelsea job is probably going to come with a rather significant raise for every single person that might get the job. I don't know if you realized this, but Chelsea pay well.
- London - London is one of the biggest cities on the planet, and probably is a big selling point for the vast majority of potential candidates. After all, who would want to live in Manchester instead?
- Talent - Chelsea squad is absolutely packed with young talent already, and they could probably assemble a team that would be promoted from the Championship from their surplus to the requirements on loan. Stepping back and looking at things from a potential managers perspective, they'd be hard pressed not to be drooling when looking at the talent already at hand.
- Deep Pockets - Chelsea spend to bring in top talent. They have for years, they do it mid-season if need be, and they probably won't be changing that pattern at any point in the near future.
- Facilities - The training ground at Cobham is an absolutely world class facility, and it will be a massive upgrade to the facilities at all but a very select group of clubs.
- Other Resources - I've mentioned once or twice that Chelsea have loads of money, and with that comes more scouting, better training staffs, travel, hotels, meals, and anything else that might make a managers job easier to do. Their really aren't limits at Chelsea at the moment.
It's easy to look at Chelsea's past with managers and come to the conclusion that most sane individuals wouldn't want to put themselves in that situation, but that's probably not the case at all. Sure, a guy like Pep Guardiola that had his choice of any of the world's biggest clubs might pick another international giant over Chelsea, but Pep is certainly the exception as opposed to the rule.
Even with the recent shelf life of Chelsea's managers taken into account, all of the other factors will still make the job exceptionally appealing to the vast majority of candidates. The club could go through three more managers by the end of this season and there would still be loads of qualified individuals jumping at the chance to replace them. It's not a perfect job, but it's still one of the best in the world, and top candidates will always be interested.
Renaissance - Kiev
Extra Tags: Cristiano Ronaldo C.Ronaldo CR7 goals season compilation tricks vs skills 2008 07/08 Manchester United CR-7 07-08 Season Goals Tricks Skills Freestyle Power Ability Manchester United 2007 2008 07 Top 10 Best World Footballers 2009 This is a new updated video of who I think are the current top 10 football (soccer) players in the world. Here are the players that I chose from: Sergio Kun Agüero (Atlético Madrid) Samir Nasri (Arsenal) Fernando Torres (Liverpool) Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan) Kaka (AC Milan)Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) Ronaldinho (AC Milan)Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)Lionel Messi (Barcelona) Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) Iker Casillas (Real Madrid) Petr Cech (Chelsea) Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United) Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United) Paolo Maldini (AC Milan), Alessandro Nesta (AC Milan) Carles Puyol (Barcelona) John Terry (Chelsea) Thierry Henry (Barcelona) Carlos Tevez (Manchester United) Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid) David Villa (Valencia) Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Juninho Pernambucano (Lyon) Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan), Juan Roman Riquelme (Boca Juniors) Paul Scholes (Manchester United), Wesley Sneijder (Real Madrid), Francesco Totti (AS Roma) Michael Owen (Newcastle United) Miroslav Klose (Bayern München) Michael Ballack (Chelsea) Raul (Real Madrid) Roberto Carlos (Fenerbahce) Samul Etoo (Barcelona) David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy) Milan Baros ...
Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com/2013/02/28/renaissance-kiev/
The Fiver | An incorrigible class of wasters and goofs
WHOOPEE CUSHIONS, CATAPULTS AND BUCKETS OF PEA SOUP
These are comical times at Stamford Bridge. So it was appropriate that for his press conference previewing tonight's exotic FA Cup date at Middlesbrough, supply manager Rafael Benitez bore the same demeanour that the eternally put-upon Teacher from the Bash Street Kids wore when the school inspector came to run the rule over his incorrigible class of wasters and goofs. Benitez may look on the brink of tears after most matches these days but he showed a brave face at his latest public outing, barely quivering as he rubbished rumours that certain members of his playing squad pinned a "Kick Me" sign on his back and slipped a whoopee cushion on to his chair following Sunday's ignoble defeat at Manchester City.
"I can guarantee that the players know what we're trying to do and believe in what we're trying to do 100%!" hurrahed Benitez before denying that he had spent Monday charging around Chelsea's training ground confiscating catapults and dodging buckets of pea soup perched precariously atop half-open doors. Instead, he claimed, all that took place was "a normal meeting between players and technical staff, as happens after every game … You see it all over the world after every game: you exchange opinions, especially after a defeat. The disappointment is normal. It was a normal meeting, a very brief exchange of ideas. Nothing else." While the manner of Chelsea's performance on Sunday suggested to the Fiver that many at CFC are far too carefree to bother carping about the manager's strategies, we are not too naive to believe that some boys in blue are capable of fomenting disturbances to further their own narrow interests, or just for the sheer hell of it.
"I talk with them every day and they're really pleased with what we are doing and know what we're trying to do every game," protested Benitez too much. "Today I was talking with three or four [before training], and two or three after, and they were all convinced we would finish in the top three," he added, as quick-thinking editors spotted a cunning "Chelsea stars mock Spurs and Arsenal as C@ck!" angle. "My relationship [with the senior players] is fantastic," prattled on Benitez, hoping that some Cuthbert Cringeworthy character, most likely Juan Mata or Eden Hazard, will offer him a shiny red apple tonight in the form of a winning goal from a moment of individual brilliance to momentarily deflect the focus off the chaotic underachievement at Chelsea, for which, in truth, the head master must take most of the blame.
LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE TONIGHT
Join Gregg Bakowski from 7.45pm GMT for MBM coverage of Middlesbrough 0-2 Chelsea.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"I presented several drawings but Mario wanted to be immortalised in a pose that shows him having scored a goal, highlighting his muscles and with an expression of defiance. I have imagined him as an athlete from ancient times and the statue will be a mix of classical and pop style in platinum and coloured bronze with the eyes made of stones" – just when you thought Mario Balotelli couldn't get more narcissistically Eurotrashy, the sculptor Livio Scarpella proves you wrong.
FIVER LETTERS
"The Chandleresque writing in yesterday's Fiver was almost a joy to behold. And of course the nice lines were a throw back too. Well done. It has been 30 years since I have read any Chandler but I will be going back and re-reading them all. Something to do while waiting for football to stop as it were" – Gregg Atkins.
"May I be one of 1,057 science fiction pedants to gently suggest that perhaps it's not so much Chandler but Douglas Adams who evidently plagiarised the Fiver's tea-timely style. Holistic detectives, time travel and satirising Raymond Chandler – sounds right to me, but I'm no Dirk ... er, D!ck" – Matt Derby.
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"It appears to me that all you need to do to win the coveted letter o' the day is to send in some football-related video and make fun of the Fiver. So, here you go. Prize me, jerks!" – Todd Van Allen.
• Send your letters to the.boss@guardian.co.uk. Also, if you've nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver. And to placate certain readers, the Fiver awards prizeless Fiver letter o' the day to: Matt Derby.
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BITS AND BOBS
Gareth Bale is not as good as Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, according to Rio Ferdinand. Tomorrow from Rio: the sun sets in the west and the price of four pints of Creamfields semi-skimmed milk at Tesco is exactly £1.
Tottenham have turned down a bid from Anzhi Makhachachachkakakakala to sign Younes Kaboul on loan ahead of the resumption of the Russian league season next month.
A Millwall fan who aimed r@cial abuse at Leeds striker El Hadji Diouf has been banned from attending football matches for five years and fined over £500.
Sunderland's James McClean has left Twitter after a tweet about a Wolfe Tones song, the Broad Black Brimmer, didn't go down well. Given he has also been abused on the social networking site for choosing the Republic O'Ireland over Norn Iron, and for not wearing a Remembrance Day poppy, it is perhaps for the best.
And Fifa has banned 74 officials and players from Italy and South Korea for fixing matches. That'll learn them.
STILL WANT MORE?
Barcelona have lost far more than the Copa Del Rey. They have lost identity and supremacy, fitness and confidence, writes Sid Lowe.
Football has outgrown the idea that a club's success rests on one man and Manchester City ought to stand by Roberto Mancini, says top scout and executive Tor Kristian-Karlsen.
Messi, Ronaldo and ... Glenn Murray. Dominic Fifield meets the Crystal Palace striker who is mixing with Europe's finest in the goalscoring charts.
And retro shirts and mullets aplenty feature in this week's Beautiful Games gallery: an appreciation of the Green Soccer Journal.
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~Football: Chelsea | guardian.co.uk~Gylfi Sigurdsson: North London derby result will have no impact on top four places
Tottenham midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson says the result of Sunday's north London derby against Arsenal won't have any impact on which of the sides, if either, finishes in the top four this season.
The former Swansea loanee, who joined Spurs in the summer, has played down the importance of this weekend's clash at White Hart Lane by insisting the race for the top four won't be done and dusted, no matter which side comes out on top.
'Even if we beat them it is not finished,' said the Icelandic international, who scored in Tottenham’s 3-2 win over West Ham on Monday.
'Anything is possible in football. Last season the league was won in the last minute on the last day.
'First though, we have to beat them to start thinking about that. Hopefully we can get a win and stay above Chelsea.'
Spurs currently sit third in the Premier League, two points above Chelsea and four points clear of neighbours Arsenal who are fifth.
Andre Villas-Boas' side narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification last season despite finishing fourth after Chelsea, who finished in sixth place, won the competition and took Spurs' spot.
Arsenal meanwhile have not failed to finish in the Champions League qualification places since the 1996/97 season when they finished third, only making them eligible for the Uefa Cup.
~Metro » Football | Metro UK~Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com/2013/02/28/gylfi-sigurdsson-north-london-derby-result-will-have-no-impact-on-top-four-places/
Word on the Tweet: Lineker backs Benitez and Chelsea stars feeling good
Despite the interim Blues manager offering a frustrated attack on antagonistic fans and an unsupportive owner, the mood around the team after their FA Cup win is positive
~Goal.com News - Chelsea FC~Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com
Manuel Pellegrini emerges as leading contender for Chelsea job
MALAGA coach Manuel Pellegrini appears to be the leading candidate for the Chelsea job.
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