EskWeston

Can't see it happening. Considering that Milan seem to short of a few quid in the transfer market it may be that they are inviting a very very big offer for him so that they can rebuid a team which is no doubt on the old side.

There have been a lot of stories this summer with the words "Sheva not for sale" in them so it is no suprise to see that he will be with us next season. Which is certainly not a bad thing. We saw last season that he can recapture his form, and hopefully we will see the best side of him this season, because he still does have a lot to offer us.

Can't see him leaving, it is clear that he will replace Ben Haim in our squad as Ben Haim really didn't settle into the team well. Also Ivanovic received special mention on the CFC Website talking about how Pre Season will be the first time to see him in action.

I wouldn't count on it. The reason they have claimed is because we have signed Deco, but the stories about Arshavin comming to London ect.. were well after Deco signed.

Not a huge suprise considering that we have heard nothing about Clarke leaving like we did with Ten Cate. From Scolari's point of view it makes sense to have someone who has been involved with this group of players for such a long time.

Chelsea defender Ryan Bertrand will return to Carrow Road on a half-season loan deal from Stamford Bridge. City manager Glenn Roeder exclusively told canaries.co.uk: "I can't tell you how happy I am to secure the signature of Ryan Bertrand again to come back here on loan until the first of January. "There is a possibility, after speaking to Frank Arnesen, that he will be able to stay the whole year. I think Chelsea are doing the right thing, covering their backs in case they needed him on the first of January because he is an exciting young player. But the intentions are that he might be able to stay the whole year. "I'm very, very happy to be able to bring him back, he had become a fans' favourite. An exciting young full back, he likes to bomb forward and is tenacious in the tackle when defending. I like to think he improved as a player whilst with us in the second half of last season and I like to think now that I know him well, his character and his drive and motivation that he will become a better player. Again, for us in this first half of the season there is now great competition at left back with Adam Drury who has impressed me greatly at this week's training, at the front in the running, he always looks like a person that is driven and just the sort of person I enjoy working with. So there's real competition at left back now, I have to say the envy of a lot of clubs I would have thought, with Ryan Bertrand and Adam Drury competing for the left back spot. "With Ryan, as he proved a number of times away from home, he can play wide left of the midfield and play in front of Adam, and give a real look of solidness and strength down that left-hand side. But of course, he's more than just a defender, Ryan can get forward and produce excellent crosses, and even once or twice last year he got the backpost and nearly scored, so hopefully this season he will get a goal or two in a Norwich shirt. "It's happened very quickly, although I've been in touch with Frank Arnesen a number of times since the end of last season, I didn't think we'd be able to secure his services so quickly and I can only thank Frank Arnesen and Chelsea in particular for allowing that to happen so that Ryan can spend pre-season with us." Ryan told First News, "I'm delighted to be returning to Carrow Road and very excited at the prospect of starting where I left off last season". The England U19 international joined the Canaries on loan during the January transfer window of last season and stayed with the Club for the remainder of the campaign. The left-back made 18 league appearances for City playing a role in helping the Canaries avoid relegation. Speaking to canaries.co.uk last season Bertrand was asked whether he would consider returning to Carrow Road. "Chelsea is a very big ask," he said. "You have to be realistic. They've got Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge still. Obviously I'd like to (and) if the chance came then I would, but I'd be happy enough playing my football here at Norwich. It's a nice family club and it's in a nice area so it's gone really well." Ryan Bertrand will wear the number 21 shirt again, as he did last season. Source: Norwich City FC

Crespo scored some absolute corkers for us thats for sure. Infact his best one i think was one dissalowed wrongly against Liverpool at home.. If he had stayed for the full length of his contract then he would be able to be considered a great i think.

I think they are in the afternoon rather than the early hours of the morning this time.....

Yup, pretty much agree with all of that. We have potential to do something very special next season. And hopefully we will, it will be very interesting to see what other players we bring in to follow Deco and no doubt they will all be creative type players because that is what we need.

We was too good to Crespo, we had a world class player on our books and we let him leave on loan, getting no transfer fee and paying some his wages still just because his family wasn't happy here! We should have said to him that we would help him find a permanant club so we get a fee, but in the meantime he has to stay. If he wasn't prepared to take a lower salary to move out of the country then that would be up to him. I am sure we won't do it again, and we shouldn't

These players have to be part of a squad! We have to have more than the 11 who will play in a game. I have said loads of times that it is massively risky to have so much quality as back up - BUT if it can be managed well by Scolari then there is no reason why it can't be done. Considering also half of our midfield is in their 30's it is likely that we would be able to rotate enough to give everyone enough game time.

If Scolari does play as we think he will the 4-2-3-1 formation then with an actual holding midfielder it may give Mikel more licence to be more of the player that he was before.

Chelsea coach Carlos Pracidelli has backed Luiz Felipe Scolari to bring Brazilian flair to the club. The World Cup winning coach officially took charge at Stamford Bridge at the start of July, having reached the end of his tenure as manager of the Portuguese national side. Renowned as a no-nonsense tactician who adopts a win-at-all-costs mentality, Scolari is expected to fuse together a combination of English grit and Latin panache. Goalkeeping coach Pracidelli insists that the Blues faithful should expect to be entertained next season and is confident that the new management team will help to bring success back to West London. "This is a great partnership," Pracidelli said in the Daily Mirror. "It will be a mixture of Brazilian style and football with English know-how. "This is a challenge like we have never faced before but with our beliefs and principles we're determined to succeed. "Early on, there may be a problem with the language barrier for a few of us. But in football, and with top quality players, you do not need translators. Football has a language of its own." Chelsea certainly appear willing to embrace a new, attacking style of play, with Portuguese playmaker Deco becoming the club's first arrival of the summer. Pracidelli has made it clear that any future arrivals must also be able to adapt easily to the club's ideology. "We only want players who are beautiful, special players. And Deco is special," he said. "He is coming to Chelsea to be part of the team and we want to be as attractive and successful as possible." Source: Sky Sports

Ronaldinho's agent is today claiming that he is 90% percent going to AC Milan. Which by the way goes against what Milan said yesterday. If you ask me this is his agent trying to call out other clubs, most likely us to declare our interest. Ronaldinho has aparently said he would love to link up with Scolari again. I think this is a good oppertunity for us to get Ronaldinho at a good price and turn him around.

Arshavin may be able to play as a winger or a second striker, but that is not what he will be brought in for. We need to bring in players to play in their natural position 95% of the time, if they can cover when we need it then great. Arshavin plays best in a free role behind the striker, similar to Deco. If he does sign, then that is where he will play.

More news on this transfer today, that we may use Drogba as part of a deal to sign Robinho from Madrid. Also Robinho has been quoted somewhere as saying that at the moment if he was asked where he would like to be playing next season he would say Chelsea.... There isn't much being said if the signing f Ronaldo for Madrid is a requirement for this transfer to go ahead. You would like to think it isn't and that we can tie this deal up as soon as possible.

The ladies team has been built up rapidly in the last season or so, adding Lorrie Fair last season as well as a couple of others and now these 2 there is a definate statement of intent to try and break Arsenal's complete monopoly of the ladies game.

There is an element of truth in that comment. I don't believe Mikel is ideally suited to the holding role. However i do think that him playing there has been a very good learning curve for him and will enable him to be a better player in the long term. But i would like to see the more creative side of Mikel come out.

I am sure they will try, otherwise any negotiations become very difficult, with the team away for at least 2 weeks. Yup, i love the pre season games. Especially with a new man in charge, a chance to see new players in action and to see how we are going to try and set up for the comming season.

Blimey, in the job for a week before his first conference!!! Can't wait to hear what he has to say, what his plans are ect.. Hope to hear some very encouraging things from him. And maybe by then we may have another signing or 2 in the bag.

As the Chelsea players and coaching staff prepare to return for pre-season training on Monday, we switch our focus to the club's first pre-season friendly - against Guangzhou Pharmaceutical on July 23. It will be the first opportunity for fans to see the team led by Luiz Felipe Scolari, with new signings Deco and José Bosingwa likely to be involved, as well as Serbian defender Branislav Ivanovic, who signed in January. Ivanovic has not yet appeared for the first team having signed from Lokomotiv Mosco during what was the Russian close season. He then suffered a couple of niggling injuries preventing him from reaching peak fitness before the 2007/8 entered its critical period. The game against Guangzhou will take place at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium, pictured, which has a capacity of just over 80,000 and will be the venue of the 2010 Asian Games. Most Chelsea fans will probably be unfamiliar with our first ever Chinese opponents, who were promoted into their country's Super League in 2007. The league currently has 16 sides, and also includes Chengdu Blades, who we will meet later in the tour. Formed as Guangzhou FC in 1954, their current title is their seventh, taken on in 2006 after investment by South China's largest medical company. Like us, Guanghzou play predominantly in blue kit, though white shorts are sometimes worn. Last summer, they hosted Manchester United, losing 3-0 in the Olympic Stadium after goals from Wayne Rooney, Nani and Lee Martin. Managed by Shen Xiangfu, the squad consists mainly of Chinese players, but like the new Chelsea, there is a distinct South American theme with two Brazilians and an Argentine in the ranks. You will be able to watch the game in full on Chelsea TV, which is also first with all the news from Stamford Bridge. Be sure to log back on to Chelseafc.com soon as we continue the countdown to pre-season action. Source: Chelsea FC

Taken Eddie Newton with him too as his assistant. Shame, he was working as coach to our under 16's and seemed to be doing a very good job with them too.

Both the Lampard and Arshavin story are at the moment just complete speculation. To sign another "older" high profile midfielder would indeed be a strange one to do, but like i have said it is workable....

Fantastic player, a real real shame we couldn't get the full years out of him. But the 2 seasons he spent with us he showed his class....

As a manager? He can't even cut it as a pundit.... possibly the worst football pundit ever rolled out infront of a camera.