Fulham Broadway

Luiz Felipe Scolari has been presented with a list of targets by Chelsea that features Fernando Torres, Robinho and Franck Ribéry. The Brazilian, who will take over as manager at Stamford Bridge next month, will be given an unlimited transfer budget by Roman Abramovich, the club’s owner, and has proposed signing Kaká and Deco. Chelsea, with a well-drilled defence and outstanding central midfield players such as Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien, will focus on recruiting wide players and strikers this summer, a policy that fits with Abramovich’s desire for more attacking football — although he is aware that José Mourinho, the new Inter Milan coach, has made Lampard his No 1 target. Many of the stars on Chelsea’s horizon may prove beyond their reach as they play for rivals with no need to sell, but Abramovich is confident that the sheer weight of money will convince some of them to cash in. Torres is a case in point, with Liverpool adamant that they will not sell a striker who scored 33 goals in his first season with the club, but Chelsea hope to exploit divisions between Anfield’s warring owners, George Gillett Jr and Tom Hicks. Chelsea have been told that one of the Americans is willing to let Torres go for the right price and are planning to test Liverpool’s resolve with a bid. Kaká falls into the same category because AC Milan have stated that the Brazil forward is not for sale at any price, but Chelsea are hoping to use Didier Drogba and Andriy Shevchenko as pawns to push the transfer through. Chelsea have rejected bids from Milan for both strikers and they hope that Scolari’s relationship with a player he took to his first World Cup finals at the age of 20, in 2002, will convince him to leave the San Siro. Bayern Munich are similarly reluctant to sell Ribéry, but Robinho and Deco should be far easier to acquire from Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. Scolari has wasted no time in assembling his backroom staff and is planning to bring two of his Portugal colleagues, Flávio Teixeira and Darlan Schneider, to Stamford Bridge. Teixeira has worked as Scolari’s assistant since the Brazilian took his first job, at Centro Sportivo Alagoano, in 1982 and is regarded as his eyes and ears, while Schneider, the nephew of Scolari’s wife, Olga, was recruited as a fitness coach when he took the job as Portugal coach in 2003. Scolari has gone out of his way to praise his squad’s sharpness at Euro 2008, which he attributes to Schneider. Chelsea hope that Steve Clarke will remain at the club as a second assistant, in a similar set-up to that under Mourinho, while they also want to retain Christophe Lollichon as goalkeeping coach. Scolari’s appointment has been welcomed by Chelsea’s players, but not by Sir Alex Ferguson. The Manchester United manager has privately expressed anger that the Brazilian has been advising Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portugal forward, to leave Old Trafford for Real. The Times HaHA love the last bit

Lol he doesnt take any prisoners, and not afraid to be cuntish to get results. He coated off Figo, and upset the whole Portuguese nation...for a while.

I think he needs to keep a core of 8 or 9 but wont complain if he brings in kaka His work record although impressive, does not show he stays in one place for long(Portuguese national team the exception). So expect Chelsea fan angst over who's next in a season or two.....

"I'll wait for you outside, mate" – Scolari books a date with a referee who ordered him from Brazil's bench in 2000. "He was going to hit [Ricardo] Quaresma and I defended him" - pugilist Phil stands up for his players by thumping the Serbian defender Ivica Dragutinoviç in a Euro 2008 qualifier last September. "Who was to blame out there was the referee. Two metres offside!" - Scolari's alternative reason for punching Dragutinoviç. "I'm not perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, and I lost my head here" - the suits from the Portuguese FA prise a confession from chastened Phil over the Serbian punch-up. "If someone talks about my private life, for example, I'll give them a good punching. I'm not interested in suing. I like to sort things out my way" - that sounds like a challenge for the British press. "Jesus said we should turn the other cheek. Unfortunately, Figo is not Jesus Christ" - and nor did Jesus headbutt Mark van Bommel, as Luis Figo just had in June 2006. "I believe firmly in astrology. Since I was a kid, the stars told me I was a winner" - he's a Scorpio, by the way. The same as the Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. "When the ball goes to his feet it doesn't cry. When it goes to my feet it cries"- the difference between Zinedine Zidane and Scolari. "I don't want this situation involving England because in two days during which I was not coach, I never agreed to anything, my life was invaded. My privacy was totally under siege" - the Sensitive One rejects England. "I think Pele knows nothing about soccer. He's done nothing as a coach and his analysis turns out to be always wrong. If you plan on winning a title, you do the opposite to what Pele says" - World Cup winner Scolari reveals the secret of his success. "[He] tortured a lot but there is no illiteracy in Chile" - Big Phil offers a Thatcheresque critique of General Pinochet's leadership. Guardian

That Swiss Turkish game was surprisingly good. Germany could have their work cut out this afters against Croatia. Anyone else notice what pervs the Swiss are ? Name: Stadion Wankdorf Club: BSC Young Boys Insert Arsene Wenger jokes here...........

Thats the danger - if they interfere he'll tell them to fuck off -no two ways about it. His favourite book is The Art of War.....

I dont want to see stepover tart lifting the cup...but Portugal have a good chance of winning it. If they dont, Abramovich will sack him on 2nd July. Well I hope Abramovich and Buck have learned their lesson and dont interfere with Scolaris methods -being 59 bit old for a Scolari dynasty , but I hope we have a bit of continuity now...

They're scared of getting shot on the tube mainly

Kaka does seem a bit far fetched. Although that bastion of truth..er...The Star says hes got £200 million to play with. According to names so far he's only interested in players whose names end in a vowel. Deco, Kaka, David Villa, Robinho, Joao Moutinho........

There will be some transfer movement soon now. The defence is sorted -Lord Percy will stay now - and the club own another young Brazilian CB at PSV as well. Aren't the fixtures out Monday ?

I think he'll do the obvious -BenHaim, Sidwell, Pizarro etc -but also he'll also do some of his own changes. I'm really optimistic of the league now already, but wouldn't mind Portugal getting knocked out next round -give our defence a rest, and allow Scolari to analyse the Premiership. He might know about Portugal, and the auld enemy Argentina -but how about Blackburn, Wigan, Everton etc ? Credentials are impressive -won the equivalent of the South American Champions League-twice; Gene Hackmans Filmography Kuwait Emir Cup (Al Qadisiya), 1989 Copa do Brasil (Ciricuma), 1991 Copa do Brasil (Gremio), 1994 Copa Libertadores (Gremio) 1995 Campeonato Brasileiro (Gremio), 1996 Recopa Sudamerica (Gremio), 1996 Copa do Brasil (Palmeiras), 1998 Copa Mercosur (Palmeiras), 1998 Copa Libertadores (Palmeira), 1999 Fifa World Cup (Brazil), 2002 Dont think that'll happen Frank -he would have signed already. One things for sure he's a 1000% improvement on the previous sack of shit.

See your point about Maka and Sidwell. Although Maka looks like a player half his age playing for France a couple of days ago Kaka would be brilliant and really piss off the Salford Cowboys, but Decos 31 now, and an 'orrible little cheating cunt. Good player though

Lol, now that would be funny. I hope he keeps a core of 8 or 9 that are already in place -he wont want to alienate himself from the fans straight off, but it'll be interesting to see if he wants to replace lampard at some point. He'll definitely want to make his mark and assert his way of doing things. The transfer malarkey is fairly new to him. Crucially he would have been asked about Clarke a few weeks ago, and it looks like hes to stay.

On the face of it there seems more hope of attracting fellow countrymen , Kaka, Goofy etc but the agents aren't neccesarily Brazilians, so its not that smooth... He's aright discipilinarian so they say, vigorous training regimes, and a perfectionist. He's definitely got a temper on him, more volatile than Ten Cates by far, and I hope he and JT hit it off. Hopefully he'll knock out Ferguson...

Hes a top player, but wont it make the midfield a bit crowded ?

No wonder Corals wouldnt take my cash a few days ago Footballs worst kept secret... Well the Gene Hackman lookalikes first task is to persuade Ronaldo Riverdance to fuck off to Madrid. Title won in April.......

The hypocrisy of the sozzled old git is staggering. On riverdance saying he would like to play for Madrid -''They think they can ride roughshod over everyone but they won't do it with us," declared the Scot. "Real Madrid have no morals at all.'' (Telegraph) Well, apart from the tapping up of Tevez -theres been Benzema, and the constant undermining of Berbatovs relationship with Spuds. The stalking and tapping up of Hargreaves, stealing Heinze from under the noses of liverpool -the list is endless. The berrating of officials by ManUtd players every game yet Ferguson endorses a 'respect' campaign. (Presumably this doesn't include ManUtd players). He has also accused referees of selective blindness -from the bloke who ''didnt see'' Mendezs goal cross the line by 3 foot. It's no surprise they made this cunt a knight of the realm, along with all the other crooks.

Lol, could be -just said they werent taking any more cash on Scolari. He might ensure Carvalhos future -and the Boswinga thing points to him having an input. Fucking hope its not Hiddink -he looked as if he was in a Prozac coma last night

He looks as though he can handle it - apparently he gives really long answers to press questions -be interesting seeing as his English is pony As someone said, if it is him his club experience is minimal -Palmeiros? his last ? Also anyone with a tache is usually barking. -Hitler, Souness, Stalin, that bloke in Austria keeping his daughter in a cellar...

Glad you agree. Corals wouldnt accept my bet on him yesterday. The press will stick the knife in to CFC any chance they get -from making the club look stupid, greedy , or even ''foolish'' to offload 'sack 'o shit' Grant....

Both Holland and Germany look good -can see France resurrecting themselves too next game. The cheek of the BBC - using licence payers money to have ...wait for it.... Steve Mcclaren as a pundit. Might as well have Malcolm McClaren. England would be there now and lager sales in Switzerland would be double what they are, if it wasnt for Brian ' Im a Twat' Barwick appointing McClown and saying 'he's the best available'. Funny how every player who scores is a 'Chelsea target' all of a sudden.

If it is Filthy Phil , the silence would be expected, so as not to disrupt his Euro players.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5kpPmDpNbo

I've a feeling the deals done though -but everyone has to be tightlipped till the Euros are done. Chelseas staement couple of weeks ago ''We're extremelyhappy with the way our search is progressing'' implies they've got their man ? Also Corals wouldnt take my bet on him yesterday (that could be just because they think I'm a cunt though) PS Why the total silence over the Special Needs One ? How come all the top teams, Real, ManUtd, Bayern, AC etc haven't been headhunting Grant ?

There was no evidence they were after Ancellotti apart from the old newspaper talk -OK zippy was spotted in Milan, but that could have been Drogs and transfer deals ? I think a Scolari deal has been done but everyone is keeping schtum until the Euros are over or they get knocked out