Chelsea midfielder Deco has stated that he is far from happy at Stamford Bridge and wants a move to Italy in order to link up with Jose Mourinho. Deco signed from Barcelona last summer for an £8 million fee and ever since has not been able to nail down a regular slot in the first team.

He was virtually ignored by first, Luis Scolari and secondly, Guus Hiddink, which has left the player doubting his own ability and seeking a fresh start. Deco did actually make quite a good start to Premier League life and was the cog in an early machine that was running very well.

He showed all of the reasons why Chelsea had taken a gamble on him and scored a couple of goals. Many pundits were tipping him to become the highest scoring midfielder in the country for the season but once he fell out of favour in the side he never got his place back.

It is also important to remember that Deco is not in his youth any more, he is ageing with every season that passes and he is quickly running out of time when it comes to his playing career. Due to this it will prompt him into seeking a bigger move as opposed to if he was a lot younger and looking to establish himself as a player at one of Europe’s best clubs.

Deco said: “I want to feel happy and this is not the case at Chelsea. I would like to return to work with Mourinho, he is synonymous with success and I would be very happy.”

Deco is clearly still capable of playing at the very highest level and a move to the slightly slower Serie A could be a move that serves him quite well. One of the main reasons that pundits say he was not able to make a break through in this country was the fact that the Premier League was far too physical for him. Many will ignore that Deco is a very small man and when you are playing in such a big side like Chelsea, a lot of teams will approach with a physical mentality and knock about the players a bit.

This could be one of the many reasons why someone such as Jon Mikel will be picked in the Chelsea side ahead of Deco. Once sides realised that they could physically out muscle Deco, this is the way they went about muting his influence. Hence the manager would have been prompted to put someone else in the middle of the pitch that was stronger and had a better ability to cope.

There may be a subtle disappointment if Deco leaves the clubs because many fans do appreciate his talent and what a high calibre player he is. The fact he did not make it at Chelsea will disappoint him and many others but this is something he has to do in order to make good of the rest of his career.

After the Luiz Felipe Scolari disaster, I’m not sure Chelsea is doing the right thing by bringing in Carlo Ancelotti, another manager who doesn’t speak fluent English. In today’s game, communication is right at the top of the list next to tactics and team selection when it comes to managing.

Ancelotti, who left AC Milan on June 1st, does have a pretty good track record with two Champions League medals (2003, 2007) to go along with a Serie A title in 2004, and at 49, he’s at a pretty good age for a manager as there shouldn’t be much of a generation gap as there was with Scolari.

However, jumping right into the English Premier League for the very first time from a career based solely in Italy is pretty hard to do all on your own. Ancelotti, who starts on July 1st, will need some help and guidance from individuals who have experience in the EPL.

If he cleans house and brings in his own staff, I think that will be a huge mistake on his part. He should be willing to learn from others while he gets his feet wet, especially since he has a weak command of the language. I think Ray Wilkins could be the key here. If he goes, I see trouble ahead for the new manager, but if he stays, then things might work out for him.

I don’t like the fact that he kept denying any link with Chelsea while it was rumoured for weeks and weeks that he’d be signing with them. Putting pen to paper on a three-year contract the day after the season ended in Italy doesn’t really give him a lot of credibility. I know football’s a hard game to keep your privacy and a contract is a contract, but it’s still something that bothers me.

It will be interesting to see what Ancelotti does with the squad tough. But after watching Guus Hiddink work wonders with the players they have at Stamford Bridge now, I wonder if the pressure will be on the Italian right from the get go. Hiddink won the FA Cup, revived the team in the Premier League, and arguably should have been in the Champions League final after getting royally shafted in the semi-final by bad refereeing.

The attitude around the club could be that Hiddink won with the current squad, so there’s no reason Ancelotti can’t win with the same players. Replacing the hugely successful Hiddink is probably the worst scenario possible for Ancelotti. There would have been a lot more patience and leeway for him if he’d taken over after Scolari was given the boot.

I’m also wondering what Chelsea’s priority is for next season, the Champions League or the Premier League. Ancelotti has only won one title in eight years at Milan, so it could be he’s actually being brought in for European glory instead of domestic success. To be the top dog in the EPL, he’s going to have to play two strikers, something he couldn’t get the grasp of with Milan this season. He could have also been hired as a way of signing some of the top footballers who have played for him in Milan. David Beckham, Kaka, or Ronaldinho in Chelsea blue perhaps?

Well, only time will tell. And if it doesn’t work out, Roman Abramovich has shown that he’ll gladly book travel arrangements out of town for any manager that doesn’t meet the owner’s expectations. I just get the feeling that when Guus Hiddink left though, he was given an open return ticket.

No farewell blues for Hiddink

Chelsea fan or not, there can be few football impartials who would deny outgoing caretaker boss Guus Hiddink the pleasure of lifting the FA Cup.

After just 22 matches in charge, this amiable Russian obviously won the hearts of both players and supporters alike and victory was the most fitting of farewells.

Guus Hiddink appeared to be the perfect gentleman, even declining at the very end of his reign to lift the cup until the honour was shared with coaching colleague Ray Wilkins.

According to all accounts, his manner in the dressing room was just as calm, something he did try to convey to the team so that panic never set in. It didn’t always work, of course, and those who failed to tow the line ie Didier Drogba will pay the penalty.

But Hiddink also made no bones about the fact that he would not tolerate non-triers or those who gave into adversity.

The FA Cup final against Everton at Wembley proved a case in point. After conceding the first goal in a record-breaking 25 seconds to the Toffees, it could have been a repeat of the Manchester United/Barcelona Champions League clash all over again.

But Chelsea came back after the break to level the score, courtesy of Drogba and went 2-1 up with an absolutely stunning shot from Frank Lampard which will go down as one of the FA Cup greats. It should have been 3-1 to Chelsea but Malouda’s strike was incorrectly judged to have not been over the line.

In the event, it didn’t matter. Brave Everton, who have enjoyed the very best of seasons, just couldn’t level the score to force extra time or penalties and manager David Moyles later admitted the best team had won.

It had been two long years since Chelsea lifted any silverware and two unsuccessful managerial appointments following the departure of Jose Mouriniho has to take much of the blame.

Three months in charge was just long enough for Hiddink to make a difference and he is going to be sadly missed by Chelsea. This whirlwind romance was made to last but the Russian national team is calling and will no doubt pose quite a threat in the 2010 World Cup.

Hiddink wanted to go out with a bang and he did. He managed to tie together the discipline and friendship which was still in the squad but to activate it on the pitch where it matters the most.

Players showed the esteem in which they held Hiddink by presenting him the night before the match with an engraved watch and a signed shirt. He was genuinely touched and was that a glint of a tear in his eye as he waved goodbye to the Chelsea fans whilst holding the FA Cup aloft?

What now for Chelsea is the question on everyone’s lips as the team prepares for another new manager and another regime. What Hiddink has shown, however, is that continuity isn’t necessarily the key to success. If the manager is an excellent one, he should be able to win trophies regardless of the amount of time in charge.

Another man proud to pick up another piece of silverware was Ashley Cole who became the first player since the 1800s to pick up his fifth FA Cup medal and also earned himself the title of Man of the Match.

Meantime, Everton are going from strength to strength, having achieved fifth place in the League and a place in the Europa Cup. After losing in the FA Cup final this year and the semi-finals the year before, David Moyes intends to go one step better next season.

Everton striker Louis Saha made English FA Cup Final history today (May 30th) at Wembley Stadium in London, England, as he scored after just 25 seconds, before most of the crowd of 89,000 had settled into their seats. It eclipsed the old mark of 30 seconds set by Aston Villa’s Bob Chatt against West Brom way back in 1895.

While it gave Everton a flying start, it was probably also the worst thing to happen for them as they tried to sit back and protect the slim margin for the next 90 minutes. Of course it didn’t work as Chelsea dominated the rest of the way and came out 2-1 winners for their second FA Cup win at the new Wembley in the last three years, and their fifth triumph in the competition overall.

It didn’t take long for Chelsea’s Didier Drogba to do what he does best, which is score in English cup finals (FA and League Cups) as he drove in a powerful header in the 21st minute to tie the score at 1-1. It was the sixth-straight cup final goal for Drogba. He also scored in this year’s semi-final and quarter-final games.

Frank Lampard sealed the victory in the 72nd minute with a fine 20-yard shot that Everton keeper Tim Howard could only parry into the net. It looked like Florent Malouda had given Chelsea a 3-1 lead about five minutes later when his venomous long-range shot from 30 yards slammed off the underside of the crossbar and came crashing down over the goal line. Referee Howard Webb let play carry on, while television replays showed that the ball had clearly crossed the line.

This brings up the topic again of video replay and why it’s needed in football today. This could have been a huge missed call if Everton had come back to tie the game. It’s about time FIFA got off its ass and implemented television replays or loaded the pitch up with extra officials and goal line judges.

Everton didn’t come back though, and with only one striker up front it’s quite evident at the moment that their manager David Moyes and the players aren’t good enough to pull off a cup win. Their loss today sets a record for FA Cup failures as they’ve now lost the final eight times. They have won it five times as well mind you, but were hurt by having a few good players out with injury, especially Arteta and Yakubu. Going with one guy up front’s not going to win you many games against Chelsea though.

It was a great send off for Chelsea’s interim manager Guus Hiddink who worked wonders with the club since taking over in February. Chelsea only lost one game out of 21 under Hiddink’s reign, and with any luck could have also possibly added the Champions League to the trophy haul this season. The Dutchman will now head back to Russia to resume his job as the country’s national coach.

Another guy who will be celebrating long into the night will be Ashley Cole, who was officially named man of the match and became the first player in over 100 years to win five FA Cup medals. He won three with Arsenal and another with Chelsea in 2007.

Chelsea may have won something much bigger than the cup today though, as they have now appeared to win the respect and admiration of many neutral football fans. While Jose Mourinho, and Luiz Felipe Scolari were in charge, the team wasn’t quite as likeable as they were perceived to be arrogant and bought their way to cup finals. However, since Hiddink took over, it’s almost been a 180 degree turnaround as his calm and friendly manner has worked wonders for the team. Whoever takes over as manager next season will have a huge set of boots to fill.

Good luck to him.

Chelsea manager, Guus Hiddink, is hoping that today’s FA Cup final against Everton is not his last ever match as a manager in English football. Hiddink arrived at Chelsea in place of big Phil Scolari who failed to have the impact on the Premier League that many thought he would.

Hiddink was given the chance of crafting a respectable season for Chelsea from a position where they looked as though they would struggle to secure third place. That has since been achieved and Chelsea now have the chance of snapping up some silverware from the hands of Everton.

It is unlikely that Hiddink will stay on at Chelsea after this last game of the season. His position as manager of Russia means that he will owe it to the Russian FA to see out his contract and manage the national team with no further distractions. So for the time being it would seem that we won’t see Hiddink on a Premier League touch line for a while.




Speaking ahead of the final, the Dutchman said: “The English game is dominant in world football and of course I am tempted to return here. I feel the obligation to go back to Russia, but the temptation is there.”

So these are the strongest hints to date that should Chelsea offer to buy out Hiddink’s contract with the Russian FA then he may consider staying at the club and having a crack at glory when the new season starts. However, he does seem highly realistic. He appears a man that is responsible and honest and sticks to his commitments.

To get him to leave the Russian side deep in the water is something that he probably would not like on his conscience and because of this he won’t consider it. He may also still have big ambitions in world football, Russia qualified for last years European Championships at the expense of England and no doubt Hiddink will want to prove again that his side are getting better than then.

His CV is exceptional and he has now proved that he can handle one of the biggest clubs in the world. He is yet to prove himself on the biggest stages of domestic and European football as other high calibre jobs have ended swiftly and in disappointment but the hunger is clearly there. He seems to respect the English game and everything it is about and seems to have a level head, which would be necessary to win things in this country.

So there are bound to be a few clubs keeping a close eye on him over the coming months. There is still a bit of time before the World Cup starts next year so it may be a while before we see Hiddink back in England but the point is that he is almost certain to return.

Any manager that would dip into a league for a few matches and then not want a better go at things would not be human. He obviously likes what the Premier League about but the defining question is the club he will manage when he does eventually come back.

The shockwaves of the 2008-2009 season are being felt in some European leagues as the season ended in most nations on the weekend. Some major and minor moves have already been made, and if you don’t keep up with them now, you may not know who’s who when next season starts.

First of all, Celtic manager Gordon Strachan quit his job after the last game on Sunday as Celtic could only muster a draw at home to Hearts. This meant their quest for a fourth straight Scottish Premier league title was over and arch enemy and cross town rivals Rangers won the league. This move may prove that Strachan has some ulterior motives as it’s been rumoured he will take over at English Premier League team Sunderland as their manager Ricky Sbragia also quit after the last game, a 3-2 loss at home to Chelsea. But despite Sragbia appearing to be clueless by leaving his top league scorer Djibril Cisse on the bench again, Sunderland managed to stay up. And speaking of  Cisse, it’s no surprise that his contract won’t be renewed and he’ll be on the move soon.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood also quit after guiding the SPL club to a Europa League spot next season.





Up in Newcastle, it appears that interim manager Alan Shearer may be ready to sign a four year deal to take over the just-relegated Geordies. The contract appears to be way too long for a team with Newcastle’s recent problems, especially for an unproven manager. Start off with a two-year deal and see how it goes. What’s the rush?

Aston Villa will also try to resign Gareth Barry, who has a year to go on his contract with the Birmingham club.

In Holland, Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam grabbed manager Martin Jol from fifth-place German Bundesliga club SV Hamburg and signed him to a three-year contract.  Ajax manager Marco van Basten resigned after missing out on a Champions league spot.

In other Bundesliga news, Stuttgart striker Mario Gomez will sign with Bayern Munich in a deal that could make him the most expensive Bundesliga player ever. Both teams and Gomez said they have agreed to a deal that could be worth about €30m. If true, it would be the biggest in German league history. Werder Bremen just raked in some serious coin though as they sold Brazilian playmaker Diego to Juventus for €24.5m. Also, injured striker Vedad Ibisevic has extended his contract with Hoffenheim until 2013.

In France, where there’s still one game left in the season, former Brazilian midfielder Juninho will leave Olympique Lyon at the end of the season. He has won seven Ligue 1 titles with Lyon. The 34-year-old will be let go for free even though he had a year left on his contract. He is suspended for the last game so he’s already played his last match withn the team.

There’s also a game left in Italy, but AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti has said he will remain with the club if he’s asked to. It’s been widely rumoured that he’ll be heading over to Chelsea in England at the and of the season when interim manger Guus Hiddink leaves London and heads back to managing the Russian national team.

Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho signed an extension to stay with the team until 2012 after guiding them to the title this year.

In Greece, Olympiakos has hired former Newcastle player Temuri Ketsbaia is their new manager.

And in Russia, former CSKA Moscow manager Valery Gazzayev has been appointed hired to lead Dynamo Kiev.

The FA Cup final on May 30 may look quite one sided on paper but it is much more likely to be the opposite. Everton and Chelsea will go head to head in a match that seems quite refreshing to the football neutral. Both sides played well in their semi-finals but the fact Everton have emerged as one of the finalists creates a small bit of excitement.

Everton beat Manchester United on penalties in their semi-final in a match, which saw Sir Alex Ferguson field a greatly weakened side. However, this weakened side did play extremely well and Everton needed every bit of David Moyes’ tactical nouse to get them through the match and into the final.

It is always a lottery whenever such an important game goes to a spot kick shoot out, but it was Everton who held their nerve and always looked the more likely to come out of the tie on top. They will use this victory as inspiration and proof that they can beat the best side in the country, Europe and the world. What more do Everton need to know to prove to themselves they can win it.

Chelsea came through a much more gritty semi-final against Arsenal. Although the victory was in the end quite comfortable, it was a very physical encounter, one that showed all of the elements of why the sides and the fans don’t really like each other any more.

The West London side have not been at their best at all in this season’s competition, but they are backed through some harsh heartbreak. It was not too long ago that Andres Iniesta was smashing in a last minute winner for Barcelona, which knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League.

It is also set to be Guus Hiddink’s last game in charge of Chelsea, if they cannot convince him to stay. This could well determine the players to play their hearts out for the manager that came in and steadied a rocking ship, when he also had the small task of keeping an eye on the Russian national side.

Both sides have their reasons for getting their heads down and playing through the match, trying intensely to win it at a canter. Everton to show this is more than just a penalty shoot out bluff and Chelsea to show that they are still good enough to win trophies in England. Hopefully the match will be decided after a thorough performance from one or the other and not from a penalty shoot out, which is the harshest way big matches are decided in the current game.

The fiasco that has surrounded the issue of tickets being on sale for the match has seen both sets of fans for these clubs being offered fewer tickets than the numbers being given to corporate sponsors and other ‘friends of football.’ This could well mean the atmosphere is not as intense as it may be and could place the emphasis right onto the football as the fans will not be as audible as they could be.

This won’t matter one bit to the people going to the game though. Former professionals have often commented that they often were lifted by the noise any amount of fans can create and the factor of having the twelfth man on side could be the difference. It could mean that when both sides are tried and exhausted after playing however many minutes, they lift themselves for that all important moment and stab at glory.

Of course there is football to be played between now and then, so the selection of players available is at this stage unknown. However, both managers will pick their strongest possible elevens, which will see a number of key on field battles break out. These could go a long way in determining who comes out victorious.

Everton are likely to be soaking up a lot of pressure during the match. The likes of Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda should all start the match meaning Chelsea are not going to adopt an approach of sitting back and taking the pressure.

Whoever plays at the heart of the Everton defence will have to be on top form to make sure that these individuals can’t get a foothold in the match and give Chelsea an advantage. In recent times teams have adopted the approach of playing workman like wingers in order to peg back the Chelsea full backs, if Everton do this successfully then it will mean all of Chelsea’s play will be through the middle, which is a lot easier for any defence to deal with.

If Chelsea’s midfield controls the game then it could well be a matter of time during the match until one of the strikers gets a chance. Space could also be created if Everton sink too deep meaning that Frank Lampard or Michael Ballack could be free to fire in shots on goal without the threat of being closed down.

Everton’s attacking approach is likely to be simple, the counter attack. The toffees will be hoping that the defence works hard enough to soak up the pressure and draw in the Chelsea midfield. This would allow Tim Cahill to play in the middle of the pitch, pick up the ball and bomb forward with little resistance. However, Everton’s strikers will have to concentre for every single second as the one chance they get could end up being the only chance they get.

Ironically, even though it is Everton and not Manchester United in the final, a similar game could break out. It is unlikely to be an open end-to-end game with a million chances. Both teams will be nervous because this is their only crack at silverware for this season. It could appear a boring game for the neutral but the subtlest of tactics could be the deciding factor.

If you were a betting man you would not place money against Chelsea, but the point is Everton are capable of winning. You can’t back a draw so we are all going to have to pick a side to get behind but for now it is probably easier to get up on that fence and stay there.