Chelsea FC (The Blues) | Special Thread

Wamuacheeeeeeeee.
we know the can.
 
Kevin Friend to referee Chelsea vs Newcastle

an hour ago The FA

It will be Friend's 21st game of the season, and during that time the 46-year-old has issued a total of 49 yellow cards and just the one red.

Friend – who has overseen games in the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup so far during 2017/18 – will be assisted by Constantine Hatzidakis and Ian Hussin on Sunday, while Simon Hooper will be the fourth official.
 
Year football club was founded.

PSG: 1970
Inter Milan: 1908
Chelsea: 1905
Athletico Madrid: 1903
Real Madrid: 1902
Bayern Munich: 1900
AC Milan: 1899
FC Barcelona: 1899
Juventus: 1897
Liverpool: 1892
Arsenal: 1886
Manchester City: 1880
Manchester Utd: 1878.
 
Sky Sport Italia claim Chelsea FC have made genuine progress for Edin Dzeko and Emerson Palmieri, 24 hours to decide at €50m + €6m bonuses.

[HASHTAG]#CFC[/HASHTAG] [HASHTAG]#Dzeko[/HASHTAG] [HASHTAG]#Palmieri[/HASHTAG]
[HASHTAG]#LATEST[/HASHTAG]: Chelsea offering €50m + €6m in bonuses for Emerson and Dzeko, €30m for Dzeko and €20m for Emerson, but [HASHTAG]#ASROMA[/HASHTAG] are asking for more. (Dimarzio) [HASHTAG]#CFC[/HASHTAG]
Chelsea are also prepared to give Edin Dzeko a longer contract at €5.5m/year compared to the €4.5m he currently earns at [HASHTAG]#ASROMA[/HASHTAG]. (Dimarzio) [HASHTAG]#CFC[/HASHTAG]
 
Conte: "I can tell you that I continue to work very hard for this club, for the players, for our fans. I can tell you this.“ [Telegraph]
Conte: "But I saw a bit the history of this club in the past and it was the same also for the other coaches, and I don't see a difference between them and me.“ [Telegraph]
Conte: "If you look at the stats, you can see that in 14 years 10 managers were sacked by this club."
Conte: "Those who know me very well know that I don't stop myself in front of the difficulties.“ [Telegraph]
Conte: "I try every day, through the hard work, to overcome these difficulties. I am a specialist in this type of situation." [Telegraph]
 
Antonio Conte suggests being long-
term manager at Chelsea is
impossible

Antonio Conte has suggested that being the manager of
Chelsea for the long term is the impossible job. The Italian
referenced the high number of his predecessors who had
been sacked from the post under Roman Abramovich’s
ownership – which is now in its 15th season – and he did not
deny that he was set to depart in the summer.
Conte won the Premier League title in his first season last
time out and he currently has the team in third place – albeit
15 points behind the leaders, Manchester City. He has got
them to the last 16 of the Champions League, where they face
Barcelona, while they entertain Newcastle United in the FA
Cup fourth round on Sunday.
His tenure has come to be mired in escalating levels of
conflict, with Conte protesting to the board about the thinness
of his squad and how he does not have a sufficient say in
transfer targets. The club maintain that they work to Conte’s
recommendations.
There was a degree of I-told-you-so from Conte when he
brought up how he had predicted last summer that this
would be his most difficult season in management. He will
continue to give his all yet it was jarring, to say the least,
when he refused to take issue with a question that stated he
was at war with the board, he was not talking to the director,
Marina Granovskaia, and he was waiting to leave in the
summer.
“I can tell you that I continue to work very hard for this
club, for the players, for our fans,” Conte replied. “But I saw
a bit the history of this club in the past and it was the same
also for the other coaches. I don’t see a difference between
me and other coaches that managed this situation.
 
If I remember, at the start of the season, I said maybe this
will be the most difficult season for me. I think that I have a
great capacity to see very long [into the future].
“This is a great capacity I have. But we must be focused and
give everything and know that we have to face great
difficulties. If you know this, you are more ready to face this
type of situation.”
Managerial sackings
Conte was asked whether he had come to realise what it was
like for his predecessors.
“As I said before, my only worry is to work very hard but,
for sure, if you look at the stats, you can see that in 14 years,
10 managers were sacked in this club. The stats are this. But,
at the same time, when you are sure about your work and
that you are doing everything to improve this club – I am
very relaxed and I don’t have this type of worry.”
Conte got his numbers wrong. Abramovich has overseen eight
managerial sackings, including two for José Mourinho, while
he has employed a handful of caretakers. But the point that
Conte sought to make stood. Nobody lasts particularly long.
Mourinho made it a couple of months into his fourth season
during his first spell and that remains the record under
Abramovich.
This time last season, Chelsea had played 26 matches; now,
the number is 38 and Conte does not believe he has resources
to cope. What he did make plain was that his passion for the
job had not waned; he is so consumed by his work that he is
struggling to sleep at night.
“It is not simple, for sure, but people who know me very well
know that I live this job with great passion,” Conte said.
 
Antonio Conte resigned to fact
that no manager lasts long at
Chelsea

Antonio Conte has suggested that being the manager of
Chelsea for the long term is the impossible job. The Italian
referenced the high number of his predecessors who had
been sacked from the post under Roman Abramovich’s
ownership – which is now in its 15th season – and he did not
deny that he was set to depart in the summer.
Conte won the Premier League title in his first season last
time out and he currently has the team in third place – albeit
15 points behind the leaders, Manchester City. He has got
them to the last 16 of the Champions League, where they face
Barcelona, while they entertain Newcastle United in the FA
Cup fourth round on Sunday.
His tenure has come to be mired in escalating levels of
conflict, with Conte protesting to the board about the thinness
of his squad and how he does not have a sufficient say in
transfer targets. The club maintain that they work to Conte’s
recommendations.
There was a degree of I-told-you-so from Conte when he
brought up how he had predicted last summer that this
would be his most difficult season in management. He will
continue to give his all yet it was jarring, to say the least,
when he refused to take issue with a question that stated he
was at war with the board, he was not talking to the director,
Marina Granovskaia, and he was waiting to leave in the
summer.
“I can tell you that I continue to work very hard for this
club, for the players, for our fans,” Conte replied. “But I saw
a bit the history of this club in the past and it was the same
also for the other coaches. I don’t see a difference between
me and other coaches that managed this situation.
 
GOOD NEWS FOR CHELSEA AT LAST :
CONTE GETS A BOOST AHEAD OF
NEWCASTLE CLASH

The Chelsea fans in the Transfer Tavern are feeling pretty low at
the moment. Things aren’t looking too good for the Blues, having
crashed out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. Add to that
the continued uncertainty regarding their transfer plans, and
Antonio Conte’s men are looking in poor shape.
Fortunately, though, the regularity of their games means that the
Blues are only ever a few days away from an opportunity to make
things right – and that opportunity will come against Newcastle
on Sunday.
Ahead of the game, thankfully for Conte, Chelsea have received
some good news which will no doubt come as a boost for the club.
According to the Blues’ boss, Cesc Fabregas is back in training
with the squad – having missed the last few games – and whilst he
is not confirmed to be available on Sunday, there is at least a
chance that he could feature
He says Cesc Fabregas trained today with the squad,
which is good news, and he will check on his availability
tomorrow.
1:20 PM - Jan 26, 2018
10 251 1,129
Chelsea FC

10 251 1,129
Chelsea FC
Chelseafc
Fabregas has been a regular for the Blues this season, having
grown in significance under Antonio Conte after a tough campaign
last term. Often featuring in the midfield alongside N’Golo Kante
and Tiemoue Bakayoko, the Spaniard’s creativity has been crucial
for the Blues.
They’ve lacked goals in recent weeks, particularly in his absence,
and so his return will allow Conte a bit more freedom with his
team selection.
Whether he will play against Newcastle remains to be seen, but
the Blues are set to embark on a busy period – and so his return
cannot come soon enough.
Landlord’s Verdict
Conte likely won’t risk him, at least from the start, against
Newcastle – and that would be a wise decision. He’ll be needed
over the coming weeks.
He has played a lot of football this season, and so his return will
need to be managed carefully, especially with the return of the
Champions League on the horizon.
 
*Antonio Conte and the Chelsea board*
The Chelsea board and manager Antonio Conte have been
singing from different song sheets and need to get their act
together

Chelsea is going through a very bad phase in their defence of
the Premier League title and things have gone worse recently
after getting knocked out of the Carabao Cup.

Behind the scene, there seems to be a communication gap
between the Chelsea board and Conte when it comes to
transfer business. It has been that way since his arrival and
some of their transfer dealings have raised eyebrows.
Conte took charge of Chelsea last season and guided them to an
impressive title win and most of their transfer dealings during
that season were approved by him until they re-signed David
Luiz for £34m from PSG.
Conte looked like he wasn't exactly excited about the deal. It
was clear he never wanted to sign Luiz, even though he went on
to become an integral part of Chelsea's title-winning season
last year.
Then, this summer Manchester United were heavily linked with
Eric Dier and Fabinho but in the end, they surprisingly managed
to sign Nemanja Matic which shocked many United and Chelsea
fans. Even Conte hinted about his disapproval of Matic's departure
and once again it looked like he wasn't informed about the
decision or the board went against his wishes to offload Matic.
Conte never wanted to sell the Serbian international and
especially not to their direct rivals. odds over transfers
They have struggled in the midfield area without his physical
presence on several occasions this season.
The way Conte got rid of Diego Costa is no secret anymore.
Conte wanted him gone and Chelsea board weren't willing to
but eventually, they sold him to Atletico Madrid. They were searching for his replacement in the summer in
Romelu Lukaku, who was all set to return to Chelsea but instead
he went to Manchester United and Chelsea ended up with
Alvaro Morata who is struggling to cope with the demands of
the Premier League.
Now in the winter market, they are being linked with players
like Peter Crouch and Andy Carrol and signed Ross Barkley
from Everton which surprised/annoyed many fans.
One thing that has come out clearly is the fact that the Chelsea
board and Conte are singing from different pages when it
comes to transfer dealings.
Conte's depressing tone in his press conferences in recent
weeks has continually painted the picture of a house divided
against itself.
Given the club's thin squad, it would be interesting to see if
Conte will still keep his job after the turbulent run of fixtures
coming the club's way in February and March.
 
*The Arturo Vidal and Antonio*
*Conte comments that hint a*
*reunion at Chelsea could*
*happen*
*Reports in Germany suggest that Vidal will be allowed to depart*
*Bayern Munich for £50million*
 
PMB: Chelsea v Newcastle
United - history


Ahead of tomorrow's game, club historian Rick
Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton recall
some of our past FA Cup encounters with the
Magpies...
WE HAVE HISTORY
Chelsea and Newcastle have met at this stage of the FA Cup
three times previously, one of them a replay, and 10 times
overall in the competition.
Our first round-four clash was during World War One. The
conflict broke out before the start of the 1914/15 season, but
football carried on until the following spring. In fact the FA Cup
campaign that year ended with Chelsea’s first-ever appearance
in the competition’s decider - the so-called ‘khaki final’ against
Sheffield United.
The fourth tie on the
road to the final paired
the west Londoners
with the 1911 runners-
up from the North-
East, and on Saturday
6 March a Stamford
Bridge crowd
approaching 60,000
watched a 1-1 draw,
the Pensioners’ one-
eyed striker Bob
Thomson (pictured
right) opening the
scoring before Tommy
Goodwill equalised for
the visitors.
Extra-time could not
separate the two, so a rematch ensued a week later with
50,000-odd present at St James’ Park. Once again no winner
emerged in normal time, but Londoner Harry Ford stole in from
the wing to score in the first period of extra-time. Jim Molyneux
held out under a late barrage, and victory was Chelsea’s.
There was less equivocation about who would win the next
round-four meeting, in January 1950 at the Bridge. Bobby
Campbell had already missed a fifth-minute open goal for the
hosts before inside-left Hugh Billington broke the deadlock on
13 minutes with a fine drive past Geordie goalie Jack
Fairbrother.
More chances went begging for the goalscorer as well as Jimmy
Bowie, but Billington struck again midway through the half. A
third, from Campbell, sealed the 3-0 win.
Our most recent encounter was a quarter-final at the Bridge 12
years ago, and an early strike did the damage again. Unmarked
skipper John Terry latched onto a Damien Duff corner to side-
foot past ’keeper Shay Given, and the Blues had the better of
the later chances on offer.
 
Newcastle have won four of their past 58 league and cup
matches at Stamford Bridge in 64 years. The Magpies’ last
victory at the Bridge was in the Premier League in May 2012
when a Papiss Cisse brace without reply secured the points.
Our last home knockout by the Tynesiders came in 2010. Chris
Hughton’s side won 4-3 in the League Cup with a stoppage-
time winner from Shola Ameobi.
 
Our previous FA Cup meetings
1910-11 Semi-
final
St
Andrews
Newcastle
won 3-0
1914-15 Fourth
round
Stamford
Bridge
Drew 1-1
(after
extra
time)
Replay St James’
Park
Chelsea
won 1-0
(after
extra
time)
1931-32 Semi-
final
Leeds
Road
Newcastle
2-1
1949-50 Fourth
round
Stamford
Bridge
Chelsea
won 3-0
1958-59 Third
round
St James’
Park
Chelsea
won 4-1
1995-96 Third
round
Stamford
Bridge Drew 1-1
Replay St James’
Park
Drew 2-2
(Chelsea
won 4-2
on pens)
1999-00 Semi-
final Wembley Chelsea
won 2-1
2004-05 Fifth
round
St James’
Park
Newcastle
won 1-0
2005-06 Quarter-
final
Stamford
Bridge
Chelsea
won 1-0
 
BIGGEST WIN AT STAMFORD BRIDGE FOR EACH TEAM
25/10/1980 Chelsea 6-0 Newcastle Division Two
12/09/1914 Chelsea 0-3 Newcastle Division One
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Davide Zappacosta talks about settling in to life
in London, the differences between Italy and
England, on and off the pitch, and why
tomorrow’s game brings with it a great
opportunity…
It is easy to forget when a player joins from abroad that the
adaption process extends beyond the football. Getting used to
life in a new city and a new country, where people are speaking
a different language, takes time.
But it is apparent from talking to Davide Zappacosta at Cobham
this week that he is already feeling right at home. The 25-year-
old joined from Torino at the end of the summer transfer
window and, as we approach the end of his fifth month here, he
already has 24 Chelsea appearances to his name.
‘I’m absolutely settled here,’ he tells us.
‘In my experience so far I have learned a lot during training and
in the matches because my team-mates are great players who
help you to improve in all aspects.
‘I am also happy with my life here in London. Even though I have
a pretty quiet life I like it here. I have met lots of Italians in the
area where I live, in the restaurants, shops and so on, and so I
have to say that I am very happy.’
On the training ground, Zappacosta reveals his development and
adaption to Premier League football has been hugely aided by
his compatriot Antonio Conte, who he worked under previously
when our boss was in charge of the Italian national team.
‘The manager gives a lot to the players and, quite rightly,
expects a lot in return. He is what I would call a complete
manager. He can help you in terms of your morale, mentally and
also tactically in terms of what you should be doing on the pitch.
‘He provides you with all of the information you need to ensure
that you are in the best possible position to play your best. I
have to say that he is a complete manager and I am happy to be
able to work with him.’
With so much change for him in recent times, including his first
taste of football outside Italy, Zappacosta is in a good place to
take stock and reflect on his experiences in this country so far.
‘The atmosphere here is crazy; it is completely different to Italy.
First of all, the stadiums are always full, but the atmosphere is
always amazing.
‘I remember one of my first games was against Crystal Place, a
game which we lost unfortunately. They were experiencing a run
of poor results. They hadn’t won for a while and had not scored
at home, and yet the home crowd were all there roaring on their
team right to the last minute, and they ended up winning a
game against a team like Chelsea, which was a real
achievement.
‘Compared to Italy the games are less tactical but more
physical,’ Zappacosta adds. ‘The intensity level is really high and
so the games are a lot more physically demanding compared to
the games in Italy. But this will certainly help me to develop
physically.’
Away from the action, there is one man in particular who
Zappacosta has quickly formed a close relationship with.
Followers of his Instagram account will regularly see Alvaro
Morata alongside him as the pair drive to Cobham together or
sit next to each other on away trips.
‘He is a really good guy and he was one of the first people to
welcome me into the squad, not least of all because he speaks
Italian and so he helped me a great deal to find my feet within
the squad and the dressing room.
Follow zappacosta
London, United Kingdom
41,297 likes
zappacosta [HASHTAG]#Repost[/HASHTAG] @alvaromorata ( @get_repost ) ・・・
—> Liverpool @zappacosta ✌
view all 111 comments
2 MONTHS AGO
‘When I first arrived he stuck very close to me and gave me lots
of advice about what to do, where to go for dinner. So it was
really important for me to have a team-mate like him in the
squad because he helped me a lot at the beginning, and now we
have become good friends.’
Morata won’t feature tomorrow because of injury, but
Zappacosta will hope to start his third consecutive FA Cup
game when Newcastle visit Stamford Bridge.
The wing-back says everyone is very disappointed we were not
able to book a Wembley berth in midweek, nobody more so than
him because he was hopeful of playing at the national stadium
for the first time, and it was only the third defeat he has
suffered as a Blue. He is now determined to make it to north-
west London in the FA Cup.
‘There is still a long way to go in the league, we are involved in
a lot of competitions and winning one game always helps you to
get into a winning habit, so we have to put a good run together
straight away, starting on Sunday.
‘I have already seen that the FA Cup is an important
competition here in England and after the last game we know
that there are no easy games, regardless of who the opponent
is.
‘If you are not 100 per cent focused you run the risk of being
made to look stupid, no matter who you are playing against,
whether it is a team from League One, the Championship or the
Premier League. So we will have to prepare well for this game
and be as focused as possible, because this is not an easy game
and we want to go all the way in the competition.’
Share this article
Zappacosta: Friends, focus
and fast-paced football
SAT 27 JAN 2018 NEWS
"Compared to
Italy the games
are less tactical
but more
physical. The
intensity level is
really high and so
the games are a
lot more
physically
demanding
compared to the
games in Italy.
But this will
certainly help me
to develop
physically."

On the training ground, Zappacosta reveals his development and
adaption to Premier League football has been hugely aided by
his compatriot Antonio Conte, who he worked under previously
when our boss was in charge of the Italian national team.
‘The manager gives a lot to the players and, quite rightly,
expects a lot in return. He is what I would call a complete
manager. He can help you in terms of your morale, mentally and
also tactically in terms of what you should be doing on the pitch.
‘He provides you with all of the information you need to ensure
that you are in the best possible position to play your best. I
have to say that he is a complete manager and I am happy to be
able to work with him.’

With so much change for him in recent times, including his first
taste of football outside Italy, Zappacosta is in a good place to
take stock and reflect on his experiences in this country so far.
‘The atmosphere here is crazy; it is completely different to Italy.
First of all, the stadiums are always full, but the atmosphere is
always amazing.
‘I remember one of my first games was against Crystal Place, a
game which we lost unfortunately. They were experiencing a run
of poor results. They hadn’t won for a while and had not scored
at home, and yet the home crowd were all there roaring on their
team right to the last minute, and they ended up winning a
game against a team like Chelsea, which was a real
achievement.
‘Compared to Italy the games are less tactical but more
physical,’ Zappacosta adds. ‘The intensity level is really high and
so the games are a lot more physically demanding compared to
the games in Italy. But this will certainly help me to develop
physically.’
Away from the action, there is one man in particular who
Zappacosta has quickly formed a close relationship with.
Followers of his Instagram account will regularly see Alvaro
Morata alongside him as the pair drive to Cobham together or
sit next to each other on away trips.
‘He is a really good guy and he was one of the first people to
welcome me into the squad, not least of all because he speaks
Italian and so he helped me a great deal to find my feet within
the squad and the dressing room.
 
With so much change for him in recent times, including his first
taste of football outside Italy, Zappacosta is in a good place to
take stock and reflect on his experiences in this country so far.
‘The atmosphere here is crazy; it is completely different to Italy.
First of all, the stadiums are always full, but the atmosphere is
always amazing.
‘I remember one of my first games was against Crystal Place, a
game which we lost unfortunately. They were experiencing a run
of poor results. They hadn’t won for a while and had not scored
at home, and yet the home crowd were all there roaring on their
team right to the last minute, and they ended up winning a
game against a team like Chelsea, which was a real
achievement.
‘Compared to Italy the games are less tactical but more
physical,’ Zappacosta adds. ‘The intensity level is really high and
so the games are a lot more physically demanding compared to
the games in Italy. But this will certainly help me to develop
physically.’
Away from the action, there is one man in particular who
Zappacosta has quickly formed a close relationship with.
Followers of his Instagram account will regularly see Alvaro
Morata alongside him as the pair drive to Cobham together or
sit next to each other on away trips.
‘He is a really good guy and he was one of the first people to
welcome me into the squad, not least of all because he speaks
Italian and so he helped me a great deal to find my feet within
the squad and the dressing room.
 
Zappa

When I first arrived he stuck very close to me and gave me lots
of advice about what to do, where to go for dinner. So it was
really important for me to have a team-mate like him in the
squad because he helped me a lot at the beginning, and now we
have become good friends.’
Morata won’t feature tomorrow because of injury, but
Zappacosta will hope to start his third consecutive FA Cup
game when Newcastle visit Stamford Bridge.
The wing-back says everyone is very disappointed we were not
able to book a Wembley berth in midweek, nobody more so than
him because he was hopeful of playing at the national stadium
for the first time, and it was only the third defeat he has
suffered as a Blue. He is now determined to make it to north-
west London in the FA Cup.
‘There is still a long way to go in the league, we are involved in
a lot of competitions and winning one game always helps you to
get into a winning habit, so we have to put a good run together
straight away, starting on Sunday.
‘I have already seen that the FA Cup is an important
competition here in England and after the last game we know
that there are no easy games, regardless of who the opponent
is.
‘If you are not 100 per cent focused you run the risk of being
made to look stupid, no matter who you are playing against,
whether it is a team from League One, the Championship or the
Premier League. So we will have to prepare well for this game
and be as focused as possible, because this is not an easy game
and we want to go all the way in the competition.’
 
He is fully committed to Leicester

The 31-year-old, who in the summer of 2016 turned down the chance to join Arsenal, has this month been linked with Everton and Chelsea.

When asked about the interest, he said: ''Who have I been linked with today? Chelsea, they've been linked with everybody haven't they? You have to take things like this with a pinch of salt, it's just rumours.

''Usually it gets started by someone throwing a few quid on it at the bookies. I'm just concentrating on Leicester until the club tell me otherwise."
 
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