I like Mauricio Sarri already! The new Chelsea coach replaced Antonio Conte last weekend and arrived at the club’s Cobham training ground on Tuesday to meet the players and take his first training session which turned into more of a party atmosphere with players already liking his management style. Sarri said, “I think with one or two adjustments we can try to play my football. First of all I want to enjoy myself. The players have to enjoy themselves and the fans can enjoy the team. Chelsea are one of the most important clubs in the most important championship league in Europe. In the Premier League there are all the most important coaches in Europe, maybe the world, so it will be very exciting for me.”
He talked about his first signing, “Jorginho is not a physical player, he is a technical player. But his most important quality is that he is very quick in his mind.” I wish Mauricio all the very best with Chelsea and dealing with his owner Roman Abramovich. It is Abramovich who now needs to address the Chelsea faithful…to make a statement on how he sees the club progressing and what is going to happen. When Abramovich first arrived at Chelsea he spent huge amounts of money to reorganize the club to challenge the best in the Premier League. He was focused on achieving success.
But things have gone from bad to worse lately. Taking such a long time to sack Conte when we all knew he was a dead man walking, and then finally announcing the new coach with barely weeks left before the new season was frustrating for the team and the fans. Abramovich needs to give support to his new manager and to the fans. Pep Guardiola is setting new standards in the Premier League and over the road at United, Jose Mourinho is determined to build a team capable of challenging him. At Arsenal the new manager is already buying and building to challenge at the very top, at Liverpool Jurgen Klopp has given the Reds new focus and direction and over at Tottenham the new stadium is almost ready to accommodate all those excellent returning World Cup stars. This coming season is going to be great, exciting and motivating and I for one cannot wait for it to start.
Shaqiri good business for Liverpool
Liverpool have done some very good business again this week in signing Swiss attacker Xherdan Shaqiri from relegated Stoke City. Manager Jurgen Klopp said the deal was a “no brainer” as he authorized the £13million transfer. Shaqiri is only 26 and is very talented at taking on players, beating them and moving the attack forward with accurate passing and attempts on goal. He also has an arrogance which gives him confidence and he looks to influence play throughout an entire match. With the likes of Salah, Firmino, Sane and Shaqiri, Liverpool have plenty of firepower in attack. His signing adds to the incoming players Naby Keita and Fabinho to make this summer a very successful one for the Reds. The club told me yesterday that Shaqiri will wear the No. 23 shirt. He also played for Basel, Bayern Munich and Milan. As I write this column, Liverpool also told me that they still hope to bring Roma goalkeeper Alisson Becker into the club and have lodged a staggering record £62m bid for the goalkeeper. I understand that the Italian club value Alisson at £66m but I doubt the difference will prevent Liverpool getting their man. By the time you read this it is possible the deal will have been done.
Mourinho still believes in Shaw
Luke Shaw is still one of Jose Mourinho’s best prospects despite being sidelined last year and enduring a horrible time of criticism from the manager. But Luke might have turned a corner with manager Jose Mourinho. At the start of the summer Luke looked out of shape after holidaying and partying abroad. However, he returned to Old Trafford early and started a keep fit regime which saw him travel to Dubai with the club’s conditioning coach Gary Walker. He returned much fitter and looking lean and keen. He has impressed Mourinho in training and the boss will give Luke playing time on their American tour. Coaching staff at the club tell me that Jose still believes that the 23 year-old can be United’s long term solution to their search for a top class full back.
West Ham splash out on record signing
Felipe Anderson says he will relish his midfield role at West Ham after signing for a £41million fee. The 26 year-old said that he intends to become a West Ham legend like Carlos Tevez and Paulo de Canio. Anderson is manager Manuel Pellegrini’s seventh signing of the summer and he is determined to turn the East London club into a new force. The Brazilian midfielder signed from Italian club Lazio and joins other summer signings, Jack Wilshere, Diop, Lukasz Fabianski, Ryan Fredericks, Andrly Yarmolenko and Fabian Balbuena. Chairman David Sullivan said that bringing Anderson to the Hammers is a real statement of intent and the team has been rebuilt and will be a real challenge this coming season.
USA says no to Sanchez
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is furious that the United States of America has refused to grant a visa to Alex Sanchez and therefore he will not be able to join the team on the pre-season tour. The United team flew out to Los Angeles last Sunday but Sanchez remained at his home near Manchester. He accepted a 16-month suspended prison sentence for tax fraud in February which involved a court case over image rights for his name when he played for Spanish giants Barcelona. United’s lawyers are hoping to overturn the ruling in time for Sanchez to fly out and join in some pre-season games. Spanish authorities have been very tough on footballers with both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi having problems in the past. Mourinho said previously that this season will see the best of Sanchez and this hiccup has hindered his pre-season match preparations.
Welcome Zola
Chelsea fans and players are smiling after the Blues appointed their former star player Franco Zola as Mauricio Sarri’s No2. Zola reported for duty at the training ground on Wednesday and was warmly welcomed by the new manager and players. I have rarely seen so many smiles on the faces of footballers after their summer break and clearly Franco is much loved by the Chelsea faithful. He is on a two-year contract with an option for a third. He scored 69 goals for Chelsea between 1996 and 2003. He will also help Sarri with his English as he speaks fluently and the new manager admits his English is not very good.
