Sir Alex Ferguson has defended the touchline antics of Jose Mourinho.
The Real Madrid manager hit the headlines once more after appearing to poke Barcelona assistant Tito Vilanova in the eye following a recent Spanish Supercopa clash. Many feel such incidents could cost Mourinho any chance of succeeding Ferguson as Manchester United boss when the Scot eventually calls time on his stellar career.

After the defeat at United on Sunday, along with the positives about how we approached the game and how we attacked United, I am just wondering if we have stumbled across the death of Chelsea's 4-3-3 formation that we have been stuck with for years?.
The basis of our successes has been our tried and trusted 4-3-3 formation and I think before the second half on Sunday, everyone knows it's our preferred formation.

For Fernando Torres, it will be a long way back to media approval. His move to Chelsea, for a record £50m, will lead to him always being highly scrutinised and criticised for each game where he doesn't score.

His performance against Manchester United, which included a fine goal, a number of feats of fleeting footwork and concluded a great week for him, which included two assists against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, will be remembered for one other incident.

Carlo Ancelotti has been pinpointed as a potential replacement for underfire Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger. According to The Sweeper, the North London club are closely monitoring Ancelotti's situation and are weighing up a possible deal which will bring the Italian to the Emirates Stadium as early as January 2012.

Carlo Ancelotti has been pinpointed as a potential replacement for underfire Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger. According to The Sweeper, the North London club are closely monitoring Ancelotti's situation and are weighing up a possible deal which will bring the Italian to the Emirates Stadium as early as January 2012.

Following on from the crushing defeats to both Manchester teams, Daniel Levy must surely be considering the position of Harry Redknapp at Tottenham.

United and City will probably be competing for the title this season, but the pathetic manner in which we capitulated in both fixtures demonstrates the difference in class and also highlights the lack of improvement over the last season.

Hey, it's Michael Ballack. Long time no see.

Welcome back

Michael Ballack was highly admired around these parts during his time at Chelsea. We, like Carlo Ancelotti, felt he deserved a short-term extension with the club. I, for instance, offered the following after learning of the announcement of his departure in early June 2010.

Hey, it's Michael Ballack. Long time no see.

Welcome back

Michael Ballack was highly admired around these parts during his time at Chelsea. We, like Carlo Ancelotti, felt he deserved a short-term extension with the club. I, for instance, offered the following after learning of the announcement of his departure in early June 2010.

Why AVB could regret Roman not going extra mile for Modric

So the dust settled on a frantic transfer deadline day. And while Andre Villas-Boas will doubtless express satisfaction at the outcome of Chelsea's last minute wheeling and dealing, the big question is whether the Blues really have reason for satisfaction.

David Luiz has been sorely missed at Chelsea this season so far but news that he is back in training and available to play against Sunderland is great news for all of us. With being back at Chelsea yesterday after being with Brazil, Luiz has spoken for the first time about AVB and also about the signing on deadline day of Raul Meireles.

David Luiz has been sorely missed at Chelsea this season so far but news that he is back in training and available to play against Sunderland is great news for all of us. With being back at Chelsea yesterday after being with Brazil, Luiz has spoken for the first time about AVB and also about the signing on deadline day of Raul Meireles.

Andre Villas-Boas' arrival at Chelsea obviously set a new start for the Blues and although things is still in process, David Luiz is confident that the tactician will be successful in the premier league.

Luiz himself is very excited with the former FC Porto's coach arrival since Villas-Boas speaks the same language as the Brazilian international defender, which is considered as a plus point for the ex-Benfica player.

AVB has taken the Chelsea job and has spoken of the fact that we are fighting for EVERY competition we enter in every season. As you can imagine as he sat facing the media ahead of tonight's opening Champions League fixture, questions were asked of our record in the competition, how we can compete with Barcelona and the pressure of success regarding the safety of his job in the competition.

Positive results earned by two London clubs in the Champions League as Chelsea opened their journey with a win against Bayer Leverkusen while Arsenal earned an important draw as the Gunners travel's to Borussia Dortmund's home ground.

Fernando Torres still scoreless for the Blues but the Spaniard set up his team's two goals, while Arsene Wenger's team had their first half lead from Robin Van Persie's strike just few minutes before the final whistle.

I think we all can agree that, though it is still very early in his tenure, Andre Villas-Boas has brought a certain level of sophistication to Stamford Bridge since his appointment over the summer. Though, in terms of age and experience at this level, the Portugese is still a pup, he exudes the culture and class of a seasoned, well-versed professional.

I think we all can agree that, though it is still very early in his tenure, Andre Villas-Boas has brought a certain level of sophistication to Stamford Bridge since his appointment over the summer. Though, in terms of age and experience at this level, the Portugese is still a pup, he exudes the culture and class of a seasoned, well-versed professional.

The last gasp of the Gasperini

It took just five matches but Massimo Moratti decided he had had seen enough. Its Rolodex time once again at the San Siro as Gian Piero Gasperini was given his marching orders after Inter lost 1-3 against newly promoted Novara.

Gasperini after the news of his sacking:

"In the end, the results are the ones that determine everything.

By Chris Wright

In which Chelsea break the bad news to AVB in the harshest manner possible, informing him of his sacking via the official teamsheet for their Carling Cup tie with Fulham on Wednesday evening or someone in the club's IT department opened last year's Microsoft Word templates by mistake.

Back to the future Andre Villas Boas would have had a nasty shock when he saw the teamsheet for Chelsea's midweek Carling Cup clash against Fulham and discovered that he wasn't the manager. In what was presumably an admin error by someone using an old template, Carlo Ancelotti was given a one-night reprieve and reinstated [.

Back to the future Andre Villas Boas would have had a nasty shock when he saw the teamsheet for Chelsea's midweek Carling Cup clash against Fulham and discovered that he wasn't the manager. In what was presumably an admin error by someone using an old template, Carlo Ancelotti was given a one-night reprieve and reinstated [.

The midweek teamsheet against Fulham, which involved yet another coaching change for Chelsea.

But what's perhaps most important, and going undetected by the mainstream media, in all of this is that someone has finally indicated just how Chelsea manage to successfully traverse the minefield that is John Mikel Obi.

Very rarely do I ever cover a complete interview written in the press or featured in a published interview. I'd rather take a snippet from it and discuss the key point I want to discuss and post a link to the rest of it.
However, Carlo Ancelotti is featured this morning in an interview with Matt Lawton in the Daily Mail and it's an intriguing and interesting interview.

Carlo Ancelotti has signalled his intention to return to football and his admiration for the English Premier League.

Just when it seemed Fernando Torres may be coming to the tail-end of his awful slump for Chelsea since joining from Liverpool last January, a red card against Swansea City marred an otherwise brilliant performance and again brought criticism from the press.

The subsequent three match ban will have come at the worst time for the Spaniard, just when he is starting to produce in the last few matches.