Kenyon : Blues will do the double
Chelsea chief executive
Peter Kenyon has warned Manchester United that new manager
Luiz Felipe Scolari is preparing to take the Premier and Champions
League trophies away from Old Trafford next season.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson claims he is not worried by the
Brazilian's arrival at Stamford Bridge because he believes
Chelsea's players are too old and have little scope for
improvement.
The Blues finished runners-up to Ferguson's side in the Premier
and Champions League last season in what was their first campaign
without a trophy for four years. But Kenyon says expectations at
the club have since been raised and believes the double is a
realistic target for this term.
He said: 'The club progressed last season to get to the
Champions League Final, so our expectations are to get the Premier
League trophy back from Manchester United and we want to go one
step further in the Champions League - which means winning it.
'That is the team's objective and it is the coach's objective and
if we achieve it, we will have had a very good season.'
Ferguson claimed that by having so many experienced
internationals within Scolari's squad "it's hard to see where
there's going to be a big improvement', thereby handing an
advantage to his team.
However, a comparison of the two clubs' strongest XIs
reveals an average age of 28 for both, while the departure of
35-year-old Claude Makelele to Paris St- Germain this week has also
significantly reduced the Blues' overall statistic.
As well as kicking off the mind games with Chelsea, Ferguson has
also talked up Arsenal's chances in the title race this season. He
said: 'I would not write off Arsenal. It's been underated what they
did last season because they got injuries at a bad time. In
February they lost most of their midfield. Who's to say it wouldn't
have been closer if Arsene Wenger had kept his players fit?'
Meanwhile, Kenyon has confirmed that Chelsea will make only one
more signing this summer, with Robinho the favoured choice. He
said: 'There is still a long way to go on that one (Robinho), but
we are very, very interested and the clubs are in dialogue.'
The club have also denied reports that they have agreed to Frank
Lampard's contract demands and offered him a new five-year deal
worth £150,000-a-week.
