Malouda sparks Chelsea before finishing the job

Chelsea 2 West Bromwich Albion 1: Out-of-favour Frenchman reminds Villas-Boas of his worth as Blues recover from early shock

The Chelsea faithful are not used to having to wait to anoint their new manager with a victory. Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink, Carlo Ancelotti had all begun their tenures here with a win. Even Luiz Felipe Scolari launched his ill-fated stay on a successful note. For Andre Villas-Boas, the latest to sit on the hottest of hot seats, it looked as if a second game would pass without the satisfaction of that winning feeling.

His defence, unnerved by the absence of goalkeeper Peter Cech, had come apart as early as the fourth minute to gift a spirited and dogged West Bromwich Albion the lead. There was good reason for the new man to patrol his technical area with a worried frown as Chelsea laboured to find a response. But it all came right in the end with a winning goal seven minutes from time.

The imminent arrival of Juan Mata from Valencia for £26 million is being tipped to shorten the Chelsea career of Florent Malouda but those in blue were more than happy for the substitute's presence as he appeared at the far post to tuck away a delightful cross from Jose Bosingwa. The Frenchman is said to be a fitful performer but he had proved his value once again.

He also spared the new manager an unwanted inquest into their failure to win either of his opening two fixtures following the stalemate at Stoke six days before. "The players suffered from anxiety and could not express themselves in the way they wanted," said Villas-Boas. "Why were they anxious? Maybe from going behind so early. We said at half-time we had to free ourselves from the anxiety they were feeling and the public were feeling and in the second half it was a great Chelsea performance."

Villas-Boas gave his compatriot Hilario the chance to fill the space vacated by the injured Cech and he was rewarded with a vital save at the death when another substitute, Peter Odemwingie, threatened to steal the headlines from Malouda. He also decided to restore Nicolas Anelka to the firing line while Didier Drogba had again to accept a place among the replacements.

Despite the late afternoon start there was bright sunshine to welcome the dawn of a new era at Stamford Bridge. Keen anticipation swirled around with the sight of these opponents pricking memories of last season's 6-0 rampage here by Ancelotti's army on the campaign's first day.

It didn't take long for deflation to take over from expectation. Hilario got a taste of what he was letting himself in for when he was forced to come to the edge of his area to head the ball away as Shane Long bore down with menace. It wasa desperate measure and a harbinger of a casual start by last season's runners-up that would become even more apparent 60 seconds later.

A square pass from Bosingwa was maybe not the brightest thing he has ever produced on a football field but it still should not have caused Alex problems. The Brazilian got his feet in a tangle and that was enough to encourage a predator of Long's calibre, West Bromwich's new £6m man robbing him with ease before slipping the ball beyond Hilario with the minimum of fuss.

It might have got worse in the 25th minute as Chelsea toiled against opponents who advertise splendidly Roy Hodgson's commitment to hard work and good organisation. Long burned off John Terry in the chase for a flighted ball and rolled a pass across the area to where Somen Tchoyi was waiting to apply a decisive touch. Sadly for the visitors, Long's pass was applied a tad too heavily and the home side escaped.

They departed to boos at the interval but at least signs had emerged that it was starting to come together. Malouda had replaced Salomon Kalou and improvement was almost instant as Ashley Cole drew a flying save from Ben Foster who was grateful to hang on to the firmly-hit drive.

The interval discussion worked wonders. Chelsea dominated proceedings after that although it was not the work of Fernando Torres who departed after an hour to make way for Drogba and they could never count on Albion's compliance with Tchoyi a powerful sidekick for Long. When Frank Lampard went down there were strong appeals for a penalty but Anelka played on, opting to go outside his immediate opponent before angling the ball across Foster and into the far corner.

Albion responded as if affronted by the turn of events. Paul Scharner climbed impressively but nodded into the crowd. Anelka forced a fine save and Malouda was unable to follow up. The game – and Chelsea – had found a better rhythm now but the home team were still indebted to Hilario as Tchoyi took aim for the left-hand corner.

Chelsea pressed and pressed, Drogba first failing to find the target and then seeing a cross run away from him before Lampard demanded a fine stop with his legs from Foster. Then Bosingwa darted between two defenders to deliver an immaculate low cross to the far post where Malouda awaited to apply the decisive finish. For the second weekend in succession Hodgson and his team were left feeling hard done by. "We made two errors down the left to let them in and the better the opposition, the more they will punish you," he said.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Hilario; Bosingwa, Alex (Ivanovic, 66), Terry, Cole; Mikel, Ramires, Lampard; Anelka, Torres (Drogba, 59), Kalou (Malouda, 35).

West Bromwich Albion (4-4-2): Foster; Reid, Tamas, Olsson, Shorey; Brunt, Mulumbu (Dorrans, 87), Scharner, Morrison; Long, Tchoyi (Odemwingie, 75).

Referee Lee Mason.

Man of the match Anelka (Chelsea)

Match rating 7/10

Frimpong red card exposes cracks as Arsenal fall apart

Arsenal 0 Liverpool 2: Pressure builds on Wenger to spend after Suarez's brilliant Liverpool cameo

"You can spend money and have a bad team," Arsène Wenger insisted after walking off here with Arsenal supporters again urging him to invest. They are entitled to respond that in this day and Premier League age, refusing almost perversely not to spend significant sums is a more certain route to finishing with a bad team.

The two Manchester clubs, Liverpool and to a lesser extent Chelsea, have strengthened significantly this summer, which is why on the admittedly brief evidence to date they look the most likely teams to inhabit the top four positions. Certainly nobody among the 60,000-plus observers here yesterday would have rushed to the bookmakers to bet on Wenger's team finishing above Liverpool.

The home team were on top only for a briefly brighter period on either side of half-time, which darkened, like the sky, with a second red card in as many games. After Gervinho's dismissal in the goalless draw at Newcastle last week, the powerful young midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong went for a second yellow card, Liverpool's two goals following in the final 20 minutes.

If the first was an own goal that might have been disallowed for offside, there was still not sufficient justification for Wenger to claim: "The result was very harsh on us."

The manner of that goal and the number of injuries – six before yesterday and now Laurent Koscielny too – was unfortunate, but losing three players for disciplinary reasons is less forgivable. Now Thomas Vermaelen, who was excellent, is the only fit senior centre-back ahead of a critical week comprising visits to Udinese in the Champions' League play-off and then Old Trafford. Defeat in Manchester and Arsenal will be embarrassingly close to the bottom of the table.

Liverpool also had a disappointing start in fading away for a home draw with Sunderland but they are a vastly different team to the one Roy Hodgson was forced to leave in January, not least because of the reinforcements Kenny Dalglish has acquired. Even without Steven Gerrard, he could afford to leave Luis Suarez and Raul Meireles kicking their heels until the last 19 minutes. "They're a helluva good pair of subs to bring on, which is a great example of how strong the squad is," the manager said.

Suarez, who replaced Andy Carroll, was intimately involved in both goals. After forcing a good save from Wojciech Szczesny within two minutes of arriving, he was allowed to play on in the penalty area when fractionally offside and hassled Koscielny's replacement Ignasi Miquel on his Premier League debut into hitting the ball against Aaron Ramsey, from where it bounced past a helpless goalkeeper.

Arsenal by that point had required only one save in each half from Pepe Reina, the first diverting Frimpong's low shot for a corner after a driving run and the second with his foot after the ineffectual Andrey Arshavin had got away with a blatant push before setting up Robin van Persie.

Nicklas Bendtner came on for Arsenal's other anonymous wide player, Theo Walcott, but in the 90th minute Lucas Leiva and Meireles split the defence to give Suarez a tap-in. That confirmed Liverpool's first win away against Arsenal since February 2000, which had looked on the cards at least since Frimpong's dismissal.

The Ghanaian received one card for preventing Liverpool from taking a throw-in and a second was always a possibility given his fierce tackling; his immediate apology for catching Lucas with a raised foot indicated his guilt.

His suspension from the United game will leave Arsenal even shorter in midfield, where they are already lacking Jack Wilshere, Alex Song, Abou Diaby, Tomas Rosicky and, of course, a certain Cesc Fabregas. The suggestion that Samir Nasri could be staying was the only good news all day for Arsenal. If he does remain then at full strength Arsenal will still be competitive, but the short-term problems in midfield and defence must surely prompt Wenger into strengthening now.

Liverpool in contrast have done their business and done it well. If Charlie Adam's set-pieces were less threatening than usual, and Carroll produced little more than one fine header, Jordan Henderson looked happier in the centre of midfield than out wide last week, Stewart Downing did well on the left and Jose Enrique behind him was outstanding in subduing Walcott.

Now Nasri might stay to help fight

A week after Manchester City expected to complete the signing of Samir Nasri, the Frenchman remains an Arsenal player with the prospect of him staying on rising by the day. Midway though this match, Canal+ reported that negotiations between his representatives and City's had broken down. Afterwards, Arsène Wenger was asked if this was the case.

"I don't know," replied the Arsenal manager. Wenger added: "I have already said I try to keep Nasri and I have never changed my mind. He loves the club and he wants to stay here. If we decided to sell him, we would have to live with that."

That may have been a coded message upstairs, for the decision to permit Nasri to negotiate with City is understood to have been taken by a board reluctant to turn down £23m for a player who is out of contract in June. That makes financial logic, but not, with the departure of Cesc Fabregas, football sense. Nasri may not be the roll-up-your-sleeves type of leader Arsenal need but, with his quick thinking and fast feet, he could fill the cavernous hole Fabregas has left in attacking central midfield.

One astute observer wrote yesterday that Fabregas has been the best midfielder in the Premier League's 20 seasons, that he played chess against opponents who played draughts. Nasri is not in that class, but a player who was once heralded as the "new Zidane" in his native land must surely be tempted by the prospect of playing the No 10 role for Arsenal this season.

With Manchester City's attacking riches, that role may not be available at Eastlands. Nasri is understood to have told close friends that he does not want to move to City despite the offer of a salary of around a quarter of a million pounds a week.

Yesterday, Nasri was given reasons both to stay and leave. Arsenal's support had criticised him at Newcastle last week but yesterday they got behind him. At the end, having booed the result, they and Nasri exchanged applause.

Any warm glow Nasri may experience from this is likely to be overwhelmed by the cold reality that, if he stays at Arsenal, it could be a year of marking time as his contract runs down. Talk of Arsenal being in crisis is hyperbolic. Around 85 other League clubs would readily swap positions. The club is on a sound financial footing with an astute manager and a flourishing youth system. However, it does appear to be in a state of flux with a squad that lacks depth and leadership.

By the end of the month, the height of ambition could be the Europa League.

When the teams were announced, Nasri's name drew a mix of boos and cheers, but by the fourth minute he was warmly applauded as he went to take a corner. He was later clapped even when a long pass failed to reach Robin van Persie.

Then, nine minutes before the break, his name was sung after he collected the ball in own half, drove past Lucas Leiva and Daniel Agger, then shot just wide. In the second period, as Liverpool's control grew, he was less prominent and, like his team-mates, his head appeared to go down after Liverpool took the lead. Twice he let Raul Meireles run off him and the second time was crucial as the Portuguese squared for Luis Suarez to seal Liverpool's win.

The question now is whether, if Nasri is still at Arsenal, Wenger will pick him at Udinese. With their Champions' League prospects perilously placed, Arsenal need him, but it will render him ineligible for anyone else in Europe and slash his value. Wenger said: "I picked him today, which surprised everyone. I don't know if I will pick him on Wednesday."

Liverpool for the title? With Charlie about, I Adam and Eve it

I jumped off my seat when I saw Charlie Adam swing in the free-kick from which Luis Suarez scored Liverpool's first Premier League goal of the season, against Sunderland on the first day. I will be following Charlie's progress closely as the campaign goes on, because I feel proud to have played a part, however small, in that lad's career.

It was a bit weird last season, because he wanted to leave Blackpool for Liverpool in the January transfer window and it didn't happen. With hindsight, should we have sold him then? What's done is done and there's no point going over it.

The only regret I do have is that we didn't offer him – and several other lads – big, improved contracts as soon as we won promotion to the top flight. But to do that you have to be 100 per cent convinced you are going to survive. My chairman at Blackpool probably wasn't, and quite rightly didn't want to risk getting lumbered with a huge wage bill if we came back down to the Championship.

But I have nothing but admiration for Charlie. Even though he wanted to leave, from January onwards every time he put a shirt on for Blackpool he tried as hard as he could and that is all I can ask.

The difficult thing for me is that I've got to fill the void left by his departure, which is ridiculously tough. I could search the world for the next five years and not find anyone who passes a ball the way he does.

He was a big fish in a small pond with us. Now he's a tiny fish in a massive reservoir but he will learn how to deal with that. It is a big step up but I think he can do it and be a success.

Depending on the way Kenny Dalglish chooses to play, Liverpool are going to have one hell of a frightening line-up this season. When Steven Gerrard is fit and they have him, Charlie and Lucas Leiva in the middle... well, good luck to any opposing team trying to stop that lot. There is so much creativity and goals in those three alone that it doesn't bode well for the rest of the Premier League.

Wenger is a wonder

I'm not saying that Arsène Wenger should be exempt from criticism but most of the potshots that are being aimed in his direction at the moment are absolutely ridiculous.

As a manager you expect to take some stick. But I swear people love to jump on a bandwagon and that is what has happened here. Wenger's record walks before him and, to me, he is a genius.

I do think it has become more and more difficult over the years to run Arsenal, to make money and build a stadium, a training ground and different teams. He had so much success early on.

Have they ever replaced Dennis Bergkamp? Robin van Persie was probably meant to do that but he's had a lot of injuries. That's just what happens in football. Cesc Fabregas really wanted to go to Barcelona.

You can't stop that. Emmanuel Adebayor wanted to leave. Arsenal don't pay the biggest wages but that is because they run their club correctly. Is that wrong? To me, it's just sensible.

Arsenal have benefited so much from having Arsène so I'd say to the fans, "Just trust the man." He is a fantastic character and a great judge of a player and I don't want to see any pressure put on him because he just doesn't deserve it.

If it does continue and the worst happens, he could choose almost any other club in the world. I'd be very wary of that if I was a Gunners supporter.

Ian Holloway: Owner must back Warnock at QPR

Successful chairmen and money men all know that patience is required if you are going to build a club capable of success

Without wanting to blow smoke up anyone's backside, there are some great examples of how to run a club.

One of the best is Steve Gibson at Middlesbrough. He is fantastic at what he does – patient, loyal to his managers and doing things in the best interest of the club and not himself. Darragh MacAnthony has been a godsend to Peterborough. They have done ridiculously well.

Unfortunately, not all are as good as that, which is why I will wait with bated breath to see what happens at QPR.

I know what Neil Warnock is going through at the moment. I was in charge at Loftus Road when Gianni Paladini arrived as chairman and I ended up going because they wanted their own man. That's the problem when someone buys a club. They tend to arrive with an idea of what they want and who they want to do it. For a manager that's not good news.

You either have to do a really good job and make it impossible for them to get rid of you – which I hope Neil does and think he will do – or you have to be so powerful they can't take you on. That's why Sir Alex Ferguson has survived. He is too good. No one would dare try to get the better of him.

I hope Tony Fernandes, the new owner at QPR, is a sensible bloke who does things the right way because it is a club I hold dear. I was in charge for five years up until 2006 and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I am proud I played a part in them not going bust, because they had all sorts of financial problems. At least with this new investment, the club's longevity is guaranteed.

Who knows, Mr Fernandes could be one of the good guys. There are plenty out there – contrary to popular belief, a chairman or owner can understand football and do things correctly. What the sensible owners realise is that all clubs have their ups and downs. It goes in cycles and during the bad times you have to be patient. Changing things every five minutes only breeds instability.

It is not as simple as chucking money at it and buying players left, right and centre. Infrastructure is important and you have to get that right. The first thing you do is build behind the scenes, starting with the youth system. That is what Ferguson did at Manchester United. That requires patience from an owner. Unfortunately a lot of these super-rich people don't have enough patience.

I'm still astounded that last year the two other managers who had got their clubs promoted to the Premier League were sacked during the season. Chris Hughton had led Newcastle to the Championship title by a country mile and Roberto Di Matteo had done a fantastic job at West Bromwich. They won promotion way before I did at Blackpool and they did it in more style. Yet I was the only one who kept his job. I was also the only one that got relegated, which is bloody stupid if you think about it.

I guess it sums up why I have a lot of respect for my chairman, Karl Oyston. I don't always see eye to eye with him but no matter what the result on a Saturday, or if I sign an absolute duffer, he sees the long-term picture and isn't prone to knee-jerk reactions.

I hope Fernandes has half the understanding and patience my chairman does because Neil is going to need his total backing. QPR's manager has enough on his plate trying to make sure he keeps his team in the Premier League. The owner's best chance of helping that is to back Neil because no one will have a better chance of leading the team to safety.

That isn't sticking up for a colleague, it's a fact. There is no one better equipped to keep QPR up and if the new board think otherwise they are making a huge mistake.

Offer for Modric set to reach £30m

Chelsea are not giving up on their pursuit of midfielder Luka Modric and are expected to lift their offer to £30m in the next few days, despite Tottenham's repeated insistence that the Croatian is not for sale.

In what is becoming a bitter struggle, Modric upped the stakes by handing in a transfer request earlier this week, on the day he joined the Spurs squad to fly out on a pre-season tour to South Africa. It was refused.

Spurs are becoming increasingly angry at Chelsea's persistence, having rejected their bids of £22m and £27m, and insisted they will not listen to offers for a player who 12 months ago put pen to paper on a six-year deal. 

Manager Harry Redknapp said: "We know he wants to leave and whether he writes it down on a piece of paper doesn't really make any difference to our stance." Captain Michael Dawson claims the atmosphere in the squad remains healthy, despite Modric's desire to leave.

Liverpool urge Uefa to look into 'odd' City deal

Liverpool's managing director, Ian Ayre, has questioned whether Manchester City's record £400m sponsorship deal is merely a ploy to sidestep Uefa's Financial Fair Play regulations. 

The Malaysian capital is becoming a centre for anti-City sentiment as deep any corner of Old Trafford. The week in Kuala Lumpur began with Arsène Wenger launching an attack on what he called City's "financial doping". It ended with Ayre wondering how an airline and a club, both owned by members of the Abu Dhabi royal family, could not be a "related party", which, under financial fair play would prevent them doing business with each other. 

Under Uefa's regulations, teams that incur aggregate losses of more than €45m (£39.5m) over three years face exclusion from European competition in 2014. Manchester City's annual losses last year ran to almost three times that. The "related party" clause of the agreement means that clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea, who are dependent on their benefactors, cannot get round the regulations by sponsoring themselves to wipe out the losses.

Etihad Airways, like Manchester City, are owned by the same Bin Zayed family who rule the emirate. "Is Etihad, Manchester City and Sheikh Mansour a related party?"asked Ayre. "If they are, then it's up to Uefa to rule on them. When I spoke at Soccerex earlier this year, I was on a panel about financial fair play. The guys from Uefa who are managing it said there would be a robust and proper process about related-party transactions."

Ayre also doubted whether the 10-year agreement would pass Uefa's test of "fair value". Even though the deal includes redevelopment around the stadium, Ayre wondered how Etihad, which has never made a profit, could derive this much commercial value from naming a ground that even when it was officially known as the City of Manchester Stadium was generally called Eastlands.

"It hasn't happened anywhere in Europe where a football club has renamed its existing stadium and it's had real value," he said. "It was called the City of Manchester Stadium or Eastlands for the last nine years and now it's going to be called something else – and someone has attached a huge amount of value to that.

"I find that odd because there is no benchmark in football that says you can rename your stadium and generate that amount of value. Mike Ashley tried it at Newcastle [calling his stadium Sports Direct.com@ St James' Park]. But nobody calls it that and it doesn't have that kind of value."

Having declared pre-tax losses of £20m this year, Liverpool are not entirely clear of the financial fair play regulations themselves. However, Ayre is confident that his club's sponsorship model is more organic than Manchester City's – the majority of whose sponsors are based in or owned by the Abu Dhabi government. 

"If you look, we haven't lost a sponsor for many years. When Carlsberg were no longer our shirt sponsors, they remained with us as a key partner. I think that has more consistency and more longevity than just going out and signing loads of people. That is the way we focus on business and not the way other people do theirs."

Ayre insisted that globally there are only two Premier League clubs that really matter, even though Arsenal and Chelsea are this summer attempting to tap an Asian market that Liverpool first exploited when Kenny Dalglish was playing for rather than managing the club.

"I believe quite strongly that there are only two brands that are truly global. Liverpool and another team from down the M62. You can see the scale of what we do in Asia compared to other clubs," said Ayre, who first started working in Hong Kong when he left the Royal Marines, going on to run a sports management company based in Malaysia.

"That is not to say people will never catch us but it is a hard thing to do. It is not just about winning trophies, it is about building a year-on-year legacy."

However, although the club's director of football, Damien Comolli, oversaw a series of trials in China this week, Ayre was cautious when it came to boosting the Liverpool brand with Asian players, something their main sponsors, Standard Chartered, are keen for them to do. The quality Park Ji-sung brought with him to Old Trafford was, he said, the exception not the rule.

"The thing I found most surprising was the age of our fans here," said Ayre, "A section who were camped outside the hotel in China were all between 14 and 19. People talk about us not having won the league for 21 years, so you would think we would have an older audience. It shows it is not just about success but heritage and legacy."

Modern man Villas-Boas makes slick home debut

The 'Group One' with the style of a young business executive gives an impressive first Chelsea press conference full of energy but void of soundbites

He could have been a bright young executive reporting to the board. Tieless, affable, self-deprecating and – as they say in the corporate world – very big on detail, Andre Villas-Boas' introduction to life at Chelsea yesterday was the slick debut we might have expected. The club's new manager has just enough stubble to mask his youth but there was no mistaking the sharpest of minds.

Only time, and results, will tell if this 33-year-old really has what it takes but, as starts go, his introduction to life in one of the most demanding jobs in the Premier League was impressive. Answering questions about Chelsea can be a minefield at the best of times. Answering them honestly is even harder. Yet amid the politics and the endless comparisons with Jose Mourinho, Villas-Boas pulled it off. 

Perhaps most crucially for a club that is on its seventh manager in seven years, he accepted the fragile nature of the job with good grace and the acknowledgement that he had to win to survive. Villas-Boas put it as bluntly as anyone when he asked: "Who expects to stay as Chelsea manager if they don't win anything?" 

 

Villas-Boas was wise enough to realise that he does not possess the stagecraft to match Mourinho's spectacular self-coronation as the "Special One" seven years ago so he did not attempt it. Instead he suggested, with a hint of embarrassment, that he be known as "the Group One" because of the importance he placed on the collective. No sooner had he uttered it than he realised it was a crap line and avoided sound bites from then on in. 

On a yacht somewhere hot and expensive, you could imagine Roman Abramovich nodding his approval. His new man might be young, but he understands the rules of engagement perfectly. 

The owner of Chelsea was, as ever, absent yesterday but his influence is still felt everywhere at Stamford Bridge. You could detect it in the anxious expression on the face of Ron Gourlay, the club's chief executive, to the care with which Villas-Boas handled questions about the man he referred to simply as "the boss". 

Only once while on the subject of Abramovich did Villas-Boas permit himself a smile. Asked when he was first called by the Russian about the new job, Chelsea's new manager grinned at the innocence of such a question. "The boss," he replied, "doesn't speak on the phone." 

How to define Villas-Boas? He certainly has that sure-footedness of a bright corporate type who has read widely on modern management techniques, but there are other qualities too. He deflects compliments without signposting that he is being magnanimous. He addresses people by their first names without sounding insincere.

And because he was never a player himself he does not retreat behind that trusted old defence beloved of football people that, because they played the game, they must automatically be right at all times. 

There is an energy about Villas-Boas and freshness of purpose – and he will need that as he rebuilds a team that, for all his optimism yesterday, is in decline. It was a bold move to appoint Roberto di Matteo as his assistant because, if things go wrong, it would not be hard to imagine Chelsea fans calling for his instalment as manager. 

On the question of whom he might be selling or signing, Villas-Boas was cautious. At one point he seemed to be saying that he might review John Terry's position as captain – a brave stance from which he eventually retreated. Nevertheless, he gave the players no assurances either that they could expect life to go on unchanged. There is clearly a hard side to him too, even if he kept it well hidden yesterday. 

Villas-Boas has already dismissed two senior coaches and the club doctor, Bryan English, and if one was to draw conclusions from yesterday at least one more high-profile departure before Chelsea start the season against Stoke on 13 August could be on the cards, most likely among the players. Villas-Boas has that ruthlessness. 

He would have needed it to win four trophies with Porto last season and then to walk away this month provoking a major backlash from his hometown club. Yesterday he politely refused to answer questions in his native tongue but that did not stop Portuguese reporters questioning him robustly over what they regard as a betrayal. 

Physically he is not an imposing figure, he does not have the benefit of seniority or a famous playing career to fall back on. So what tactic will Villas-Boas resort to when he walks into the senior dressing room at Chelsea's Cobham training ground when pre-season starts on 6 July? The answer yesterday appeared to be that he will treat his players as mature, balanced adults and expect it to be reciprocated. It is a novel concept to bring to an English football club – but will it work? 

On the question of his relative youth, Villas-Boas said he foresaw no problems. "The players are responsible and professional enough to respect the position of the manager. If they lose that respect, something is wrong. I've never had problems of that sort. I was 31 when I took over at Academica and it was never a problem, even with some of the players older than me. And it won't be this time either." 

We will have to forgive Villas-Boas' aspiration that his players be "social role models" as a throwaway comment said amid the giddy feeling of being handed a big job. Chelsea's players are many things – some of them have even won three Premier League titles – but there are a few who will never be role models. It would be best if Villas-Boas just concentrates on making sure that they win games. 

There is a refreshing lack of cynicism about a manager who is also big on unlocking hidden potential in players. "We like to exploit talent a lot and, by freeing their decision-making, we can find things in their talent that they thought they didn't have. Most of them are experienced and think their talent is their talent. But we think there's something extra we can get out of them, so that is why we focus on ambition and motivation. That is the philosophy we have from top to bottom." 

Not for the first time, he sounded less like an English football manager, more like the head of a New Labour inner-city academy. Villas-Boas said that he has no hard and fast plans in the transfer market and will first assess the resources at his disposal but he also did not rule out going back to Porto to poach the best talent from his Europa League-winning team. 

As for Mourinho and his influence on the man who was once Chelsea's opposition scout, again Villas-Boas was honest. He admitted that he did not speak to his former mentor but insisted there were "no hard feelings" and he did not mind the constant references to Chelsea's most famous manager. "It would be wrong for you not to mention a person who delivered so much for this club," Villas-Boas said. 

"He did the same at Porto and was omnipresent in our press conferences, almost like he was sitting next to me. He is part of the history of this club. The trophies you see in this room were won by him."

The spectre of Mourinho is one that Abramovich would prefer not to have but even he would have been impressed at his new manager's ability to navigate the choppy waters of Chelsea politics without being boorish or boring. Villas-Boas certainly established himself as his own man. But as he knows, the hard part is yet to come. 

Then and now: Cut from the same cloth or chalk and cheese? 

Jose Mourinho's first press conference in 2004

Please don't call me arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a 'Special One'.

I intend to give my best, to improve things and to create the football team in relation to my image and my football philosophy

I have loved football since I can remember and I understand the evolution of football and the modern needs of football

We have top players and, sorry if I'm arrogant, we have a top manager.

I suggest if one of you is [the previous Chelsea manager] Ranieri's friend or has his number you should call him and explain to him that for a team to win the European Cup it has to beat many teams from many countries 

Andre Villas-Boas' first press conference yesterday: 

Maybe I should be called the 'Group One'. I want to group people together to be successful

We are proud defenders of the beauty of the game. It makes no sense for us to get into a club like this and play dreadful football

Everybody wants to thrive and be the best and win something, to be successful. I'm just one gear in this big club that wants to be successful every year

Who expects to stay as Chelsea manager if they don't win anything?

You have to respect what [the previous Chelsea manager] Carlo [Ancelotti] left us. He left us with some amazing trophies, the Premier League, and with some style. Plus the FA Cup. He's one of the best managers in the world and we respect what he left

Manchester United poised to bid £20m for Nasri

Sir Alex Ferguson appears to be convinced he can overcome Arsène Wenger's resistance to losing Samir Nasri and capitalise on the French midfielder's contractual impasse with a speculative £20m offer.

As far as Wenger is concerned Nasri is not for sale and ostensibly his price is the same £40m that Arsenal would want for Cesc Fabregas – because the Arsenal manager wants him out of Ferguson's reach. 

But United held initial discussions through intermediaries of Nasri, have yet to test how Arsenal will respond to a £20m offer for a player who is out of contract next summer and thus worth probably half that sum. United's only option now is to make an offer. 

United chief executive David Gill has admitted that comments made by Wayne Rooney and Sir Alex Ferguson amid the club's disciplinary storms of last season were not "helpful" but has also suggested that the Football Association has victimised his club to promote its Respect agenda. 

Gill, an FA board member, writes in a review of United's season that the controversial decision to ban Rooney for two weeks for his outburst into a camera at West Ham last April has at least been "a lesson to Wayne". 

AC Milan admit defeat in Cesc Fabregas transfer race

AC Milan have ruled themselves out of the race to sign Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, with the Spain international set to join Barcelona instead. 

The Italian champions had expressed an interest in acquiring the 24-year-old's services this summer, but reports in Spain claim that Barca are close to securing the midfielder's signature after increasing their initial offer to £35million. 

"Fabregas will not join us because he will join a different club," AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani told the club's official website, www.acmilan.com.

Gaël Clichy on verge of £7m move to City in new blow to Wenger

Manchester City finally began their summer's transfer business yesterday, moving towards a £7m deal for Arsenal's Gaël Clichy – yet another player who has been taken from under Liverpool's noses.

The deal had not been entirely concluded last night, with negotiations still to be concluded on both price and personal terms, a process rendered more difficult by the fact that the player is out of the country. But Clichy may well be the first player to arrive at Eastlands this summer and City's determination to go back to Arsenal – who have already furnished them with Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Adebayor in the past two years – suggests that Roberto Mancini has reservations about the £16m signing Aleksandar Kolarov, who was unconvincing at left-back in his first season after arriving from Lazio.

The move also comes as a blow to Wenger, who had declared hopes that he could persuade the 25-year-old Clichy to stay in north London where he falls out of contract next summer and had failed to agree new terms.

Liverpool had a £5m offer for Clichy turned down earlier this month and Italian giants Roma are also interested in his services, but City's superior offer seems to have delivered a solution to a thorny position for Mancini. Wayne Bridge had looked unconvincing before Kolarov was signed but Pablo Zabaleta deputised for largeperiods of last season. 

City are also currently involved in the frustrating task of selling loan players to enable them to buy. Blackburn Rovers have made a tentative offer for defender Nedum Onuoha, whose Sunderland loan has ended, and the Ewood Park club are also monitoring Craig Bellamy's situation. They are one of few clubs who might meet Bellamy's wage demands, though Celtic are alsointerested.

Mancini has said he needs another striker, regardless of Carlos Tevez's decision on his own future, and has admitted that he is an enthusiast of Napoli's striker Ezequiel Lavezzi, though the Italian club's president yesterday ridiculed Mancini's claim that the 26-year-old's €30m (£27m) get-out clause was too high as evidence that City could not afford him. Mancini has not ruled out the idea of exploring a move for Fiorentina's 23-year-old forward Alessio Cerci, though any deal for him appears to be some distance off, with neither a fee nor personal terms agreed, despite claims to the contrary in Italy media.

Jack Wilshere involved in 'club scuffle'

 England midfielder Jack Wilshere was part of a group which hurled homophobic insults at revellers before a fight began outside a nightclub, a court heard. 

Kimberley Plested, who fell and broke her arm during the scuffle, was celebrating her 21st birthday at the west London club and her friends had dressed in pink as part of the celebration, Isleworth Crown Court was told. 

Wilshere was given a caution for common assault for his involvement in the incident and his friends, Adam Mardell and Duane Brailsford, admitted affray. 

Miss Plested's friends, Bradley Martin, 23, and Elliot Fowler, 24, both from Farnham, Surrey, deny affray and are currently on trial. 

Prosecutor Warwick Tatford read a statement from Chris Osbourne, a business developer who was out with Miss Plested on her birthday last August. 

Mr Osbourne said in the statement: "I think there was 15 of us in total.

"The party had a pink theme to it and therefore everyone was wearing something pink and everyone was wearing pink. 

"I walked out of the club with my friend Ben, and Kim was sat on some steps outside a building I know has a media company inside it. 

"I had been there for five or 10 minutes when I saw three or four lads.

"I heard one of them say 'Is it sloppy seconds then boys?'

"I cannot recall who said this, Ben and I just shrugged it off. 

"Then one of the lads said the words 'Is it the poof brigade?' and made comments about us wearing pink.

"I suddenly became aware it had erupted as I saw one of the males grab Ben by the lapels of his jacket and was invading his personal space." 

He referred to the men who made the homophobic taunt as the "Wilshere group", as it included the Arsenal footballer and his friends Mardell and Brailsford. 

The three were out celebrating after Wilshere's team beat Blackburn in a Premier League match.

The case continues. Wilshere is not expected to appear as a witness during the trial.

Manchester City pull out of Alexis Sanchez transfer race

Manchester City have pulled out of the race to sign Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez, according to coach Roberto Mancini. 

The Chile international is a target of Barcelona and is under contract with Udinese until June 2014.

"I have spoken to Sanchez," said Mancini to Sky Italia. "He said he was open to the idea of coming to City but then we have pulled out (of negotiations). 

"After our last offer, we are out of the race to acquire the Chilean player."

Udinese, meanwhile, confirmed the 22-year-old winger would prefer a move to Spain rather than England. 

."Have City pulled out of the race?," Gino Pozzo, son of Udinese owner Giampaolo Pozzo, said to Corriere dello Sport. "You should ask them. We have not entered negotiations with City. 

"The will of the player is to go to Barcelona. The negotiations with the Catalan club are going forward.

"With calmness, we will find a solution. We will speak to Barca and we will see." 

Pozzo has not ruled out the possibility that Sanchez, who is valued at 50million euros (£44.95million), could remain at Udinese for a further season. 

"He (Sanchez) said it yesterday and we have reiterated it in the past," Pozzo said."It is an option."

Meanwhile, Mancini is confident Carlos Tevez will remain at the club next season despite the Argentina forward recently expressing his desire to leave the club. 

Tevez, who played a pivotal role in the Eastlands club winning the FA Cup and securing a top-four Premier League finish, has been strongly linked with a move to Italy this summer. 

"Tevez is a good player," Mancini added. "I believe he will remain with us."

The 27-year-old is under contract with City until June 2014 and is a reported target of Inter Milan.

Mancini targets £9m Savic after going cold on expensive Cahill

Manchester city have earmarked the young Partizan Belgrade defender Stefan Savic to strengthen their defence for next season, with manager Roberto Mancini seemingly unconvinced that Bolton Wanderers' Gary Cahill should be pursued.

The 20-year-old Savic, who attracted Arsenal's interest last summer and was linked with Chelsea before last January's transfer window, may cost City as much as €10m (£8.9m) though sources in the Serbian capital yesterday suggested the bidding process had begun at a figure considerably lower than that – around €7m. 

Partizan are reluctant to part company with Savic before the qualifying rounds of the Champions League, which will see the Serbian champions face Shkendija of Macedonia in the second qualifying round two weeks from now, and could entail two more two-leg encounters before the group stage.

Following a relaxation of Uefa rules governing cup-tied players last March, Savic would be eligible to play for City in the group stage of the tournament despite appearing for the Serbians in preliminary rounds, though Partizan are unlikely to negotiate in earnest before their own interest in Europe is over and are understood to be reluctant to lose the player before January.

Savic, who came off the bench against Arsenal for Partizan in the Champions League last season, made his debut for Montenegro as a utility right-back against Switzerland in England's Euro 2012 qualifying group last October and played in the same role against Fabio Capello's side days later. 

But he was not entirely comfortable in either game – Ashley Young gave him a difficult time in the 0-0 draw at Wembley on 12 October – and he is a more natural centre-back. City see him as more of a player for the future than an immediate first-choice centre-half, though Mancini does seem far more enthusiastic about him than securing Cahill at twice the price, despite football administrator Brian Marwood's conviction that the Bolton defender would be an asset.

"If we lose Savic, coach [Aleksandar] Stanojevic would be in trouble defensively," Partizan's sporting director Mladen Krstajic said yesterday. "Therefore, Savic can leave only if we find adequate replacement at the back."

Goalkeeper Shay Given may be the first player to be transferred from the club this summer, with Aston Villa providing the most concrete and realistic evidence that they can put a deal together. Several clubs have expressed interest. 

One bookmaker suspended betting on Given leaving for Villa late yesterday, though a deal does not seem imminent. Price could be the most challenging part of negotiations, with £5m understood to be a negotiating figure. Reports that James Milner may also be heading back to Villa Park do not correspond with City's current activity.

Manchester United agree deal for David de Gea

Manchester United have confirmed Spain Under-21 goalkeeper David de Gea is to join them on a five-year contract. 

De Gea flew to Manchester on Monday for a medical and although the deal is still to be completed, he has agreed to leave Atletico Madrid for Old Trafford and take Sir Alex Ferguson's summer spending beyond £50million. 

The 20-year-old is rated as one of the brightest prospects in the game and Ferguson has no fears he will be able to fill the void left by the retirement of Edwin van der Sar. 

De Gea, part of Spain's victorious squad at the UEFA European Under-21 Championships last weekend, told MUTV: "I feel very proud and I can't wait to start playing here. 

"When a club the size of Manchester United comes in for you it obviously makes you very, very happy.

"I saw their interest as an extra motivation to work even harder to show off my ability. 

"It's a great privilege to be part of a club like United and I'm keen to do my best and show what I can do."

United had known since Christmas that a replacement for Van der Sar would be needed. 

Germany's Manuel Neuer was also linked with an Old Trafford move, although he eventually opted for Bayern Munich. 

However, it is thought Ferguson had already put De Gea at the top of his wanted list and has persuaded the youngster he can adapt to life with the Barclays Premier League champions. 

With Anders Lindegaard only arriving at the club in December, it now appears likely Tomasz Kuszczak will be allowed to leave, even though the Pole was on the bench for last month's Champions League final defeat to Barcelona. 

Ferguson has now made three signings since that Wembley setback, starting with former Blackburn defender Phil Jones before Ashley Young completed his much-anticipated move from Aston Villa last week.

However, it is thought United are still in the hunt for at least one new face following confirmation of Paul Scholes' retirement. 

Luka Modric and Alexis Sanchez were both of interest to Ferguson, although it appears neither will end up with the Red Devils, while huge doubt remains over United's ability to land Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder - even though they landed a record 19th league title last term.

Is Brazilian wonderboy Neymar worth £40m or is he an Abramovich indulgence?

Chelsea may believe teen is the next Messi but prodigies have failed to make grade here in the past

Roman Abramovich is no stranger to parting with the odd fat cheque (think Andrei Shevchenko, £32m or Fernando Torres, £50m). Neither – thus far, in Torres' case – are rip-roaring success stories with the former scoring nine league goals and the Spaniard one in 18 for Chelsea but despite having his fingers singed the club's owner Abramovich is preparing to spend big again this summer, now that his new manager Andre Villas-Boas has safely been tempted from Porto. Attacking football is the new mantra, and it does not come cheap.

Chelsea have already bid £22m for Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Luka Modric, while they are also hoping to tie up deals for striker Radamel Falcao, whose buy-out clause is €30m (£26.7m), and midfielder Joao Moutinho whose price is set by Porto at €40m. Then there is the pursuit of Neymar, the Brazilian teenager whose value exceeds them all after Santos put the sum of €45m as the price of buying him out of his contract. 

The first three names are established players, which makes the club's pursuit of Neymar all the more intriguing, and all the more risky. Are Chelsea sure he is worth the cash? Or would his signing be more of a statement of intent from Abramovich? 

In the past year, since Brazil's failed attempt to win the World Cup, Neymar has become the new superstar of the team. He is the next shining idol to wear the yellow and blue, and all eyes will be on him as Brazil aim to retain their Copa America title which starts on Friday in Argentina. 

Chelsea face stiff competition from Real Madrid for his signature, but whoever does land Neymar will sign an exceptional footballer and will have the challenge of trying to nurture that talent into a world star. Although he is slowly convincing doubters that he has the determination and strength to match his undoubted flair, Neymar is still only 19 years old, with just five international appearances to his name. 

Spending large sums on teenagers has not been Chelsea's style, although they did lay out £16m on John Obi Mikel in 2006, but it is a tactic that has worked well for Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson did not think twice about spending £12.25m to bring the unknown Cristiano Ronaldo, then 18, to Old Trafford in 2003; just as he did not shy away from paying out £25.6m to bring an 18-year-old Wayne Rooney to United a year later. He has now added 19-year-old Phil Jones to his squad from Blackburn, for £16.5m. 

Chelsea may be trying to go down the same route: the potential return in signing Neymar is enormous. If he justifies the hype and delivers on his potential, then he could prove to be an excellent signing. Ronaldo's success at United has demonstrated that flair players can thrive in the Premier League, despite the image of it being a physical division. Neymar showed he could handle some rough stuff when he played against Scotland in London earlier this year. 

Chelsea also already have an influential group of young Brazilians that would help Neymar to settle in. Alex, David Luiz and Ramires are all regulars, while Lucas Piazon, another teenage Brazilian, is to join in January from Sao Paulo once he turns 18. 

The Neymar excitement is close to fever pitch in Brazil in the build-up to the Copa. "I prefer Neymar to Messi," said Neymar's Santos team-mate Elano, the former Manchester City midfielder. The Brazil manager, Mano Menezes, who dropped Neymar for disciplinary reasons after his goalscoring debut against the USA last year, has also been somewhat over-the-top recently.

"This is not the first time a special national team player is born. We have that privilege of having great Brazilian players, as is happening now with Neymar, and thank God almost all of them got to where we hoped they would. We hope that will be the same with Neymar," Menezes said. 

There have been enough false dawns, however, to justify any reticence in spending upwards of £40m on such raw talent. From Mirandinha to Denilson, there are countless Brazilian players who have packed their bags and traveled to Europe but for one reason or other have left their individual brilliance behind in South America. 

Of all the cautionary tales concerning unfulfilled talent, one stands out. A young striker known as Keirrison came from nowhere to top the Brazilian goalscoring charts at the age of 20. His performances for Coritiba and Palmeiras caught the eye of the Barcelona scouts, and he moved to the Nou Camp for £12.5m in 2009, dreaming of emulating the likes of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo in the scarlet and blue stripes. Two years into his five year deal, Keirrison has yet to make his debut and is up for sale after disappointing loan spells at Benfica, Fiorentina and Santos. 

Chelsea are wise to be cautious. However, the club have done their homework on Neymar, who has the endorsement of Abramovich's personal scout Piet de Visser. The veteran Dutchman is said to be the man who brought Romario and Ronaldo to PSV Eindhoven. Tough act to follow. 

The two sides to buying a prodigy

Some pay off... 

Wayne Rooney Just 18 when he moved from Everton to Manchester United for £25.6m, still the world record fee for a teenager, in the summer of 04. Scored a hat-trick on his debut, and has not looked back since. 

Sergio Aguero Signed for Atletico Madrid from Independiente aged 18 in 2006, for £20m. Aguero has scored 102 goals in 234 games for Los Colchoneros and has seen his transfer value soar. 

Alexandre Pato Milan paid Internacional £21m for Pato even though he was just 17 in 2007. He has developed into a vital member of a team that won Serie A last season. 

Others don't...

 

Denilson Real Betis set a new world record when they spent £21.5m on Sao Paolo's 20-year-old Brazilian midfielder in 1998. Despite being a World Cup winner in 2002, his career was a huge disappointment, and he even failed to secure a contract with Bolton Wanderers after having a trial with them in 2009. 

Antonio Cassano In 2001, current England manager Fabio Capello spent around £20m to bring the explosive 19-year-old striker from Bari to champions Roma. After five years of rows and controversy, Cassano was sold to Real Madrid for £4m. Has recently rebuilt his career with Milan.

Andre Villas-Boas: 'I am the group one'

Andre Villas-Boas refused to repeat the hyperbole of mentor Jose Mourinho as he branded himself "the group one" during his first press conference as Chelsea boss this morning.

Mourinho famously dubbed himself as the 'special one' when he was introduced to the media for the first time as Blues boss, but Villas-Boas, who worked under his Portuguese compatriot at Stamford Bridge, opted for a different approach.

When asked what title he would like the media to give him, he replied: "The title... I will wait for you guys to give it me when I am successful. I hope I am and you can give me a good title.

"This is not a one-man show, this is about creating empathy, ambition and motivation in everybody.
"Maybe I should be called the group one as I want to group people together and be successful."

The 33-year-old also side-stepped questions about how he may look to take on established Premier League managers such as Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

"It's not just a question of me taking on Sir Alex, it's a top club like Chelsea challenging for the title," he said.
"We need to be up there from the beginning and it is not one man against the other, it's about trying to build something that can make us powerful, and help us threaten for the title as we have in the past."

The former Porto boss also confirmed ex-West Brom boss and Chelsea midfielder Roberto Di Matteo as his assistant, praising the Italian's commitment to playing attractive football.

He said: "If you see the technical staff in front of me, and my appointment of Roberto, these are people who like the quality of the game and have a philosophy.

"It's not just a case of winning it's a case of flair.
"Everyone likes attacking football and the Premier League has a certain amount of goals in every game and it should be an entertaining game for the fans and that is what we will look to do."

Villas-Boas also spoke of how tough a decision it was for him to leave Porto after securing four trophies in his first season in charge, and revealed that they had been prepared to match Chelsea's financial offer in an effort to keep him.

"It was a difficult separation and there are a lot of Portuguese press in this room who know the extent of my move and the impact it had.

"It was felt very hard in Portugal but my commitment to them was 100 per cent. Porto is my club and always will be, I felt good there and we had a successful year.

"It was difficult but everybody in this room will have felt the need for a new challenge and I felt it.
"We had a crazy year of success but I felt that I could challenge myself (more at Chelsea).

"It was a lucrative move and I can assure you Porto were able to beat their offer. They were to make an offer for me to stay but I took the (Chelsea) offer, against the will of my family."

Abramovich easy to work with, says Grant

New Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas can expect to be left alone to get on with his job, according to former Blues boss Avram Grant. 

At just 33, the Portuguese will be the youngest manager in the Barclays Premier League after he succeeded experienced Italian Carlo Ancelotti once his release from his Porto contract had been agreed. 

Blues owner Roman Abramovich craves Champions League success and has dispensed with six managers since 2005. 

Grant - who was director of football at Chelsea before taking over from Jose Mourinho in September 2007 - almost delivered when coming within a penalty kick of winning the 2008 Champions League final in Moscow. 

The former Chelsea manager insists the Russian tycoon will give the new young manager "everything" possible to make an impact - which is likely to include a bumper transfer kitty to bring Colombia striker Radamel Falcao and midfielder Joao Moutinho with him to Stamford Bridge. 

"It is very easy to work under Roman Abramovich," Grant told talkSPORT.

"I have read people in the paper saying that he interferes, but it is not true - he gives you everything you want and you are even sometimes afraid to say something because you know the day after you will have it. 

"If you see the [training] facilities at Cobham and even the Academy, it is at a top, top level.

"He is a perfectionist. He wants to achieve the best and he will give you everything to achieve the best, so he wants the results, but he's easy to work with." 

Former assistant manager Ray Wilkins feels Villas-Boas' biggest challenge will be to win over some of the high-profile names in the Stamford Bridge dressing room, many of whom he will know from his time working as a member of Mourinho's staff. 

Grant, though, does not feel age and Villas-Boas' relative lack of coaching experience will prove an issue.

"Andre's very young, but he has been involved in a football a long time," said Grant of Villas-Boas, who last season guided Porto to domestic and Europa League success. 

"We need to remember that when Jose came he didn't have much more experience than him. He was at Porto for two years - and Pep Guardiola came straight into the Barcelona job after managing Barcelona B." 

Villas-Boas has promised evolution, not revolution after succeeding Ancelotti, but was quick to make some changes behind the scenes as long-serving first-team Paul Clement is set to leave. 

Chelsea were reported to have targeted former caretaker manager Guus Hiddink in their search for a new manager, but after Villas-Boas was confirmed, maintained the Portuguese coach was the "outstanding candidate for the job".

Nani has no plans to quit Manchester United

Manchester United winger Nani has no plans to quit the English champions following the signing of Ashley Young last week, telling Reuters he welcomed the competition for a place in the starting line-up at Old Trafford. 

Nani had been linked with a move away from Old Trafford by British media and admitted that watching games from the bench was "boring" but the Portuguese said he was looking forward to meeting his new team mate. 

"Of course I have to welcome everyone they sign, I think Man United is a fantastic club. When they bring in new players, they know if it is good for the team or not, and this (Young signing) has to help them," Nani said in the suite of his hotel in Singapore. 

"It is good for the team, we want more (players) to help us to win trophies."

The 24-year-old explained that his experiences competing with the world's most expensive player, Cristiano Ronaldo, for a place in the Portugal lineup and previously in the United first team meant he was not concerned by the prospect of reduced appearances following Young's arrival. 

"I've been there (at United) when Cristiano was there, Cristiano was one of the best players in the world. At that moment (I had no) worries about him (taking my place)," Nani said of his prolific countryman, who joined Real Madrid in 2009. 

The Portuguese began last season in scintillating form before tailing off and losing his place in the side to Antonio Valencia for the 3-1 defeat by Barcelona in the Champions League final last month. 

Former South Korean international Park Ji-sung also started the Wembley final on the flank ahead of Nani.

"It was boring because you want to play, everyone wants to play," Nani said. "The finals are for playing but the manager makes the decision and he knows who is better for the team and I have to respect that." 

He did, however, come on for the last 20 minutes to replace Brazilian defender Fabio and witnessed first-hand the level that United need to reach if they are to lift the European title for a fourth time. 

"(Barcelona) are the best team," he said. "They are not unbeatable, maybe a different game we can beat them, you never know. A game is a game and you never know what is going to happen." 

Nani, relaxing in flip flops and shorts after enjoying a few days rest in Singapore, acknowledged that tiredness may have been a factor in manager Alex Ferguson's decision to drop him for the final. 

"Last season I played more games (in a season) than ever (before) at Man Utd, that's why maybe in the last games I didn't look the same as in the first games. 

"Now I'm on holiday for some rest, get my power back, at the start of the season I will be fine to start strong again, start to do what I know." 

Nani was also in the southeast Asian city state to help promote the Peter Lim Scholarship scheme for the Singapore Olympic Foundation. 

Lim, who failed in his bid to buy United's arch-rivals Liverpool last year and who owns a number of United supporter bars in Singapore, invited Nani to talk to school children about his difficult upbringing, where money was tight and luxuries unheard of, and the hard work needed to reach the top. 

Nani's desire to return to Manchester for pre-season training appears in contrast to his former United team mate Carlos Tevez. 

Last month Manchester City's Argentine striker Tevez bemoaned life in Manchester and complained of homesickness and poor weather. 

The Portuguese said he shared some of Tevez's thoughts on life in Manchester but that he was not there to enjoy the surroundings. 

"I think for football it is the best place to live, if you want to be a very good professional and you want to be successful," said Nani. 

"It's there where you have to live because there aren't many distractions, you can always focus on your job and good conditions to work, it's good."

No Arsenal offer for Gervinho, says Lille president

Arsenal have yet to make a formal offer for Ivory Coast forward Gervinho, according to Lille president Michel Seydoux. 

The 24-year-old has made no secret the Gunners would be his preferred destination were the French club ready to sell. 

However, while Arsene Wenger is said to be keen to bolster his squad, suggestions a £10million deal is about to be completed would appear somewhat premature. 

Lille president Seydoux told Radio Monte Carlo: "We know that Gervinho is keen on Arsenal. For the moment, there has been simple contact, but we have not received a concrete offer yet." 

Arsenal have also been linked with Lille's Belgian starlet Eden Hazard, but Seydoux maintained the 20-year-old would remain at their club. 

It has so far been something of a slow transfer window for the Gunners, with young defender Carl Jenkinson so far the only confirmed addition in a £1m deal from Charlton. 

However, that does not mean the Gunners have been idle in their search for new talent to help end a six-season trophy drought following an implosion over the closing months of the last campaign. 

The addition of Southampton starlet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is expected to be confirmed at the start of July ahead of Arsenal's Far East tour. 

However, the quest for more experienced cover, particularly in defence continues to prove a source of frustration. 

It appears Blackburn are holding out for an increased fee for centre-half Christopher Samba, with Bolton's Gary Cahill and Everton's Phil Jagielka other options, if likely to be more expensive. 

Spain's Under-21 midfielder Juan Mata is another reported target, rated at around £18m by Valencia, while the Gunners are also said to be tracking Argentina youngster Ricky Alvarez. 

Much could depend on whether captain Cesc Fabregas is allowed to rejoin Barcelona for a cut-price £30m, and also whether France midfielder Samir Nasri puts pen to paper on a new contract. 

Full-back Gael Clichy is another whose current deal expires next summer, and so could move on if no agreement is reached, with Liverpool and Roma possible destinations. 

Wenger will also look to jettison some of his fringe players, with the likes of Denilson and Nicklas Bendtner expected to move on ahead of the new campaign.