Chelsea Can Win It All With Me in Charge, Says Scolari

Luiz Felipe Scolari believes he has the players at Chelsea to achieve an unprecedented clean sweep of trophies, domestic and continental, and suggested last night that he could prove the difference to a side which came agonisingly close to silverware on three fronts last term.

The Brazilian, in Kuala Lumpur where his side will play a Malaysian Select XI tomorrow on the last leg of their Asian tour, has discerned a core of key players at the club who will be mainstays for him. While that falls short of the "untouchables" identified by José Mourinho during his time at Stamford Bridge, Scolari feels this squad can challenge in the Premier League, FA Cup, Carling Cup and Champions League under his management.

"We are in four competitions this season and I will try to win all four, and the players will do the same," he said. "You know, it's very difficult but we have the team to do this, we have the players to do this. Chelsea have given to me everything that I want. And I'll tell you a story: I am from Brazil and from Brazil to Kuala Lumpur is too far. I was here in 2002 before the World Cup and I thought I would never come back. Yet here I am, six years later. I've learned one lesson. Never say never.

"The players have confidence. They reached two finals and the last game of the Premier League last season [with a chance of winning the title]. That's good for me. I want to reach finals. If we do that I'll be happy and, if we do, after this [tour] I'll know the way to win [them]. I always say to my players, 'Look, you have confidence in yourselves and the rest is my problem. It's not your problem'."

Life has been plain sailing to date for Scolari, albeit against sub-standard opponents in China and Macau in games his players have effectively been able to use as practice sessions. Having dispatched Guangzhou Pharmaceutical 4-0 in their first game last week, Chelsea embarrassed the Chinese Super League side Chengdu Blades 7-0 on Saturday. Nicolas Anelka, Salomon Kalou, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole (two), Franco di Santo and Shaun Wright-Phillips all scored against hapless opposition. The Malaysian Select XI should provide more of a test tomorrow with the touring players aware that in his head Scolari already has the majority of his first-team selected - barring injuries - for the Premier League's opening fixture against Portsmouth next month.

"I have an idea for the team to play against them," he said. "But, until then, I want to see what happens with these other players and those who are still at [the training ground in] Cobham. I have a minimum of 75% of this team in my mind but I don't know the other players.

"You build around key players. Now I have had 15 or 20 days with the players and I know better who is important for us in more games than other players. We need to build one team. But one, two, three or even five players in some games are more important than other players because, maybe, the opponents will be thinking that if a certain player plays then he'll be a big problem. I am learning which players are more important to me for each situation.

"We will play against stronger teams in Russia [at the end of the week] and we will learn much more about our own team. Lokomotiv Moscow are in mid-season and there will be a difficult second game against either Sevilla or Milan. We will see then whether we are in good condition or not but, even so, I feel the team is growing up and are more free on the field."

Chelsea remain in dialogue with Real Madrid over the potential signing of their Brazil forward Robinho, though the chief executive Peter Kenyon confirmed last night that negotiations over any deal "could go on for quite some time".

Meanwhile Kenyon admitted Manchester United provide a model for Chelsea's aspiration to combine success with attractive football. "The first objective was to improve the infrastructure and win trophies. But we want to play good football," he said. "If you look at a Madrid, a Milan, a Barcelona, you look at a Manchester United, they've all been successful but they're all teams known for their style. That's what we want to achieve."