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Carlos calls for Chelsea crackdown

CARLOS Queiroz has called on the football authorities to crack down on Chelsea - or risk opening football up to the law of the jungle.

Manchester United are still involved in an extraordinary tug of war for talented Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel, and yesterday wrote to the Premier League to urge an investigation of the Londoners' conduct in the affair.

United announced they had signed an agreement with the 18-year-old, and with his club Lyn Oslo, two weeks ago.

That news alerted Chelsea, who were said to have already negotiated a deal for the first option on Mikel, once he is eligible for a work permit to play in this country.

And after the player had received death threats from England and Nigeria, and after an agent working for Chelsea had visited the house he shared in Oslo, the player backtracked on the United deal.

He said he had been "pressurised" into signing for United, who did the deal without employing any agents - a move which angered parties claiming a financial stake in Mikel.

Mikel went "missing" when he was watching Lyn play in a cup game but then turned up in a London hotel, saying he had not been in contact with Chelsea but had decided he did not want to play for United.

United chief executive David Gill claims the contracts he had signed with Lyn and with Mikel are valid, meaning United have the right to sign him once he becomes eligible.

Chelsea have threatened legal action over the matter, and now United are calling on the football authorities to step in to the row.

And Queiroz hinted that Chelsea, under question for allegedly "tapping up" Arsenal's Ashley Cole and United's Rio Ferdinand, are becoming serial offenders.

"This is like watching a movie we have seen before," said the Portuguese coach.

"It is important that the institutions like FIFA, UEFA and the national federations should be strong in keeping the game's credibility and keeping respectable relationships in the game."

Queiroz refuted suggestions that the player had been "pressurised" after meeting with United academy official Jim Ryan.

"He is an 18-year-old boy and he was happy talking on television about signing a contract with Manchester United. We followed the rules and contacted his team.

"If you are not na've and want to understand exactly what happened, you just have to look at what happened in other situations.

"It is not the first time that a young player has signed a contract and then two days later an offer comes in of double what he has, and he says `I was under pressure'.

"Do you believe he was under pressure when he signed for United? With a great club like Manchester United, you are under pressure if you don't sign yesterday, not the day after.

"The officials must force people to respect the rules, because if they are weak football will end up in the jungle."

United look like losing Mikel if he is intent on joining Chelsea, but Queiroz remains hopeful: "We followed the rules and in that case you hope the institutions will make everybody, including the player, respect what happened."

Queiroz is also intent on bringing Chelsea to book on the field, shrugging off the ease with which Chelsea beat United 3-1 in Tuesday's final home league game of the season.

"The mood in the camp is fantastic now," he said.

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Too right, Carlos. If FIFA don't sort this bloody mess out then it's time we got the police involved.

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Not content with buying the title this year, Chelsea seem to think it's OK to ride roughshod over the rules!

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This young player doesn't want to play for United thats obvious SO PLEASE RESPECT HIS WISHES.

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Hypocrisy or what . Carlos should wake up and smell the coffee. Man U make me laugh, As is well known in the past they break all the rules and its only when other clubs try to emulate what they have got away with for years that somebody IE anybody but Man U are made an example off. And lets have it right SAF is quick enough to point the finger at the FA for picking on him and stars.

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Taxi for Norman!

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The kid's agents got left out of the United deal but will make money on the Chelsea deal. Chelsea don't care. So their agent screwed up and acted like an ignoramus with his cell phone. He will get an earfull, Mikel will get more money, the agents will get paid and Chelsea sign the kid. See, all it takes is money. Screw the rules just write a bigger cheque. It's the Chelsea way and we are going to have to get used to it because the FA and FIFA are spineless. Imagine handing out a fine to a club like Chelsea when they get caught acting like pratts. I thought that was the ultimate in stupidity. Fining Abramovitch is pointless.
Mikel is Chelsea bound simply because we wanted him. End of story. Essien will sign for them as well and sit on his backside behind Lampard and Makelele because he isn't replacing these two, then there is Joe Cole who is now starting to live up to his promise.

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Ted Knott, don't be so naive.

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"The mood in the camp is fantastic now!"

Hahahahaha is he having a laugh ?

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Jimmy? its you that is naive because obviosly you have conveniently forgot how David Bellion was 'KIDNAPPED' from Boro.Furthermore it is alleged Mikel was put under UNFAIR pressure to sign for united should the police had been brought in on that occassion? Get it right Jimmy MUFC have overstepped the bounds of morality once again and good luck to this young lad for standing up against such awful tactics!

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Pete Eastwood, when you say Bellion was kidnapped you mean figuratively kidnapped. When Queiroz says Mikel was kidnapped he means literally kidnapped. United's record isn't whiter than white but this Chelsea business is astonishing. I get the impression you, like Ted Knott, believed Mikel when he made those statements about being pressured to join United. I believe a different version of events, as do most people who've followed this story.

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Ted Knott and Pete Eastwood should check the FC Lyn website. There is a full explanation on how the events of the past weeks have hapeened. Mikel did not want his agents because they were unreliable, and later they turn up. Now his agents want him to sign for Chelsea because they want a share of the transfer moeny. Mikel has been manipulated and taken advantage of by agents.

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