Scolari impresses in first Press Conference

Luiz Felipe Scolari may be new to English football but he seems to be a natural when it comes to dealing with the tenacity of the British hack.

In his first press-conference since taking over as Chelsea manager the Brazilian came across as a charming, friendly character, almost nothing like we had been led to believe during his time as national coach of Brazil and Portugal which earned him the label 'Big Phil'.

Perhaps his confrontation with Serbian player Ivica Dragutinovic where Scolari caught the player with a punch after being slapped in the hand was a one off, an unfortunate misunderstanding which was caught on camera. Or perhaps he just doesn't like being touched, I guess we will never know but whilst being asked a series of questions at Chelsea's Cobham training ground the 59-year-old appeared utterly mellow.

His responses to two burning issues of the day will also have gone down well with the Chelsea faithful, specifically over the futures of their top-goalscorers Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.

Lampard has been under the media glare once more over his future at Stamford Bridge after failing to agree an extension to his current deal which expires next Summer but Scolari appeased Blues' fans by telling gathered journalists,

"I asked him if he wants to stay at Chelsea, not only this season, but for more time and he said to me that he wants to stay and he wants to play for Chelsea for many years.

"I was very happy because I think Chelsea needs Lampard, and Lampard likes Chelsea, and now there are minimum questions to solve it.

"I think Lampard will be with us for more time than one year", This will come as a relief to all fans of the West London club who are desperate to see one of their key players of previous seasons remain at the club for the foreseeable future.

When asked about the Ivory Coast striker, Scolari had less to say but did well to avoid any further rumours that the frontman was on the verge of leaving the club by adding,

"100 per cent, 200 per cent (I want to keep him), I like him.

I spoke to him about what's happened and how many times he needs to train normally and I saw him happy

"Last season or two years ago, I voted for one of the best players in the world in Drogba and I think two years ago, three years ago, I chose John Terry", And Scolari further added to his early popularity by stating that Terry will remain as the club Captain for the coming season and has also kept England team-mate Lampard as vice-captain, possibly in an attempt to further reiterate the midfielders commitment to the club.

Again at the club's training complex Scolari told the waiting journalists,

"I like him as a captain ... I like him as a player and as a leader.

"The captain is John Terry and the second captain is Lampard, but we want more captains on the pitch", The former Portugal coach was also very diplomatic over any future transfer targets the club may be pursuing this Summer. He suggested that he would firstly take the squad for training and analyse which positions – if any – require additions to be made to them and then and only then would he be dipping into the transfer market with the reported £100 million kitty given to him by owner Roman Abramovich. It will be interesting to see what the odds of signing Kaka this Summer are though as Chelsea remain strongly linked to a move for the Brazilian playmaker.

When asked by a cheeky hack whether he was a 'special one' as Jose Mourinho had stated during is maiden press-conference as Blues boss Scolari claimed he was, but only to his family and friends, nothing more and when asked how he was as a manager, he jokingly added, "so-so."

With such an apparently charismatic professional at the helm of Chelsea, it would probably be wise to bet on the blues to overturn United at the top of the Premiership pile come May next year.

Written by John Ford - A Freelance Football Journalist