Posts Tagged ‘Carlo Ancelotti’

Carlo Ancelotti. Burying the Ghost of the Special One

Ancelotti has allowed Chelsea fans to move on from the Mourinho days

When Chelsea lifted the FA Cup on the 15th May earlier this year, becoming double winners for the first time in their history, Carlo Ancelotti achieved something no one else has.

He eclipsed Jose Mourinho.

When Mourinho left three years ago next week, many Chelsea supporters were in uproar at the absurdity of parting company with the greatest coach in the history of the club. Three years, some painful defeats and baffling decisions later, it seems Roman Abramovich was right all along.

With Ancelotti, Chelsea are becoming the team that the Russian owner has wanted all along, playing with flair and beauty whilst also showing passion and strength in equal measure. In fact, for the first time since he took over in 2003, it can be said he has as close to a perfect team as is possible.

Mourinho was never briefed to build a dynasty at the club; he was too abrasive for that. He is supremely motivated to win and as Premier League fans will know, that comes at any cost. His insatiable lust for victory was what Chelsea needed in the summer of 2004, nearly 50 years since the club had last climbed to the pinnacle of English football.

Of course, he delivered in fine style with back to back titles and restored pride to West London. His outbursts and controversial mutterings in the media were tolerated rather than encouraged by the Chelsea hierarchy, with the feeling that it was perhaps a necessary evil at a time when winning was all that mattered.

Results alone were never enough for the owner, however, and it came to pass that the Portuguese and Chelsea would part company in 2007, with the little known Avram Grant to take over.

It was a transitional phase in the future plans of Abramovich, letting Mourinho leave with his Curriculum Vitae significantly stronger and allowing the marketing men at the club to start work on repairing the image and reputation which they had gained under the relentless arrogance which came with the ‘Special One’.

Grant was never to be a full time appointment, just someone to guide the team through the rest of the season, picking up silverware where possible. Of course, he was denied any by a John Terry missed penalty in the Champions League final in 2008 for those who can’t remember.

Similarly, Luis Felipe Scolari was never intended to be the long term coach either, as in the summer of 2008 Abramovich met several times with then A.C Milan boss Ancelotti to discuss the managerial position at Chelsea. The Italian decided to spend another year with the Rossoneri, eventually joining the Blues in 2009.

Chelsea had their man. In fact, they had the man they had wanted to take charge before Mourinho in 2004. It was one of the worst kept secrets in Italy that Ancelotti was short listed by Chelsea to take over those six years ago, but wanted to stay with the club who had saved his managerial career after he was sacked by Juventus in 2001.

Ancelotti is a perfect fit for Chelsea and, more importantly, Abramovich. He worked with huge success at Milan for eight years, with two Champions League titles, the Italian league and Cup as well as the UEFA Super Cup and World Club Cup for good measure.

It was not only due to his success on the field that he was appointed. It was owing to his success working under another big name owner, Silvio Berlusconi, who is said to be a demanding and hugely ambitious man who is difficult to please. If Ancelotti could please him, he surely has what it takes to show more diplomacy when dealing with Abramovich than his more outspoken predecessor.

The other factor, and a major one at that, in his appointment was his amicable nature. ‘Carletto’ as he is known in his homeland, is notorious for his practical jokes and light hearted persona around the training ground and is generally a well liked figure (perhaps with the exception of Juventus fans, who received a middle finger salute when after a Milan victory in Turin some years ago).

This sort of personality is what Chelsea needs to build bridges with the public after years of being hated. It hasn’t taken long, with the focus of the media and public house conversations circling Chelsea’s brilliance on the field rather than their controversy off it. John Terry and Ashley Cole ‘love rat’ stories aside, people are coming round to the idea of the Blues as more than just an object of hate.

Some supporters might have been yearning for the Mourinho days whilst the club was in transition, indeed some may still feel that letting go of him was a mistake. The fact is, however, that there was no way that Stamford Bridge was big enough for two egos to work efficiently for any longer than they did.

The sacking of the greatest football coach of the 21st Century will continue to prove to be the best move for a club which just wants to be loved.

Chelsea travel to Slovakia to commence search for European Glory once again

Can Chelsea follow in the footsteps of Inter Milan?

Chelsea will resume their quest for Champions’ League glory on Wednesday night when the English Champions travel to Slovakia to take on MSK Zilina.

Knocked out by eventual winners Internazionale last season, the Blues will be hoping that they can transfer their stunning league form to the European stage this time out, as the club searches for its first ever Champions’ League title.

Carlo Ancelotti rested some of the club’s key names in the 3-1 over West Ham at the weekend, meaning the team is in good shape for the game against one of Slovakian Football’s most successful teams.

Florent Malouda, Alex and Frank Lampard all missed the win at Upton Park which extended Chelsea’s 100% record at the start of the season, having scored 17 goals in the first four games, conceding just one.

Malouda and Alex will be in the starting line up in Eastern Europe, but it is still unclear as to weather Ancelotti will risk Lampard after his hernia surgery during the recent international break.

New signing Ramires slotted into the midfield with ease at the weekend, meaning that the manager may contemplate letting Lampard have a few more days to recover while the Brazilian starts the opening group game.

Whether Lampard plays or not, Chelsea should run out clear winners given the almost absurd strength of their side. This is despite the fact that Zilina tops the all-time Slovakian league table, just ahead of Slovan Bratislava. They have won the league title five times and have finished outside the top two only once in the last nine seasons, a good achievement at any level of the game.

Some might not be familiar with the current Slovak Champions, but the two sides have met before.

In the 2003-2004 Champions’ League campaign the Blues beat Zilina 2-0 away from home and ran out 3-0 winners in the home tie under another Italian boss, Claudio Ranieri. A repeat score line with minimum fuss would please all involved, especially with the visit of an in form Blackpool at the weekend which is a potential banana skin for the league leaders.

Of course, as with the last meeting the Pod Dubnom stadium will be at its full capacity of 11,200, as some of the 85,000 residents of the fourth largest city in the country try to catch a glimpse of Chelsea’s superstars.

Chelsea will feel that this season is their best chance of winning the most coveted trophy in the game, as the team is playing with a swagger and self confidence which is born out of not only playing superbly beautiful football, but winning every game which they play.

The squad is fresher than it was last season, with Ancelotti clearing out the deadwood and bringing in some useful players. This coupled with the fact that the youth players coming through will add a hunger and fearlessness to the vastly experienced and settled group which is already in place.

The final will take place at Wembley, a ground which has been kind to the club in recent years, on the 28th May next year and after so many disappointments in this competition, few would begrudge Chelsea glory after having been inches away from victory two years ago.

The days of the club being so loathed are seemingly behind us, as the neutrals are waking up to the fact that Ancelotti’s team is playing the best football and deserves respect rather than resentment.

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Squad diagnosis: Three new players before battle commences next month

Throughout the ebbs and flows of a Premier League season, one can expect the unexpected. When the transfer window closes at the end of August, teams wishing to challenge for major honours must have huge depth in every position as the Sport has never before been so geared toward squad football.

With this in mind then, Chelsea must add to the group of players they have before big spenders Manchester City and Roy Hodgson’s Liverpool start to amass teams capable of matching that of the Londoners.

The Goalkeeping situation at the club is something which needs attention, with Petr Cech picking up more and more injuries as years go by. His replacements are a perceived weakness by those who have pored over the squad in anticipation of the impending season.

Hilario, whilst never having given people reasons to seriously doubt him, is not a top notch number two. He has been a faithful servant of the club, but with a first choice so prone to missing games, the man coming in must be capable of a long stint in the side in all competitions.

Ross Turnbull is very young and surely a player for the future. He played well when called upon last season, but is again not a worthy replacement for a club looking to go the distance in the Champions League and domestic competitions.

Sergio Asenjo from Athletico Madrid is one of the best up and coming keepers in Spain, and Dutch number one Marten Stekelenburg of Ajax is rumoured to be heading out of the Amsterdam club. Chelsea could look to either as a number two or even a challenge to Cech’s first team place.

Defensively, the Blues have no real problems heading into the new campaign, with two players of real quality for each position. Ricardo Carvalho and Alex will no doubt be rotated as the former is approaching what is surely his last hurrah in the game.

Carlo Ancelotti has some decisions to make before the new season

Jose Bosingwa is set to return after having missed the majority of the Double winning season with a nasty knee injury, and Yuri Zhirkov provides more than adequate cover for Ashley Cole.

Cole is rumoured to be leaving the Bridge this summer, with Jose Mourinho said to be keen on taking the left back to the Santiago Bernabeau. The talk in Spain however, is that the ‘Special One’ will only be able to land one of his two defensive targets, with his priority being Internazionale’s Brazilian full back Maicon.

The midfield provides more of a headache for Carlo Ancelotti. Having allowed both Michael Ballack and Joe Cole to leave the club in the summer (and Deco soon to follow them out of the door) he must surely be looking to strengthen in an area which has been intimidatingly strong for the club in recent years.

Benfica’s Ramires will be his second signing of the summer after he took Yossi Benayoun from Liverpool for £5 million in June. This will add much needed legs to the middle of the park for Chelsea as his options have started to look thin on the ground.

Many have criticised the decision to bring in the Israeli skipper, but the manager has been shrewd by adding him to the Chelsea ranks. He has experience, the ability to score goals and versatility. Not to mention he is much less injury prone than the man he replaces, Joe Cole.

Nemanja Matic looks to be a promising young talent and has impressed Ancelotti in the reserve games in which he has played. He shows huge maturity on the ball and having watched him on several occasions, is evidently more aware off it than his rival for a central midfield berth, John Obi Mikel.

Frank Lampard will once again be the key man for the Blues as he looks to build on a fantastic season last time out, and the team will certainly revolve around him. Michael Essien is gradually getting back to fitness which will be a huge boost to the squad, having missed the second half of last season with a hamstring injury.

The Ghanaian must now have a full season without an injury after he missed huge chunks of the previous two. If he is absent from the team for much of this season, the club will be forced to look at his injury record and make provisions for life after ‘the Bison’.

After a record breaking season in front of goal, most people will call for more of the same from Chelsea as we go into the new season. However, should Didier Drogba or Nicolas Anelka pick up an injury, things could become very tricky with only Saloman Kalou and Daniel Sturridge to fill what would be a huge void.

With Drogba now 32 and Anelka just a year younger, injuries are going to become more and more frequent (not to mention the fact that Drogba is prone to the occasional suspension). Whilst Sturridge and Kalou have proven they can contribute to the side, they are far from being a potent force in front of goal and Champions League marksmen they are not.

As highlighted in a previous article, bringing in someone like Neymar from Santos in Brazil is an option, with the youngster keen on a move to West London. If not there are players capable of doing a short term job that are available for transfer. Despite his age, Raul on a free transfer from Real Madrid would not be a bad choice.

Athletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero has been talked about as another potential signing and is a huge talent. However, the €40 million price tag for an inconsistent performer who is ill-suited to the English game is extortionate. Uruguay’s Luis Suarez of Ajax might be a better option as buying from Holland is cheaper than Spain, with Suarez having a decent injury record and an exceptional goal scoring record.

With just over a month to go before the transfer deadline, we can expect Chelsea to be active in bringing in new blood. The squad is excellent in most positions, but without bolstering the side with three new players they will struggle to repeat the success of last season.

Essien and McEachran Star As Youth Takes Centre Stage Against Crystal Palace

Josh McEachran in Action for England U17's, he took his chance to shine today

 With the World Cup meaning that few of Chelsea’s experienced players were available for selection, the up and coming stars were given a chance to impress Carlo Ancelotti and the fans in the first pre-season friendly of the season.

The game had a typical pre-season tempo, with plenty of opportunity for players on both sides to pass the ball about and find their way into a game that in the end produced few clear cut chances.

Featuring a plethora of substitutions, Chelsea were able to secure victory through a classy piece of link up play on the edge of the area that included a nifty interchange between Franco Di Santo and Josh McEachran that allowed Michael Essien to slot home from 15 yards.

However the result was never the issue, the goalscoring return of Michael Essien is obviously going to grab many of the headlines, but there were many competent performances from the younger players on display.

This gives hope that maybe fewer new signings than expected are required to replace the departed vanguard of Belletti, Ballack and Joe Cole.

Player Selection and Performance Analysis

In goal there was little deviation as the three established goalkeepers were rotated so that each saw some action during the game. However in defence only Alex could be attributed as an experienced senior squad player, he was supported by Patrick Van Aarnholt, Jeffery Bruma and Ryan Bertrand all of whom displayed competence but were denied the chance to shine by the dominance of the Chelsea midfield.

The midfield was anchored by John Obi Mikel who was joined by Michael Essien and the developing talents of Nemanja Matic and Josh McEachran.

Apart from the assured return of Michael Essien it was senior team debutant Josh McEachran who stole the midfield show, looking assured, passing well creating chances and playing a key part in the Michael Essien goal.

Up front Daniel Sturridge looked lively with a clear desire to prove his worth to the management staff, Franco Di Santo did not have a bad game but did little to show that he should be challenging for a first team berth during the season.

As the game went on the substitutions came thick and fast, with 7 of last years reserve and youth teams getting a chance to impress.

The pick of these players was Scott Sinclair who after 3 years of bouncing around the Premiership and lower leagues on loan must feel that this season is his last chance to succeed as a Chelsea player. During his cameo he looked sharp and unafraid to take on defenders, it was this tenacity that should have won his side a penalty, with the referee erroneously deciding that during one mazy run he was tackled outside the penalty area, instead of the actual 2 yards inside the area where the incident took place.

Overall the game was hardly exhilarating, but that is not what such games are about, the players were given a chance to ease into the season, whilst many unknowns impressed during their first high profile appearance in front of the clubs global fan base.

Next up Ajax!