Ancelotti pleased with result

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Carlo Ancelotti was more satisfied with the position his team finds itself in following two Group F matches than the performance that put it there.

While opposing manager Didier Deschamps spoke of a gulf in class between the two teams on Tuesday night, the Chelsea coach was contrasting the two 45 minute spells that made up the 2-0 win.

The first-half contained a goal from John Terry and another calmly-taken Nicolas Anelka penalty. The half-time score didn't flatter the Blues. But the French champions made it harder for their English counterparts after the break.

'The win was not comfortable because we had a difficult game in the second half,' pointed out Ancelotti.

'We played very well in the first half and the second half was more difficult because Marseille wanted to come back into the game and put more pressure on our midfield. We didn't play so well but we still had a lot of chances in the second half.'

Indeed Alex hit the post with a thunderbolt free-kick, as did Michael Essien in open play. At the other end, Alex was part of a defence that prevented Marseille turning spells of pressure into genuine chances.

'Marseille have good attacking play and they wanted to score and we had a good defence second half,' agreed Ancelotti

'In the second half we had more difficultly in playing from the back because they put more pressure on us there. They took a risk of conceding a counter attack and we did have the good chances but Marseille was in the game until the end.'

The manager praised the skill of Terry in turning in a corner at the near post for a seventh minute opener, and declared he was confident that Anelka would convert his first spot kick in the Champions League since Moscow in 2008.

'I have never seen Anelka afraid or nervous. He is always calm.

'Kakuta was good,' he added, the 19-year-old having started the game and supplied the delivery from which Terry scored.

'He was involved in the game and he plays for the team and this is the most important thing for a young player because sometimes a young player wants to show his ability and quality. It was important for us that he can play for the team and I have to congratulate him for the performance.'

Deschamps was asked whether fine details such as failure by a player on the post to stop Chelsea's first goal had cost his side dear, but he responded:

'You could say that was a fine detail and I prefer to concentrate on the decisive detail, the huge difference between the two sides.

'We were dominated both technically and physically and Chelsea had a very effective first half.

'We found really tough, hard to hold the ball up front, it kept coming back at us, and we lacked a little aggression in certain areas. We tried a bit hard second half and we had more of the ball but Chelsea could have got a third.'

The former France international captain also praised one of his nation's current crop, Florent Malouda, who was the outstanding player in the first half.

'Florent is in a great vein of form at the moment. He found space and technically his skill was superb. He works well in tandem with Ashley Cole.'

The win leaves Chelsea with six points out of six ahead of back-to-back matches with Spartak Moscow who have also won their two games.

'It is a good step this victory but the next two games will be very important,' announced Ancelotti, 'but we have a good chance to arrive in the first place.'

http://www.chelseafc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10268~2168728,00.html

[gary gordon 1,777]

I have to admit that I'm not very happy with the result. 1 very lucky set-piece goal and a penalty. I think we are lacking creativity and look very boring and repetitive. I don't want to be to harsh but i think our boys look very tired and are beginning to look uninterested. Its funny that the same thing happened last year after we got knocked out of the Carling cup too.

Our results after being knocked out of the Carling Cup last season:

Man City 2-1 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-2 Apoel

Chelsea 3-3 Everton

Chelsea 2-1 Porstmouth

West Ham 1-1 Chelsea

Birmingham 0-0 Chelsea

Lets just hope that the loss didn't cause friction within the dressing room because if it did we have a long month ahead of us..

[zolayes 14,489]

I have to admit that I'm not very happy with the result. 1 very lucky set-piece goal and a penalty. I think we are lacking creativity and look very boring and repetitive. I don't want to be to harsh but i think our boys look very tired and are beginning to look uninterested. Its funny that the same thing happened last year after we got knocked out of the Carling cup too.

Our results after being knocked out of the Carling Cup last season:

Man City 2-1 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-2 Apoel

Chelsea 3-3 Everton

Chelsea 2-1 Porstmouth

West Ham 1-1 Chelsea

Birmingham 0-0 Chelsea

Lets just hope that the loss didn't cause friction within the dressing room because if it did we have a long month ahead of us..

suggest you read todays Times ...their football correspondent described the first goal as a training ground move ...dont believe everything

(or indeed ANYTHING) Andy F***ing Gray says

[LDN Blue 7,903]

I have to admit that I'm not very happy with the result. 1 very lucky set-piece goal and a penalty. I think we are lacking creativity and look very boring and repetitive. I don't want to be to harsh but i think our boys look very tired and are beginning to look uninterested. Its funny that the same thing happened last year after we got knocked out of the Carling cup too.

Our results after being knocked out of the Carling Cup last season:

Man City 2-1 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-2 Apoel

Chelsea 3-3 Everton

Chelsea 2-1 Porstmouth

West Ham 1-1 Chelsea

Birmingham 0-0 Chelsea

Lets just hope that the loss didn't cause friction within the dressing room because if it did we have a long month ahead of us..

We can't be expected to win every game by scoring 6 or 7 goals. It's like Souness was saying, we weren't bad against City, they were just the better side. Sometimes champions have to win ugly, it's why we're champions. You shouldn't use statistics from last season, because Carling Cup failure will not mean anything in the context of things.

As for last night, we did what we had to. Marseille didn't exactly roll over in the 2nd half, they gave it a good go. We were strong enough to withstand it and at the end of the day a 2-0 win isn't bad, the corner was done very well (Andy Gray couldn't POSSIBLY know if Kakuta meant that or not) but even if Kakuta didn't mean it, it was a very good move by Terry to convert it in.

[zolayes 14,489]

Souness might have failed as a manager but as a pundit he is one of the best ..A good analyst worth listening to

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Souness might have failed as a manager but as a pundit he is one of the best ..A good analyst worth listening to

The only one who doesn't slag us off (when we don't deserve it!)

[gary gordon 1,777]

We can't be expected to win every game by scoring 6 or 7 goals. It's like Souness was saying, we weren't bad against City, they were just the better side. Sometimes champions have to win ugly, it's why we're champions. You shouldn't use statistics from last season, because Carling Cup failure will not mean anything in the context of things.

As for last night, we did what we had to. Marseille didn't exactly roll over in the 2nd half, they gave it a good go. We were strong enough to withstand it and at the end of the day a 2-0 win isn't bad, the corner was done very well (Andy Gray couldn't POSSIBLY know if Kakuta meant that or not) but even if Kakuta didn't mean it, it was a very good move by Terry to convert it in.

To be honest i think that Carling Cup failure had an effect on the Lads.. I noticed it in the first 10 minutes against City. We looked tired, unenthusiastic and not willing to fight for it. If you compare the energy and passing in the first half vs Man United last season to the Tempo of play at Citeh on the weekend its like a differant side. How can they be so confident vs United and so flat vs city??.

The way we have been playing lately i thought it would be a rout..

[LDN Blue 7,903]

To be honest i think that Carling Cup failure had an effect on the Lads.. I noticed it in the first 10 minutes against City. We looked tired, unenthusiastic and not willing to fight for it. If you compare the energy and passing in the first half vs Man United last season to the Tempo of play at Citeh on the weekend its like a differant side. How can they be so confident vs United and so flat vs city??.

The way we have been playing lately i thought it would be a rout..

I think you're reading too much into last year's effects to be honest. Yes it would've been disappointing to be knocked out of a competition but the players know, in terms of importance, The Carling Cup is low priority. I'm sure most of them have put it behind them already, Anelka certainly has.

And playing vs ManUtd and playing vs City is completely different. Manchester City is one of those teams that has a lot of strength and quality now and losing to them (in context) doesn't mean that much (< please don't take that out of hand..). When we play ManUtd it's ALWAYS a "Must win" however vs City it's a bit different.

Me personally, I think we haven't haven't really got underway in any games we've played, but we've still come away with big wins. So it's only a matter of time

[Kostas 1,468]

Me personally, I think we haven't haven't really got underway in any games we've played, but we've still come away with big wins. So it's only a matter of time

Ditto.

Bar the pre-season games we were never the worse team by distance,even in the Community Shield.