Carlo Ancelotti

[eldo 868]

I'm not suprised, Anelka of all players managed to start the game.

What does Carlo expect Sturridge to do in 10 minutes?

You could say the same for many players. Imo Kakuta should have started ahead of Malouda. I like him but i don't know what is happening to him. His first touch, ball control and movement are average lately. Same goes for Ash.

Don't know why Kakuta was absent today, but he deserves to play.

Still i don't know why Carlo gets all the stick. Why is nobody blaming players, apart from Anelka . Our midfielders aren't capable of moving the ball higher than from the middle of the pitch. They don't even connect more than 4 touches. How are those Carlos faults?

His mistake was playing Ferreira. But how is bringing Bosingwa and Kalou a mistake? They brought that right side to life. Kalou haters may hate that but he did ok and moved their defence a bit.

I praised Ramires after the Bolton game, but he has to stop fouling and try to connect his play a little bit.

[Term-X 7,891]

Five things Carlo Ancelotti can do to revive Chelsea

1. Learn to trust his young players

Even billionaires like to see a return on their money and it was understandable when the Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, having poured millions into the club's academy, decided over the summer that the time had come for some of the talented youngsters to step up into the first team. Gaël Kakuta, Jeffrey Bruma, Patrick van Aanholt and Josh McEachran were the most noteworthy promotions and the related decision was taken to move on a quintet of seasoned professionals – Michael Ballack, Ricardo Carvalho, Deco, Joe Cole and Juliano Belletti. The club named only 19 senior players in the squad submitted on 1 September (three of them goalkeepers) and the worry was always that, if injuries bit, the young players would find themselves under pressure. Injuries have bit but, more worrying still, Carlo Ancelotti has clearly felt unable to pitch them in when it has mattered the most. Kakuta and Bruma have started one Premier League fixture apiece; Van Aanholt and McEachran none at all. The result has been that a strain has been placed on the senior players, both physically and mentally, and this has been at the root of the slump. Ancelotti has to use the options available to him.

2 Don't run the pillars of the team into the ground

Ashley Cole was only half-joking in October when he said that, although he was 29, "I feel like I'm 35 or 40". It was at the time of the Champions League tie away to Spartak Moscow, on the Russian club's artificial pitch, and Ancelotti admitted that, ideally, he did not want to risk Cole or Michael Essien on it. He might have regretted saying so but he revealed that Cole's long-standing ankle problem needed constant monitoring – the defender is granted extra recovery time after matches – while Essien was in a similar boat, having had "a big problem with his knee". In the event both players played in the 2-0 win but their cards had been marked. John Terry, who like Cole turned 30 last month, has missed matches because of injury; so has Didier Drogba, through illness too, while Frank Lampard was sidelined for three-and-a-half months with groin trouble. These are all players who have metaphorically run through walls for the club, playing on occasion with the help of injections and on others, when not fully fit. It takes a toll.

3 Become more assertive

One of the many advantages in the appointment of Ancelotti was the perception that he was a malleable kind of guy; in other words, he was a coach who would stick to the coaching of the squad and not object to the various club policy decisionsand/or the whims of Abramovich. After all, Ancelotti had survived for eight years at Milan under Silvio Berlusconi, theman who wrote the manual on over-bearing bosses. Ancelotti's trademark gesture is the shrug. Nothing seems to bother him, he is unflappable and since last summer he has shrugged off the inability to make a serious impact in the transfer market (Ramires was not his choice); the promotion/imposition of the Academy youngsters to replace the outgoing old pros and, in November, the dismissal of his assistant Ray Wilkins. Ancelotti has not seemed to fight his corner with any force, particularly over Wilkins, whom he was on record as saying that he liked and relied upon, and the fear is that there could come a time when the big personalities in the dressing-room lose their respect for him.

4 Inspire the strikers to rediscover their touch

A few statistics. Since 7 November Drogba has scored three goals in 12 appearances (one of them a penalty), Florent Malouda has scored two in 12 and for Nicolas Anelka it is none in nine. They reflect a downturn that was pretty much inconceivable at the beginning of the season, when the trio were in riotous form.

Drogba's travails have been related to his bout of malaria, which he is estimated to have contracted some time in October and which sapped his power. He trained and played with it and he has yet to recover fully. In the 3-3 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday he seemed to drag himself to life for the final 10 minutes, after another difficult game, through the sheer force of his character. The Ivorian has been a bit bolshie of late, as he has contended with the frustration, and none of his team-mates celebrated his goal against Villa with him. Malouda's slump has led to plenty of grumbling while Anelka has never liked a starting position on the flank and he seems to determined to wander as far away from it. Ancelotti is eager for them all to regain focus.

5 Scour the January transfer market

Ancelotti repeated on Sunday that "we need some players" (note the plural) and he has been told that Abramovich will back him with the funds, although not to a limitless degree. Those days are gone and the club's interest in the Benfica centre-back David Luiz, who is valued at more than €27m, has therefore cooled. Bolton Wanderers' Gary Cahill is a more viable bet. Central defence is the priority area but Ancelotti hopes that Alex, who is back this week from Brazil, where he has been recovering from a knee operation, might yet offer the solution in two or three weeks' time. Fresh options up front could also help. A new signing or two would add much needed freshness. They would not answer all of the problems but they could be a start.

http://www.guardian....-revive-chelsea

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Number 3 makes me laugh a bit

[spuz 143]

Number 6. Change to a 442 formation.

Number 7. Stop hoofing it up hopelessly and do more pass and move training sessions.

[Kostas 1,468]

Surprisingly good piece of journalism.

I feel that 3, 4, 5 are beyond his power but he does take blame for 1 and 2.

I wasn't even aware that Kakuta has got a PL start ! Even if he has that's only two freaking starts (+ does Sturridge have any?) disgraceful number for a man who said that he was going to promote youth players during the summer.

[spuz 143]

I wasn't even aware that Kakuta has got a PL start ! Even if he has that's only two freaking starts (+ does Sturridge have any?) disgraceful number for a man who said that he was going to promote youth players during the summer.

Imagine if Lamps,Benayoun,Zhirkov etc had been fit all season then. How many minutes on the pitch would the likes of Sturridge and Kakuta have gotten? Even less than now. I agree,disgraceful and no forward planning at all.

[DYC. 7,542]

Surprisingly good piece of journalism.

I feel that 3, 4, 5 are beyond his power but he does take blame for 1 and 2.

I wasn't even aware that Kakuta has got a PL start ! Even if he has that's only two freaking starts (+ does Sturridge have any?) disgraceful number for a man who said that he was going to promote youth players during the summer.

Exactly. Makes the noises of him not being the one making the decisions a lot more believable.

Our squad is really small (something which many are finally starting to realise after the being blind to see it at the start of the season) but you make it a lot smaller when you use 12, 13 players all the time.

Good article btw.

[Kostas 1,468]

Imagine if Lamps,Benayoun,Zhirkov etc had been fit all season then. How many minutes on the pitch would the likes of Sturridge and Kakuta have gotten? Even less than now. I agree,disgraceful and no forward planning at all.

Calculated risk.

Did anyone believe that we were going to go throughout the season without long-term injuries? With 7 players >30?! Apparently whoever thought that having 16 outfield players was a good idea did.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Exactly. Makes the noises of him not being the one making the decisions a lot more believable.

Our squad is really small (something which many are finally starting to realise after the being blind to see it at the start of the season) but you make it a lot smaller when you use 12, 13 players all the time.

Good article btw.

Calculated risk.

Did anyone believe that we were going to go throughout the season without long-term injuries? With 7 players >30?! Apparently whoever thought that having 16 outfield players was a good idea did.

Indeed, 7 players over 30. And this fixture schedule, is by no means easy. Player who are 30+ should not be playing 2 games within a week, it's club & career suicide.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Number 3 makes me laugh a bit

Its true though. Mourinho left because he was fed up of Abramovich, and who can blame him? I know he is solely responsible for our success, but I'm starting to get fed up with him as well.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Its true though. Mourinho left because he was fed up of Abramovich, and who can blame him? I know he is solely responsible for our success, but I'm starting to get fed up with him as well.

Ferguson has total control of the team. I have just technical direction.

After he said that, I had no hope of him standing his ground..

[eldo 868]

No. 4 is really good. And i think it is the most important point.

[DYC. 7,542]

Top four on Ancelotti's agenda

Carlo Ancelotti has conceded that, for now, Chelsea's primary focus is on securing a top-four finish in the Premier League.

The Blues boss' admission comes after the champions slipped to fifth in the table following a dismal run of form.

The Stamford Bridge club are currently six points behind leaders Manchester United, who also have a game in hand, and Ancelotti has confirmed Chelsea must concentrate on securing a UEFA Champions League berth before they can push for the title.

The Italian, who has long-term casualties Alex, Yossi Benayoun and Yuri Zhirkov still unavailable but no new injury problems ahead of Wednesday night's trip to Wolves, said: "There are a lot of teams involved in the first positions.

"To stay in the first places of the table is important for the future. We have to think now we can win the title again, but the most important thing is to stay in the places to be in the Champions League.

"I am not worried. We have the skill and the ability to stay in the top four without a problem."

Chelsea have taken just two points from their last five away league games, but Ancelotti believes they will get back on track at Molineux.

Ancelotti, who is looking to strengthen in the January transfer market but has ruled out any interest in signing David Beckham on loan, said: "We won't lose. We will win.

"We are improving and the team is very close to moving on from this moment. I have confidence that the team improves a little bit and instead of drawing games we can win in the last minute."

Ancelotti also dismissed the idea that there was unrest in the Chelsea camp after John Terryand Didier Drogba apparently left the pitch arguing after the 3-3 draw with Aston Villa,when the visitors grabbed a last-gasp leveller.

He said: "It was not an argument. They were speaking about the position on the goal. It is normal that the players can speak about this."

Ancelotti also insisted the frantic celebrations surrounding Terry's goal, which saw the manager leaping up and down on the touchline, did not upset the team's concentration.

"I don't think it was too much because the players really showed a fantastic attitude," he added. "When you score a goal you have to celebrate. We didn't lose concentration at that moment."

http://www.skysports...6634887,00.html

Realistic view.

[Peace. 4,352]

I am not worried.

Ancelotti or the man who is never worried.

[neel 257]

Getting a CL spot wont be difficult. I am not worried about that. My concern is relying on 7 30 + players wont give you the chance to build up the future. We have enjoyed a successful period with these players. Now nothing lasts forever. But where we should be heading at from this situation ? We have a generation gap in our team. Specially in attacking third.

Last year kakuta made two appearances and in one of them he was MOTM. why did Carlo let him go to hibernate ? Why did matic was released to loan? Why sturridge had to prove himself in 10 minutes time whereas Anelka and Kalou were allowed to show their incompetency week in and week out? After the match against aston villa Carlo implied that had it been Alex then we might not concede the 2nd goal. Did it boost the confidence of Bruma? I mean he is 19 yr CB. He is expected to be weak in aerial challenge. Did carlo mentioned that anelka had zero shot in last two match? Did Carlo point out that how essien and paulo were responsible for the first goal. No. Instead he implied it is bruma who should be blamed for the second.

I do not want to join the group who are asking for Carlo's head. No I dont. Despite the fact that Carlo won only 1 league title out of 9 years in Italy, I think he is the best person we have and we can afford. Winning the title is difficult but it is more difficult to defend it. I do not expect Chelsea to win everything. But some time you have to stop and think harder to move forward. Honestly I am not seeing any sign of that.