Carlo rues lack of squad depth

[Madmax 9,219]

Carlo Ancelotti rejected suggestions Chelsea's squad needs a summer overhaul, but he did admit they lacked the required depth this season.

Ancelotti's future at Chelsea has been the subject of wild speculation on the back of a disappointing campaign for last year's double winners, but senior players have also been mentioned among those who could be headed for the exit door.

There has been no sign of the likes of Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Jose Bosingwa being offered new contracts to replace the ones which expire at the end of next season, while questions have also been asked about the durability of Michael Essien, John Obi Mikel, Salomon Kalou, and even Frank Lampard and captain John Terry.

But despite Chelsea languishing in third place behind Manchester United in the Premier League and suffering earlier-than-expected exits from every cup competition this term, Ancelotti was adamant ahead of his side's clash with Birmingham on Wednesday that only minor changes were needed.

He said: "I don't think there will be a lot of changes during the summer because we bought very important players in January, David Luiz and (Fernando) Torres. I don't think we need to have too many more changes.''

Many of Chelsea's players are now in their thirties but Ancelotti claimed this did not mean they were on the way down.

"After 30 years old, you can use your experience to maintain yourself at the top level,'' he said. "I think that football is not just physical, it's not just technical. It's experience, ability to manage yourself, to be professional. When you increase your age, your professionalism improves every time - if you are intelligent. I think that this club has very intelligent players.''

Players that are not so easily replaced, according to Ancelotti, who added: "Every player has particular skills and abilities, which are difficult to replace.''

Indeed, Chelsea's season began to unravel when injuries struck towards the end of last year and Ancelotti yesterday gave his clearest indication yet that his squad was not strong enough after five senior players were allowed to leave last summer.

"I don't think the squad was good enough this year,'' said the Italian, who nevertheless insisted the club's injury crisis had been unforeseeable. "At the start of the season, we couldn't have envisaged having very important players out at the same time. We struggled to manage this - without Lampard, Drogba, Essien, Terry, Alex. It was very difficult. At a certain point in the season, we needed to put (Paulo) Ferreira in at centre-back because we'd lost all our other centre-backs.''

Ancelotti could be faced with a decision in defence for Wednesday night's game against Birmingham, with Alex out and Branislav Ivanovic a doubt. Midfielder Ramires is also missing and, like, Alex will not return until after Saturday's game with West Ham.

Soccernet

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I dearly hope he doesn't mean it when he says the 30 year olds are not on their way out. I hope it's just him trying to not ruffle their feathers until the summer. They should be out, and the main ones like Lampard and Drogba should be playing lesser roles from next season on, there's no two ways about it. It's visible that their time as top dogs in this team is over.

And the stuff about playing Paulo at CB is just bollocks. We had the young and hungry, recently-turned Holland international Bruma waiting in the wings and we play Paulo out of position. It's so moronic I'm still baffled by it.

But he is correct when he says that simultaneous injuries to the collection of stalwarts like Terry, Lampard, Alex, Essien and Drogba couldn't have been predicted. We fucked up big time by not replacing the summer exodus and squad players would have made a difference. Then again, we could have given chances to Josh, Gael, Studge, Bruma and possibly Cork and Mancienne instead of sending them out on meaningless loan spells.

[Fulham Broadway 16,851]

He should be ruing lack of mental depth.....

Careful of 'Soccernet'' they tend to write vast quantities of shit.

[DYC. 7,542]

"I don't think there will be a lot of changes during the summer because we bought very important players in January, David Luiz and (Fernando) Torres. I don't think we need to have too many more changes.''

This is what I've been so afraid of, failing to recognise some serious problems in our squad. We need at least four new players and if that doesn't happen, we'll be facing a lot more difficult moments in the future.

And CA made the lack of depth a lot worse by playing only +\- 13 of our players during our difficult moment.

[spuz 143]

He said all this last summer. Well I always say he never learns,same mistakes over and over with him. For someone so experienced he should be doing better.

[Krypt 241]

He should be ruing lack of mental depth.....

Careful of 'Soccernet'' they tend to write vast quantities of shit.

Saw Somthing Simular on Skysports. Even we know the squad was thin when we let ballack , joey and Riccy go and it took them to realise this in January , somthings not right there...

[Madmax 9,219]

He should be ruing lack of mental depth.....

Careful of 'Soccernet'' they tend to write vast quantities of shit.

This one had quotes from the man so it's reliable...

But I agree about the mental state...something's not quite all right there at the moment I think. We're looking for excuses too much - Wilkins, malaria, injuries, etc.

[ack17 205]

If Roman let him spend 70m last summer, I think now the team is much better...

[Ollie 4,400]

To be honest tho, at the current state, we don't need many players. 2 Wingers has to be main priority. If we had 2 wingers like Bale and Young, we'd be in a brilliant position now. Our defence is great, our strikers are great and our midfield is strong now that Ramires has found his feet and Benayoun plays like a 25 year old. He never shows slowness or fatigue.

We really are not that far away at all, but Carlo and Roman need to recognise the areas we need to strengthen and they are out wide.

Malouda is pretty much a winger but more-so a left midfielder and Kalou and Anelka are both strikers so clearly playing them on the wings are gonna have an adverse effect and prove to be pointless. Every position needs a player who's natural in that position and that's why it's not worked too well too often.

Edited April 20, 2011 by OllieCFC

[Rambo 1,729]

A winger, and an attacking midfielder.

[Peace. 4,352]

He said: 'I don't think there will be a lot of changes during the summer because we bought very important players in January, David Luiz and (Fernando) Torres. I don't think we need to have too many more changes.'

'After 30 years old, you can use your experience to maintain yourself at the top level,' he said. 'I think that football is not just physical, it's not just technical. It's experience, ability to manage yourself, to be professional.

^ This is why I think that he shouldn't be our manager next season. Or if he stays, I hope Roman will continue to buy the players himself.

[ack17 205]

Ancelotti's logic:

all players can play until 40

young players never given chance because they lack experience (how they gain experience if they never get a chance?)

[ack17 205]

I don't think there will be a lot of changes during the summer

He said the same thing last summer and now he blames the team lack squal depth...

[Fulham Broadway 16,851]

He said the same thing last summer and now he blames the team lack squal depth...

Exactly It was obvious at the start of the season, why mention it now? he said at the time he was happy with the squad and the youngsters. and there are no excuses for the CL.

Sorry, but you can't have it both ways.

And try keeping the same starting 11 tonight that started at WBA.

[Shane 2,275]

Ancelotti's logic:

all players can play until 40

young players never given chance because they lack experience (how they gain experience if they never get a chance?)

Well said, I mean, He never gave the likes of Pato a chance at Milan

[BLionheart 516]

Thank you very much carlo but hopefully next season's changes is none of your fuckin business

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Well said, I mean, He never gave the likes of Pato a chance at Milan

To be fair though, Pato was an extraordinary talent when they bought him off the bat.

[ack17 205]

To be fair though, Pato was an extraordinary talent when they bought him off the bat.

Even gourcuff, henry didn't have chance under ancelotti...

[Henrique 9,133]

Carlo got mad. First he say the squad is already good, and dont need a overhaul because good players arrived in january, and then he say the squad wasn't good enough this year. It means that the squad wasnt good enough and now it is just because Torres and Luiz arrived.

A squad that isnt good enough + Torres and Luiz = squad good enough ?

Btw, Carlos is wrong. There will be a big change in the summer: he will leave.