The floogates have opened once more. The media have a new man to pick on and that man is Carlo Ancelotti. Despite Chelsea’s 3-1 win over West Brom on Saturday, the bully boys in the Fleet Street media have gone for the Italian in a big way this weekend, naming successors to his job and claiming he has lost his dressing room.They may well be right and Carlo Ancelotti may be waving goodbye to Stamford Bridge and Chelsea come the end of the season, but does that excuse the lack of respect they have shown a manager who has won practically everything there is to win in football? Furthermore, Chelsea would be foolish to sack a manager who is overseeing a transitional period at the club.
That is it. Chelsea fans have to accept they are in a transitional period; winning trophies and being successful overnight isn’t possible. It happened with Manchester United a few years ago. Remember the days when Old Trafford saw the likes of Kleberson, Eric Djemba Djemba and Roy Carroll? I am not suggesting it has got that bad at Stamford Bridge but the Manchester United board stuck with Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United have appeared in four of the last five Champions League semi finals. The same has to be done at Chelsea. Overseeing this metamorphisis may be a daunting task for Carlo Ancelotti, but the future looks bright for Chelsea. Daniel Sturridge, now with greater Premier League experience looks set to become a star at Stamford Bridge, the signing of David Luiz has been inspirational and Josh McEachran is an exciting English prospect.
Few foreign managers have made such an instant impact in the Premier League. We can’t forget that Carlo Ancelotti won the double last season, his first season in England and his Chelsea side regained the Premier League title and won the FA Cup. It is his style that people like as well. He is not another Jose Mourinho. He refuses to play games and taunt managers, fans and the media; he is a far more measured, technically astute coach.
This season, things have gone wrong at the club, but Ancelotti has had his hands tied in many respects. For a start, he did not fire Ray Wilkins – the man who’s exit is said to have been the forebearer of Chelsea’s decline. Moreover, if the press are to be believed, Ancelotti wanted to wait, and sign misfiring striker Fernando Torres in the summer when he would have had more time to gel with the team. Added to this, the Cheslea board implemented a strategy on Ancelotti that he should look to release older players in the form of Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Ballack and bring through youth. Given the circumstances, two trophies in two seasons is a very good return.
It is of course two years of failure in the Champions League that will probably cost the Italian his job. Maybe Sir Alex Ferguson was right when he stated Chelsea were obsessed with trying to win the competition. How can the Chelsea squad relax in knock-out football when they know they are being judged on their performance solely in one competition? The pressure must be phenomenal. However, this could all be behind them. If John Terry had slotted his penalty into the corner, the monkey would have been off their back. If Barcelona hadn’t received some very favorable decisions in the 2009 semi final, Chelsea would have had another crack at Manchester United in the final.
Even Jose Mourinho couldn’t win the Champions League with Chelsea. Should we really damn Carlo Ancelotti for this? As each year passes, the pressure cranks up. The obsession needs to be channeled in a more constructive way. Carlo Ancelotti is shaping a new team that can compete both in Europe and domestically. He has proven he can deliver the Champions League but he will need time and an assistant he trusts beside him. Ancelotti has shown integrity since his arrival and it would be a crime if the Italian was sacked. It is clear the dressing room is behind him. Stability breeds success, let’s hope Roman Abramovich is aware of this.
Written by Tom Costello for This Is Futbol
Absolutely disgraceful article. The current Premier League Champions have not even passed on their trophy and vultures like Tom Costello are not only circling, but pecking greedily on Ancelotti’s flesh. A curse upon such “supporters”, who use a transitionary time for the team – a time when they need encouragement and support – to promote their own lily-livered, unappreciative and one-dimensional “discussion” on the Internet.
What exactly is your point? Can’t win something every season. Simmer down, son.
Vultures picking at flesh? That’s quite graphic for an article which is essentially positive. Cheese burgers, lonliness and the internet are clearly a dangerous mix.
Chelsea is skilled but slow. The speed and agility of new boys, Ramires and Luiz, have revealed how slow the others are. Chelsea must sell old stock and buy proven youngsters. The move must be made now before spending restrictions get into swing. It’s possible to keep some old boys to assist the transition, but the money from their sales may be needed for new blood. Drogba and Terry can do another year, but should not be relied on. Chelsea must secure their future now with talent like Neymar and Subotic. Chelsea’s right wing/back position has been weak for years. It’s time for Ferreira and Bosingwa to be replaced with real quality.
The transition is already in flow and there’s plenty of positives already, Rami, Luiz and Torres (he will come good), also still have high hopes for some of the youngsters.
There has to be a few exits, as well as a bit more investment.
I think we need to get rid of Drogba – I’m sorry, but he will NOT warrant those wages any longer and he’s standing in the way of younger players and the likes of Torres. Bosingwa, Kalou and Zhirkov (good player, but injury prone) can all go too.