Carlo Ancelotti: Loss of Frank Lampard and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786’s English Premier League title bid
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has come out and claimed that losing the dual striking force of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Frank-Lampard-c14097 and Didier Drogba in the middle of the season had ruined the English Premier League title bid for Chelsea.
Ancelotti insisted it could have been a different story altogether and the Blues would have been the top contenders to win the Premier League silverware, had Lampard and Drogba remained fit throughout the season. The track record of the inspirational duo
does make them a very essential component of the team.
The 32-year-old Frank Lampard, their ever inspiring midfielder, didn’t turn out to be the same force this season and scored only 11 goals. The midfielder stayed out of football action between August and December 2010, due to groin and hernia problems. Lampard
was one deadly force last season as he struck 27 goals for the men in blue and helped them win a double; FA Cup and Barclays Premier League.
Meanwhile, the Ivory Coast International Didier Drogba, the goal scoring machine of Chelsea, has scored a disappointing 13 goals this season. In the 2009-2010 season, Drogba scored a staggering 37 goals.
Speaking of the negative impact on the team due to the pair's absence, Ancelotti said, “I think it cost us quite a few points. We missed them in November and December when we didn't play well. They are very important players in this squad. Without Lampard
and without Drogba, it was not easy to move on without these kind of players.”
It hasn't been an easy season for the blues, as their latest setback came in the form of a UEFA Champions League exit, where they got defeated by Manchester United. Meanwhile, in the English Premier League standings, they trail United by eight points, a
deficit by no means easy to reduce.
Highlighting the 8-point deficit, Ancelotti continued, “The gap doesn't allow us to think we can win the title.”
Chelsea have six remaining fixtures, and they next play Carling Cup winners, Birmingham City. It is believed that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich might sack Ancelotti at the end of the season, due to the Italian's failure to bring any silverware to Stamford
Bridge this term.
Answering questions on how the players would react if he was shown the door at Stamford Bridge, the Italian insisted the players were professionals and they should deal with the situation like any professional footballer would, “They know, I know, this is
football, that sometimes the manager can change.”
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