Carlo Ancelotti: Win or destroy the season
Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that his team has to turn around their form if they are to end their worst run in a decade and a half. Ancelotti said that if his side is able to come out triumphant in this difficult time, they would be a much
stronger unit.
The Italian said that even though people believe that Chelsea is no longer in the title run, he does believe that things can still go their way and his team will not give up the fight. He added that, along with defending the Premier League, his team is also
determined to bag the FA Cup. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786 takes on Ipswich on Sunday in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. Ancelotti said that ups and downs are part of the game, and if a team takes a defeat to heart and goes into a negative state of mind, it can absolutely
destroy the whole season.
Chelsea has only won one game in the last 9 matches in the league, and the defending champions are currently in 5th place on the table. They are 9 points behind Manchester United, who are on top with 44 points having played one game lesser.
Even though Chelsea has been going through a rough time, there was plenty of support from the home fans, and there were no major outbursts at Stamford Bridge. But some signs of discontent among fans have started to emerge now. A banner representing the feelings
and anger of the fans was dropped off at the training ground of Chelsea. The banner read: "Ancelotti + Abramovich out!!!" and "None of you are fit to wear the shirt".
Ancelotti, though, still has the support of club owner, Roman Abramovich, and is not too concerned about the incident. However, he has no doubts that the patience may boil over if he is not able to come up with a win in Sunday’s FA Cup encounter.
The former AC Milan manager is not expected to make too many changes in the team, and would be going in for a strong line up on Sunday. Chelsea are still awaiting the fitness report on striker, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ashley-Cole-c6809 and midfielder, Michael
Essien.
The Italian manager said that he would take no chances and would ensure his team settles for nothing less than a win. He suggested that the young striker, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Daniel-Sturridge-c10076, may be included in the starting line up.
Ancelotti said: "Sturridge played very well against Tottenham for the reserves, and scored five goals. I think that he deserves to play"
In recent times, Chelsea has started to focus more on developing young players, and this strategy has come under the spotlight during the current slump. Ancelotti said that the club is making a conscious effort to develop talent from within, and avoiding
buying big names. He admitted that the pressure is growing to add to the squad and assured that there is plenty of money at his disposal if he chooses to enter the market.
Carlo Ancelotti ended by saying that he appreciates the backing he has received from the club owner and the fans in this difficult time. He reiterated that his team has enough talent and mental toughness to come out of this slump in flying colours.
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