During the current weeks in English Premier League, Carlo Ancelotti is the man coming under most of the pressure. He is the manager of one of the biggest clubs of Europe, Chelsea, and he is leading his men for their defence of the league title and to fulfil
their hopes of a European crown for the first time in their history.
Everything seemed to be going fine until recently, with Chelsea losing three of their last four matches in the English Premier League.
Chelsea had a flying start to their season, as they were trying to defend their title. There were minor slip-ups here and there, but by and large the team was moving ahead, stronger than ever. Even in the absence of Frank Lampard, Chelsea’s major player
and the most instrumental in their past successes, the club was able to maintain a healthy lead in the league. At one point, Chelsea was five points clear on top, getting stronger and stronger while the rest of the teams just were not up for the challenge.
However, as more and more players went out of Chelsea things went from better to worse. Alex and John Terry, the centre-halves for Chelsea, had injury issues. In their absence, the Blues suffered one of the most humiliating defeats of their last decade at
Stamford Bridge. The visiting side, Sunderland, crushed Chelsea by 3-0 on their way to a historic win. Everyone thought that it was a minor blush which every team comes across during a season, but Chelsea failed against Birmingham City on the next week. To
make it more embarrassing for the Blues, Birmingham won the match in the presence of one of the centre-halves, Alex, who came back delaying his knee surgery.
There are some difficult times ahead for Carlo Ancelotti. This is the time when he needs all his experience and expertise to save his side from falling apart. To make matters worse for Ancelotti, Chelsea has the toughest few weeks ahead of them in December.
The Blues go up against some of the biggest opponents, including Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspurs, the teams that finished below Chelsea last season. The Blues have not performed well against top teams, this season, as they won only against
Arsenal, losing their matches against Liverpool and Manchester City. It would be terrible for Ancelotti if he fails to lift the spirits of his side for these big matches.
The most important thing for Ancelotti is to find problems with his forwards. Although, the recent poor form is associated mostly with the defence of Chelsea, but in reality the forward line has failed to inspire as well. The defence is only irresponsible
as long as they fail to keep clean sheets. There are many teams in Europe who have a poorer defence than Chelsea, but they always score more than their opposition to keep their noses ahead.
In the beginning of this season, Chelsea was doing well as they found the net frequently, but they seemed to have choked at an important juncture of their season. There are many players in Chelsea who are waiting for their chances and it is up to Ancelotti’s
to give someone else a chance.
As far as the defence is concerned, there is good news coming for Chelsea. John Terry is likely to be back before the next week’s fixture. However, Ancelotti should prepare himself for the times ahead because there could be worse times. It seems evident
that Ancelotti would have to buy a centre-half in January, something that he should have done after Ricardo Carvalho left the team.
Apart from these changes, it is very important for Ancelotti to keep the spirits high in his camp. There is no doubt that all Chelsea players are experienced and professional footballers, but sometimes players do need an inspiration. The manager is supposed
to provide that inspiration and if he fails to do so, he is no fit to be a manager.
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