Football Special Report: ‘Chelsea Responsible For Slump’ -Ferguson
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is determined to make the most of Chelsea’s recent slump in their upcoming match on Sunday. Manchester United will travel to Stamford Bridge over the weekend and will hope to register another win which will increase
their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
Ferguson said that he believed the Blues had no one to blame but themselves for their recent poor performances, which have severely damaged their hopes of retaining the title. Ferguson was of course referring to the Blues buying and selling of players in
the summer transfer window.
Carlo Ancelotti saw many experienced players like Ricardo Carvalho, Deco, Joe Cole, Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti leave, many of them without his knowledge apparently. The only signings he brought in were Yossi Benayoun from Liverpool and the Brazilian
Ramires, both of whom have failed to make an impression as yet.
With the experienced players gone, Ancelotti has only youngsters to replace them with and so far, they have not been able to fill their predecessor’s shoes. This is affected Chelsea’s performance, with the Blues only taking six points out of a possible 21.
Injuries and suspensions of key players have not helped.
Ferguson said, “Ballack's contract came to an end. Belletti's contract came to an end. They have been replacing these players with younger ones such as [Danny] Sturridge and the young boy [Josh] McEachran. So maybe that's why their results have been
erratic. Their plan was always to start introducing younger players and I think that's a good thing but it can backfire if you get injuries.”
Manchester United established a record of being unbeaten in their first 16 games this season, successfully overtaking the previous record of 15 games. Sir Alex Ferguson will be hoping his side extend the record to 17 games at Stamford Bridge, especially
since the Blues have been in such terrible form.
Ferguson’s side are currently three points clear of the defending champions with a game in hand, this gives them an edge, since anything less than a win will still guarantee them top place. However, Ancelotti’s men seem to be on their way up, with the likes
of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien having returned to the squad.
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