Source: Daily_Mail
Chelsea 2 Blackburn 0: Ivanovic and Anelka put Blues back into top four
Carlo Ancelotti purports to be confident about the future. 'I didn't have a doubt about my job before this game, because the club and the players have been very close to me,' he claimed. [LNB]'So you could have written that my job was safe even before this game.' And that may be an entirely sensible line to take for public consumption.[LNB]But in reality, having raised the prospect of dropping Didier Drogba and Michael Essien for the match then relenting and choosing to play them, and with owner Roman Abramovich due in London this week, a victory was the very least he required. Yet for almost an hour Ancelotti could not be sure it was coming.[LNB] Cloes contact: Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is challenged by Michel Salgado of Blackburn[LNB]True, Chelsea started at ablistering pace, with Ramires skewing a shot against the bar after twominutes and Ashley Cole rampaging down the left, creating three chancesin the opening six minutes alone.[LNB]But thereafter, they were labouredand insipid. In fact, they would have scared neither Manchester Unitednor Arsenal and certainly not Barcelona or Real Madrid. As for Boltonand Everton, their forthcoming opponents in the Premier League and theFA Cup, they, too, will not be terrorised by what was on offer.[LNB]For Chelsea are not yet out of their'bad moment', as Ancelotti refers to it. 'We are not at the same levelwe were at the start of the season, but we will come back to thatlevel,' insisted Ancelotti.[LNB]'We don't need much time to get backto that level. But the next game against Bolton will be very importantbecause then, if we can win, we can say that moment has gone. It is agood test for us.[LNB]'The last two games were at home andnow we have to check our moment away, which will be more difficult. ButI think scoring the seven goals against Ipswich last week in the FA Cupwas important psychologically. Our moment is really better and we areplaying better. We have more confidence now and I'm sure we will dobetter.[LNB] Woodwork woe: Nicolas Anelka is denied by the post after beating Robinson[LNB] [LNB]'It isn't easy to close the gap onthe leaders but we have to believe we are able to do this. I don't knowif it's possible, but because we won the title last year we want to doeverything to be competitive until the end.'[LNB]It is a measure of how much thingshave changed in such a short space of time that a mediocre Blackburnside felt that they had a chance of winning at Stamford Bridge. [LNB]Their manager, Steve Kean, said: 'Wewere confident as we've won three of the last four, so we felt we couldget something from the game.'[LNB]Rovers' best chance came from livelyCanadian David Hoilett, 20, who cut inside John Terry and forced atremendous save from Petr Cech on 35 minutes. 'It was a world-classsave from Cech,' said Kean.[LNB]They might have had the advantage ofan extra man had referee Martin Atkinson taken a sterner view ofFlorent Malouda's two-footed challenge on Mame Biram Diouf on 49minutes. A yellow card was produced but it could easily have been red,though Kean had no complaints. 'I thought the yellow was fair,' he said.[LNB]Blackburn held their own until the57th minute when they failed to defend Malouda's corner, allowing JohnTerry a flicked header which reached Branislav Ivanovic who, from threeyards, dug out a shot which somehow managed to sneak past the attendantRyan Nelsen, Michel Salgado and Paul Robinson.[LNB] Givet some welly: Chelsea's Florent Malouda (left) is beaten to the ball by Blackburn's Gael Givet[LNB] Then, on 76 minutes and from anotherMalouda corner, Ivanovic climbed quite magnificently though withoutsufficient challenge and powered a header goalwards, which NicolasAnelka flicked past Robinson, also from three yards out.[LNB]As for Essien and Drogba, Ancelottihas clearly indicated they are living on borrowed time by raising theprospect of dropping them. 'It's important for us that Josh McEachranis ready to play from the beginning and he can give more competition inthe squad,' said Ancelotti.[LNB]'But we needed more size. I knewBlackburn could use the long ball and set-pieces and I wanted to havepower in the box, which is why Essien and Drogba started the game.[LNB]'They are some of the most importantplayers not because they play every game because sometimes they canstay out of the team, this doesn't matter. But Didier was very close tohis best today. He played a good game, didn't score but played for theteam and came back and also helped the midfield players.'[LNB]While neither is playing his best, both showed signs of the incision and power of which they are capable.[LNB]Indeed, the final 20 minutes saw asuccession of chances Terry's flicked header, Drogba's saved shot,Malouda's long-range effort that suggested Chelsea might be emergingfrom their dismal midwinter.[LNB]However, that came once victory wasassured. When they can play like that from the start, then Ancelottican be sure that his moment has passed.[LNB] Chelsea join United and Inter in £17m race for Chile winger SanchezMcEachran pressurises Essien as Ancelotti threatens change at ChelseaAll the latest Chelsea news, features and opinionAll the latest Blackburn news, features and opinion [LNB] Explore more:People: Michael Essien, Petr Cech, Roman Abramovich, Paul Robinson, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Carlo Ancelotti, Martin Atkinson Places: Barcelona, London
