Ancelotti warns against complacency

07 May 2010 16:37

Carlo Ancelotti has warned his players that "nothing is decided yet," ahead of their crucial clash with Wigan on Sunday, writes Sam Parker.

Victory would ensure the title moved to Stamford Bridge after a three-year stint with Manchester United and Chelsea lead their rivals by a single point going into the final game.

But Ancelotti has told his players they cannot take this advantage for granted, although he admitted he was happy that their destiny was in their own hands.

"We wanted to arrive at the end of the season with more points. We have one more, but we can decide our destiny at our home ground, and that is a good thing. We have to play one more game though and nothing is decided yet.

"But we have a great opportunity and a great possibility because the team is fit, in good condition and has fantastic motivation for this game.

"We have to be ready, but we have to play for 90 minutes. They have a very good team and beat us last time, so we have to pay attention.

"There are no more games. If we miss our chance now, there is no chance to recover."

The season has seen plenty of ups and downs for Chelsea, but the Italian was quick to praise his players for their reaction to some of the defeats they have suffered over the course of the season.

He also downplayed the importance of the well-documented team meeting called after the Champions League defeat to Inter Milan.

"We had some problems, but every team has this season. The most important thing is that, when the problems came, we were able to move on quickly. This season, I didn’t really have strong problems to resolve.

“We had some difficulties, lost some games and had difficult moments after the Manchester City and Inter defeats, but we moved on quickly.

"I don't think (the meeting was a crucial point), because we spoke a lot of times over the course of the season to try and find a solution to our problems. I think it’s the best thing to speak together and find solutions to the problems when they come.

"This season for me, I think my players have worked very hard, every one. A lot of players didn't play for five or six months, but when they played, they played well.

"This means the group worked very well and always maintained a good motivation, even if they didn't play. Look at Paulo Ferreira for example."

Ancelotti was also bullish about the impact of off-field affairs on his team, claiming they caused no real problems.Both Ashley Cole and John Terry have had stories regarding their private lives strewn across the front pages, but the Chelsea manager feels they had little impact on the football side of things.

"They were personal issues and they - Ash and John Terry - were able to keep these problems outside this training ground, so I never spoke about the personal issues of my players.

"If they'd needed to speak to me about this, I would have been able to help. But if they don’t ask me to do something, it is not my problem."

With rumours abound that owner Roman Abramovich was still not happy with how the team was playing, Ancelotti dismissed that notion and declared himself pleased with how things have gone this year.

"Roman will be happy for the behaviour of his team, showing good football. We have had good play on the pitch and that was our aim.

"If we are able to win, it could be considered a fantastic season."

- Sam Parker

Source: DSG