Source: Telegraph
Carlo Ancelotti is right man for Chelsea but just needs time, says Graeme Le Saux
Chelsea's players had grown increasingly frustrated at Inter's robust approach, their complaints to referee Wolfgang Stark increasingly vocal as he waved away two penalty appeals when first the Ivorian and then Branislav Ivanovic were mauled to the ground. [LNB]It is at these moments that referees are presented with a difficult decision, perhaps the toughest of all the calls officials must make. Give a penalty and discourage all such behaviour all over the pitch for the rest of the game. Fail to do so, as Stark did, and achieve the exact opposite. His lack of action encouraged Inter's cynicism and led directly to Drogba's dismissal. It was a sending off borne of frustration, and I can sympathise with that. [LNB] Related ArticlesBlackburn v Chelsea: match previewAncelotti's new challengeSky 3D channel launches on April 3Roman Abramovich blind to real problem at ChelseaAbramovich not planning wholesale changesSport on televisionTwo of the three red cards I earned in my career were a result of reacting to an opponent's provocation. They book-ended my time in the game, the first picked up as a youngster, the second when I was with Chelsea at Blackburn in a match when I was so wound up before kick-off that I probably had a yellow card before I went on the pitch. [LNB]Like me, Drogba deserved to be sent off, but that does not change the fact that referees have a duty to make decisions, however difficult, to take that opportunity to draw the line between what is and what is not allowed. I do not believe Stark's failure to do so was premeditated. It was simply poor refereeing. [LNB]That should not detract, of course, from the fact that over the two legs Inter deserved to progress. Chelsea were not especially poor, and had either of those penalty decisions been given the tie may have swung in their favour, which shows how fine the margins are between success and failure for the game's elite. They were not, though, and Carlo Ancelotti's side are now left to concentrate on the FA Cup and, first and foremost, the Premier League. [LNB]With the disappointment of their elimination from Europe fresh in their minds, and all of the attendant psychological and physical effects, Chelsea must face up to a pivotal week of their season. They travel to Blackburn on Sunday, face Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Wednesday before returning to Stamford Bridge to host Aston Villa. It is the sort of week that makes or breaks a title challenge. [LNB]Blackburn, particularly, will present a thorough examination of the character of this Chelsea team and Ancelotti's ability to get the right response to a setback from his players. Chelsea have no time for a hangover. It is about a team's determination, their personality and their will to win. [LNB]No players could approach such an arduous run of fixtures fully fresh. You are going on to the pitch tired, you have been travelling and playing, travelling and playing, scarcely doing any training at all, but you have to overcome all of that, do your job and hope that those players in your side who can win a game single-handedly perform. [LNB]Chelsea have several of those, not least Drogba and Frank Lampard, and they also boast a bigger and deeper squad than most. Ancelotti's side will need to call on all of that if they are to take nine points from these three games and seize the initiative in the title race. [LNB]Even if they fail to do so, even if they fail to win the Premier League, there can be no doubt this has been an immensely positive season for Chelsea and for Ancelotti. [LNB]Ever since Mourinho left in 2007, Chelsea have been searching for a replacement of similar stature and in Carlo, they have found that. He has the credibility and charisma Mourinho boasted, and the good relationship between manager and players that is portrayed in public is echoed in private. From speaking to those at Stamford Bridge, it is clear Ancelotti and his staff have created an excellent working environment. [LNB]That shines through on the pitch. Players like Ashley Cole and Florent Malouda have flourished. The manager has handed young players their opportunity, and it is clear he is not picking by reputation. He has got every single player on board and convinced them to believe in his methods. [LNB]Elimination from the Champions League has led to suggestions that all of the good work Ancelotti has done might be under threat, but I believe Chelsea's powerbrokers know they have the right man. All he needs is the chance to mould the side to his tactical ideology. [LNB]That should not encompass a major overhaul. For all the talk of Fernando Torres or the like, Chelsea need just one or two players a creative dynamo would be top of their agenda who fit in with Ancelotti. It is all well and good spending £50 million on a player, but if they are not suitable for the manager's vision, they will have little impact. [LNB]For Ancelotti to cast Chelsea in his own image, as Arsène Wenger has done in the style he has brought to Arsenal or Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, he needs time. Mourinho had a plan, and was given the space to execute it. The signs from his first season in English football, wherever the title ends up, are that Ancelotti deserves that too. [LNB]
