Source: Telegraph
Carlo Ancelotti remains unmoved by Chelsea's shaky performance
Football is basically superstition elevated to organised religion. From the unshakeable ritual of left shin-pad on first to the sombre perusal of fatidic fixtures, the game gives short shrift to naïve concepts like logic or reason.[LNB]So, that Chelsea should be drawn to play Watford in the FA Cup for the second season running cannot be mere coincidence. It was in February last year that Chelsea travelled to Vicarage Road for Luis Felipe Scolari's wake, Nicolas Anelka scoring a hat-trick in a 3-1 win as the incoming Guus Hiddink watched from the stands.[LNB]Chelsea Transfer TalkCarlo Ancelotti: uncovering the truth about new Chelsea managerThe sense that Stamford Bridge is a scene of crisis similar to last season is exaggerated but this fixture has certainly gained a magnified importance because Carlo Ancelotti's team have been suffering their first period of sustained indifference since he took charge. Two wins in eight games, and unconvincing wins at that, have undermined the perception that Chelsea were marching efficiently to the title.[LNB]What with Roman Abramovich's recent fickleness with managers, the inevitable speculation begins circulating. If this is pressure for Ancelotti, then he has responded by asserting his credentials and delicately reminding those willing to listen that you don't spend eight years running a club owned by Silvio Berlusconi without being able to deal with a bit of professional stress.[LNB]"I had problems in the last year in Milan. It is normal for a coach to be discussed like this," he said. "Pressure is normal. Here there is less pressure than when I was in Milan. We have to win against Watford. It will not be an easy game. It is important to maintain control and not to be afraid or worried because coaches are judged by results and it is normal in every country. It is more difficult to change 22 players than it is one coach. This is the problem now when the teams are not good. If you have to change something, it is normal to change the coach."[LNB]They've made something of an art of changing coaches in Italy. With more vocal players, owners who enjoy a bit of reactionary intervention and powerful, even violent, fan groups, the Italian coach takes a bit of a battering so the ones who can cope are heavily insulated against strain of having their professional credibility constantly interrogated. Hence Fabio Capello, Roberto Mancini and Ancelotti taking the jobs they have.[LNB]"Mancini and Capello and I have a lot of experience," he said. "The Italian championship is not easy because a lot of teams play different systems and it is good to work in Italy for the tactical experience. Mancini and Capello are the most important coaches in the world. Me too, because I stayed in Milan for eight years." Ancelotti is never far from being ironic but there is substance behind the playfulness. Mock braggadocio or not, Ancelotti does not suffer from fragile self-esteem and is serious about creating a similar legacy at Stamford Bridge as he did at the San Siro.[LNB]"Now is the time for Chelsea to stick with the same coaches for many years," he said. "You just have to work and work and work. It is the most important thing to maintain control. There are often a lot of stories, but it is important to stay focused on your job. You need to be calm and quiet."[LNB]Staying calm and quiet seems also to apply to the transfer market. Aside from a serious interest in the talented but expensive Sergio Aguero, Atletico Madrid's Argentina forward, Ancelotti says he is happy to work with what he already has at the club.[LNB]That means Nicolas Anelka, who is fit again after a calf injury. Good news for Chelsea with Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou away with the Ivory Coast; bad news for Watford after the way the France striker pulled them apart last year. Florent Malouda is also back from suspension. Certainly Chelsea need something to pep them up after the supporters got on their back during the unconvincing 2-1 win over Fulham.[LNB]Crucially, while they may have lost their form, Ancelotti believes the side have not lost their self-belief. "The players were disappointed after the first half with Fulham," he said. "But they didn't lose their confidence. It is normal when our fans are not happy with how the team play." Early elimination from the tournament that saved their season last year might start to weaken that confidence, especially against a Watford side that has not won in four. Still, they have an excellent goalkeeper in Scott Loach and a goal-scoring midfielder in Tom Cleverley, on loan from Manchester United, who would no doubt please his parent club if he could eliminate their Premier League rivals. [LNB]
