Source: Telegraph
Carlo Ancelotti to bring Milan masterclass to Chelsea
"Usually, I'm at the dining table at one o'clock,'' noted Carlo Ancelotti wryly of the season opener with Hull City. [LNB]Chelsea's new coach even reminded himself on Friday "to set the alarm'', making sure that a man who invariably sleeps soundly before games actually awoke in time. In truth, Ancelotti cannot wait. Dreaming of a date with the king of karaoke, Phil Brown, may seem strange for a coach who has won the Champions League with AC Milan but Ancelotti has been counting down the hours. [LNB]"I have been into Stamford Bridge and sat there in the dugout trying to imagine what it will be like,'' he said. "There will be a fantastic atmosphere. San Siro is a fantastic stadium but a fantastic atmosphere? Sometimes, especially in the Champions League but it was never sold out in the league. Here, it's always sold out.'' [LNB]He differs from those managers like Arsène Wenger who largely leave the players alone before kick-off, wandering off for a coffee. "I'm not superstitious but I like to stay in the dressing room with my players, explaining what they have to do,'' said Ancelotti. "If I feel calm and quiet, I like to speak with my players. If I'm nervous, I prefer to stay alone. I'm more nervous than I was as a player because, as a manager, you have more responsibility. Stress is positive. Stress helps you to stay focused.'' [LNB]The stress will come, when the title race intensifies, when a crucial decision goes against him, when injury or suspension claims a key player. A neat line in self-deprecation should serve the Italian well. As he talked, Ancelotti spotted a photograph of himself, all suited and smiling, on the cover of the Chelsea magazine, looking every inch the master of the managerial universe. "Good picture! But not recent! How many years ago?!'' [LNB]All was calm and cheerful before the storm. As the sun warmed Cobham, Ashley Cole strolled across to support the club's Under-20s who were toiling against tricky visitors from Uzbekistan. Michael Ballack was on a neighbouring pitch, helping out some youngsters. [LNB]The first-team pastures were empty. Not earlier. Ancelotti had been busy, polishing the diamond system that some Chelsea players like Didier Drogba admit they are still coming to terms with. "Some things are new for the players but, with work, it will become automatic,'' Ancelotti said. [LNB]Concerns have been raised that Frank Lampard's fabled ability to break into the box could be tempered by Chelsea deploying two central attackers, Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. "Lampard will have the same space (as normal) because the strikers help him find space,'' countered Ancelotti. "That's very, very important because it's his natural quality to enter the box and score. He can play with one striker or two. There is no difference.'' [LNB]Yet if Anelka is expected to dart left, creating gaps for Lampard, then the Frenchman might struggle to repeat last season's 19 goals. Not the case, Ancelotti replied, clearly in no mood for questioning of his tactics, saying that Anelka could reach 20. "Nicolas is a very good striker, at the top like Drogba and [Fernando] Torres.'' [LNB]The Liverpool of Torres will test Chelsea's huge ambition this season. So will the Manchester United of Wayne Rooney and Arsenal of Andrei Arshavin. Ancelotti acknowledges such rivals and politely expanded the field of contenders, admitting a "curiosity'' to see how Manchester City would fare and expressing his admiration for Aston Villa. "But if we have strength and the right mental attitude, we can win,'' Ancelotti added. [LNB]He stressed that the mind games beloved by many who patrol the Premier League dugouts, the jousting with Wenger, Sir Alex Ferguson or Rafa Benítez, was not for Ancelotti. "I respect all my colleagues but I have no battle with them. There's only competition with their teams.'' [LNB]The soul of diplomacy, Ancelotti he refused to agree with the contention that United would be weaker without Cristiano Ronaldo. "Usually, when a great team loses a player, other players raise their levels,'' he replied. [LNB]Ferguson has been making polite noises about Ancelotti, claiming the man from Milan should settle in because English football has changed with the influx of foreign players and coaches like Wenger. [LNB]It has spooked some overseas managers, unprepared for the pace, physicality and fans' "attack, attack, attack'' demands but Ancelotti did not expect a culture shock. "I'm not in the dark,'' he observed. [LNB]The only cloud on the horizon is the African Cup of Nations, running from Jan 20 to Feb 10 when Chelsea have games against Birmingham, Burnley, Arsenal and Everton. Ancelotti must negotiate such hurdles without three first-team choices, Drogba, John Obi Mikel and Michael Essien, while United, Liverpool and Arsenal lose no stars. [LNB]Ancelotti initially dismissed the concern as distant "it's January!'' but it is an issue. During the last African Cup of Nations, Chelsea dropped four points to Portsmouth and Liverpool and ultimately finished two points behind United. [LNB]"We hope to do better,'' replied Ancelotti. "We have a squad with great quality and we can replace the players who go to the African Cup.'' So there. The quiet confidence emanating from Chelsea is inescapable. [LNB]
