Source: Daily_Mail
Chelsea 2 Stoke 0: Malouda joins the Blues' A-Listers
When you play alongside Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka it is difficult to get noticed. But Chelsea's Florent Malouda has become an A-lister in his own right.[LNB]His manager, Carlo Ancelotti, believes the midfielder is hungry for success after a disappointing World Cup. Malouda was a 75th minute substitute in France' s opening day stalemate against Uruguay, but started the losses against Mexico and South Africa and scored Les Bleus' only goal of a torrid campaign.[LNB]Paying the penalty: Chelsea's Florent Malouda is brought down in the box by Ryan Shawcross[LNB]Ancelotti said: 'He has started welland he is one of our best players right now. I think that he has a goodmotivation after the World Cup. He was angry. He wanted to improve onhis poor performance in the World Cup and I think he is doing very well.[LNB]'The World Cup is finished andsometimes you don't do well - so it is a good motivation to come backand be excited to play with Chelsea. Sometimes he was angry - maybehungry as well.' [LNB]Malouda's hunger is evident, butthere is more to his impressive transformation from bit-part player tocentral figure. It is three years since his £13.5million move from Lyonand he had his 30th birthday in South Africa. He is now used to thephysicality and pace of the Premier League but, more importantly, he isno longer a peripheral but a valued player at Stamford Bridge.[LNB]Head up: Drogba consoles Lampard after his penaltymiss[LNB]Anelka said: 'It's difficult to comefrom the French league and straight away to play for Chelsea inEngland. It's tough. It's stronger, it's quicker - everything isquicker - and you have to get some games to get used to the Englishgame.[LNB]'He's been here three years so he's got used to it and has more confidence. You can see that on the pitch. [LNB]'He's one of the best (in thePremier League). He's intelligent, he can score, assist and he's verystrong, so he has everything.' [LNB]When he's not playing ragga music inthe dressing room, Malouda thrives in Chelsea's 4-3-3 formation. A yearago all the talk was of Ancelotti's diamond midfield, in which Maloudawas used on the left, encouraged to tuck in while Ashley Cole steamedpast him. [LNB]Ancelotti then asked him to play slightly further up field, with Frank Lampard assuming a deeper role. [LNB]Flo rider: Malouda beats Sorensen to put Chelsea ahead[LNB]But, as the left-sided player of afront three with Drogba inside him and Anelka on the right, Malouda hasmore licence to roam. Not in the undisciplined way that Joe Colesometimes scampered about, but to create and exploit space.[LNB]Enlarge Ancelotti said: 'The difference isto play good football without the ball. With the ball we have skills,but without the ball we are very dangerous.[LNB]'I enjoy watching them because we have a lot of solutions as a team, as a group of players.' [LNB]Chelsea's three most advancedplayers are always moving, making little runs and drifting out wide tofind space or dragging defenders with them to create it. Malouda haslearned to utilise this space.[LNB]Take his opener in Chelsea's 2-0 winagainst Stoke City on Saturday. He ran onto a beautifully weightedthrough ball straight down the middle from John Terry and fired aright-foot finish past Thomas Sorensen. [LNB]It was not just the speed ofexecution that made the move so devastating, but the way Malouda snuckin and exploited such a killer blow.[LNB]The 30-year-old, however, does notjust capitalise on the space left by Drogba and Anelka. He creates it,too. This is what has helped Chelsea make such an impressive start tothe season. They know the goals will come from somewhere because theirmovement off the ball is so difficult to track and control. [LNB]Anelka said: 'We try to switch veryquickly. If I don't score Didier can score, if Didier doesn't scoreFlorent can score and, if nobody scores, Salomon (Kalou) will come onand score. Everybody can score in this team.[LNB]'We know almost every time we willscore one goal. The team who comes to play against Chelsea will bescared because, if they don't score, they know we will.' [LNB]Malouda scored 15 goals in 2009-10,11 of which came after Christmas. This season has been even better:four goals in Chelsea's three Premier League matches.[LNB]Anelka said: 'He scores more goalsthan before and I think he wants to score more and more. I think hesaid he wants to score more goals than last season - then he'll(definitely) be one of the best.' [LNB] Stoke slap £10m price tag on Chelsea target goalkeeping BegovicPulis blasts Wenger as Stoke complain to authorities over 'rugby' jibeLampard and Terry ruled out of England's crucial Euro 2012 qualifiersCHELSEA FC
