Chelsea in danger of becoming a model club under Carlo Ancelotti

It was just an aside by Carlo Ancelotti, a remark lobbed into a discussion about the stresses of international management compared to club strains.

Chelsea’s personable manager argued that he might change “if in the future I train the [italian] national team’’. Not for a while. Please. The Azzurri can wait.

The Blues are going places under Ancelotti, preferably Wembley on May 28 for the Champions League final. Through his engaging character, and shrewd tinkering of the team, Ancelotti has made Chelsea a delight to watch.

They are winning in style. And more cost-effectively. Chelsea have knocked more than £400,000 a week off their wage bill with the summer’s departures of Michael Ballack, Deco, Ricardo Carvalho and Joe Cole.

While revelling in the first team’s success, the club are also excited about the progress of some of their youngsters, particularly defender Nat Chalobah.

Only 15, Chalobah is captain of England’s Under-17s and made his debut for Chelsea reserves last week, giving a mature, disciplined performances as the holding midfielder in a 1-1 draw against Everton.

Attractive first team, newly sensible fiscal policies and English tyros pushing through: Chelsea are in danger of becoming a model club.

LINK

Finally some recognition of our youth policy. Long may it continue

Nice.

I wasn't aware Chalobah could play in the holding mid role as well as centre back. How common is it that such a young player can play in such a versatile manner?

This.

Frame it.

Henry Winter is an excellent football journalist. When everyone was ready to castigate JT during the world cup, he and I think Samuel and Oliver Holt were the only ones who were defedning him seemingly with every breath. The guy is a gooner, but I wouldve never known that because he manages to give us a fair shake every time, and writes without bias. He's a model for the sporting press in England to follow.

Anyway, some very good things to read there. Hearing 1.6 million has been lost off the wage bill every month is amazing. I had no idea about Nat Chalobah, but it sounds like he is looking promising.

I think Carlo has not only brought the stability to the club, but also a measure of dignity and likeability that was lacking before. Its impossible to hate the guy, and he really has got us playing people off the park. When the going got rough last year, he righted the ship and we pushed on. I think his presence at the club can only get stronger as his ability to speak english and familiarity with the players improves.

Never thought it would happen, but Lucifer has now put on his skates.

Never thought it would happen, but Lucifer has now put on his skates.

Brilliantly put. Young Chalobah looks an incredible prospect doesnt he, I watched him play in that midfield position and he was so calm and cool on the ball and put in some really good tackles. The fact Carlo himself asked to have him promoted to the reserves (so the rumours go) shows just how much he thinks of him, but also shows Carlo is definitely keeping his eyes on our young uns (and not in a Wenger like type of way)

Never thought it would happen, but Lucifer has now put on his skates.

I thought it felt a little chilly... :P

I am fan of Carlo he has done an excellent job however I have to say that the club has been extremely well run since Roman had taken over. They have said from day one, intial spend to bring us up to a level then become self sustaining and we are almost there. So to credit Carlo with the cost savings or being thrifty is not 100% true. I am sure Carlo would bring in a 50 m man if he could.

Likability Is questionable too, are we really liked more ? Don't seem so to me.

I think we are gaing a lot more respect though but could that be the fall out of what had been clearly unjust champions league exits. ?

Brilliantly put. Young Chalobah looks an incredible prospect doesnt he, I watched him play in that midfield position and he was so calm and cool on the ball and put in some really good tackles. The fact Carlo himself asked to have him promoted to the reserves (so the rumours go) shows just how much he thinks of him, but also shows Carlo is definitely keeping his eyes on our young uns (and not in a Wenger like type of way)

Yep Chalobah is absolute quality. Really hard to believe he's only 15

I am fan of Carlo he has done an excellent job however I have to say that the club has been extremely well run since Roman had taken over. They have said from day one, intial spend to bring us up to a level then become self sustaining and we are almost there. So to credit Carlo with the cost savings or being thrifty is not 100% true. I am sure Carlo would bring in a 50 m man if he could.

Likability Is questionable too, are we really liked more ? Don't seem so to me.

I think we are gaing a lot more respect though but could that be the fall out of what had been clearly unjust champions league exits. ?

You really don't like Carlo do you?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1311746/Champions-League-predictions-So-lift-trophy-Wembley-May.html

Only 1 of the 7 people in this link think Chelsea will not make the CL finals.

I mean most have us as runner up, but seems like our clubs football is gaining(if not already gained) the respect it deserves by certain media!

Daily Mail journalists actually admitted some admiration for us. Even if the headline is expecting a little too much. :D

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1313785/Are-Chelsea-everyones-second-favourite-team-Sportsmail-looks-love-Blues.html

Suely this level of respect can't go on. What's lurking round the corner?

Excellent article in today's Observer:

Carlo Ancelotti's range of options leave Chelsea's rivals in the shade

Even at half-pace Chelsea can make the kind of adjustments in style and personnel that make another league title likely

Needed, urgently, by the Premier League's other 19 clubs: a formula to stop Chelsea. Try skill and enterprise and they will reach for their finer attributes. Test them with aggression and they will usually win the grapple.

Opponents are bouncing off Carlo Ancelotti's side, even when the champions fail to shine, as they failed to in this 2-0 victory over Wolves. Already five points clear of Manchester City after nine games – and eight ahead of Arsenal and Manchester United – Chelsea advance without obvious weakness.

José Mourinho's back-to-back title-winning teams were more dauntingly mechanical but this one has a greater range of styles and more strength in each position.

Example: at right-back they now have José Bosingwa restored. Out for a year with knee-ligament damage, Bosingwa made an impressive return to the starting XI in a position Branislav Ivanovic had been looking after with considerable authority. Ivanovic shuffled along the line to join John Terry at centre-back, where Chelsea can also call on Alex. Further over, Ashley Cole is in his pomp.

No wonder the defending champions have yet to concede in the league at Stamford Bridge. A two-man screen of Mikel Jon Obi and Michael Essien hangs in front of a dependable back four. On the flank Florent Malouda brings adventure – and goals. A good gauge of managerial talent is how many underachievers are brought in from the cold. Malouda, who scored Chelsea's first, has recovered his gift for fantasy under Ancelotti.

This week, before a certain transfer saga was resolved, it was all the rage to query the age of the forward line. Soon Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka would be joining the Chelsea Pensioners. Granted, these two aristocrats sometimes claim the same turf. But Ancelotti is alert to that risk. Half an hour into this match he shifted Anelka out to the left to stretch the Wolves defence. Both are in their 30s now but no defender would want Drogba and Anelka bearing down on him in one afternoon.

"They're the best team in the league," declared Mick McCarthy, the Wolves manager. "They've got loads of ability, loads of pace, they've got one of the best goalkeepers and they're clever. They look like they're going to pass one way, then they slip someone else in. They trust each other with the ball. They know they're going to get someone making a run."

"Tomorrow we could have Manchester City two points behind," said Ancelotti, hosing down expectation. "We didn't play so well, we conceded too many shots from distance and should have closed the game down before. We usually have, this season. Our fans have seen us play very good football and when we don't they are impatient."

This last point was in answer to a question about the restlessness of the crowd. Watching Chelsea at home confers many pleasures. But there are days that could be called mundane "two-nillers". These are the afternoons when a low-table side induce a kind of ennui in this part of London. Chelsea start out sure they are going to win. They exert themselves only as much as necessary. A glimmer, here, for City, United and Arsenal. Complacency sometimes afflicts Ancelotti's plans. But we always see a correction.

When Bosingwa tired, Chelsea sent on Paulo Ferreira, a Champions League-winning deputy. When Yuri Zhirkov's aimlessness required a remedy, Ancelotti dispatched young Josh McEachran to replace him. McEachran's presence is rich in symbolism. To Chelsea fans he arrives on a wave of youth. A craving here is that all Roman Abramovich's investment at academy level will sustain the club when Drogba and Terry have shuffled off. Chelsea were all about the moneyed present. Now they aim to stake out a homegrown future.

Frank Lampard, Ancelotti says, will train with the first team this week and return at Blackburn on Saturday. Lampard has been out since the end of August. More trouble for the other top teams. Such is the depth of resource here that Chelsea have hardly missed their midfield goal-getter. When a player comes up short in this side it is immediately conspicuous. Zhirkov scored beautifully at Spartak Moscow in midweek but was Chelsea's least effective player against Wolves. He is neither good enough to displace Cole at left-back nor sufficiently gifted to thrive at outside-left.

This was the weekend when United, City and Arsenal were left in doubt, though, about how high the bar is raised. On the evidence so far the sense is that Chelsea will win consecutive Premier League titles for the second time in a decade. But this acts as a provocation to the other contenders.

With the Wayne Rooney issue "put to bed" with a cup of Horlicks, United now have a target to chase. City inflicted Chelsea's only defeat thus far partly by matching their physicality. That lapse will not be repeated often on Ancelotti's watch. It was an early warning not to assume power will always work when a more attacking spirit deserts them.

"The difficult moment will come, and we have to be ready," Ancelotti said.

He talks as if he has it all worked out.

LINK

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1311746/Champions-League-predictions-So-lift-trophy-Wembley-May.html

Only 1 of the 7 people in this link think Chelsea will not make the CL finals.

I mean most have us as runner up, but seems like our clubs football is gaining (if not already gained) the respect it deserves by certain media!

I think we're gonna win it, Wembley is like our second ground and I have a really good feeling. I'd like us to beat Barca in the final and exact some revenge

Zhirkov scored beautifully at Spartak Moscow in midweek but was Chelsea's least effective player against Wolves. He is neither good enough to displace Cole at left-back nor sufficiently gifted to thrive at outside-left.

This is a load of bollocks.

what the f**k is that all about, least effective against wolves? the lad even got an assist bloody w**kers

The Zhirkov comment aside, it's an excellent article. I'll admit I missed it this morning (look at the time I posted the article!) but why focus on the single negative among so many glowing positives?

The Zhirkov comment was a joke but the article was a good one. Must say though we are been talked up alot which is nice but they're making it seem like we've already won the league. I've seen teams look like they are gonna win the league before Christmas, Newcastle, Arsenal and Liverpool to name a few. I always say we'll see what things are like after Christmas, I do believe though of we come through December with maximum points then we will go on to win the title.

All the credit for the positive press has to go to Carlos left eyebrow. It brings a ray of sunshine to our club.

The Zhirkov comment aside, it's an excellent article. I'll admit I missed it this morning (look at the time I posted the article!) but why focus on the single negative among so many glowing positives?

Unfortunately there are too many supporters that will do this. An otherwise glowing report, and all we can focus on is the one negative. Let's not become Liverpool fans and start playing the victim card that much.

Also, although it's not the most glowing comment about Yuri, I don't think he's anywhere near as good as Cole, and with the rest of teh squad fully fit he's not going to take Lampard's place, nor is he going to take Florent's, so it's not that bad a comment afterall

On FSC in the USA Warrren Barton made reference to Zhirkov in a positive light in his post match analysis. He used him as an example of the sort of quality that we have available in the squad to bring in as needed. He thinks one of our strengths is that our midfield 3 always maintains its shape and strength no matter who we bring in. Ultimately I agree with others who say that Zhirkov is not quite good enough to force himself into the first team when all players are fit. But he is a vary talented squad player and more than capable of significant contributions when we need him (as seen in the last few games).