Carlo Ancelotti was not happy. He signalled for Didier Drogba to come to the touchline and much arm waving ensued. Ancelotti's complaint appeared to centre on the lack of urgency Drogba was displaying as Chelsea coasted to victory. Ancelotti's comments after the game confirmed his displeasure.
Having seen Manchester United surrender a two-goal lead at Everton in injury-time, he made it plain he had not instructed his players to take it easy at Upton Park, despite leading 2-0 after 18 minutes. That had been their decision.
While the inferior nature of the opposition was obvious - Chelsea won comfortably 3-1, even at training-ground pace - perhaps the performance was simply a confirmation of priorities at Stamford Bridge this season.
Most of Chelsea's players have been around the club long enough to know what the owner wants; and with the first Champions League fixture against MSK Zilina taking place in Slovakia on Wednesday night, they thought it wise to leave plenty in the tank.
Despite his love of European competition, Sir Alex Ferguson has always insisted that winning the league is the priority for Manchester United. An old-fashioned football man, he understands the rest stems from that.
Liverpool were the exception in 2005, contriving to be hopelessly inconsistent domestically yet relentless in Europe. In the last four seasons, however, the winners of the Champions League have combined their triumph with a domestic title.
Ancelotti no doubt shares Ferguson's opinion that one feeds the other, but he is not the loudest voice at his club. Roman Abramovich may be as chatty as Harpo Marx in public, but privately nobody at Chelsea is under any illusions about what he wants from this season.
It is no coincidence that his current choice of manager is a man who has won the European Cup four times, including twice as a player, nor that last season's failure to overcome Inter Milan was followed by a summer clear-out of players perceived to have under-achieved, including Michael Ballack, Joe Cole, Deco and Ricardo Carvalho.
Winning the league was not enough to save them, in Abramovich's view.
For a team that has never lifted the Champions League trophy, Chelsea have become the team to beat for aspiring conquerors of Europe. In five of the last six seasons, the club that has knocked them out has gone on to win the competition.
Inter Milan in 2010, Barcelona in 2009, Manchester United in 2008, Barcelona in 2006 and Liverpool in 2005. Only in 2007, when Chelsea succumbed to Liverpool again at the semi-final stage but AC Milan won the final, did they lose to less than the eventual champions of Europe.
It is a remarkable record, but one they would give anything to avoid maintaining this season.
Chelsea's group this time is no breeze. It includes the champions of France, Marseille, the little known Zilina and an arduous trip to play Spartak Moscow, but for a team of such calibre anything less than top spot would be disappointing.
Winning the group would at least guarantee the advantage of playing at home in the second leg of the last 16, although that proved no insurance against the resilience of Inter Mi lan in the last campaign.
That loss over two legs should worry Chelsea most of all, as it represents one of the few times the club has been eliminated from Europe without cause for complaint.
Against Barcelona in 2009 they were the victims of a terrifyingly abysmal refereeing performance by Tom Henning Ovrebo (one of UEFA's many Over-Promoted Useless Scandinavian Officials), and in Moscow in 2008 they were the better team against Manchester United before John Terry's fateful penalty miss.
Preceding this is a litany of ghost goals, bitterly disputed red cards, enemies of football and even the bizarre tactical choices of Claudio Ranieri against Monaco, which date back to another semi-final debacle in 2004.
Some believe these were the years in which Chelsea should have been champions of Europe, and the ship has now sailed. It is said Ancelotti's squad is advanced in age and will no longer be a match for Barcelona or a Real Madrid team galvanised by the arrival of Jose Mourinho. AC Milan are tipped to be useful again, too.
Yet the claims of Chelsea's rivals sound overplayed. For all the oceans of ink sucked dry to eulogise Barcelona, they were beaten fair and square by Inter Milan last season and it took a travesty of sporting justice to put them in the final the year before.
Real Madrid, AC Milan and Inter Milan are works in progress under new managers, while Manchester United were undoubtedly stronger before the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bayern Munich were incredibly lucky to overcome them last season.
As for dark horses, it is 13 years since the Champions League was won by a club that had not previously lifted the European Cup (Borussia Dortmund in 1997, Chelsea would be the first club to do it this century), so this is not a competition for outsiders.
The conclusion, then, is that there is no single outstanding team in Europe and Chelsea have as much to recommend them, if not more.
So can they win it? Most certainly, yes. Will they win it? A cautious yes to that, too.
The pillars of the team, Drogba, John Terry, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard, remain undiminished, while Ancelotti has quietly transformed Florent Malouda into one of the most potent midfield players in the country. He talks of Michael Essien, returned from injury, as if he is a new player, while the acquisition of Ramires is a shrewd one. The Brazilian gives Chelsea increasing midfield options, able to go box to box yet with the capability to be a wiry ball-winner in the Claude Makelele mode.
It also helps that Chelsea have enjoyed a fortuitous start with their opening four Premier League games, West Bromwich Albion, Wigan Athletic, Stoke City and West Ham United, a relative cakewalk.
Having looked unconvincing in the summer friendly tournaments, they have been allowed to play themselves into form, and are now brushing opponents aside without reaching top gear, as happened at Upton Park.
Even their first Champions League game, MSK Zilina away, is hardly the test it could have been, while Sunday brings the visit of Blackpool.
Liverpool was made to hit the ground running against Arsenal, before travelling to Manchester City and visiting a Turkish outpost to face Trabzonspor. By comparison, Chelsea have been stress-free for a month, as they mount the latest attempt to deliver the prize Abramovich values above all.
This single-mindedness may cause Ancelotti more frustration on the touchline, but he will come to realize it is for a good cause; not least in maintaining his continued employment, which another boring old league title win may no longer guarantee.
Having seen Manchester United surrender a two-goal lead at Everton in injury-time, he made it plain he had not instructed his players to take it easy at Upton Park, despite leading 2-0 after 18 minutes. That had been their decision.
While the inferior nature of the opposition was obvious - Chelsea won comfortably 3-1, even at training-ground pace - perhaps the performance was simply a confirmation of priorities at Stamford Bridge this season.
Most of Chelsea's players have been around the club long enough to know what the owner wants; and with the first Champions League fixture against MSK Zilina taking place in Slovakia on Wednesday night, they thought it wise to leave plenty in the tank.
Despite his love of European competition, Sir Alex Ferguson has always insisted that winning the league is the priority for Manchester United. An old-fashioned football man, he understands the rest stems from that.
Liverpool were the exception in 2005, contriving to be hopelessly inconsistent domestically yet relentless in Europe. In the last four seasons, however, the winners of the Champions League have combined their triumph with a domestic title.
Ancelotti no doubt shares Ferguson's opinion that one feeds the other, but he is not the loudest voice at his club. Roman Abramovich may be as chatty as Harpo Marx in public, but privately nobody at Chelsea is under any illusions about what he wants from this season.
It is no coincidence that his current choice of manager is a man who has won the European Cup four times, including twice as a player, nor that last season's failure to overcome Inter Milan was followed by a summer clear-out of players perceived to have under-achieved, including Michael Ballack, Joe Cole, Deco and Ricardo Carvalho.
Winning the league was not enough to save them, in Abramovich's view.
For a team that has never lifted the Champions League trophy, Chelsea have become the team to beat for aspiring conquerors of Europe. In five of the last six seasons, the club that has knocked them out has gone on to win the competition.
Inter Milan in 2010, Barcelona in 2009, Manchester United in 2008, Barcelona in 2006 and Liverpool in 2005. Only in 2007, when Chelsea succumbed to Liverpool again at the semi-final stage but AC Milan won the final, did they lose to less than the eventual champions of Europe.
It is a remarkable record, but one they would give anything to avoid maintaining this season.
Chelsea's group this time is no breeze. It includes the champions of France, Marseille, the little known Zilina and an arduous trip to play Spartak Moscow, but for a team of such calibre anything less than top spot would be disappointing.
Winning the group would at least guarantee the advantage of playing at home in the second leg of the last 16, although that proved no insurance against the resilience of Inter Mi lan in the last campaign.
That loss over two legs should worry Chelsea most of all, as it represents one of the few times the club has been eliminated from Europe without cause for complaint.
Against Barcelona in 2009 they were the victims of a terrifyingly abysmal refereeing performance by Tom Henning Ovrebo (one of UEFA's many Over-Promoted Useless Scandinavian Officials), and in Moscow in 2008 they were the better team against Manchester United before John Terry's fateful penalty miss.
Preceding this is a litany of ghost goals, bitterly disputed red cards, enemies of football and even the bizarre tactical choices of Claudio Ranieri against Monaco, which date back to another semi-final debacle in 2004.
Some believe these were the years in which Chelsea should have been champions of Europe, and the ship has now sailed. It is said Ancelotti's squad is advanced in age and will no longer be a match for Barcelona or a Real Madrid team galvanised by the arrival of Jose Mourinho. AC Milan are tipped to be useful again, too.
Yet the claims of Chelsea's rivals sound overplayed. For all the oceans of ink sucked dry to eulogise Barcelona, they were beaten fair and square by Inter Milan last season and it took a travesty of sporting justice to put them in the final the year before.
Real Madrid, AC Milan and Inter Milan are works in progress under new managers, while Manchester United were undoubtedly stronger before the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bayern Munich were incredibly lucky to overcome them last season.
As for dark horses, it is 13 years since the Champions League was won by a club that had not previously lifted the European Cup (Borussia Dortmund in 1997, Chelsea would be the first club to do it this century), so this is not a competition for outsiders.
The conclusion, then, is that there is no single outstanding team in Europe and Chelsea have as much to recommend them, if not more.
So can they win it? Most certainly, yes. Will they win it? A cautious yes to that, too.
The pillars of the team, Drogba, John Terry, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard, remain undiminished, while Ancelotti has quietly transformed Florent Malouda into one of the most potent midfield players in the country. He talks of Michael Essien, returned from injury, as if he is a new player, while the acquisition of Ramires is a shrewd one. The Brazilian gives Chelsea increasing midfield options, able to go box to box yet with the capability to be a wiry ball-winner in the Claude Makelele mode.
It also helps that Chelsea have enjoyed a fortuitous start with their opening four Premier League games, West Bromwich Albion, Wigan Athletic, Stoke City and West Ham United, a relative cakewalk.
Having looked unconvincing in the summer friendly tournaments, they have been allowed to play themselves into form, and are now brushing opponents aside without reaching top gear, as happened at Upton Park.
Even their first Champions League game, MSK Zilina away, is hardly the test it could have been, while Sunday brings the visit of Blackpool.
Liverpool was made to hit the ground running against Arsenal, before travelling to Manchester City and visiting a Turkish outpost to face Trabzonspor. By comparison, Chelsea have been stress-free for a month, as they mount the latest attempt to deliver the prize Abramovich values above all.
This single-mindedness may cause Ancelotti more frustration on the touchline, but he will come to realize it is for a good cause; not least in maintaining his continued employment, which another boring old league title win may no longer guarantee.
No comments:
Post a Comment