The word Carlo Ancelotti will use repeatedly this week at Chelsea’s plush training ground will be “focus”.
He will not allow his players to wallow in the satisfaction of a significant job well done at Old Trafford.
Instead, he will demand they keep the next assignment – the FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa – sharply defined in their minds.
Ancelotti’s insistence on not dwelling on what has happened has made a great impact in the past two weeks.
The Champions League defeat by Inter Milan and a frustrating draw at Blackburn seemed to have derailed Chelsea’s season, but Ancelotti explained: “After a defeat you don’t have to lose confidence in your players and you don’t look behind. It is better to look forward.”
After thumping 12 goals against Portsmouth and Villa and completing a Premier League double over Manchester United, Chelsea can certainly look forward with renewed confidence. Matches against United do tend to provide landmarks for Chelsea coaches.
Avram Grant took over three days before a defeat at Old Trafford and was sacked three days after losing the Champions League final to United on penalties.
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s brief stay became untenable because of a 3-0 thrashing at Old Trafford, and Ancelotti’s reign began with a Community Shield victory over United at Wembley.
The latest victory over the crestfallen Ferguson was thoroughly merited, and should prove instructive to those, including some inside the Chelsea camp, who were swift to condemn Ancelotti a fortnight ago.
His understated touchline style – slouching slightly with hands in pockets, face mostly impassive – contrasted with the theatrical posturing of former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho while he presided over Inter’s win.
Ancelotti was equally undemonstrative during the draw at Ewood Park, and many concluded the Italian was helpless and hopeless.
But he does his work on the training pitches and in team meetings. Once the game kicks off, he views events with the stoicism learnt during a long and hugely successful career as a player and coach.
At Old Trafford on Saturday he allowed himself an instinctive, restrained celebration when each of Chelsea’s goals went in.
His hands came out of his trouser pockets long enough for both fists to clench and he let out an involuntary yell of exultation. But he was soon calm again – and focused.
The big tactical decision was not dropping Didier Drogba to use Nicolas Anelka as a lone central striker – it was the formation itself which showed Ancelotti’s mind at work. Mourinho initially played 4-3-3, with two dynamic wingers hugging the touchlines and Drogba ploughing a solitary furrow in the middle.
When Anelka arrived, he and Drogba could not both be comfortably accommodated in that system, nor in the 4-1-4-1 Scolari favoured.
Guus Hiddink used Drogba and Anelka together in attack, either with Anelka as a wide man or with both playing centrally ahead of a heavily populated midfield and Ancelotti has often done the same.
But Ancelotti’s approach has been more flexible than any recent predecessors at Chelsea. He has deployed a midfield diamond (4-1-2-1-2), a Christmas tree (4-3-2-1) and a narrow 4-2-2-2, in which the width was provided by two adventurous full-backs.
Yet on Saturday Ancelotti opted for 4-3-3. The increasingly impressive Florent Malouda and the revitalised Joe Cole, who combined for the first goal, were the wide players in the front three, with both tracking back when necessary.
Just as importantly, Chelsea’s system allowed Frank Lampard and Deco to do whatever occurred to them in midfield, rather than being stifled by rigid roles. And Lampard, in particular, was outstanding.
Anelka started as the only central striker, but Drogba replaced him for the last 20 minutes and scored a blatantly offside goal nine minutes later.
But then Federico Macheda’s goal after 81 minutes was possibly handball and only emphasised how insipid their attack had been until he joined it as a substitute.
Dimitar Berbatov is simply not an adequate replacement for Wayne Rooney.
Yet it would be folly to write off United’s season, just as it was barmy to deride Ancelotti two weeks ago.
He will not allow his players to wallow in the satisfaction of a significant job well done at Old Trafford.
Instead, he will demand they keep the next assignment – the FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa – sharply defined in their minds.
Ancelotti’s insistence on not dwelling on what has happened has made a great impact in the past two weeks.
The Champions League defeat by Inter Milan and a frustrating draw at Blackburn seemed to have derailed Chelsea’s season, but Ancelotti explained: “After a defeat you don’t have to lose confidence in your players and you don’t look behind. It is better to look forward.”
After thumping 12 goals against Portsmouth and Villa and completing a Premier League double over Manchester United, Chelsea can certainly look forward with renewed confidence. Matches against United do tend to provide landmarks for Chelsea coaches.
Avram Grant took over three days before a defeat at Old Trafford and was sacked three days after losing the Champions League final to United on penalties.
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s brief stay became untenable because of a 3-0 thrashing at Old Trafford, and Ancelotti’s reign began with a Community Shield victory over United at Wembley.
The latest victory over the crestfallen Ferguson was thoroughly merited, and should prove instructive to those, including some inside the Chelsea camp, who were swift to condemn Ancelotti a fortnight ago.
His understated touchline style – slouching slightly with hands in pockets, face mostly impassive – contrasted with the theatrical posturing of former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho while he presided over Inter’s win.
Ancelotti was equally undemonstrative during the draw at Ewood Park, and many concluded the Italian was helpless and hopeless.
But he does his work on the training pitches and in team meetings. Once the game kicks off, he views events with the stoicism learnt during a long and hugely successful career as a player and coach.
At Old Trafford on Saturday he allowed himself an instinctive, restrained celebration when each of Chelsea’s goals went in.
His hands came out of his trouser pockets long enough for both fists to clench and he let out an involuntary yell of exultation. But he was soon calm again – and focused.
The big tactical decision was not dropping Didier Drogba to use Nicolas Anelka as a lone central striker – it was the formation itself which showed Ancelotti’s mind at work. Mourinho initially played 4-3-3, with two dynamic wingers hugging the touchlines and Drogba ploughing a solitary furrow in the middle.
When Anelka arrived, he and Drogba could not both be comfortably accommodated in that system, nor in the 4-1-4-1 Scolari favoured.
Guus Hiddink used Drogba and Anelka together in attack, either with Anelka as a wide man or with both playing centrally ahead of a heavily populated midfield and Ancelotti has often done the same.
But Ancelotti’s approach has been more flexible than any recent predecessors at Chelsea. He has deployed a midfield diamond (4-1-2-1-2), a Christmas tree (4-3-2-1) and a narrow 4-2-2-2, in which the width was provided by two adventurous full-backs.
Yet on Saturday Ancelotti opted for 4-3-3. The increasingly impressive Florent Malouda and the revitalised Joe Cole, who combined for the first goal, were the wide players in the front three, with both tracking back when necessary.
Just as importantly, Chelsea’s system allowed Frank Lampard and Deco to do whatever occurred to them in midfield, rather than being stifled by rigid roles. And Lampard, in particular, was outstanding.
Anelka started as the only central striker, but Drogba replaced him for the last 20 minutes and scored a blatantly offside goal nine minutes later.
But then Federico Macheda’s goal after 81 minutes was possibly handball and only emphasised how insipid their attack had been until he joined it as a substitute.
Dimitar Berbatov is simply not an adequate replacement for Wayne Rooney.
Yet it would be folly to write off United’s season, just as it was barmy to deride Ancelotti two weeks ago.
