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Ancelotti: I have players' backing


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Updated Feb 19, 2011 8:06 AM ET
Carlo Ancelotti has said the Chelsea players still have confidence in him and says the departure of Ray Wilkins hasn't affected team morale.
The Blues only fell off the pace in the Premier League title race after Wilkins surprisingly left his role as assistant manager in November.
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Ancelotti's position came under intense scrutiny during their worst run of results and, although there has been a recent upturn, top spot now looks out of reach.
The Italian admits that spirits have been dampened by losing more often than Chelsea have become accustomed to, but says there is no deeper issue.
He feels he still has the backing of the players, telling the Daily Mail: "I don't believe they have lost confidence in me.
"It's the same; with Ray and without Ray. We have lost confidence because we have not been able to do the things we want to do on the pitch.
"Look, the players might seem to be interested in things that happen away from the pitch, outside the training ground, but they are not so interested, I don't think. They want to win football matches.
"The relationship between the manager and the players is the most important thing. To have a good feeling. It doesn't mean that for the manager everything is OK.
"But I am happy because, just as the staff with Ray was good, the staff without Ray is also good."



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Ancelotti: Slump not Torres' fault


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Updated Feb 19, 2011 7:49 AM ET
Carlo Ancelotti has insisted Chelsea's record-breaking signing of Fernando Torres was not to blame for the end of the Blues' mini-revival.
The champions appeared to have put their worst run in the league for almost 15 years behind them at the start of 2011, winning three games in a row to climb back into the Champions League spots and spark suggestions they could make a late comeback in the title race.
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But the capture of £50million man Torres has co-incided with a winless - and scoreless - two matches that has all but killed off the Blues' hopes of retaining their crown and has seen them slip back to fifth in the table.
Torres flopped on his debut against former club Liverpool and was arguably even worse at Fulham on Monday night.
But Ancelotti was adamant that the Spain striker's arrival had not been disruptive, saying: "It is not the fault of Fernando, obviously.
"I think that he needs to have time.
"In my opinion, he played well for 60 minutes against Fulham. He had two or three opportunities.
"He didn't score but he will score, obviously."
With only 12 league games remaining for Chelsea to overhaul Tottenham or Manchester City and with both remaining cup competitions purely knockout affairs, is is questionable how much time Torres can be afforded.
"He needs to have time, but playing, to improve his combination with the other players," Ancelotti said.
"It will take time playing with us."
Torres will miss out on that time on Saturday when Chelsea host Everton in their FA Cup fourth-round replay as the Spaniard is cup-tied.
Drogba will instead return to lead the line and will have a point to prove after being axed at Craven Cottage.
Ancelotti said: "Didier had a very good reaction during the week, he trained well without problem, with motivation.
"He wants to play a good game tomorrow."
Insisting Drogba was not a special case, he added: "For me, every player is important, is big.
"Maybe there isn't a player as Drogba, who's scored 40 goals.
"(Paulo) Ferreira didn't score 40 goals last year.
"But, for me, it is very difficult to leave him out because he is a professional, he worked hard every day."
Tomorrow's cup tie and Tuesday night's Champions League last-16 first leg at FC Copenhagen could provide a welcome distraction for Chelsea from their league travails.
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But the possible postponement of two of their games means they could find themselves eight points behind Tottenham and 10 behind City by the time they next play in the league.
Ancelotti was unconcerned, saying: "At the end, they will play 38 games and we have to play 38 games.
"We want to work to arrive quickly in the first four places."
Frank Lampard admitted yesterday it would be a "disaster" if Chelsea finished outside the top four.
His manager was less dramatic, saying: "The table in the Premier League is not good but we have the possibility to improve."
Ancelotti claimed he would not rest players tomorrow with Tuesday's game in mind and he may be boosted by the return of Yury Zhirkov, who is back in the squad after missing the last three months with a calf problem.
Yossi Benayoun is also running again and is expected back before the end of the season.
The Israeli will hope to play a part in what could be a historic FA Cup hat-trick for Chelsea.
Having won every tie since his arrival in England a year and a half ago, Ancelotti was understandably not keen on the proposed changes to the competition's format, which include seedings, midweek matches and the scrapping of replays.
He said: "I don't like. I like this competition, I like how it is, because I think that it's exciting to play, to have a place where there is a draw.
"To put the game during the week, it's possible that it could lose the importance of the competition."
 
Messi desperate for Cesc arrival


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Updated Feb 19, 2011 9:52 AM ET
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi hopes the Catalan club finally seal the capture of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas this summer.
Barca have tracked the Catalan midfielder for several seasons and had two big-money bids for their former youth team player turned down by the Gunners last summer.

But Messi, who lost out to Fabregas and his Arsenal team-mates in the first leg of their Champions League tie on Wednesday night, believes his friend will soon be a Barca player.
"Let's hope so," he told Sport in an interview.
"In the end he will do what he wants and what the people at Barca want. It doesn't depend on us, but I think his inclination is to be at Barcelona because there is nowhere he will be better off than here."
Barca lost 2-1 in London, despite going ahead and completely dominating the first half against the Gunners.
Messi believes Fabregas played a big part in the Arsenal revival that night and claims he is the key player in Arsene Wenger's side.
"It's clear he is vital for them," he said.
"Their play depends so much on him; they are constantly giving him the ball - he is a very important player for them."
In the meantime, Fabregas will be back in Barcelona next month as Arsenal look to produce a shock and knock out Pep Guardiola's side in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Messi, though, is confident his side will prevail at the Nou Camp on March 8.
"It hurt to lose (on Wednesday) because we didn't deserve to," he said.
"In the first half we played really well for a lot of the time, moving the ball around quickly - it's a shame we didn't win.
"But we are relaxed because we know we can turn this around - we only have to overcome a one-goal deficit."
Barca and Arsenal met in the quarter-finals of last season's Champions League, when Messi struck all four goals in a 4-1 win at the Nou Camp following a 2-2 draw in London.
"It doesn't matter how we do it (this time)," he said.
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"Whether it's with my goals or not, the most important thing is to go through.
"We have to play in the same way and if we play like we did in the first half (at the Emirates), we will have a great chance of going through."
Messi, surprisingly, has never scored against an English side away from home and the Argentina forward missed a great chance on Wednesday night, when he clipped the ball just wide with only Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny to beat.
"It was such a clear opportunity; the keeper waited right until the end, I lifted the ball over him and sent it wide - it was a shame," said Messi.
After his stunning four-goal show last season, Wenger described Messi as a 'Playstation'.
"It makes me really happy to hear such important football people speaking kindly of you," the 23-year-old said.
"Let's hope I can produce another great match and that we can go through."
 
Eidur back on track at Fulham


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Updated Feb 19, 2011 7:54 AM ET
Eidur Gudjohnsen admits it is "nice to be loved again" after swapping Stoke for Fulham in an effort to revive his career.
Gudjohnsen has joined the Cottagers on loan until the end of the season, when he becomes a free agent.
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The 32-year-old Iceland striker endured a difficult five months at the Britannia Stadium, where he made just five substitute appearances.
Only two matches into his spell at Fulham and Gudjohnsen is relieved to see the gloom he felt at Stoke is already lifting.
"It's nice to be loved again. I'll say that blatantly, I feel the coaching staff are happy to have me here and have great belief in me," he said.
"That helps. No disrespect to Stoke, if you are not in the team it's frustrating.
"I thought that if nothing happens at Stoke I might just fade away a little bit. I needed to move. I felt so bad.
"It had been since April since I started a game in the league. Too long had gone by.
"There was no negativity. I spoke to (Stoke boss) Tony Pulis and we came to the conclusion that it might be better for both parties if I moved on.
"Packing in never crossed my mind. I always felt I have enough left in me and I intend to use this time to get my playing career back on track."
Gudjohnsen, who includes Chelsea, Barcelona, Monaco and Tottenham among his former clubs, remains confused why his spell at Stoke proved such a disappointment.
"It was weird that basically I never got the chance," he said.
"I made a handful of substitute appearances - 10 to 15 minutes max.
"Nothing bad happened, it just didn't work out - different styles of play maybe.
"A difference of opinion, it was difficult to say what it was. In the end it was an easy decision to leave.
"The boys at Fulham have welcomed me in the dressing room with open arms.
"They're a good bunch of lads and I've got a lot to give still."
Gudjohnsen could feature in Sunday's FA Cup fifth round clash with Bolton.
"The FA Cup is the only trophy I haven't won, apart from the World Cup but I don't think Iceland will be winning that anytime soon," he said.
"I lost the final with Chelsea against Arsenal and that was a time when I hadn't won any trophies either.
"I remember the excitement leading up to the final and it is the most special cup competition in the world because of its history."
 
Dalglish: We'll be patient with Cole


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Updated Feb 18, 2011 4:57 AM ET
Kenny Dalglish insists Joe Cole will be given all the time he needs to find his best form after a disappointing start to his Liverpool career.
The former Chelsea midfielder made his first appearance under Dalglish, and his first in a red shirt since January 5, as a substitute in last night's goalless Europa League draw against Sparta Prague.
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It was only the 29-year-old's 19th game for the club he joined in the summer as a result of suspension and, more lately, hamstring and knee injuries.
The game in the Czech capital was not the easiest for him to make his comeback in but Dalglish said there was plenty of time for the England international to rediscover his best form.
"We have got to be patient with Joe. That his first run out since I came here," said Dalglish, who took over from Roy Hodgson on January 8.
"That is a great start for him, to get himself on the pitch and get an hour won't do him any harm.
"Joe is a valuable asset for us. Obviously he is not going to pick his form up immediately, if he does it will be a real bonus for us.
"But we are not going to put him under pressure and expect him to be the Joe Cole who came to Liverpool in the summer.
"We want to give him a bit of time and make sure he gets there. Form is temporary, class is permanent and that is where we stand with Joe.
"We'll give him a bit of time to get up to speed and then we'll judge him.
"Joe needs his injury rebuilding so we'll get that right first,
Cole came on for Fabio Aurelio after he injured a groin seven minutes for half-time.
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Dalglish said the problem was not serious and was hopeful the Brazilian would recover quickly.
The Reds boss was also optimistic he would have both captain Steven Gerrard and defender Daniel Agger back for next week's second leg of their last-32 clash against Sparta.
"We'll see when we go back. I don't think he'll (Gerrard) be too long before he's fit and I don't think Daniel Agger will be too much of a problem either," added the 59-year-old.
"We left Martin Kelly and Martin Skrtel out as well because young Martin Kelly has been through an awful lot in the last seven games and has been playing with a few bumps and bruises.
"This gave him the opportunity to refresh himself, and Martin Skrtel got injured at Chelsea but carried on and we didn't want to take a chance."



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Kenny won't rush Reds youngsters


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Updated Feb 18, 2011 10:42 AM ET
Kenny Dalglish says Liverpool are realistic about the prospects of their youngsters and none will go into the first team until they are ready.
However, the 59-year-old stressed he has complete faith in the talents of those who are brought in from the academy, highlighted by his decision to take five with him on the Europa League trip to face Sparta Prague.
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All the hype prior to the goalless draw in the last-32 first-leg tie had surrounded whether 16-year-old prodigy Raheem Sterling would become the club's youngest player.
Sterling scored five goals in Monday's 9-0 FA Youth Cup win over Southend and was a surprise inclusion in the travelling party, Dalglish having taken advantage of the half-term break to take the teenager along for the experience.
However, of all the academy prospects on the trip - Conor Coady, John Flanagan, Jack Robinson, Tom Ince and Sterling - only Coady, 18 next week, made it on to the substitutes' bench but never got the chance to come off it.
Despite all the publicity surrounding the involvement of the youngsters, Dalglish insisted it was not a public relations stunt and the absence of Steven Gerrard, Daniel Agger and Christian Poulsen meant there was always a chance they might have to be used.
And even though they were not, the Reds boss said they were all the better for the experience.
"The young lads have sent postcards home and everything - they were looking for a rock shop but couldn't find one," joked Dalglish about their Prague trip.
"They weren't here for a jolly, they were here because we were short of players.
"Conor Coady was on the bench which meant we needed at least one of them.
"He's a midfield player and we were short there and he was on the bench because he has done well for the academy.
"They are all deserving to be here. They are a bit young maybe to be pushed in but then if they were asked I'm sure they wouldn't have let us down through lack of effort.
"The most important thing is we have to be realistic. There was no way we were bringing them over hoping to get headlines.
"We brought them because we needed them and if we didn't have to use them that was in their interest as well as ours, but if we did have to use them we could have."
Dalglish's European managerial debut for Liverpool did not go to plan after a dismal goalless draw against Sparta.
He accepts, though, that times have changed since he conquered the continent as a player, winning the European Cup three times with Liverpool.
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"When we were playing, if you lost over two legs you were out, you never got any second chances, and that is the stage the competition is at now," he added.
"Certainly teams are better organised than they were years ago but I think you can describe us as an organised team as well.
"We've another game to come next Thursday so we'll soon find out whether we can get through that.
"But the onus is on us to be more creative than we were in Prague.
"We will do our best to go as far as we possibly can in the competition."
The former Scotland international was able to take some positives from the game, with the likes of young defender Danny Wilson given a rare 90-minute outing and Joe Cole making his comeback from a knee injury.
Dalglish was also pleased with full-back Glen Johnson, who was switched from left-back to his favoured position on the right, with Martin Kelly being given a well-earned rest.
"There is no difference to Glen, he just plays," Dalglish said.
"Before I came here people were saying he couldn't defend but I've seen one person go past him since I was here - and that was me in training!
"He has done fantastically both going forward and defensively."
 
Injured Woody staying positive


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Updated Feb 18, 2011 5:37 AM ET
Jonathan Woodgate insists his latest injury setback will not prevent him making a successful comeback with Tottenham.
The centre-back returned from a 16-month absence due to a worrying groin problem on Tuesday when he came off the bench to help Spurs to a 1-0 victory at AC Milan in the Champions League last-16.
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Woodgate strained his left adductor muscle during that 31-minute outing and will now spend a further two weeks on the sidelines.
But the former England international is determined to beat his latest problem and win back a regular spot in the Tottenham first-team.
"Injuries are part and parcel of the game but you never give up," said Woodgate.
"A lot of people said I'd never get back but I kept fighting and the comments that I'd never get back spurred me on.
"You just have to keep going - you prove people wrong who said you wouldn't get back and you prove right those people who said you will.
"There were a lot of tough days but at the end of the day there is only you that can get on with it and can stay mentally tough and strong and wait for your chance.
"I don't give up, I never give up. There were a lot of people with different opinions that said I would never play, but I took all of that with a pinch of salt. I am determined to get fully fit, I won't let anyone say that I can't get fit."
He added: "If you want to play football again, you have to be mentally tough. There are things you have to try. I'm sure I can play a regular a part for Spurs again. Of course I can."
 
FA Cup Roundup, Feb. 19


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Updated Feb 19, 2011 11:25 AM ET
Everton beat Chelsea 4-3 in a dramatic penalty shootout to reach the last 16 of the FA Cup on Saturday, destroying the defending champions' hopes of an historic hat trick of titles in the famous competition.
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After the fourth-round replay at Stamford Bridge finished 1-1 after extra time, England left back Ashley Cole skied his spot kick over the bar with the shootout at 3-3, giving Phil Neville the chance to put Everton through.
The former Manchester United defender found the corner of the net to set up a home match with second-tier side Reading in the fifth round on March 1.
Everton required a stunning 119th-minute free kick by Leighton Baines, who went on to miss in the shootout, to take the match to penalties. The left back's goal canceled out Frank Lampard's close-range effort in the 104th.
The latest defeat for Chelsea, which has won three of the last four FA Cups, piles the pressure on manager Carlo Ancelotti. His side has dropped to fifth place in the Premier League after an alarming dip in form and could now struggle to qualify for the Champions League.
Non-league side Crawley travels to Premier League leader Manchester United in the pick of the fifth-round matches later Saturday.
Everton was marginally better in a blood-and-thunder first half, although Chelsea came closer to scoring when Lampard's free kick was glanced by Everton defender Phil Jagielka onto his own post. With the goal gaping as the ball rebounded out, John Terry thumped his shot over the bar from six yards.
Tim Howard produced a good save to deny Lampard in the 64th and late drama saw Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini have a goal disallowed for offside in last minute.
The hosts exerted more of the pressure in extra time, with Lampard timing his run into the area to perfection and reacting to Didier Drogba's miscontrol from Nicolas Anelka's cross to drill home from 10 yards.
The game was sent to penalties, though, when Baines curled in a sublime free kick from 20 yards.
Baines was the first player to miss in the shootout as Chelsea took a 2-0 lead but Anelka had an effort saved and Cole shot over, allowing Neville to be the match-winner.
 
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