Tag Archives: Champions League

Didier Drogba predicts success for Chelsea

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Chelsea striker, Didier Drogba, has said that the club will not be affected by the transfer ban this season and will canter to glory in both the Premier League and Champions League. Chelsea have looked the most complete team in England so far this season and Drogba has played a large part in this early season form.

He is the sort of player that everyone loves to criticise but so far in the games Chelsea have played, he has looked very hard working and seems determined to help his side get a great deal of success this year.

He said: “I don’t mind which, but we have to win one. Why can’t we win both [the Premier League and Champions League]? People are always talking about the day I said I wanted to go from here, but I’ve said I’m happy here many times and I am.”

“I have my plan and I’ll stick to it, which is the most important thing – I know what I want to achieve with Chelsea. I’m here to stay and I want more success. Dropping in and connecting midfield and attack like I do when I play with a strike partner is how I played with Marseille before I came to England.”

“And the way I played with Damien Duff and Arjen Robben in my first two seasons here – meeting crosses and attacking balls – is how I had played with Guingamp before I moved to Marseille. It’s true that I love to receive the ball into feet to be given the chance to try and create something, and to pass to my team-mates. I think it makes me more unpredictable than in the other way because I can use my balance and my strength to help.”

It would take a very brave betting man to actually place money against Chelsea this season. So far Manchester United have been way off the pace and the only team that has kept up with Chelsea, Manchester City, will fall away at some point as sides will eevntually find a way to beat them.

However, Chelsea are a different story, Carlo Ancelotti seems to have a very good tactical brain and the ability to grind out wins from bad performances. Chelsea have also picked up the habit of scoring in the last minute of a game which also helps out from time to time.

Chelsea manager piles pressure on players

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Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, has told his players in no uncertain terms that nothing less than winning the Champions League this season will be acceptable. This is an interesting move, which is rarely seen from managers in England as the Italian has now put the pressure right on top of his side who will need to perform throughout the entire competition.

The Champions League is a trophy that has eluded Chelsea in recent years, even though they have come so close to lifting it on a variety of occasions. So much will depend on their arrival to the later stages of the competition and it could be a naïve by the Chelsea boss to make such statements at this early stage.

He said: “The first objective is to arrive at the final, not to win it. That’s what we want to do. It’s not easy, but we have the possibility to do this. I don’t think there is a psychological problem. Chelsea went very close to winning it, they didn’t win, but there is a real possibility we can do very well this season. You have to believe to be the best in this competition.”

Defender, Ricardo Carvalho, added: “To win the Champions League with Chelsea would be great, but you need luck. We have reached the final once before and we want to do it again. It still hurts a lot. I was once in the final and we missed a great opportunity, we were a bit unlucky. But more important is to get there more times and have more chances to win it.”

Chelsea have been dealt a good draw in the group stages and will be looking to become the first side to qualify for the knock out rounds. How they will do this is quite simple, they just have to win every match and play as well as they can do all of the time. This may seem like the most logical way to approach the Champions League but so often in the past teams have missed out because they have not taken the initial group stages seriously.

Skipper, John Terry, said: “We’ve come so close and after so many years of doing so well in this competition and not winning it, this is the chance to finally do it. We’ve got players of the right age and experience and also the right quality to push on this year and make it ours. That’s what we’re looking to do.”