So now Carlo Ancelotti can fulfil his ambition to manage Roma, the club he captained for eight happy years and to which he has always said he would return one day. The end of his time at Chelsea surely arrived here, in the form of a defeat far more conclusive than the single-goal margin might suggest. For the genial Italian a midweek trip to the Eternal City is likely to…
Chelsea coach Michael Emenalo claims the team’s recent upturn in form is down to a tactical rethink from manager Carlo Ancelotti. The Blues have won their last three league games, and are unbeaten in seven in all competitions, and Emenalo sights a back-to-basics approach from the Italian. Manchester United remain nine points in front of the defending champions, although Ancelotti’s men do have a game in hand on United. “Carlo…
Manchester United defender Ferdinand, who has spent almost six weeks on the sidelines with a calf injury that was initially expected to keep him out of action for just a fortnight, was due to meet Capello to discuss the England captaincy prior to United’s Champions League clash with Marseille at Old Trafford on Tuesday night. And while Capello has claimed to be “really upset when I saw the armband being…
While Manchester City spent, Chelsea regressed and Arsenal’s bright future finally threatened to show up, Manchester United were winning this Premier League title race without fanfare. In a rebuilding phase themselves, they relied on old organisational wisdom and defensive strength to exploit the weaknesses of their pursuers. Sir Alex Ferguson has won championships with spectacular attacking football. He was winning this one without the same artistry in midfield and with…
Arsenal are awaiting the results of a scan on Robin van Persie’s knee. It is feared that the striker could miss next week’s trip to Barcelona for the second leg of the club’s Champions League last-16 tie. The Dutch striker damaged his knee in the act of scoring his team’s equaliser against Birmingham City in Sunday’s 2-1 Carling Cup final defeat. Van Persie will be assessed today and he will…
Chelsea have been the English Premier League’s most impressive team so far this season, leading the title race and dropping only five points across 10 matches. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has tweaked his squad slightly, adding the likes of Ramires and Yossi Benayoun, while promoting young talent like Josh McEachran and Gael Kakuta. The Pensioners are a fully functioning unit with quality in every position and Ancelotti has been rewarded with…
Despite the lurid headlines, the acrimony, the betrayal, the divorce, it has been reported that Cheryl Cole will be keeping her ex-husband’s name, even now they are legally apart. It could be that she regards Cheryl Cole as a stage name, one she has worked hard to promote, and does not wish to begin the process again. A cynic might add that Cheryl Tweedy, her previous persona, was a singer…
Ancelotti’s team ended the last campaign as Premier League and FA Cup champions – inflicting home and away league defeats on United in the process, as well as winning the Community Shield. But they had no answer to a United team inspired by the evergreen Paul Scholes, who controlled the contest from midfield with a superb passing display. On an afternoon when England’s World Cup flops were booed by the…