2009/10 Season Preview - Chelsea
2008/09 - Chelsea started the season in an attacking manner with a new found flair under manager Luis Felipe Scolari, although this flamboyance soon deteriorated when Chelsea’s 86 match home unbeaten record ended in late October with a deflected Xabi Alonso effort. This spelt a run of poor form over the Christmas period subsequently seeing the Brazilian replaced by Dutchman Guus Hiddink. Pressure of instant success was quickly put to rest with dominant performances both in Europe and domestic competitions. A strong Champions League campaign saw the Blues progress to the semi-finals only to be halted by the away goals ruling after a 93rd minute Andres Iniesta strike. Hiddink’s departure due to international responsibilities with Russia was not without silverware, claiming the FA Cup in his short tenure.
2009/10 - With promising new arrivals at the Bridge, this season will, as always, be full of expectation. New manager Carlo Ancelotti was hired on the basis of weaving personality into a side full of big players. The Italian will need to gain control over players such as Drogba and Cech who were largely blamed by Luis Felipe Scolari for his early departure. The former AC Milan Coach seems to have gained immediate respect through the Chelsea camp, keeping hold of key players and evoking an optimistic ambience in the dressing room - one which Ancelotti hopes will lead to trophies.
Transfer campaign - New manager Carlo Ancelotti has made few additions to a Chelsea side that finished third last season, insisting the 23 man squad is already strong enough to succeed. Daniel Sturridge and Ross Turnbull are indications that Ancelotti is already looking to the future of the club, in which many players are reaching their twilight. Yury Zhirkov is the only notable signing and may feature regularly should the Russian manage to cement a place in the side. Chelsea’s transfer campaign has focused more on keeping hold of their current crop, which has been reinforced through extended contract deals for Didier Drogba, Flourent Malouda and Jon Obi Mikel.
Transfers in (Player, club from, fee)
Daniel Sturridge – Manchester City - undisclosed
Yury Zhirkov – CSKA Moscow - undisclosed
Ross Turnbull - Middlesbrough - free transfer
Scott Sinclair - Birmingham - loan expired
Andriy Shevchenko - AC Milan - loan expired
Claudio Pizarro - Werder Bremen - loan expired
Transfers out (Player, club to, fee)
Franco Di Santo - Blackburn - loan
Miroslav Stoch – FC Twente - loan
Lee Sawyer - Southend United - loan
Tom Taiwo - Carlisle United - loan
Ryan Bertrand - Reading - loan
Slobodan Rajkovic - FC Twente - loan
Ben Sahar - Espanyol – undisclosed
Scott Sinclair –Wigan - loan
Jimmy Smith - Leyton Orient - free transfer
Frank Nouble - West Ham - free transfer
Norton Nielson - AZ Alkmaar - free transfer
First XI –
1 Cech
17 Bosingwa - 26 Terry - 33 Alex - 3 Cole
12 Mikel - 5 Essien - 8 Lampard - Malouda
11 Drogba – 39 Anelka
The above starting line up remains largely unchanged from the team which finished the 2008/09 campaign so strongly under the reign of Guus Hiddink. New manager Carlo Ancelotti has constantly referred to the squad rather than the team which could see the players becoming subject to constant change throughout the forthcoming season. ‘Carletto’ is likely to pick a naturally defensive side allowing the attacking prowess of Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard to roam free. Ancelotti has opted for the diamond formation in pre season playing either Essien or Mikel in a deeper role and allowing Zhirkov, Malouda or Lampard to take up a supporting role behind the chosen front two.
The manager
Carlo Ancelotti is notorious for his defensive approach, common in the typically slower paced Italian game. Ancelotti has made inroads with the squad, endeavouring to get know all the players on a one to one basis. ‘Carletto’ - as he was known as a player - has made note of the counter attacking devices employed by rivals Manchester United and Liverpool last season and may look to follow suit with swift breaks. If Ancelotti can overcome what looks to be a challenging spell of games approaching the Christmas period he could be a real hit amongst the fans and board alike. The former AC Milan Coach is one of only six individuals to have won the Champions League both as a player and manager building an impressive repute for Champions League achievements and it seems Abramovich is making this his primary goal for the season.
Mr Reliable - Michael Essien. Taking nothing away from the managerial expertise of Guus Hiddink, but his reign was deeply facilitated by the return of tough tackling defensive midfielder Michael Essien. He is known as ‘The Bison’ for his powerful physique and a combination of extreme strength and speed make him a natural defensive midfielder. On his return from injury the Ghanaian scored in successive games and won Chelsea’s Goal of the Season after a spectacular left footed volley against Barcelona. The former African player of the year made an immediate impact on the fans and the club making 160 appearances in four years. The box-to-box engine is a model professional and highly respected in the Chelsea camp.
Creative player - Florent Malouda. A surprise selection considering the performances of the pre-Hiddink era, however several displays of the highest class in the concluding part of last season provided real evidence of his undoubted natural ability. Suspect to bad form Malouda claimed problematic wisdom teeth were the root of the problem for a torrid first season after leaving Lyon as French player of the year. The re-born winger demonstrated his threat from wide and has an eye for goal tripling his tally of 2007/08 with 9 goals last year - an attribute likely to be more prominent this season.
Youth prospect - Daniel Sturridge is a new signing at the Bridge and has a promising future ahead of him according to the Chelsea staff. The 19-year-old was a natural born footballer - his father and two uncles succeeded as professional footballers playing for a range of Premier League sides. Manchester City’s 2008/09 Young Player of the Season is the only player to have scored in the Youth FA Cup, FA Cup and Premier League in the same season. Already impressing in pre-season for Chelsea with a debut goal against Seattle Sounders FC and winning a penalty - subsequently converted by Frank Lampard - against Inter Milan, the hot prospect is presenting himself as a competent replacement for Drogba should the opportunity arise.
The fixtures - Chelsea will look to start the season strongly and will be firm favourites in their first five games. Leading up to the Christmas period will see Chelsea’s hardest run with games against Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City and Everton all in the space of five weeks. This is a period which will be sure to test the managerial expertise of Ancelotti as the side look to fend off their league rivals. Two games that may prove instrumental in the final league standing come at Old Trafford on April 3, 2010, and at the Bridge against fellow title contenders Liverpool in the penultimate fixture of the league campaign.
Home grown players - With 8 out of the 25-man squad for the Champions League needing to be classed as home-grown, it is important for Chelsea to sign English talent. Chelsea has added young home-grown players Daniel Sturridge and Ross Turnbull as well as their current English Internationals. An integral part of the Chelsea infrastructure is to both create and obtain home grown players and, with multi-million pound training facilities, the club insists it is developing a platform to reach these goals.
Season prediction - With last season’s league winners in some respects weakening their side with the departures of influential performers Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez - still to be justifiably replaced - the centre stage could well return to the blue of London. New manager Ancelotti has been backed by former Manchester United No 7, David Beckham, to prevail in the league campaign. However Abramovich seems more engrossed in pursuing his quest for Champions League glory and after reaching the semi finals last year the club will look to this as a platform to build upon. Ending the season victorious in either the league or Champions league would be deemed as satisfactory to the board. Anything less than this irregardless of footballing style would see Chelsea’s no tolerance - as far as managerial success is concerned - policy employed. A first place finish would be expected for the Blues this season after maintaining and improving a side that proved in the concluding parts of last season to be a successful collection of world-class individuals.
2009/10 Season previews
Arsenal
Aston Villa
Birmingham City
Blackburn Rovers
Burnley
Chelsea
Everton
Fulham
Hull City
Related Articles
| 