Chelsea FC : Ramirez, Benayoun, Ancelotti and all the news that matters
Chelsea
With the new season knocking at the door, Chelsea have a herculean task ahead of them as the defending champions. After winning the double last EPL season, the expectations in the Chelsea camp are high. Probably, a real crack at the Champions League might be on top of the agenda for Chelsea this season. With Ancelotti comfortably settling into his role of manager at Chelsea which very few people have managed, it is time to look ahead.
Further by winning the double last season, he managed to vanquish the ghost of Mourinho over the London club and showed that not only a good manager but a strong and united playing squad is necessary for success.
With the recent capture of Ramirez for 22 million euros from Benfica, Ancelotti has started bolstering his squad and filling up the huge void left by Joe Cole, Michael Ballack and Deco. With Yossi Benayoun being a like for like replacement for the flamboyant Joe Cole, it is to be seen who wins the battle dubbed as the battle of wingers. Benayoun has many tricks up his sleeve and is a very fast player. Benayoun might be of great importance to an ageing Chelsea side. Although he is on the under side of 30, yet he is now in the peak of his career and for me he is a great addition to the squad.
Ramirez had been one of the most talked about player during the transfer window after his stellar performance for Brazil at the world cup. With Manchester United and City looking to capture the player along with Chelsea, it seemed the bidding war would go down to the wire. But recent reports suggests that Chelsea have captured the lanky Brazilian for a fee which is not huge considering most deals. A good buy again for Ancelotti.
Carlo Ancelotti with the cup
With the new 25 man rule coming to the fore, out of which 8 must be home grown, Ancelotti is already stressing for the future developing the young players in the Chelsea camp. One can be sure they will definitely play a huge part in the long and grueling season ahead. The young players include Jeffrey Bruma, Patrick van Aanholt, Gael Kakuta, Josh Mceachran and Fabio Borini, who had been in Germany showcasing their abilities with the rest of the squad.
But can we say that all is well for Chelsea ?
Definitely not. Chelsea have been highly inconsistent in their pre-season friendlies losing their last three matches. Although, not much should be taken for granted from these 3 defeats which serve as a match practice for both sets of players, it is a fair reflection of the fact that the Chelsea players are unfit and not ready for the season opener this Sunday against Manchester United. Ancelotti has himself stated the fact that the players need to achieve their high fitness standards very soon otherwise, Chelsea might have a bad start to the season.
Whatever be the fact, all Chelsea fans are pretty optimistic and upbeat about our chances of Chelsea this season. And the players have to live up to those expectations. I believe that is football !
