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Chelsea Comment: How Carlo Ancelotti Made Sure He Outlasted Luiz Felipe Scolari
A year on from Brazilian's sacking, Italian has avoided same mistakes...
| Bet: | Returns: | Chelsea £12.50 | Draw £52.00 | Birmingham £90.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Chelsea £12.50 | Draw £48.00 | Birmingham £90.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Chelsea £13.00 | Draw £50.00 | Birmingham £110.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Chelsea £12.90 | Draw £55.00 | Birmingham £95.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Chelsea £12.50 | Draw £50.00 | Birmingham £98.00 |
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Feb 8, 2010 5:43:00 PM
By Alex Dimond
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti will almost certainly go to work this week with a spring in his step. Sunday’s solid 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge against Arsenal sent the Blues back to the top of the Premier League table and all but ruled the Gunners out of the running.
A small part of it, however, might be down to the fact the Italian — barring an unexpected turn of events in the next 24 hours — has successfully survived longer at Chelsea’s helm than his (permanent) managerial predecessor, Luiz Felipe Scolari.
The Brazilian, who joined the club a year before Ancelotti in the summer of 2008, was sacked from his position on this day exactly one year ago, after an encouraging start had turned into a run of poor results.
It is easy to forget that, initially at least, many worried that the same fate would befall Ancelotti. Both managers came to England with little experience of the native game, and both were supposed to struggle stamping their authority on a squad full of big egos and sizeable influence.
But the former AC Milan manager has so far succeeded where Scolari failed. How has he managed that?
Results
Always the most important factor. It was in this respect that Scolari struggled most of all, with a few impressive early performances (4-0 wins against Portsmouth and Bordeaux, a 5-0 win at Middlesbrough) quickly making way for a worrying run of mediocrity.
His case was only further damned by his inability to get positive results against the club’s big rivals. A 2-1 loss to Arsenal at Stamford Bridge was a disappointing blow, especially after already having been beaten 1-0 by Liverpool and only grabbing a 1-1 draw against Manchester United at home.
A 3-0 defeat in the return fixture against United, followed by another defeat against Liverpool at Anfield, left Scolari’s record against other members of the ‘Big Four’ at played five, lost four, drawn one.
Unsurprisingly, Roman Abramovich didn’t see much in those results to convince him Scolari was worth keeping on — even if the compensation costs for removing him and his staff would be upwards of £14 million. As Guus Hiddink came in and did his best to repair the damage (culminating in an FA Cup triumph), the Russian billionaire's haste was proven not to be misplaced.
But top of the league in February (Scolari’s side were fourth) means Ancelotti currently has the full backing of Roman Abramovich.
Scolari’s record: P35, W 19, L 5, D 11.
Ancelotti’s record: P36, W 26, L 3, D 7.
Managing the dressing room
As a manager with recent experience of only working in the international arena, returning to a day-to-day interaction with players proved a difficult transition for Scolari. The former Brazil and Portugal national team boss seemed to struggle to man-manage a number of players in the squad who had power and influence that, much to his chagrin, was often greater than his own.
He dropped Didier Drogba after failing to bring the best out of him, and a failure to gain the support of key dressing room members like Frank Lampard and John Terry was believed to play a big part in his dismissal.
His departure was noted for the lack of kind words his players had for him — or vice-versa.
Ancelotti has taken a different approach, supporting his players to the hilt and being quick to praise them at all opportunities. Terry, Drogba, Lampard, Nicolas Anelka — all of them and more have heard their manager repeatedly remark to the press about their world-class ability, and the results have generally been positive.
The only real problem the Italian has had to deal with so far was with Florent Malouda, who indirectly criticised his supposed favouritism towards fellow midfielder Lampard. Ancelotti responded by playing down the comments, and giving Malouda the chance to make his case on the pitch.
The Frenchman has responded — in recent weeks he has arguably been Chelsea’s most effective performer. As an example of his man-management skills, so far Ancelotti seems to be hitting all the right notes.
Relationship with the media, and his employer
Scolari arrived with a reputation as a no-nonsense taskmaster, and did little to change that impression during his many dealings with the English press. His initial problems with the language made it difficult for him to endear himself, although impressive and expansive early performances on the pitch did much of the early running for him.
Ancelotti, on the other hand, has been quick to learn English — he often speaks it even in conversations with his Italian back-room staff, in order to reach fluency quicker — and that has played a pivotal role in improving his relationship with the media, allowing him to show off his easy-going nature and build something of a rapport with those reporting his every move.
Transfer activity
Other managers would have been keen to spend money in the window, but Ancelotti will no doubt have found favour with Abramovich due to his apparent willingness to work with what he already has.
The fact he has managed to succeed using only the resources at his disposal while also — despite a few minor hiccups — successfully integrating Yuri Zhirkov and Daniel Sturridge, the club’s two summer signings, into the side will only have further strengthened his position.
Scolari on the other hand, perhaps made a rod for his own back with the expensive acquisitions of Deco and Jose Bosingwa. Bosingwa may have proven himself quickly as a fine right-back, but Deco’s adjustment took longer and, at £8m, that was never going to endear Scolari to an owner who had become less willing to spend big on a club that was haemorrhaging money.
"He [Scolari] made it clear how important Robinho was to his plans for the season," a source close to the Brazilian said at the time.
"So he is entitled to feel let down that the club would not increase its offer by £4m to get the player."
Abramovich will not have been pleased to hear such criticism of his actions, and that might have played a part in Scolari's swift departure. In contrast, Ancelotti has been happy to tow the party line at all times — as much because he is in support of the directives as any willingness to preserve his own position.
Inspiring Didier Drogba
It’s hardly a secret that Chelsea are at the menacing best when Didier Drogba is on top form, and Ancelotti has managed to ensure that the Ivorian has been on blistering form almost every game this season.
His goalscoring record is prolific (23 to his name already), and he is a strong contender for player of the year honours. Chelsea are not exactly being dragged to victory by their talismanic striker, but he is a key reason behind their success.
Ancelotti obviously learned from Scolari’s mistakes, as he began praising the Ivorian and building his confidence and self-esteem as soon as he took charge at the club.
"We have seen what Didier brings to this team in the first games of our season and this is why I said he was irreplaceable when I came to Chelsea," Ancelotti said on one of the many occasions he has praised Drogba.
"Defenders cannot stop him because he has so much strength. On more than one occasion this season, we have seen Didier emerge as the player who can change a game and this is why I believe he will be one of the big players for us in the months ahead."
At least, that is what those close to Drogba believed.
“The fact that he was told to sit on the bench had nothing to do with sport. It was just a problem between two men who couldn’t work together," Drogba's representative, Thierno Seydi, said at the time.
“One had to go, and Chelsea decided to part with Scolari."
Tactical success
By the time of his departure, Scolari was facing strong criticism for his reluctance to change to a 4-4-2 formation, with the 4-3-3 installed by Jose Mourinho and continued by Avram Grant proving his preferred option.
But neither Nicolas Anelka (usually deployed wide-left) or Drogba took to the Brazilian’s interpretation of the system, and opposition teams soon found it all too easy to find a suitable tactical anecdote.
Rather than being pro-active, Scolari simply bemoaned his lack of options — another side-effect of not buying Robinho.
"We need to change the style sometimes. When I started here, I said I wanted one player who is different — someone who will try something different when we play against teams who close us down," Scolari said.
"But I need not one, but two or three that try something different when they are closed down."
Yet even the loan acquisition of Ricardo Quaresma in January failed to improve matters.
Ancelotti, on the other hand, has been far more willing to experiment — even with basically the same personnel as were at Scolari's disposal. He came in with set ideas, determined to implement a variation on the diamond midfield that had worked for him while in Italy.
The players seemed to take to the new formation almost immediately, and results initially vindicated Ancelotti’s decision.
Innovations the manager has been forced into by injuries — playing Deco as the deep-lying midfielder, or Branislav Ivanovic at right-back — have also come off more often than not.
The only slight worry is the side’s relative weakness from set-pieces. Fifteen of the 20 league goals the club have conceded have come from dead-ball situations, something that Ancelotti will want to do more to rectify as the season reaches a key stage.
But for now, Ancelotti looks to have quickly got the measure of the Premier League, and the different options and abilities he has within his squad.
It seems then that Ancelotti has learned from many of the mistakes of his predecessor. But it is results from now on, in the business end of the season, that will truly define whether Ancelotti is more of a success than Scolari was.
That is why Sunday’s victory — a result that could prove big in the pursuit of league success — will be of greater satisfaction to the 50-year-old than simply surviving a day longer than Scolari.
A small part of it, however, might be down to the fact the Italian — barring an unexpected turn of events in the next 24 hours — has successfully survived longer at Chelsea’s helm than his (permanent) managerial predecessor, Luiz Felipe Scolari.
The Brazilian, who joined the club a year before Ancelotti in the summer of 2008, was sacked from his position on this day exactly one year ago, after an encouraging start had turned into a run of poor results.
It is easy to forget that, initially at least, many worried that the same fate would befall Ancelotti. Both managers came to England with little experience of the native game, and both were supposed to struggle stamping their authority on a squad full of big egos and sizeable influence.
But the former AC Milan manager has so far succeeded where Scolari failed. How has he managed that?
Results
Always the most important factor. It was in this respect that Scolari struggled most of all, with a few impressive early performances (4-0 wins against Portsmouth and Bordeaux, a 5-0 win at Middlesbrough) quickly making way for a worrying run of mediocrity.
His case was only further damned by his inability to get positive results against the club’s big rivals. A 2-1 loss to Arsenal at Stamford Bridge was a disappointing blow, especially after already having been beaten 1-0 by Liverpool and only grabbing a 1-1 draw against Manchester United at home.
A 3-0 defeat in the return fixture against United, followed by another defeat against Liverpool at Anfield, left Scolari’s record against other members of the ‘Big Four’ at played five, lost four, drawn one.
Unsurprisingly, Roman Abramovich didn’t see much in those results to convince him Scolari was worth keeping on — even if the compensation costs for removing him and his staff would be upwards of £14 million. As Guus Hiddink came in and did his best to repair the damage (culminating in an FA Cup triumph), the Russian billionaire's haste was proven not to be misplaced.
Hard to beat | Ancelotti has produced results
But top of the league in February (Scolari’s side were fourth) means Ancelotti currently has the full backing of Roman Abramovich.
Scolari’s record: P35, W 19, L 5, D 11.
Ancelotti’s record: P36, W 26, L 3, D 7.
Managing the dressing room
As a manager with recent experience of only working in the international arena, returning to a day-to-day interaction with players proved a difficult transition for Scolari. The former Brazil and Portugal national team boss seemed to struggle to man-manage a number of players in the squad who had power and influence that, much to his chagrin, was often greater than his own.
He dropped Didier Drogba after failing to bring the best out of him, and a failure to gain the support of key dressing room members like Frank Lampard and John Terry was believed to play a big part in his dismissal.
His departure was noted for the lack of kind words his players had for him — or vice-versa.
Ancelotti has taken a different approach, supporting his players to the hilt and being quick to praise them at all opportunities. Terry, Drogba, Lampard, Nicolas Anelka — all of them and more have heard their manager repeatedly remark to the press about their world-class ability, and the results have generally been positive.
The only real problem the Italian has had to deal with so far was with Florent Malouda, who indirectly criticised his supposed favouritism towards fellow midfielder Lampard. Ancelotti responded by playing down the comments, and giving Malouda the chance to make his case on the pitch.
The Frenchman has responded — in recent weeks he has arguably been Chelsea’s most effective performer. As an example of his man-management skills, so far Ancelotti seems to be hitting all the right notes.
Relationship with the media, and his employer
Scolari arrived with a reputation as a no-nonsense taskmaster, and did little to change that impression during his many dealings with the English press. His initial problems with the language made it difficult for him to endear himself, although impressive and expansive early performances on the pitch did much of the early running for him.
Ancelotti, on the other hand, has been quick to learn English — he often speaks it even in conversations with his Italian back-room staff, in order to reach fluency quicker — and that has played a pivotal role in improving his relationship with the media, allowing him to show off his easy-going nature and build something of a rapport with those reporting his every move.
The door's that way | Scolari failed to connect
Transfer activity
Other managers would have been keen to spend money in the window, but Ancelotti will no doubt have found favour with Abramovich due to his apparent willingness to work with what he already has.
The fact he has managed to succeed using only the resources at his disposal while also — despite a few minor hiccups — successfully integrating Yuri Zhirkov and Daniel Sturridge, the club’s two summer signings, into the side will only have further strengthened his position.
Scolari on the other hand, perhaps made a rod for his own back with the expensive acquisitions of Deco and Jose Bosingwa. Bosingwa may have proven himself quickly as a fine right-back, but Deco’s adjustment took longer and, at £8m, that was never going to endear Scolari to an owner who had become less willing to spend big on a club that was haemorrhaging money.
Wrong move | Quaresma couldn't save Scolari
"He [Scolari] made it clear how important Robinho was to his plans for the season," a source close to the Brazilian said at the time.
"So he is entitled to feel let down that the club would not increase its offer by £4m to get the player."
Abramovich will not have been pleased to hear such criticism of his actions, and that might have played a part in Scolari's swift departure. In contrast, Ancelotti has been happy to tow the party line at all times — as much because he is in support of the directives as any willingness to preserve his own position.
Inspiring Didier Drogba
It’s hardly a secret that Chelsea are at the menacing best when Didier Drogba is on top form, and Ancelotti has managed to ensure that the Ivorian has been on blistering form almost every game this season.
His goalscoring record is prolific (23 to his name already), and he is a strong contender for player of the year honours. Chelsea are not exactly being dragged to victory by their talismanic striker, but he is a key reason behind their success.
Ancelotti obviously learned from Scolari’s mistakes, as he began praising the Ivorian and building his confidence and self-esteem as soon as he took charge at the club.
"We have seen what Didier brings to this team in the first games of our season and this is why I said he was irreplaceable when I came to Chelsea," Ancelotti said on one of the many occasions he has praised Drogba.
"Defenders cannot stop him because he has so much strength. On more than one occasion this season, we have seen Didier emerge as the player who can change a game and this is why I believe he will be one of the big players for us in the months ahead."
Main man | Drogba has been a pivotal figure
At least, that is what those close to Drogba believed.
“The fact that he was told to sit on the bench had nothing to do with sport. It was just a problem between two men who couldn’t work together," Drogba's representative, Thierno Seydi, said at the time.
“One had to go, and Chelsea decided to part with Scolari."
Tactical success
By the time of his departure, Scolari was facing strong criticism for his reluctance to change to a 4-4-2 formation, with the 4-3-3 installed by Jose Mourinho and continued by Avram Grant proving his preferred option.
But neither Nicolas Anelka (usually deployed wide-left) or Drogba took to the Brazilian’s interpretation of the system, and opposition teams soon found it all too easy to find a suitable tactical anecdote.
Rather than being pro-active, Scolari simply bemoaned his lack of options — another side-effect of not buying Robinho.
"We need to change the style sometimes. When I started here, I said I wanted one player who is different — someone who will try something different when we play against teams who close us down," Scolari said.
"But I need not one, but two or three that try something different when they are closed down."
Yet even the loan acquisition of Ricardo Quaresma in January failed to improve matters.
Ancelotti, on the other hand, has been far more willing to experiment — even with basically the same personnel as were at Scolari's disposal. He came in with set ideas, determined to implement a variation on the diamond midfield that had worked for him while in Italy.
The players seemed to take to the new formation almost immediately, and results initially vindicated Ancelotti’s decision.
Winning ways | Ancelotti has been flexible
Innovations the manager has been forced into by injuries — playing Deco as the deep-lying midfielder, or Branislav Ivanovic at right-back — have also come off more often than not.
The only slight worry is the side’s relative weakness from set-pieces. Fifteen of the 20 league goals the club have conceded have come from dead-ball situations, something that Ancelotti will want to do more to rectify as the season reaches a key stage.
But for now, Ancelotti looks to have quickly got the measure of the Premier League, and the different options and abilities he has within his squad.
It seems then that Ancelotti has learned from many of the mistakes of his predecessor. But it is results from now on, in the business end of the season, that will truly define whether Ancelotti is more of a success than Scolari was.
That is why Sunday’s victory — a result that could prove big in the pursuit of league success — will be of greater satisfaction to the 50-year-old than simply surviving a day longer than Scolari.
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