Title race not over - Ancelotti

Title race not over yet - Ancelotti

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti challenged his players to win their five remaining games after closing the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester United.

"We are six points behind and it will not be easy to close that," said Ancelotti, whose team defeated Birmingham 3-1 on Wednesday.

"Our aim is to win every game and after that see how our position is. It will not be easy but that is our aim.

"We have to believe until the referee whistles for the end of the game."

Florent Malouda scored twice against Birmingham, including an early strike that set his team on their way to a comfortable victory.

With Arsenal held 3-3 at Tottenham, the men from Stamford Bridge moved above the Gunners and into second place on goal difference.

Chelsea have now won six of their last seven top-flight fixtures and have five games left to try to overhaul United and retain their Premier League title.

Ancelotti's team travel to Old Trafford for a match against United on 8 May, while the Red Devils also have to play Arsenal.

"The game is not finished but Manchester United have a fantastic advantage," added Ancelotti.

"We now have two games at home and after that we will have to wait and see."

Chelsea went six top-flight games without victory between 14 November and 27 December and have not been as high as second in the table since the middle of that poor spell of results.

But with his team hitting form at the right time, Ancelotti added: "In football, I learned that everything can happen in the game right up to the final whistle.

"You can win the title in the last minute and you can lose the title in the last minute.

"If we thought that one month ago we'd have a little chance to come back to fight for the title, I think that everyone could have said we were crazy."

Chelsea won the title with 86 points last season but currently have 64 points and cannot break the 80-point barrier this campaign.

"To win the title we'll need less points than last season," reflected the Blues boss.

"We won it with 86 last season. With [a total of] 80 points, United can win the title. They need 10 points [to reach that target]."

But Ancelotti refused to confirm whether wining the title would improve his chances of remaining in charge next season.

The Premier League is his team's one remaining chance of winning silverware this campaign, but the Italian said: "Questions with 'if' are not good.

"At the end of the season, we will have a big press conference, a strong and tough press conference."

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Ancelotti defiant on title hopes

Ancelotti refuses to give up on title

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti insists his side will not give up hope of retaining the title despite trailing leaders Manchester United by 11 points.

The reigning Premier League champions could only draw 1-1 away against Stoke on Saturday, almost certainly ending their already slim hopes.

But Ancelotti said: "We have to continue to do our best.

"The gap [to United] was not easy before and now it is more difficult but we have to think game by game."

Chelsea fell behind to an early Jonathan Walters strike and despite drawing level and dominating the first half, the hosts were good value for their point.

Ancelotti's side still have one game in hand on Man Utd and have to visit Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson's men must also face second-placed Arsenal but Ancelotti knows his side are rank outsiders in the title race.

"We didn't think about this before this game and we don't have to think about it after this game," Ancelotti said.

"The gap is more open now but we have to play our game. It is not about Manchester United.

"I think it is very difficult - we said that before the game.

"We did our best. It was a good result because Stoke had opportunities.

"They could have won, we could have won. It was exciting.

"It was a really tough game. Both teams could have won. We had a good reaction after we conceded a goal and the game was in balance.

"We are not so happy for the result but it was the right one for this game."

Stoke boss Tony Pulis felt his side gave Chelsea too much respect in the first half but was delighted with their second-half efforts.

Pulis impressed as Stoke 'match' Chelsea

"It was a great start and Jon scored a great goal," Pulis said. "But we sat back and gave them the impetus and in the last 20 minutes of the first half they showed what a great team they are.

"We had too many players after we scored sitting back and watching them pass it around.

"In the second half we pushed on to them with better quality balls up to Kenwyne Jones and got more bodies up there and it made for an entertaining game.

"We had the chances to win it but Chelsea are a great side with great players and you have to give them credit.

"They have a massive Champions League game against Manchester United on Wednesday and I thought their attitude was first class."

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Chelsea Owner’s Pursuit of Neymar Could Lead to Ancelotti Exit

Stamford Bridge owner wants to get involved in transfer matters again.

According to reports in South America, Chelsea’s representatives have been in contact with Santos over a summer deal for the 18-year-old Samba starlet.
However, the move is being driven by club owner Roman Abramovich and apparently without approval from Ancelotti – a situation that could leave the Italian out in the cold, and therefore out of a job, at the end of the year.
The former AC Milan coach, who won the double last season, has previously stated it would ‘not be a problem’ if he was let go by the Blues in the summer after what looks set to be a trophyless campaign.
But his move towards the Stamford Bridge exit could be accelerated by Abramovich’s meddling in the club’s transfer dealings, which has been highlighted as a problem before.
Neymar has already stated his desire to move to the Premier League this summer, saying Chelsea are ‘a great club’ and ‘it’s a dream of every player to play there’.
However, after being told of Neymar’s comments last month, Ancelotti said he was ‘not interested’.
‘It’s good for the club and the manager if players want to come here. He’s very young and a fantastic talent but at this moment we’re not interested,’ he said.

SOURCE: Metro

Meddling in transfer business was said to have been one of the big reasons for Jose Mourinho’s departure and was something that ‘Big Phil’ Scolari has stated was a factor during his brief stint at Stamford Bridge, so could owner Roman Abramovich be set to anger Carlo Ancelotti into leaving? Is that perhaps the Russian billionaire’s plan?

There are some who believe that Fernando Torres’s arrival at Chelsea was not sanctioned by Ancelotti either and that move has not exactly paid off either and one wonders if the pursuit of Neymar could be the final straw for the Italian who is strongly linked with a return to Roma this summer.

There is a great deal of speculation that this summer could see some real upheavals at the West London club with a number of the club’s old guard linked with Blues exits. The likes of Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka are all supposedly exit bound with Chelsea looking to the future, hence Abramovich’s reported interest in teenager Neymar.

The Brazilian international has been in phenomenal form for Santos and impressed whilst in action in London when he scored twice against Scotland in the friendly at the Emirates Stadium. Abramovich is apparently ready to splash the cash again having spent large sums to bring in Fernando Torres and David Luiz in January.

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Chelsea Are Not Interested In Neymar Says Carlo Ancelotti

Stamford Bridge boss denies speculation linking club with Brazilian star.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti says signing Santos forward Neymar is not in the club’s plans.

The 19-year-old declared it would be his dream to play at Stamford Bridge and was subject of £23million bid last summer.

After the Scotland game, Neymar said: “It’s a dream of every player to play at Chelsea.” He made similar comments earlier in the season.

But Ancelotti, who watched the Brazilian play in the 2-0 victory over Scotland, says the club are not interested having spent £50million on Fernando Torres in January.

“It’s good news because it’s good for the club and the manager if players want to come here,” Ancelotti said.

“It shows the rumours are true – there’s a good atmosphere here. He’s very young, a fantastic talent. At this moment, we’re not interested.”

“It was a good performance (against Scotland), but the best player on the pitch was [the Chelsea midfielder] Ramires – 100%.”

Since Neymar made his comments, he has shown interest in Barcelona whilst saying he wants to see out the remaining three-years on his contract with Santos.

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