Impossible to defend Carlo’s deficiencies
But, luckily, you have in your armoury a young, highly-thought-of central defender (Jeffery Bruma) who has already won full caps for the international team currently ranked second in the world.
Do you a) play him; b) put him on the bench but bring him on when your makeshift back-line gets caught static and flat footed to concede a woeful goal or c) ignore him for the entire match while watching your team get humiliated by a team of journeymen and cloggers?
Obviously that is a rhetorical question but one that no one has been able to answer.
Just what was Ancelotti thinking? At the end of the game on Sunday, the Mathew Harding stand were defiantly singing “top of the league, we’re having a laugh”.
I’m certainly not having a laugh; perhaps it was irony – if it was, it was certainly lost in the red mist that had befallen me and those around me in the East Upper.
Questions have been asked since the departures of Deco, Ballack, Belletti, Cole and Carvalho regarding the depth of the squad. Many of us predicted that this cost cutting was going to come back and haunt us should we suffer injuries to key players and here we are only three months into the season in dire straits (top of the league or not).
It’s early days but ourselves and United are in danger of handing this title to an average Arsenal side.
The centre-back situation is especially bizarre given Terry’s recent injury history. He has had regular back and knee issues and it was a fair assumption that there would be recurring injuries this season. Centre backs are always in the mix when it comes to the physical stuff, so it would have been no great leap to predict this could be an area of concern. Why then sell Carvalho if you are not going to replace him and evidently do not trust Bruma to step in, even when in a desperate situation such as Sunday? Most people do understand that Abramovich could not carry on funding the club as he was, but famine following the feast is not the way to go either – the squad requires regular attention and that is simply not happening.
As bewildering as the Bruma situation was, the introduction of McEachran and Kakuta when the game was lost and the team an utter shambles was a mistake too, and puts too much pressure on them.
Generally, Ancelotti’s substitutions are often found wanting. He often just swaps like for like and his policy seems to be based on seniority.
The discussion on the futures of the likes of Kakuta and Borini could be academic to a certain degree with claims both are refusing to sign new contracts as the money they are being offered is less than Scott Sinclair was on before he was deemed not good enough for Chelsea.
This cost cutting seems to have taken on a life of its own and is like a runaway train hurtling to certain doom.
Regarding the ‘departure’ of Ray Wilkins, the Chelsea hierarchy have made themselves look like a bunch of clowns bereft of any class or clue of how to do the right thing. In the grand scheme of things, Wilkins’ wages are pennies – how about having an off the record chat and agreeing to part company at the end of the season – a natural break – where Wilkins could have left with some dignity and as far as the outside world was concerned, on his own terms. It’s the least he deserves.
* Contact Trizia on Trizia_f@hotmail.com
