Ancelotti’s Blues ready to put on vintage show for Ferguson

THERE are many rites of passage thrown up for Premier League novices but surely none as daunting as a first encounter with Alex Ferguson.

For all his reputation as a managerial fairy godfather, on hand to offer advice or consolation to his professional peers, Ferguson is a ruthless competitor whose reputation is enough to make coaches quiver in their tracksuits.

Luckily for Chelsea, Carlo Ancelotti is no greenhorn. Tomorrow’s summit meeting with United at Stamford Bridge might be the first occasion he has duelled with Ferguson in English league football, but the Italian’s CV is studded with triumphs over the Scot. It is doubtful any manager can claim to have a psychological advantage over a character like Ferguson, but Ancelotti might be as close as it comes.