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.

The memory that will bulwark Ancelotti’s confidence in the hours before kick-off is not that of the largely meaningless Community Shield victory in August but his last competitive encounter with Ferguson, a Champions League semi-final with AC Milan in 2007 which saw United crushed 3-0 in the deciding leg at San Siro — a result which must be ranked as one of the most chastening in Ferguson’s career.

“There was a particular atmosphere for that match,” Ancelotti recalled. “We had lost the first leg in the last minute at United and I think that goal forced my team to play in a more attacking style. At the same time, United thought about defending but after 15 minutes we were 2-0 up. We created a special atmosphere.”

Ancelotti’s recollections of encounters with United are not all rose tinted. His first, another Champions League semi-final in 1999, saw his Juventus side leak a last-minute goal in the first leg at Old Trafford, with Ancelotti’s fury only allayed when Ferguson introduced him to that most British of traditions — the post-match glass of wine. “I was very angry but Alex was very kind to me. He offered me some wine after the game. At first, I didn’t know what to think: in Italy, after a game you’re a bit too nervous and emotional to drink with the opposition manager, so I appreciated this. After the wine, I felt better!”

Ancelotti has already identified a suitably fancy bottle of plonk for the pair to savour at Stamford Bridge tomorrow afternoon, although the Italian is confident he will not have any sorrows to drown. He has identified several weakness for his side to attack as Chelsea, currently two points ahead of second-placed United, bid to take the title race in a chokehold.

Ancelotti considers Ferguson’s defence to be significantly weaker in the absence of Rio Ferdinand, who misses tomorrow’s game through injury, and he believes Liverpool proved two weeks ago how United’s midfield can be dominated by the sort of high-energy, muscular approach in which Chelsea specialise.

“United can suffer when there’s pressure on their midfielders,” he observed. “Everyone has a weakness and no side is invincible. Now we want to put our own qualities on the pitch. We know that we are in a very good place at the moment.”

Ancelotti’s perky mood was made even brighter by the news that the club’s 12-month transfer ban for allegedly inducing the French teenager Gael Kakuta to break his contract with Lens had been suspended, pending an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. With the west Londoners’ case unlikely to be heard until February at the earliest, that means they will be free to make signings in January.

That represents a significant boost to Chelsea, who stand to lose four players — Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, John Obi Mikel and Michael Essien — to the African Cup of Nations although Ancelotti hinted he saw little need to perform major squad surgery.

“We now have the possibility to look for new players thanks to this decision, and we have time to look for new players but we don’t want to take a decision in this moment.

“I know we will lose four players in January but if we maintain the players’ fitness we can have a good period without the African players.”