Ancelotti rewarded for loyalty to players

MIDWAY through the second half, during a period when the Wigan goalkeeper Mike Pollitt appeared to be stuck in a never-ending cycle of collecting the ball from the back of his net, Stamford Bridge echoed to the chant “that’s why we’re champions”.

With Didier Drogba’s opening goal – Chelsea’s fifth – ensuring Carlo Ancelotti’s side became the first Premier League side to pass the 100-goal mark, it was hard to disagree with the sentiment of the delirious home supporters.

Chelsea didn’t just stroll to the title. They might as well have lit up several large cigars and poured champagne from chilled jeroboams during the second half when the strengths of this team were displayed in all their brutal glory.

This stirring championship triumph didn’t just happen, though. This victory owed everything to Ancelotti and his ability to carve out an impressively successful team from a disparate group of players whose best days appeared to have been behind them.

Not only that, the Italian preserved the strength and unity of his squad in the face of a litany of problems that struck both on and off the pitch.

Twelve months ago, the west London club appeared to be at the crossroads and, after a season of relative inactivity in the transfer market, appeared set to take the wrong turning.

While Guus Hiddink had restored a sense of order during the second half of last season after the chaotic final days of the Luiz Felipe Scolari era and delivered the FA Cup to the club, there was little doubt Ancelotti had plenty of work to do to transform Chelsea into title winners.

Like Avram Grant, Scolari and Hiddink have had to do before him, Ancelotti has had to win over the confidence of a group of self-assured, powerful senior players. The views of John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack and Petr Cech all hold sway at Stamford Bridge and Scolari admitted he was never able to convince Cech and Ballack of the validity of his methods despite his record as a World Cup winner with Brazil.

Ancelotti has never had any such problems, imposing his quiet authority in a way that never threatened the players’ sense of status. Quite the opposite.

It has always been clear that a player’s age is of little consequence to the Italian – his success with a geriatric AC Milan squad is clear evidence of that.

And his stance during the blitz of negative headlines that accompanied the allegations of extra-marital affairs by John Terry and Ashley Cole consolidated his standing in the eyes of the players.

There was no public huffing or display of indignation. Ancelotti couldn’t have appeared less bothered by the lurid tales if he had tried.

True, owner Roman Abramovich eventually tired of the negative publicity and called a meeting where the players were instructed in no uncertain terms that the name of the club must never again be dragged through the mud.

But Ancelotti had made his point. His loyalty was to his players and his players responded magnificently.

Terry himself has recovered from the alarming drop in form that occurred when his domestic life was laid bare to the world and is finally again looking a top class defender.

Didier Drogba, meanwhile, has been transformed. The Ivorian has a childlike streak running through him – his astonishing display of sulking petulance when Frank Lampard denied him the chance to take the first-half penalty was stark testimony to that – and he struck an extended tantrum when he failed to gel with Scolari.

Frequently out of the team, it seemed only a matter of time before the striker was moved on to see out his days elsewhere.

Not any more. Drogba has been rehabilitated spectacularly to the extent where there was a sense of inevitability to him claiming the Golden Boot. Twenty nine league goals is a good return by anyone’s standards, and is all the more impressive given the forward spent the month of January on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Around him Florent Malouda has matured impressively while Frank Lampard remains as sprightly as he ever did, despite now being the wrong side of 30.

Questions arose about Ancelotti’s ability to take the club forward after the humiliating Champions League exit at the hands of Inter Milan and, painfully, Mourinho. There were even calls for Roman Abramovich to bring the Portuguese back.

True, Ancelotti had been out-foxed, but the way he restored unity and direction at the club once the main target has been snatched from their sights has been highly impressive.

It’s been a long time coming but, tellingly, Ancelotti’s name was also chanted by the Chelsea fans during his hour of triumph, evidence that a strong relationship is beginning to emerge between club, supporters and manager.

The Italian may lack the wit and charisma of Mourinho, but he has taken the first step towards establishing a dynasty that could ultimately eclipse the achievements of his predecessor.