Edging through mid-march, many big games and telling moments are looming on the horizon, but tonight’s clash against Jose Mourinho’s Inter might just define what will follow. If Chelsea get past Inter at Stamford Bridge tonight they will feel they can beat anyone; if they don’t, April and May could become a very turgid slog indeed.
Ancelotti’s Chelsea is a side riddled with inconsistencies. On the one hand, it is a team still known for its miserly defence, but it is also the side that has conceded more goals this season than in any of the previous five. Elsewhere, Chelsea look to be on course to score a club record number of goals in the league, but have still looked devoid of creativity and attacking threat in many games. This is the team that have played some exquisite passing football in fits and starts, but also the team that have all too often relied on the Didier Drogba battering ram to get results. There are more: supreme at home, dire away; irrepressible against Arsenal, weak against Man City; big in spirit, unresponsive to adversity.
Sure, some of these ‘inconsistencies’ are also strengths, but on the whole they represent how a season so rich with promise has come to stutter of late as the momentum in the Premier League was gifted to Man Utd and Arsenal.
Tonight’s match could well determine which way the season will go, which side of Chelsea’s inconsistency will prosper. By rights, Chelsea should go through: they are the better team with the greater recent Champions League pedigree. Whilst Inter have struggled to get past the second round of the competition over the past half decade, Chelsea have suffered painful exits in four semi finals and one final. Italian clubs haven’t travelled well in Europe of late, either.
But Inter looked different in the first leg at the San Siro, and were more than good enough to beat a Chelsea side not firing on all cylinders. In Mourinho they have an already very adept manager given the added bonus of knowing his opposition’s players better than their own manager does. He knows how to beat Chelsea.
Inter will play it tight. They will pack the midfield, allow Chelsea the ball and look for Eto’o, Pandev and Milito to strike on the break. Chelsea will need to be patient and, above all, disciplined – Ancelotti can’t afford for his midfield to be so generous with possession as they were in Milan.
Progress to the next round by overturning a first leg deficit and Chelsea will look forward with confidence to upcoming tricky league games against Man Utd, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Spurs. The team will have proved to itself that it is still capable of winning the most meaningful games, and will still have crucial players to return from injury to energise the squad.
Go out and, with egos and hopes bruised at the passing of the last chance to win the trophy for many players, the remaining dozen games could become a very hard slog indeed.
Cause for optimism- Chelsea have won 87% of games at Stamford Bridge, scoring 68 goals in the process. Cause for concern – Chelsea have conceded 16 goals at home this season and have only come from behind to win four times in total. How do you think tonight will go? Post a comment.
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Unsurprisingly, another negative article.
And don't give me "realist" BS, it's not realism, it's pessimism for the sake of it.
Posted by: Stephen | 16 March 2010 at 11:14
Stephen - thanks for your comment. Bit confused though. I haven't actually suggested that Chelsea will lose, have I? All I've said is that, should Chelsea lose, it could be a very bad omen for the rest of the season - and listed my reasons why. I actually think I've been quite fair in my praise of Chelsea's strengths and criticism of failures so far this season.
As it goes, I think the game is very finely balanced and should be fascinating for the netural. For the rest of us, nail-biting.
Great that you're positive going into the game. Where will we win it?
Posted by: bridgeviews.co.uk | 16 March 2010 at 11:20
I think you sum up our inconsistencies very well indeed - good article. Can anyone say that we go in to any match with the confidence that we had under JM - we are capable of giving games away now that we always one before. We could demolish Inter tonight or.... and that's the inconsistency that you highlight
Posted by: Steviej | 16 March 2010 at 11:31
should of course be "won" and not one duh!!
Posted by: Steviej | 16 March 2010 at 11:32
shud qualify some how....doent matter how....be it a Lucio OG...
Posted by: Zaneeb Sayed | 16 March 2010 at 12:39
i really hope chelsea win this game....in term of player...both club have a lot quality player....but they have Jose Maurinho...great manager...with the ability to read the game...read the opponent weakness and exploit it....something that carlo missing...carlo tend to stick with early game plan...even if its doesn't work...but i still believe if the player are on top tonight...we will beat them...
peace
Posted by: syed master | 16 March 2010 at 16:18
People we will win tonight as I have studied videos of Inter Milan and have pinpointed their weaknesses.
Chelsea to be 1-0 up at half time and to score 2 more in the last 20 mins when they get tired.
3-0 Chelsea.
Posted by: chelseadaft | 16 March 2010 at 16:37
We should have never fired The Special One. Good win for Inter over a surprisingly near lifeless Chelsea. Aside from a couple of penalty appeals, Chelsea just couldn't produce tonight.
Another year, another disappointment in Europe.
Damn it!
And Terry needs to stop crying to officials and telling them it's their fault. He needs to be more concerned with not letting Eto'o cut straight through the middle for the goal. So disappointed with Chelsea right now. I'm lost. I'm awaiting a trophyless season as I'm sure the team will fall apart after this.
Posted by: Josh | 16 March 2010 at 21:41
to be honest...inter are the better side in this game...in the first half we play better than second half but inter back 4 are solid...especially lucio and maicon...
once again jose exploit the weakness in carlo tactical approach...we lost the game when zhirkov are sub with kalou...its true we need better option in front to get a gol..but after that inter control game completely...
and yeah...Jose Maurinho should never be fired in the first place.....
PEACE
Posted by: Syd master | 17 March 2010 at 04:08