วันพุธที่ 24 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2553

Ancelotti sets title target for Blues


Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti has set his team a target of 86 points to win the Premier League.

Chelsea currently lie in third place with 65 points, but victory over Portsmouth at Fratton Park tomorrow would leave them just a point behind leaders Manchester United with seven games remaining.

The Blues then face Aston Villa at home and United at Old Trafford, but Ancelotti insists the title can still be won and believes 86 points will be enough to guarantee them glory.

After their disappointing 1-1 draw with Blackburn on Sunday, Ancelotti wants his side to bounce back in style against Portsmouth and rekindle their title hopes.

"I like statistics and I think that, in the past, with 86 points every team has won the title," Ancelotti said. "I think that we need to get 86 points to win.

"We have less opportunity to win after last week because we lost two points at Blackburn, but we can have a chance again to win this title and we will do everything we can to do so. It's very important for us.

"Now I want to believe we can win the championship and I want to stay focused on my job and give my players knowledge to win their next games.

"I always said that I want to give respect to my players and I want to have respect. I think this is the right behaviour and I think that, this season, everything is right with the players. I am happy with my players' attitude.

"We are disappointed about the last matches. We are out of the Champions League and lost our position at the top of the table, but everyone has kept putting in the right behaviour. The players, the club, we want to stay together at this difficult moment. This is the best thing to do at this particular moment.

"We had possibilities to win more and we didn't, so for this we are disappointed, but we put more intensity into our jobs.

"We have to have more discipline on the pitch. We have to stay more focused on our defensive positions.

"When we don't win, we are disappointed, and above all the game against Blackburn because it was a very important game, but we have a possibility to come back and win tomorrow.

"We need to win to close this moment. I'm sure that, with a victory, this moment will be behind us."

Ancelotti also believes that he will still be in charge of Chelsea even if they do not win any silverware this season.

While other managers have been shown the door for failing to win trophies, the Italian is adamant he will remain at Stamford Bridge for the remainder of his contract.

"My future is definitely at Chelsea next season," added Ancelotti. "I can confirm that. I have two more years of contract and I have no problem confirming this."

Ancelotti also made it clear that he expects England midfielder Joe Cole to be part of his plans, even though Cole said that the lack of talks over a new contract is becoming a distraction.

Cole's contract expires at the end of the season and there is no new offer on the table at the present time.

But Ancelotti said: "He will be here next season because the player wants to stay and the club wants to keep him in the squad.

"There is a time to speak about his contract. I have passed this to the club. I gave my technical opinion about this player, and nothing else.

"I think Joe is showing a pleasure to stay and play for this club. He's doing a very good job, he's very professional and he has a very good relationship with his other team-mates.

"It's a very important moment for him and the other players to show his quality to stay in the squad for the World Cup with England.

"He wants to play, I know that, and he's doing everything he can in training to show me his quality. Sometimes he's played and sometimes he's stayed out, but that's what happens at the big teams."

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