Chelsea Comment: Carlo Ancelotti Finds Path Of Least Resistance In Dealing With Florent Malouda And Watford

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti might have needed reminding of the value of the FA Cup, but yesterday his players showed they clearly don't need a refresher courses on how to beat lower league opposition.Clubs from the Championship (or even lower down the footballing pyramid) can be trickery propositions, as Manchester United found out to their cost yesterday at Old Trafford, but two goals from Daniel Sturridge, an own goal from John Eustace, and strikes apiece from midfielders Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda ensured the Stamford Bridge faithful witnessed a comfortable 5-0 win over nearby Watford.After the game, Ancelotti seemed sanguine when asked about the topic the media were most interested in: A report from French newspaper L’Equipe that quoted Florent Malouda as being unhappy at being left out of the big games and unfairly overlooked in favour of Lampard:“I explained my position, he explained his and for me it was finished,” Ancelotti said in his post-match press conference. “Afterwards he spoke with the French press, but for me it’s not a problem. It’s normal that a player wants to play in important games, but every game is important, and he has played a lot of games. I was a player and when I didn’t play I was a little frustrated, but it’s important when you don’t play to have a good reaction.”For his part, Malouda went down the well-worn path of insisting he had been misquoted:"Nothing that you could read today came out of my mouth,” Malouda told Chelsea TV after the game.
"I was really shocked and surprised when I came and we had a meeting at quarter-to-12 when I discovered my words."My reaction was to go and talk with the manager and talk with 'Lamps' [Lampard] and the meeting was clear. The rest, I don't want to talk about that because they did it on purpose and tried to put trouble in our team.”As for matters on the pitch, however, both player and coach were pleased with what they saw, particularly in the performance of Daniel Sturridge — who needs to have a good month for the club.“Sturridge played very well and for us it’s important because without Drogba and the African players it’s necessary to have players in good condition in January,” he said. “For a striker it’s important to score. It’s what he deserved because he has trained very well for a month. This performance was very important for him to improve his confidence. He has great quality and he can show it on the pitch in January.”
Perhaps of greatest relief to the Italian, neither Lampard or Malouda showed any negative effects of the midweek media speculation surrounding them.“I am proud of the way we played because that is the best way to answer and to show that we are partners and we are all trying to win things together,” Malouda said."I think Lamps and me reacted very well on the pitch. He scored a wonderful goal and me a goal off my shin and it was a good day to score for me. We have to look forward and I don't care what is written because I know it is not coming from my mouth."Whether Malouda's latest assertions are the truth — considering Ancelotti's comments seem to acknowledge that the 28-year-old both spoke to L'Equipe last week and does indeed harbour the gripes they reported — is perhaps debatable. Either way, Ancelotti has arguably passed on the perfect opportunity to assert his authority over the squad.With squad strength diminished and chances of additions in January slim (yesterday Ancelotti reiterated his pledge to run round the training ground naked if they buy in the window; but “I do not want to go naked in the cold”), perhaps practical considerations were at the forefront of the former AC Milan manager’s mind when he decided to play it cool on Malouda’s comments.
He can ill-afford to punish the Frenchman now, especially as — with a lack of strikers to lead the line and correct personell to fill the diamond — it looks likely he will rely even more on the width the former Olympique Lyonnais man can provide in the coming weeks.But surely at some point Ancelotti will have to brandish the stick to go with the carrot. The players need to fear him nearly as much as they respect him — and his authority needs to be nigh-on unquestionable.That is the difference between the success Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink had at the club, and the failure of Luiz Felipe Scolari and Avram Grant to keep their jobs.Malouda’s criticism can easily be brushed off, but when it is Lampard or Terry with the comments — players who arguably are being allowed to further cement their power and influence at the club as Ancelotti refuses to rebuke them (Malouda's comments about Lampard's status are perhaps accurate, and Ancelotti should surely have had more to say about Terry's underhand training ground tours) — then the problems will be harder to brush away.For now, however, Ancelotti is clearly steering his squad down the path of least resistance, hoping that is the best way to get them through what could be a trickery January period. In that respect at least, so far so good. /Goal/