The Daily Discussion - Carlo Ancelotti: Closing Time in Copenhagen?

By Simon Warner

Saturday 6^th November

Having sailed through to the knock-out stages of the Champions League and sitting comfortably on top of the Premier League, Chelsea are preparing to regain their 5 point lead with a trip to Anfield where they will face a Liverpool side currently languishing in the relegation zone.

After securing a domestic league and cup double in his first season, Champions League glory, painfully elusive thus far, looked a realistic target for Carlo Ancelotti this season. If I had also given you the foresight of an easy Champion League draw and a further £75m cash injection in January that would deliver Torres and Luiz, bookies will have been seriously slashing odds on Chelsea achieving this feat.

Saturday 19^th February

A run of just 5 wins in 16 Premier league games and a draining FA cup exit at the Bridge means that Ancelotti takes his battered squad to Copenhagen tonight in a bid to save their season, and possibly his seemingly precarious position at the club.

Chelsea have not finished outside of the top three since 2003, yet they now find themselves 5^th in the league and embroiled in a battle for a Champions League qualifying place. Carlo Ancelotti admitted only yesterday that just two of his “superstars” are showing any semblance of form so FC Copenhagen will fancy their chances in the Parken Stadium tonight, a match that only a few months ago many Chelsea fans will have merely considered a “bye” to the last eight.

So would a Champions League trophy preserve Ancelotti’s role at the club? Should he even be given the opportunity to be the first Chelsea manager to win the prestigious trophy? Is there any value in sacking him now? Is there any value in keeping him now? Roman may have previously turned to his golden Guus at this stage but Hiddink’s contract with the Turkish Football Federation as national manager removes this option. More importantly, are there any suitable replacements?

One thing is for certain, lose tonight in the Danish capital and Carlo will become even more jittery when “Roman” lights up as an incoming call on his blackberry.