http://www.chelseafc.com/article.asp?id=180756
Saturday, Jan 10, 2004
Chelsea have never really been out of the news since the events of the
summer but perhaps we’re making headlines for different reasons now. Plenty
of journalists were at Harlington for yesterday afternoon’s press conference
to preview Sunday’s trip to Leicester yet the fixture wasn’t the hot topic
of conversation.
Always honest, Claudio has admitted that the team are currently working
through a bad patch but he was very strong in his response at suggestions his
players lacked passion in Wednesday night’s defeat.
“No, that is not true. My players played with big hearts against
Liverpool. All the match they played very, very well with big hearts and with
a lot of thought to try to win the match.
“The story of the team is like the story of the family. When everything
is right everybody says oh that is right, that is right. But in life you
arrive at some bad moments, at those moments we must show our character, our
strength, and our philosophy.
“Then I understand everybody we lost against Liverpool, I don’t
understand when somebody says Chelsea players played without heart, no they
played very, very well. They are now getting better physically in every way
but of course we need now some good results.
“Of course all the teams have good moments physically and psychologically
, in everything, and everybody has bad moments, this is normal. When you said
to me Chelsea are like Arsenal, I said no we aren’t a team like them. Why?
Because when they are in bad condition they are a team
“When we feel good we show good football and everything is fantastic but
our problem is when we aren’t in good condition we need to do like them 1-1,
1-0. When we play so-so we draw or lose, that is the difference.”
Claudio’s post-match meeting with Roman Abramovich may have been making
the headlines since Wednesday, yet there was nothing abnormal. Roman always
visits the dressing room.
“It was the same. He wanted to see the atmosphere. I think he is satisfied
from this season so far. Of course like everybody else he is not happy from the
past month. I am not happy, the players aren’t happy and our fans aren’t
happy.” He paused and then added: “Peter Osgood aren’t happy!” and
everyone laughed.
As for Roman’s expectations, once again Claudio reiterated the philosophy
as he sees it.
“Only to build a team, not the title, not the Champions League. He
doesn’t expect nothing, he wants to build a team. He knows it is not easy to
build a team in one year. Progress of course, and we started very well. Now we
must continue in this way, not like in the past month.”
As the team prepares for its first trip to the Walkers Stadium it does so
without the injured Hernan Crespo who, following Wednesday, has joined the
absentee list. For Claudio, however, injuries do not create ready-made excuses.
“Look, I don’t like to say I don’t have Damien Duff, I don’t have
Emmanuel Petit, I don’t have Juan Sebastian Veron. I don’t like to do this.
All my players are important. Mutu hasn’t scored but he is working very well,
that is important for me. Strikers have some bad moments and good moments.
Maybe at the beginning he didn’t play well like now but he scored goals.”
Adrian may have not scored since his winner at Everton but Claudio is
pleased with the progress of the Romanian and is sure he will be back hitting
the net very soon.
“I always speak with all my players. I said to him: ‘Stay calm, I am
very happy with your performance.’ Of course he would like to score and I said
to him, if you remember well he scored his first goal with a free-kick shot on
the wall that came back and with the left foot he scored a fantastic goal. Now
five metres to the goal he touched the crossbar and the ball came out. That is
the story. He has a very strong character, never has he slowed down his
confidence.”
In the past people would have looked at the fixture and possibly thought
Sunday’s encounter a potential banana skin for Chelsea. However after the
victory against them at home, Wolves and Middlesbrough away, this Chelsea team
are going to Leicester for one thing - a result.
“Everybody is working well, everybody is focused on the next match and I
am very confident about it. For a time with this kind of team we had a problem
but now we are getting better and I think we’ll make a very good performance
on Sunday.”
And to end with some wise words from our manager.
“We are speaking like if Chelsea are very, very poor or in bad condition.
I have been given some statistics. Never Chelsea have won 42 points in this
period. Manchester United have only previously once made 50 points, now they
have 49. Arsenal never have had 46 points so far. And also Chelsea, 38 last
season, 42 this season. Everything is good.”
Carina Dell
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