Tag: Carlo Ancelotti

The One With the Quarter Finals…

La Liga Lounge returns with a Champions League special after this week’s first leg matches in the quarter-finals.

As the competition reaches its business end, Sophie and Ben discuss Barcelona’s depleted defence (who will partner Piqué?), Messi’s mini-absence, disagree on Víctor Valdés and question whether the Catalans have a mental issue late in games.

The Lounge bar staff also talk Madrid and how it’s all coming together for Mourinho, Casillas vs Diego López, the strikers and how this could be their year. We also chat Cristiano Ronaldo, look at his amazing stats and those of Messi, remember Ronaldinho, weigh up Neymar and big up Málaga, probably the story of this Champions League campaign. Will we see them back next year?

And the show wouldn’t be complete without predictions, some banter, fun, info, insight and interaction. From Sophie in LA and Ben in Barcelona, to you the world: This is La Liga Lounge…The One with the Champions League Quarters. Join us! It’s always happy hour here.

Joe Cole finds love…

Joe Cole has moved to Liverpool as a free agent and he couldn’t be happier. Having lost his way at Chelsea over the last couple of seasons, Joe was certainly ready for a new challenge. Could this move be the making of his career?

When he first burst onto the football scene at West Ham United as a wee puppy, Joe Cole was deemed a future England superstar. And when he scored that beautiful self-made volley for England against Sweden in World Cup 2006, we all thought he would go on and evolve into a very special player as everyone had predicted. He certainly played well and won lots with Chelsea, but I don’t think we’ve seen the magic he is capable of in recent seasons.

Joe Cole now gets the opportunity to play with Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. And as Liverpool had nothing short of a mediocre season last term, Joe can certainly become an instant hero with the Kop, if he gets off to a good start. He was excited to sign-up for Roy Hodgson’s Liverpool revolution and can play a key part in lifting the hopes of their fans as they begin their battle for the title once again. Can he make a winning difference to Liverpool?

At Chelsea, Joe Cole felt very under appreciated and he wasn’t feeling the love at all. His relationship with Ancelotti was strained and he believed he was worth a lot more than the recently crowned Premier League Champions did. In Liverpool, he feels he is playing for the best club in the world and he is certainly feeling the love from the club and the fans.

Could this London lad fall in love with one of England’s most beloved Northern teams? He has 19 million reasons to…

Inhale…exhale…Chelsea have a new coach…

FBL-ENG-ITA-PR-CHELSEA-ACMILAN-ANCELOTTINot that I want this to become a Chelsea blog…but news is news people! Carlo Ancelotti was today named as the successor to Guus Hiddink. Do you think Chelsea hired Ancelotti because he looks a little like Guus? Check out the picture of Guus with the F.A. Cup below and judge for yourselves. Perhaps the owner and executive team hired the Italian master so the players can feel “comfortable” with a familiar face in the dressing room! 

Chelsea have hired someone with real pedigree in Carlo Ancelotti. He has been hugely successful in his career as a player and a coach. Ancelotti arrives at Stamford Bridge following a mediocre season at AC Milan, but don’t be fooled…this man has won it all! The Italian Cup, the Super Cup, the World Club Championship, the UEFA Cup and Serie A. He is also part of an elite footballing group being one of only 6 players who have won the Champions League as a player and a coach. The most recent coach to do that was Pep Guardiola this year with Barcelona. 

Ancelotti is an interesting character too. I think he’ll live upto that character a lot more than Phil Scolari did. Some people say he’s as fascinating as Jose Mourinho. In order to manage a club like Chelsea or the “big four” in general, you have to have that something special. Hiddink had it, plus he also started to help erase the memory of Mourinho during his time with the Blues. If you look at Ancelotti’s successes as a player and coach, it appears he might be able to erase the memory of Mourinho completely in his first season. Unless he smokes during training of course and gives his players unnecessary respiratory problems to the point where they are unable to compete and have to forfeit their season.

Do you think Chelsea have made the right choice? Can you see them winning the title with Ancelotti next season? Do you think the Italian master will bring any of his ex-players with him from AC Milan? And will he be able to square-up to Rafa Benitez, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger?