PREMIER LEAGUE:CARLO ANCELOTTI has accepted his share of responsibility for what will end as the worst season Chelsea have endured in the Roman Abramovich era and admitted it would "not be a problem" if the owner decided to sack him at the end of the campaign.
Elimination from the Champions League by Manchester United in midweek has left Chelsea with seven league games to achieve, realistically, a second-place finish at best.
Abramovich and chief executive Ron Gourlay are intent upon reviewing the campaign in full next month before announcing a decision on the Italian’s future, though it is expected he will become the sixth manager to depart Stamford Bridge over the oligarch’s eight-year reign.
Ancelotti was admirably dignified in addressing his precarious situation yesterday, but, with shades of the inevitability of Claudio Ranieri’s departure from the club in 2004, appeared somewhat resigned to his fate.
“The club can judge the job I’ve done,” he said. “If they decide at the end of the season that it was not good enough, they have to change. Without problem. I always respect the decision of the club. I have a contract [to 2012] and everyone knows this, but, at the end of the season, the club can decide if I am to continue here or if they want to change. For me, this is not a problem.”
He acknowledged, too, his failings over a traumatic campaign.
“I could do better, I could do better,” he said. “But I don’t have to justify anything because I’ve been working here for two years. So what do I have to justify? Nothing. I try to do my best every time.
“I don’t know if he will make a decision over just this year or over my two years here. I think it should be judged over two.
“It’s not the moment now to make a decision if I stay or go because, now, it is not possible to make a decision with a ‘cold’ mind. It’s better to wait and see what happens at the end of the season.
“I have plans for the team next season, I’m sure, but I haven’t spoken about those [with the owner] yet. I hope I have the chance to discuss them.
“I don’t know if this is fair or unfair on me. I’m not the right person to judge that. I’m just doing a job here and the club have to decide if that job has been good enough.”
While the Italian’s mood yesterday suggested he expected to be leaving the club, he remains intent on seeing out the season with a flourish, starting with today’s tricky trip to West Bromwich Albion.
“We have to use this game as a measure of our character, our personality, our strength,” he added.
“It’s easy to prepare for a semi-final in the Champions League and harder to be motivated for this kind of game. But it is a good opportunity to show everyone that we are strong and have character.”
Guardian Service
