Carlo Ancelotti had more than Wigan Athletic on his mind at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
While a single score was enough to see off the stubborn Latics, Carlo had a grander agenda. Let’s go through Ancelotti’s goals and see what the real score was.
Goal #1: Win the match
Mission accomplished. An ugly goal in the 67th minute was the only tally of the match. Off a corner kick, Malouda was the third Chelsea player to touch the ball, after a Luiz backward header and an Ivanovic effort that was blocked. Malouda bundled it in thanks in large part to Torres blocking Wigan keeper Al Habsi.
Goal #2 : Find form
Mission not accomplished. Chelsea started in the 4-3-3 that has brought them so much success over the years. Torres was on the bench and Terry in the stands for a kip. Chelsea started brightly. The ball movement was crisp and they took the attack to Wigan. They could have had the lead after just 2 minutes but Lampard missed a sitter off an excellent Drogba cross.
The constant for Chelsea on Saturday was Didier Drogba. He looks quick, confident and strong again. The effects of his malaria seem to have receded. Perhaps the competition for his job is also giving his play a jolt.
But after about 25 minutes and no goals despite constantly threatening, Chelsea went off the boil as they have so many times this season. Wigan had a good spell of possession and the home team’s defense began to look a bit shaky. Luiz even got himself turned again and found himself on the wrong side of the ball, Rodallega shooting harmlessly.
Benayoun came on for Mikel and Chelsea switched to a 4-4-2 to begin the second half. Again, Chelsea piled on the pressure. But we saw the same problem that has plagued this team all season. They can create chances, but they cannot finish them off. Everyone was wasteful but perhaps Torres was the most wasteful of them all. More on him later.
In the end, the ugly goal was all it took. Once behind, Wigan took chances and opened up. That, in turn, opened up more opportunities for the Blues.
But if we’re looking for some kind of form heading up to Old Trafford, none was in evidence. Chelsea continue to squander chances. One wonders what management think about Daniel Sturridge putting 2 by the Hammers, raising his loan tally to 6.
Goal #3: Use injured players
Mission accomplished. Yossi Benayoun came on to start the second half. It’s not an exaggeration to say that he was Chelsea’s most creative player. He showed pace and accuracy. When Torres came on 15 minutes later the two seemed to immediately have an understanding. Their years of playing together at Anfield show.
This is Benayoun’s first game in 6 months. He probably doesn’t have the fitness to go an entire 90 minutes. But his effectiveness against Wigan — and Chelsea’s desperate situation against Manchester United in the Champions League — makes one wonder if he might be in the starting line-up come Tuesday. He was that good. And Chelsea’s midfield has been that bad.
Otherwise, Alex finally played a game, coming on in the 75th minute and not having any problems. That’s a good sign.
Goal #4: Break Torres’ duck
Mission not accomplished. In fact, Torres’ lack of production looks more dire now than at any time since he joined Chelsea. My match notes are filled with chances he couldn’t capitalize on. Torres is a classic center-forward, a true #9. But when presented with classic #9 chances, he couldn’t take them. It was all summed-up in the 71st minute. A high, long ball came down to Torres on a breakaway. He was ahead of his man with just the keeper to beat. Meat and potatoes for a #9. But Torres couldn’t control the ball. He lost it and the chance was gone. 
That was a microcosm of his form. His touch is gone. The things that made him special are in hibernation.
Personally, I think he’s just worn out, both mentally and physically. His body has taken a constant beating since last season. He played through the World Cup whilst injured, eventually being benched. He played through turmoil at Liverpool. He was injured again. Then the drama and the expectations of being transferred to Chelsea.
There’s no reason to think Torres can’t be a top striker again. But it will take more than scoring a goal to make him well. I think he needs a full off-season away from the game. He needs to heal his body and his mind. Come back fresh next season with an appetite for the game, and then we’ll see the true Fernando Torres.
Conclusion
After the Wigan match, Chelsea’s scorecard read 1-0. But Carlo Ancelotti’s reads 2-2. And he has plenty to be worried about as the season’s last chance for glory looms just hours way.
it’s a worry that carlo has gone back to 4.4.2 and a bigger worry when you consider he did not have the balls to attack the bottom team in the league but rather retreated into the italian mindset of the past where you create a stalemate with your opponent and hope you then nick a goal from a break or a set piece or they just get tired….it’s a big worry…I haven’t seen the game as yet but in truth have given up on carlo as being up to the job of turning things around…like on the titanic we are going full speed ahead sticking to the same game plans which equals very slow build up play all the time, unimaginative in bringing out the ball from defence, except for luiz, a midfield which plays like they are doing a training drill holding possession but are totally non-threatening for opposition defences and strikers who are on mass all failing, then throw in the lack of fight, players who should have been dropped but still play and vica versa, school boy mistakes in conceding goals, set pieces with limited success and home ground advantage which has eroded to the point where even the weakest of the weak fancy themselves for a point or 2 makes makes me think we need a very big make over…I hope the boys prove me wrong against manure.
433 wt dd in d middle flanKed by torres and anelka
since all our strikers our out of form
imagine if we had borini (3in3) or studge (6in8) something our strikers can’t do
we can even bench torres and play kalou
I had bn skeptical abt dt buy ever since considering dt aguero wudnt cost dt much…
we nid a midfield sitter even tWo to maintain d balance 4 the two flying full backs
to see chelsea performance below par is very worrying..no threatening, no creativity, chelsea player just dont know what to do when we expect they to perform aftr a lucksture performance week by week. i wonder what we are really missing right now…is it the departure of ray wilkins? to say carlo is impotent manager will be too harsh considering what he had bring last season, but to see his overall record with ac milan makes me think that he shlndt be our manager….he needs to have a quick response
Im not sure we can maintain 4-4-2. We have 3 strikers at present so it kind of carries, but our wings need to improve. More early crosses, snappier passing, I’d like to see someone like Hulk on the pitch, but hey ho.True Torres is tired, but it is more a case of when will he able to play for Chelsea and not have the squad revolve around him. We should start 4-3-3 with Drogba and Lampard starting. Yossi and Torres can be subbed in for anyone. Drogba can open the game up when he goes wide, I think that needs to be incorporated into the attack more against Man utd
wxwax loved the part where u say torres needs some time off i think that will be key he needs to rediscover his appetite fr goals!