Ancelotti urges Chelsea stars to keep cool

Carlo Ancelotti has urged his players to hold their nerve after Chelsea’s 1-0 loss at Birmingham left them clinging to the top of the Premier League only on goal difference.

On the day Ray Wilkins launched his legal bid for unfair dismissal against the Premier League title holders, Chelsea’s turbulent last couple of weeks took another turn for the worse as they recorded their third defeat in four games – their worst run since Roman Abramovich took charge of the club in 2003.

Losses against Liverpool, Sunderland and now their first reversal against Birmingham City in 30 years has raised serious doubts over the ability of Chelsea to defend their crown, but Ancelotti predicted they would hit a difficult patch this season and insists talk of a crisis within the club is unwarranted.

You have to go back to the end of the 2005-06 season when Chelsea last lost two Premier League games on the spin and that was the final two matches of a season in which they had already claimed the title under Jose Mourinho, but Ancelotti insists his team have to keep their nerve.

“I am a good magician. When everything was OK, I said there would be a difficult moment to arrive. It has arrived and we need to be able to move on quickly,” he said.

“We did not win because we were unlucky. I did not have to say anything to the players. They showed great spirit, great attitude and they wanted to win. It is a difficult moment for us, but we do not have to lose confidence.

“I was disappointed with the performance against Sunderland. This is a different disappointment, just for the result.

“You have to know that in one season it can happen. I said to my players not to lose confidence. You only have to be worried when you do not play good football.

“The spirit is still good. What has happened with Ray Wilkins has not affected us. We are focused on our job and our football. That has not been affected. I do not want to talk about what has happened with Ray Wilkins.”

Brazilian defender Alex played despite needing surgery on a knee problem and Chelsea will continue to postpone his need to go under the knife. But Ancelotti insists he will not attempt to rush back Frank Lampard or John Terry from injury to help solve the crisis.

Ancelotti feels that this season his bid to win a second title will be harder than his debut season and that is all the more reason why Chelsea cannot afford to squander too many more points.

“It is a strange Premier League this season. We have had chances to improve the gap and other teams have had chances to reach our level,” he said.

“It will be a long race for the title this time. It will be more difficult than last season. There is more balance in the Premier League.

“Lampard needs two more weeks and we have to see day by day with Terry. They are important players and they cannot be rushed back.”

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish, whose side won thanks to Lee Bowyer’s first half goal, feels his decision to sign England goalkeeper Ben Foster, who kept Chelsea at bay almost single-handedly, will prove to be a bargain despite the criticism of his midweek international performance against France.

“I thought the criticism of Foster for England was harsh. He was unlucky with the first goal against France because he got his feet stuck in the turf,” McLeish said.

“He has just carried on doing the solid work he has done for us since he came here. It shows how important it is to have a good goalkeeper. They win you championships, they save you points and they keep you in the Premier League.

“Chelsea are a great team, there is no doubt about it and it was like the Alamo in the second half and they will still be up there at the end of the season.”