Deja Vu Pervades As Carlo Ancelotti's Reign Gets Off To a Flier

As far as new dawns go, the early days of life under Carlo Ancelotti have gone swimmingly for Chelsea.

A trophy in the cabinet at the first opportunity with the club's first penalty shootout victory in over 10 years and six points from six in the Premier League—you could hardly ask for more.

Didier Drogba appears revitalised, Frank Lampard is his usual self. Even the much-maligned Deco is playing well. He was in scintillating form in the Blues’ 3-1 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, so much so that the Portuguese midfielder got a standing ovation from the home fans when he was substituted.

With both Liverpool and Manchester United slipping to early season defeats—to Tottenham and Burnley, respectively—many are tipping Ancelotti’s men to take the title back to West London for the first time in three years.

But history makes me cautious. I can’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu.

Last season also began well for Chelsea, hammering Portsmouth 4-0 at Stamford Bridge. Deco followed up his well-taken finish in that game to give his side a 1-0 victory over Wigan with a brilliant free kick.

Chelsea fans thought we had a real star on our hands, and pundits couldn’t see any other outcome than Luiz Felipe Scolari winning the league in his maiden season.

I’ll admit to getting slightly carried away during the early part of last season. I was practically purring at the football we were playing. The match reports I filed for games against the likes of Aston Villa (2-0) and Middlesbrough (5-0) reflect this.

Then things began to unravel. Teams began to fathom the secret to Scolari’s briefly dazzling Brazilian blend: Once Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole were neutralised, Chelsea began to run into problems. They had no width.

Faced with a defensively resolute side, Scolari’s team appeared lacking in ideas and points were soon dropped.

Deco’s form took a remarkable nosedive and he bore no resemblance to the midfielder that won the player of the month award for August.

The squad that Ancelotti has at his disposal is basically the same, and watching the Hull City game I couldn’t get over how much it reminded me of so many games under the Brazilian last season.

Bosingwa and Cole were relied upon for the width, and frustration soon ensued when Hull looked like they would hold firm for a draw. A fortunate Drogba goal—his second of the match—ensured Ancelotti began with three points, but the Italian was minutes away from making a very inauspicious start to life in England.

Manchester United—Chelsea’s main title rivals over the past four years—have been written off by many due to the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. It appeared as if these claims had been given further weight by last night’s shocking 1-0 loss to Burnley. But Sir Alex Ferguson’s men are notoriously slow starters domestically.

The league is contested over 38 games. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Of course there are differences between Scolari and Ancelotti and their teams.

Ancelotti has top level European experience with AC Milan, winning a league title and two Champions League trophies. Scolari had a World Cup on his CV but no experience in domestic European football.

One crucial difference in terms of personnel is that Ancelotti has a fully fit and motivated Drogba to call upon right from the off, and is willing to pair him up front with Nicolas Anelka—something that Scolari seemed reluctant to do.

The brooding striker has been talismanic for Chelsea since his arrival from Marseille in 2004, and it is hard to see him being anything but scintillating during the season ahead.

He could prove the key difference between the reigns of the two managers. If Ancelotti can call on a fit Drogba for most of the season, then he may well succeed where Scolari failed.

Without the benefit of a crystal ball it is hard to predict how the rest of the season will pan out. Things look good for the Blues at the moment, but I think it is worth bearing in mind that Blues fans felt exactly the same a year ago.

As the old saying goes, “once bitten, twice shy.” Only time will tell if my caution is warranted.