Men against Tractor boys doesn’t fool Ancelotti
CHELSEA (7) vs IPSWICH TOWN (0)
CHELSEA manager Carlo Ancelotti admits he remains unhappy at his side’s current predicament despite an emphatic return to goalscoring form in the FA Cup.
The holders extended their unbeaten run in this competition to 14 matches with a demolition of managerless Championship outfit Ipswich Town, who sacked Roy Keane on Friday.
Salomon Kalou, Nicolas Anelka, an own goal from Carlos Edwards and two apiece from Frank Lampard and Daniel Sturridge saw normal service return to Stamford Bridge, following their recent Premier League travails.
A failure to win nine of their previous 11 games has prompted owner Roman Abramovich to schedule showdown talks with Ancelotti (below) this week, and the Italian conceded a thrashing of inferior, and hideously disorganised opponents, will have done little to strengthen his ailing hand.
He said: “I think everyone here has a better feeling, a better sensation, after this victory. But nothing’s changed. We have to keep going. We have possibilities to be competitive. Nobody’s happy at the moment. We hope this moment has gone, but now we have to wait.
“We have to give the same performance next week against Blackburn. We have to wait to say everything is ‘ok’. We have some things we can do better, but it was important to play well today.”
Chelsea rediscovered their goalscoring touch in a devastating 17 minute spell either side of half-time in which Marton Fulop – who also conceded seven goals on this ground last season for Sunderland – shipped five times.
Kalou set the ball rolling in the 33rd, before Sturridge justified his selection with a clever flick at the near post a minute later. And any hopes of a comeback were doused when Edwards nodded a Lampard free-kick beyond his hapless goalkeeper four minutes beyond the interval.
After the break Anelka happily accepted the opportunity to end a two-month drought from a tight angle and Sturridge, who scored five for the reserves against Spurs in midweek, curled home a beauty from the next attack. Lampard, back to somewhere near his best, added a late brace to complete the thrashing.
FOURTH ROUND DRAW
Torquay v Crawley Town/Derby
Watford v Brighton
Bolton v Wigan
Arsenal/Leeds v Huddersfield
Fulham v Tottenham
Everton v Chelsea
Southampton v Manchester United
Swansea v Leyton Orient
Burnley v Burton
Birmingham v Coventry
Doncaster/Wolves v Stoke/Cardiff
Notts County v Leicester or Man City
Stevenage v Reading
Aston Villa v Blackburn Rovers
West Ham v Nottingham Forest
Sheff Wed v Wycombe/Hereford
Ties to be played 29 and 30 January