Carlo won't be leaving Chelsea.

I was reading this article in the Sun today and it's not the only article that has been published in the last couple of days with regard to Carlo Ancelotti and his Chelsea future, with a possible return to Roma being touted in the Italian press.

Now many of you will have your own opinion's on the story and foundation of the rumours albeit from this particular newspaper, but rather than completley ignore what's being said, let's try to make sense of it or to try and at least see if this is a possibility.

I have posted a while back about the fact that Carlo Ancelotti seems to have to bite his lip and deal with what happened with Ray Wilkins. Since then, the club and Carlo have had no choice but to carry on and we all know our results have been awful.

Since then our second half performance against Spurs seems to have rekindled the Chelsea fire in our bellies as we look to kick on in the two biggest games of our season so far, but despite some positive reports coming out about meetings between Carlo and Roman and Carlo being given money to spend in January, the speculation about his position refuses to go away.

In football and in life there is always going to be speculation and gossip. Especially in football, but when it comes to Chelsea you get the impression that the press are waiting for the "next" Chelsea drama and are sitting there waiting to stick the knife in. Whether it's on the pitch or off the pitch you have to agree that we are never too far away from making headlines. Yes, I know some of our players have done that themselves for one reason or another but it seems these days the players have got their heads down are working hard.

The problem is our form and results. If Ray Wilkins had left the club and our form didn't suffer and we carried on playing well and winning games then you wouldn't be reading this post at all. It would be completley different. We all know our form has been the opposite and because of our success of recent seasons, the press have been going to town on us which is to be expected of course.

We have to remember that Chelsea have not taken lightly any losses of form with two of our previous Managers in Jose Mourinho and Felipe Scolari. Both Managers were sacked from the club after a dip in form saw our season fall apart. The press remembers what happened to them, our form in the last few games (just 6 points taken out of a possible 21) and have almost drawn the curtain down on Carlo's future as manager.

The problem we have had lately and I have posted on here a couple of times is that players have come out and spoken about "issues" in the media which hasn't helped or has added fuel to the fire in light of our current situation. Just this week, Florent Malouda has come out and said that Ray Wilkins' departure from the club has been "a strain". Why does he need to do that, and why now?.

Didier Drogba has come out and had a pop at our defence when he wasn't playing well himself, then went to Marseille and played the show pony routine for his fans there rather than concentrate on playing football, then after we lost, come out stating that we will bounce back which has infuriated me and no doubt Carlo Ancelotti. If he wasn't annoyed then surely reading the "quotes" from our players lately has been confusing when they haven't delivered personally on the pitch. 

So putting ourselves in Carlo's shoes right now would you be happy?. I wouldn't. Your right hand man and confidant you have had at the club since you started was taken away from you, your team isn't playing good football, you have lost games, dropped points and have constant rumour, speculation and are being questioned time and time again about your position at the club. You have come out, spoken honestly every time and have stated that you are not worried about your position at the club but still the same stories appear week after week.

We all can imagine the pressures that comes with being the Chelsea Manager. You come here with an expectation from the Owner, the Board and the fans to win trophies season in, season out. In your first season you delivered an historic double which was fantastic and right now you sit (even though we have only taken 6 points out of a possible 21) just three points behind Man United in the League (playing them at home on Sunday) and have won your Champions League group.

So would you be tempted to return to Italy and to the club you played for in your career that your obviously have an affection for?....maybe. Why would you want to leave Chelsea who have a chance of fighting for the title and Champions League season in season out?. You have to look at the situation now and understand if there really is any substance at all in the rumour.

I have to say, it's my opinion that Carlo and Chelsea will come through all this. Right now we are at our lowest point of the season. Morale has been low, performances have been dire at times but we are showing signs of the Chelsea we have become used to before what's happened, happened.

The problem has been injuries and suspensions and there are no two ways about it I don't care what anyone says. I asked the question at the beginning of the season about our squad

What people need to realise and I believe it's what Roman Abramovich and the Chelsea board realise is simple facts. You cannot afford to lose Alex, JT, Essien and Frank Lampard from the team and expect the same levels of performance. That's like taking Gerrard, Carragher, Reina and Torres out of the Liverpool side or Ferdinand, Vidic, Nani and Rooney out of the United side.

Apart from Alex, Chelsea are virtually back to full strength and will be for United. A Chelsea line up that I would expect to be Cech, Ferreira, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Mikel, Essien, Lampard, Malouda, Drogba and Anelka is more or less our first choice eleven (again apart from Alex who would come in and Ferreira making way for Ivanovic) and is much stronger for me than United. If Chelsea play well and win the game, the week after win at the Emirates would we find ourselves reading the same rubbish about Carlo? Of course we wouldn't!.

I believe that Carlo will stay as Chelsea manager beyond this season. The difference that we also need to remember is the fact that Carlo hasn't lost the dressing room. Ok the Sun is claiming that there is a click at the moment concerning the French-based players but I have to say I can't see it. It's obvious the affection and respect the players have for Carlo and to me anyway, it seems that this is still the case.

Everyone at some stage in a season has a bad spell. We had ours last season and at the time I was critical of Carlo and hold my hands up to that. So much so I issued an apology to him at the end of the season. You could say I jumped on the old band wagon so to speak, but I refuse to do that now.

A Manager can do so much, can prepare his players physically and mentally but if once they cross that white line, do not perform to the level we expect, or play the football they have been asked to do then surely it's not down to the manager. The players have been told in no uncertain terms to stand up and be counted and to a point on Sunday they did.

So I am saying to all of you. Believe in Carlo, believe in the players and believe in our Chelsea. Yes it's been shit and we have felt frustrated, annoyed and really pissed off lately. Just remember it was the same last season and Carlo and the players got together and turned it round and I have no doubt in my mind (as Frank Lampard said yesterday) that after these two games and by the turn of the year, Chelsea will be back fit and firing towards the top of the League.

Then and only then would we ask ourselves the same questions that we have been asking and reading lately about Carlo, "Is he seriously thinking of leaving Chelsea?!"... the answer will be "no chance!"

KTBFFH.