Carlo Ancelotti: "Chelsea must show greater desire or lose title"

Carlo Ancelotti has publicly questioned his players' desire in recent matches and warned them that their chances of retaining the Premier League title could be wrecked if their shoddy November form is prolonged into this month.


Chelsea go into their match with Everton tomorrow buoyed by the return of John Terry but with their manager suggesting this is "one of the most important games of our season" after a run in which they have taken four points from five matches and surrendered top spot to Manchester United. The Merseysiders' visit is the prelude to matches with Tottenham Hotspur, United and Arsenal, and the month's fixtures are completed with another awkward game against Bolton Wanderers.

Terry has missed the past three games with a sciatic nerve problem, which has since been successfully treated. His return is timely, though the manager claimed his players should still have flourished in the absence of the captain and his deputy, Frank Lampard. "They're both important, professional players and important men in the squad, but we could have done better without them," said Ancelotti, who might have Lampard back for the visit to Spurs. "I'm not disappointed in the character the players have shown, but I think we haven't been 100% focused in the games we haven't won.

"There wasn't a 100% desire to win at Birmingham, where we played very well, or at Newcastle. You can have desire at 99%, but it's not enough. At this particular moment of our season, when we are having a bad time, you have to have the desire to move on 100%. Terry could make the difference perhaps, but we have to play as a team and have the support of everyone. We have to do our best and feel able to look ourselves in the mirror with a clear conscience. Because, if we have the same [results in] December as we had in November, it's obvious we'll struggle to win the title.

"The next month could define our season. If we're not able to be competitive in this period … well, we need to change this moment. The Everton match could be the most important game of the season, to allow us to move on quickly and look forward. We have to finish this bad run because, afterwards, we have to play against three teams who think they can win the title – Tottenham, Arsenal and United. For us, we must improve our confidence, our atmosphere. Now is not a good moment, but a victory would resolve everything."

Terry had feared he would be absent for months having suffered pain caused by the piriformis muscle rubbing against the sciatic nerve, but an intense course of physiotherapy has alleviated the problem.

"He has trained without pain, without tablets, without injections," said Ancelotti. "He went once to Milan [to consult Dr Jean-Pierre Meersseman] and, after that, he's had treatment with our staff. Maybe he won't be fully fit for this game, because he's only trained for three days, but the problem has gone and he can bring other things to the team: defensive organisation, a voice in the back line, leadership, personality.

"At this moment, it's important we show personality and strength as a team. All the players have to demonstrate this, not just John. We have to get back to winning ways and playing good football and, for this reason, I'm putting pressure on my players for this game. I want to see everything we can do: character, personality, good play. This is one of the most important games of the season for us."