• Decision to make three half-time substitutions backfired
• Manager also chose Gaël Kakuta to take decisive penalty
Carlo Ancelotti accepted responsibility for Chelsea’s shoot-out Carling Cup defeat at Ewood Park, not only defending his weakened team and bizarre decision to use all three substitutes at half-time, but stressing it was his decision to ask Gaël Kakuta to take the final penalty.
With Michael Ballack and Nikola Kalinic having already had their spot-kicks saved, the 18-year-old French attacker saw his rising shot beaten out by Paul Robinson, costing Chelsea a place in the semi-finals. “I put him on the list to take kick No5. It was my idea,” Ancelotti said. “I saw him on the training ground and he looked very good at taking penalty-kicks.”
Kakuta is young enough to get over the disappointment, though the experienced Ancelotti handicapped Chelsea with his use of substitutes because an injury to Salomon Kalou meant his side had to see out the last 15 minutes of normal time and all of extra time with 10 men. “I decided to take the risk at half-time,” Ancelotti said. “I thought it was better to put some younger players on the pitch. Usually I don’t make all three changes at once, but in this match I thought I would, because we were not good in the first half. It was a pity we then had to play 10 against 11, but we showed a lot of spirit in extra-time. It will do those players good for the future, it will be an experience for them.”
If that makes it sound as though the Italian has cottoned on quickly to the relative importance of the Carling Cup, Ancelotti will hold his hand up to that, too. The acting Blackburn manager, Neil McDonald, suggested his side’s home form demanded Chelsea turn up with a stronger team, but Ancelotti had no regrets. “Our priorities this week were first, the game against Arsenal, and then the game against Manchester City on Saturday,” he said. “This game in between was one for the younger players, one in which we could take a few chances.”
Had Blackburn been better at accepting their chances the game would have been over inside 90 minutes, and McDonald admitted his players were disappointed at not securing a result in normal time.
“It should never have gone to extra time, let alone penalties, and we all know that,” he said. “We should have killed the game off long before that, because we certainly had the chances, but fair play to Chelsea, like all top-four teams they don’t give up until the final whistle.
“They possibly should have fielded a stronger team if they wanted to go through, but that’s up to their manager. This is the first time we have beaten top-four opposition since Sam Allardyce took over as manager, and although we are happy to go through [Blackburn will meet Aston Villa in the semi-final in January ] it would have been that bit more satisfying had we won in 90 minutes. I don’t think Chelsea could have complained, all we had to do was put some of our chances away.”
Carling CupChelseaBlackburn RoversBlackburnPaul Wilsonguardian.co.uk
