ONE MOUR TIME ... Ancelotti aims to win over Chelsea fans
CARLO ANCELOTTI plans to be as popular as former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.
Italian Ancelotti is the fourth manager at Stamford Bridge since Mourinho left
in September 2007 after winning every domestic competition.
Only the Champions League crown eluded the 'Special One' during his spell at
Chelsea.
Since then Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Ray Wilkins and Guus Hiddink have
all taken turns in charge.
Now Ancelotti is determined to become as popular and as successful as
Mourinho.
Ancelotti said: "Mourinho is a great coach because he won a lot of
trophies but it's not a war between us.
"It's natural that he is popular in Chelsea because he won the Premier League
but I also want to win it. I also want to be popular with the fans.
"I'm not sure if the period of time here will be long or short but I want the
people to remember me."
Ancelotti's most immediate chance of winning over the fans is to end the
uncertainty over the future of his captain John Terry.
The defender is still being courted by Manchester City although Chelsea insist
that he is not for sale at any price.
City have already had a £30million bid rejected by the Blues but are expected
to return with an even higher offer if they feel relations between Terry and
Chelsea become strained.
Terry held talks with Ancelotti at the club's Cobham training ground after
returning from his summer break.
He is also believed to have spoken with club director Eugene Tenenbaum,
although chief executive Peter Kenyon and owner Roman Abramovich were not
there.
Chelsea have already scoffed at suggestions that they failed to keep Terry in
the loop over City's interest and insist there has been no major change to
the player's stance since City first declared their interest last January.
Terry is more likely to stay for another tilt at the Champions League and is
expected to press Chelsea for a new, more lucrative contract, with wages
closer to Manchester City's reported offer of £200,000 a week.
The club are almost certain to improve the defender's contract before City's
billionaire owners return with another bid.
After the FA Cup final victory over Everton last May, Terry said he hoped the
club would bring in players of the quality and class of David Villa and
Franck Ribery.
But so far, goalkeeper Ross Turnbull, teenage striker Daniel Sturridge and
Russia left-back Yuri Zhirkov have been the only additions to a squad that
reached the semi-finals of the Champions League last season.