Sunday Times
August 2, 2009

Salomon Kalou’s late goal saves Chelsea from defeat
Reading 2 Chelsea 2Nick Townsend at the Madejski stadium

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti conceded that his side lacked
sharpness after they needed a late rally to salvage a draw against
Reading yesterday.

The coach attributed a far-from-convincing performance to the fact
that the previous day the players had undergone after a strength
session in training, although he claimed, ahead of next Sunday’s
Community Shield fixture against Manchester United: “Now the team is
in good condition.”

A powerful late recovery preserved the Premier League team’s unbeaten
sequence in pre-season friendlies, following four victories on their
US tour.

Chelsea should have capitalised on their early domination, but
Reading’s Jimmy Kebe and Scott Davies scored before half-time. Salomon
Kalou’s last-minute goal and an own goal afforded Chelsea belated
reward as they finished with a flourish.

Ancelotti went on to praise the hosts, who defended well and denied
his team space. “A draw was a good result,” said the Italian, who
deployed Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba as a strike partnership. It
looked effective enough, and Ancelotti insisted: “I am sure they can
play well together.”

Ancelotti is likely to persist in his attempt to bring Andrea Pirlo to
Stamford Bridge, despite Silvio Berlusconi’s denial yesterday that the
Milan captain would be following his former coach to England.
Although, at 30, Pirlo would hardly lower the average of an aging
Blues squad, Chelsea are determined to supplement their numbers.

They have reportedly had an offer of £14m plus Claudio Pizarro for the
playmaker rejected, but appear certain to return with an increased
bid. The Chelsea manager declined to comment other than saying that
his compatriot was a Milan player and he had to concentrate on
preparing his own squad. However, his demeanour suggested that he is
anxious to add a player to his squad.

Reading: Federici, Rosenior, Pearce, Cisse, Bertrand, Gunnarsson (sub
Bikey h-t), Tabb (sub Harper 55min), Davies (sub Mooney 63min,
Robson-Kanu (sub N Hunt h-t), Long (sub Church 55min), Kebe (sub Henry
78min)

Chelsea: Cech (sub Turnbull 76min), Ivanovic (sub Bosingwa h-t),
Carvalho (sub Alex h-t), Terry, A Cole, Mikel, Essien (sub Belletti
63min), Deco (sub Malouda h-t), Lampard, Anelka (sub Sturridge 63min),
Drogba (sub Kalou 63min)


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Mail:



Reading 2 Chelsea 2:
Carlo on course as Ancelotti's blushes saved by Salomon Kalou and last
gasp own goal

By Andrew Warshaw


Welcome to English football, Signor Ancelotti. What was supposed to
have been a stroll in the park almost turned into an embarrassment as
Chelsea completed their pre-season schedule by salvaging a last-gasp
draw against Championship opponents.

Call it fatigue after their four-match tour of the United States or
lack of intensity. The way Carlo Ancelotti saw it, the sharpness he
has come to expect in his brief tenure at Stamford Bridge was not
there.

But that, he said with a shrug, will be easily put right. Ancelotti is
still learning English so did not give too much insight into what he
had learned, if anything, about his team, whose blushes against a
pumped-up Reading were spared with a goal in the last minute of normal
time and another well into the three minutes added on.

This may only have been a friendly but the way Chelsea responded after
a poor first half showed a pride and determination that augurs well
for the new season.

'English matches are different to those in other countries where there
are pauses. Here you have to run for 90 minutes but my players know
this,' Ancelotti said.

'This match took place a day after heavy training and there was a lack
of sharpness. We played too slowly at first and we have to improve.
But we are in good shape.'

John Terry, who rejected a reported £250,000-a-week offer from
Manchester City, received the biggest welcome from a healthy away
support at what was the club's only domestic friendly following their
100 per cent record in the States.

Ancelotti retained the formation he believes will serve Chelsea best
during his first season in charge, with Frank Lampard at the head of a
diamond midfield, John Mikel Obi at the base and Nicolas Anelka up
front alongside Didier Drogba, who lasted 70 minutes before being
substituted, as were most of those who started.

Reading took the lead seven minutes before the break when Jimmy Kebe
pounced on a somewhat fortuitous rebound to round Petr Cech and shoot
home.

Then, with virtually the last kick of the first half, Chelsea were two
behind. Terry, beaten for pace, brought down Shane Long on the edge of
the box and Scott Davies drove home the free-kick.

Salomon Kalou's last-minute goal seemed no more than a consolation,
only for Chelsea to snatch the equaliser, courtesy of an own goal by
Reading's Alex Pearce.




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Independent:


No substitute for class as Kalou and Alex rescue Chelsea

By Mark Burton


Pre-season friendly matches may be about building fitness, bedding in
new players and trying out some new systems, but it never looks good
to fans for any team to lose to supposedly inferior opposition.

So it must have come as a relief to Chelsea that they finally made
their superior class tell with two late goals to force a 2-2 draw at
Championship side Reading yesterday.

Defeat would not have impressed Chelsea fans on a day when Milan
rejected as too low the west London club's offer of £6.5 million plus
striker Claudio Pizarro for midfielder Andrea Pirlo. The manager Carlo
Ancelotti had to make do with a starting midfield of Deco, Lampard,
Mikel and Essien at the Madejski Stadium.

Despite their quality Chelsea found themselves 2-0 down courtesy of
sloppy work in defence. Jimmy Kébé scored Reading's first after Hal
Robson-Kanu's shot had been deflected to him and Scott Davies netted a
low free-kick after Shane Long's run was cut short on the edge of the
area.

But much of the match was played out in front of the home goalkeeper
Adam Federici, who denied Chelsea until added time loomed. Then the
substitute Salomon Kalou broke through to beat him one-on-one and
Alex, also a substitute, headed home John Obi Mikel's free-kick.



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NOTW:


READING 2, CHELSEA 2
Carlo Ancelotti suffers right Royal wake-up call


CHELSEA'S new master-coach Carlo Ancelotti was nearly embarrassed by
Jose Mourinho's former young apprentice at Reading.
Brendan Rodgers came within seconds of beating his old club Chelsea in
his first test as Royals' boss.

It was former Blues' chief Mourinho who plucked Rodgers away from
Reading in 2004 and later promoted him to reserve team boss at
Stamford Bridge.

The Championship side stormed 2-0 ahead by half-time through goals
from Jimmy Kebe and Scott Davies.

Italian Ancelotti was facing his first defeat as Blues' manager after
enduring four wins on the trot in the club's US tour.

Rodgers had won the tactical battle which was a considerable feat
considering he had only cut his managerial teeth at Watford in
January.

But substitute Salomon Kalou pulled a goal back for the Premiership
giants one minute from time with what looked like a consolation
effort.

But deep into injury time, Reading's Alex Pearce deflected the ball
past his own goalkeeper to spare the Londoners' blushes.

Ancelotti, no doubt, will not have enjoyed his first game in charge in
England and this was definitely a wake-up call.

The Italian will no doubt demand a far more professional performance
when he squares up to Sir Alex Ferguson for the first time on Sunday
when Chelsea meet Manchester United in the Community Shield.



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