Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti believes the huddle at the end of
the win over Fulham could prove to be a turning point in the Blues'
season.
Ancelotti's men came from a goal behind to win in their last
game and turned half-time jeers into an end-of-year celebration,
with Didier Drogba leading a team meeting on the pitch at the final
whistle.
It was Drogba's final contribution before travelling to
Angola for the African Nations Cup and his message was for the good
work to continue while he is away. They may have only taken nine
points from 18 in December, but Chelsea still finished top of the
Premier League heading into the new year.
"The huddle was an important moment for the team," Ancelotti
said. "It's the first time that they have done this. "I don't know
what they spoke about in that meeting but it was a very good thing
to have. They showed that they are a very good team."
Next for Chelsea is the FA Cup clash against Watford
tomorrow, with Ancelotti preparing to pick a strong team after
being told how important the competition is.
"The first thing that the club said to me is that the FA Cup
is not the Italian Cup," he said. "That was one of the first things
they said to me.
"The club want to win this competition, just like the Premier
League or the Champions League. It's the same. We want to do the
best."
Ancelotti will be hoping there is no repeat of the first half
against Fulham. Even though Chelsea fans have enjoyed success and
are currently top of the table, Ancelotti insists they have the
right to boo off their team if they are unhappy.
He said: "I think that, when a team doesn't play well, it's
normal that they won't receive a clap but a whistle. It can be a
good motivation, this.
"The fans want to come to Stamford Bridge to see their team
play well. We didn't play good football in that first half. So it
was normal, good and right to have been booed off."
