Chelsea must break mental block, says Le Saux - Reuters Africa

By Martyn Herman

LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea must overcome a mental block if their faltering season is not to completely unravel against FC Copenhagen in the Parken Stadium on Tuesday, former left back Graeme Le Saux said.

Carlo Ancelotti's side look a pale imitation of last season's double winners and the team that exploded out of the blocks in a flurry of goals at the start of this campaign.

A distant fifth in the Premier League and knocked out of the FA Cup by Everton on penalties on Saturday, the Champions League Holy Grail has become an imperative for Ancelotti whose job prospects could take a hammer blow in the Danish capital.

"Chelsea have huge experience in the competition but they still have that ghost to bury from 2008," Le Saux told Reuters on the day the astronomical ticket prices for this year's Wembley final were announced.

Unless Chelsea can rediscover some of the aura they established under Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink and Ancelotti last season, fans of the west London club will not have to worry about raiding their bank accounts.

While Ancelotti's ageing squad could yet go on and banish the memory of that rainy night in Moscow when John Terry's penalty miss against Manchester United cost Chelsea the trophy, Le Saux said such bitter experiences can become a burden.

"They're still in the Champions League and have a reasonable draw in the last 16," he said.

"But the competition has become a bit more of a problem mentally for the senior players because they have got so close in 2008. It was heartbreaking and they are so desperate to win it because time is moving on.   Continued...