Former Chelsea assistant manager Henk Ten Cate believes that Chelsea can win an historic treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup this season.
by Mark Corcoran
The treble is possible for Chelsea under Jose Mourinho this season, according to the Blues’ former assistant manager Henk Ten Cate.
However, the Dutchman has warned his Portuguese counterpart that there is a long way to go.
“Don’t be surprised if they bring home the treble,” said Ten Cate, speaking at this week’s Web Summit at the RDS. “They have the players to do so and a very experienced and successful coach. They have a lot of quality not only on the field but also on the bench.
“Sometimes you also need luck. If they are lucky, they can win it all.”
Ten Cate, who was also assistant manager at Barcelona while Frank Rijkaard was in charge, says that there are four main contenders for the Champions League this season.
“I have Chelsea high on my list to win the Champions League. I rate them as one of the top four teams in Europe along with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.”
As for the Premier League, despite the London club holding a six point gap over main rival Manchester City, Ten Cate believes that many twists and turns lay ahead in the title race.
“While I do think Chelsea are the strongest in England, the Premier League is a long competition. Christmas is a key time of the season. A lot of changes (in the table) take place over the Christmas period.”
Aspirations
Chelsea travel to Anfield this afternoon to face old rivals Liverpool in a game which never fails to disappoint. The London side, just as last season, will be hoping to put an end to their rival’s title aspirations while giving their own a shot in the arm.
You won’t have to set your mind back too far to remember a time when it was Liverpool who were spoiling Jose Mourinho’s trophy aspirations.
Twice in the space of four years the Reds got the better of their Cockney counterparts in Europe – remember Luis Garcia’s ‘ghost goal’ back in 2005?
When Henk Ten Cate took his seat next to Avram Grant, on the Stamford Bridge bench in October 2007 the Reds were indeed a formidable foe.
However, Chelsea did manage to advance past Liverpool that season and reach the 2008 Champions League final in Moscow – a game they lost to Manchester United.
Dirk Kuyt gave Liverpool the lead in the first leg at Anfield but a bizarre 95th minute own goal from John Arne Riise handed Chelsea a precious away goal. In the second leg at Stamford Bridge, Didier Drogba opened the scoring for Chelsea but Fernando Torres sent the game into extra-time. Nothing could stop the Londoners and a Frank Lampard penalty and a second Drogba goal made it a memorable night for Chelsea.
Ten Cate says that experience was the key to trumping Liverpool that season.
“We were a very experienced team. Those players had been through everything. We were very confident. Of course we had a little bit of luck that night with the own goal, but in the home game we played some very good football.”
Drogba
Many have been surprised with the impact the returning Drogba has had on this Chelsea team. The 36-year-old, who scored at Old Trafford recently, didn’t fail to impress the management ticket during that turbulent 2007/08 season. Ten Cate says he knew the Ivorian would leave his mark in England this season.
“Didier is a fantastic player. I am not surprised to see him doing so well. He is right up there with the greatest players I have worked with.
“Of course it is difficult to compare players. I have worked with Ronaldinho, Messi, Eto’o and I brought Luis Suarez to Ajax – Drogba is up there with them. These are players who can create something out of nothing and score a goal. They stand up when the team needs them the most. And Didier is one of the top men.”
The Dutch coach left Chelsea shortly after the Champions League final defeat. He has since had roles with Panathinaikos FC and Sparta Rotterdam.
“I had a good time at Chelsea. When I arrived the team was 12 points behind in the league, Mouriniho had been sacked and Avram Grant had taken over. My first game was Manchester City at home. It was a memorable day. We beat them 6-0. They were top of the table with Sven-Göran Eriksson. In the end we finished two points off Man United and in the Champions League final which we should have won.
“Luck is a very important factor. We were unlucky in the final. I believe in fate. That year marked 50 years since the Munich air disaster. I think Manchester United was written on the cup. It was destiny.”
Henk Ten Cate was speaking at the Web Summit about Teqball – a new sport and sporting equipment based on football. The equipment is a training tool for both professionals and amateurs to develop their technical and concentration skills. For more information visit www.teqball.com/
