Luiz Felipe Scolari will tell his Chelsea stars to forget about putting on another five-star show when they face struggling Roma in today’s Champions League clash.
Scolari’s side produced their best performance of the season on Saturday as Middlesbrough were swept aside in a 5-0 thrashing that epitomized the new cavalier spirit flowing through Stamford Bridge.
Just four months after taking charge, Blues boss Scolari has overseen a remarkable change in the public perception of Chelsea.
Scolari’s love of attacking soccer has won over critics who, during the reigns of Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant, derided Chelsea as an unlovable machine who ground their way to success.
Where the Blues would previously have shut up shop after taking the lead, now they flood forward in search of more goals.
But Ivory Coast striker Salomon Kalou, who scored twice at Middlesbrough, says Scolari has made it clear that winning points is far more important that earning new friends.
“The focus is to win, the more we win the more we reach our goal to finish first. We can win every game, and we have to go for it and show we want to win, Kalou told Chelsea’s Web site.
“The most important thing is that at the end of the game, we win. Every game is difficult, but we have to fight until the end in every game and try to be focused on ourselves,” Kalou said. “It gives confidence that we can bring something to the team, we are really focused on that, and the aim is to win games and score goals. Every game we go with the same spirit.”
With Chelsea’s squad ravaged by injuries to a host of key players including Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Ashley Cole and Ricardo Carvalho, it is a testament to Scolari’s impact that Chelsea have looked more formidable than ever in recent weeks.
They are in pole position in the Premier League and a win over Roma at the Bridge would put last season’s runners-up firmly on course for the knockout stages in the Champions League.
Scolari could have goalkeeper Petr Cech back from the thigh injury that forced him out of Saturday’s win but, even with most of the other walking wounded likely to be sidelined again, Chelsea are still strong favorites to make it seven points from nine in Europe.
Frank Lampard agrees with Kalou that a victory is also vital to maintain the positive vibe surrounding the club.
“We can’t take our foot off the pedal, because the moment you do that, things can change,” Lampard said. “At the moment we are full of confidence, we have such a strong squad that we are coping with the injuries we have got.”
Like Chelsea, Roma have been suffering an injury crisis but the Italians are finding it much harder to cope.
They have won just twice in seven league games this season and Sunday’s 4-0 home defeat against Inter Milan left them languishing toward the foot of Serie A.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, they were humiliated by Romanian minnows CFR Cluj on Matchday One of the Champions League.
Rumors of dressing room unrest threaten to unsettle the Romans further and boss Luciano Spalletti admits it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain team unity.
“When you are in a difficult moment, keeping it together becomes tough,” he said. “If instead everything is calm in the standings, you score goals you don’t expect.”
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