Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has admitted he would have preferred to have signed Fernando Torres last summer.Instead, the Blues were only able to land the Spaniard from Liverpool in the January transfer window, along with ex-Benfica defender David Luiz.
Ancelotti feels the inability to sign both players earlier has hampered both their abilities to acclimatise to life at Stamford Bridge.
"Obviously, if we'd been able to buy Torres and David Luiz in the summer, it would have been easier for them," the Italian manager said, according to The Guardian.
"It's not always easy to play well immediately if you arrive in January. But we were not able to do this because Liverpool and Benfica wanted to start the season with these players."
While Torres arrived amid much fanfare and was tipped as the man who would lead Chelsea's assault on the title, he infamously went 903 minutes goalless, before finding the net against West Ham on April 23, almost three months after he arrived at Stamford Bridge.
Even though he managed to finally open his Chelsea account against the Hammers, doubts still remain over his ability to partner Didier Drogba up front, with the London club almost always refraining from playing two strikers in the past.
Ancelotti admits it was almost impossible for his team to successfully adapt to new tactics midway through the season, but was adamant things will improve next year once they get a full summer to practice and learn new structures.
"Obviously, to play Fernando and Drogba, you need to change the position of the midfielders a bit, and we've had not had time to change our philosophy [midway through a season].
"That is something you can cope with ahead of a new season."
Ancelotti did however insist there was no way Chelsea would have turned down the chance to procure Torres' services during the January transfer window, and predicted a long, successful career at Stamford Bridge for the Spaniard.
"Sometimes it's not so easy to buy a player at the right time. You have to wait.
"When you have a possibility to buy Torres, you are not thinking about it being a problem for the other players.
"If you have a chance to buy him, you buy him.
"He's had problems this year, but he will start pre-season training with more knowledge about the squad, so it will be easier for him.
"He will have a fantastic career at Chelsea."
What remains to be seen is whether or not Ancelotti will be the one who will get the chance to implement the necessary changes to Chelsea's gameplan next season, with speculation arife over his future.
However, the Italian manager insists he wants to remain at Stamford Bridge.
"My desire is to stay here," he said.
"But, if it's not possible, I have to find another thing.
"I don't need to have a rest. I want to train next season."
Confirming he would prefer another job in England, he added: "I love the atmosphere here.
"I think everyone respects your job. There is no violence, the stadiums are full. That's the reason I want to stay here.
"If it's not possible, I'm Italian. If there are some opportunities in Italy, I will take them."
Despite the Chelsea squad littered with players in their thirties and surely on their final legs, Ancelotti also advised against wholesale changes ahead of next season.
"To change a lot of players would be dangerous," he said.
"The squad is really good. We had two new players in January who, next season, will be better.
"So, to judge our season, you have to stay quiet and calm."
Ancelotti believes the way Barclays Premier League champions-elect Manchester United reacted to surrendering the title last season proves pressing the panic button is not the way forward.
"They finished second," he said. "They were calm, quiet, bought the right players. This year, they win."
http://www.espnstar.com/football/premier-league/news/detail/item621308/Ancelotti-admits-Torres-arrival-not-ideal/ , then I wonder how David Luiz and Luis Suarez have settled far easier.
