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Michael Ballack is driven on by the fear of failure
Simon Johnson16 Apr 2009
Michael Ballack has admitted the agony of finishing runners-up in three competitions last year is inspiring Chelsea's Treble bid this season.
Chelsea take on Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday having already booked their place in the last four of the Champions League with a 7-5 aggregate win over Liverpool. They also trail Manchester United by just four points in the Premier League.
Last term they narrowly missed out in the title race and Champions League to Manchester United and were beaten in the Carling Cup Final by Tottenham.
It was the first season Chelsea failed to win a trophy since 2004 and Ballack said: "The team are hungry after finishing runners-up three times last season.
"We are not a team who have won everything in the past. If you compare us to Liverpool, they have had big success. But now we are smelling the success. We are coming close to winning something. This club need a big title to go further and that's what we are trying for.
"I want to win something. I have a few years ahead but I will give everything for the rest of the season to win one, two or three trophies."
Chelsea's spirits are high after their incredible 4-4 draw with Liverpool in midweek which secured a Champions League semi-final tie against Barcelona.
Their triumph was sweet revenge, having lost to Liverpool twice in the League earlier in the season, and now they hope to beat Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger's side won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in November and Ballack said: "We want to show Arsenal we can beat them after what happened before. We were controlling the game until they scored an offside goal.
"Getting to the Champions League semi-final has given us a confidence boost going into another big game. Arsenal have a squad and a team that can play football but sometimes they can be up and down.
"That is why they are sometimes not at the top of the League but, if they play at their highest level, they can play fantastic football."
Ballack believes Cesc Fabregas is Arsenal's danger man having benefited from being out for four months with a knee injury.
He said: "Sometimes being out for so long helps you to prepare for the upcoming weeks - that's what you can see now from him. He is back and straight away he is playing well."
Reader views (5)
Which bit of the offside rule do you need explaining Kb?
Even the fence sitters on TV agrred his was a country mile offside.
- Barry, Welwyn England, 16/04/2009 14:47
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Hey KB are you Arsene "I didn't see that" Wenger?
Van Persie was well offside when he scored the equaliser in the November game. You don't have to take mine (I am a nuetral by the way) or Ballack's word for it but the overwhelming majority of the sports press seem to agree with him.
You obviously didn't watch the game so have a look at this http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2614346/chelsea_vs_arsenal_1_2_goal_van_persie/
- Mark, South-East London, 16/04/2009 14:01
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Kb in London: Are you blind?! Of course it was an offside goal. And before that Chelsea should have got a penalty if not two.
- Pete, Germany, 16/04/2009 13:43
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If a yard and a half is "hardly" offside Kb London, then you are right. Maybe an Arsenal player has to be over two yards offside, for the laws of the game to apply to Arsenal!
- Nicolas, Nicosia, 16/04/2009 13:31
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Offside goal? Hardly. Do these guys still take lying lessons from Mourhino?
- Kb, London, 16/04/2009 12:27
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