Cheering on Chelsea during the opening month of the season could net you an Ance-lotti of cash.

The Blues should enjoy a comfortable start to their Premier League campaign in August as they bid to reclaim the title, with games against the top two teams in the betting market to be relegated — Hull (8-13) and Burnley (10-11) — and what would appear to be relatively easy clashes at Sunderland and Fulham.

So snap up the generous 6-1 (Victor Chandler) available on Carlo Ancelotti (right) being named manager of the month for August.

There's always a honeymoon period when a new manager takes charge. More so at a club full of international players, all of whom know that there's someone chomping at the bit to take their place should they have an off day and are desperate to impress ahead of next year's World Cup.

Ancelotti was a tough tackling, no-nonsense midfielder during his playing career with AC Milan — and the Italian will expect nothing less than 100 per cent commitment from his star-studded squad from the moment the season gets under way.

Even Chelsea's second string should be strong enough to beat Hull, who were lucky to avoid the drop last year, on the opening day of the season at Stamford Bridge, while the Blues should claim their fifth successive win at the Stadium of Light in their next game.

They then travel the short distance to neighbours Fulham, where their record is even more impressive, with only one League defeat at the Cottage since 1977.

The match against newly-promoted Burnley at the end of the month should be a cakewalk, particularly if Ancelotti's men have title pretensions.

By then, Owen Coyle's side may well be in the bottom three and bereft of confidence — they face a daunting start to life in the Premier League with games against champions Manchester United,
Stoke and Everton before they visit Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea's big title rivals, United, Liverpool and Arsenal, appear to have more difficult starts to the campaign, which only underlines why Ancelotti is a stand-out bet for managerial honours in August.

Arsene Wenger's side travel to Old Trafford at the end of the month and begin the season with a trip to Everton, while Liverpool face tricky games at Tottenham, where they've lost on their previous two visits, and Bolton in the opening month.