卡希爾：賽季最後階段只能衝刺 - 切爾西足球俱樂部 Chelsea Football Club

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11668/8649058/Cahill-exclusive

Cahill exclusive

By Peter Fraser - Last Updated: April 20, 2013 12:13pm


"Sleep," joked Gary Cahill when asked how he had been affected since
becoming a father in January. Amid Chelsea's exhausting season, which
currently stands at 60 games, the defender knows only too well about the
need for rest.


The England international's partner gave birth to a baby boy at the
beginning of 2013 and the centre-back has been "enjoying every minute of
it". At the same time, the wakeful nights most new parents typically
experience have been another element of his already-hectic personal and
professional life.


Ever since Chelsea kicked off their competitive 2012/13 with last August's
3-2 loss to Manchester City in the Community Shield, the club has been
non-stop. Even at such a late stage, the Stamford Bridge outfit's campaign
is far from over. There has already been managerial change and a timid
surrender of their UEFA Champions League title, along with progress to the
latter stages of cup competitions both at home and abroad. But among a
potential nine fixtures still to play, if they reach the Europa League
final, in the little more than one month remaining of the season, there is
no release from the pressure.


Chelsea's main focus is to secure a place in the Premier League's top
three or at least the top four. Wednesday's 3-0 win against London derby
rivals Fulham moved them above Arsenal in the sought-after third position,
with a game in hand, and three points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham
Hotspur. But there is no let-up ahead of Sunday's trip to interim boss
Rafa Benitez's former English club, Liverpool. Then come tough games
against Swansea City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Aston Villa and
Everton. At the same time, next Thursday brings a Europa League semi-final
first leg against Basel in Switzerland.


http://e0.365dm.com/13/04/660x350/Gary-Cahill-Stats_2931545.jpg

Stat attack: Cahill has spent 1856 Premier League minutes on the pitch for
Chelsea this season


Much to his frustration amid the seemingly endless stream of important
matches, Cahill has been rehabilitating since mid-March after undergoing
minor knee meniscus surgery. It is a common injury as a result of wear and
tear in footballers but he returned to training on Friday and could yet
feature against Liverpool. However, having personally made 43 appearances
for club and country even before his injury - combined with the added, new
duties of fatherhood - he knows the fatigue factor under which he and his
Chelsea squad-mates have been operating.


"As players, you want to be playing games rather than training, for sure,"
Cahill told Sky Sports from Chelsea's Cobham training ground in an
exclusive interview associated with the club's kit sponsors, adidas. "But,
normally, you are doing that for a two or three-month period of the season
and then you at least get a Saturday-to-Saturday break before you go
again. But, this season, it has not happened like that. I think it has
affected us, if I am totally honest. But there is not much you can do
about it, with us being involved in every competition. There are elements
that the lads just want to play games every time. But we just have not had
any rest space."


It has been manic. In August, there was a European Super Cup hammering by
a Radamel Falcao-inspired Atletico Madrid, while Benitez's arrival in
November as a replacement for the sacked Roberto Di Matteo seems an
eternity ago. You can add to this December's gruelling trip to Japan for
the Club World Cup only to suffer defeat in the final by Corinthians -
against whom Cahill was sent off. There was also the major setback of
becoming the first Champions League holders whose defence of the trophy
ended at the opening group stage. Then there was the huge disappointment
of semi-final losses to Swansea in the Capital One Cup and, last Sunday -
just three days after returning from knocking Rubin Kazan out of the
Europa League quarter-finals in Russia - Manchester City in the FA Cup.


Evaluating Chelsea's season is therefore difficult. They spent an
estimated ￡80million on players last summer and began the campaign as
defending European champions. They subsequently started by steamrollering
many domestic opponents in the opening weeks to lead the Premier League.
However, they are now only scrapping for the top four while the Europa
League, the Champions League's poor relation, is the last hope of
silverware. Would those remaining targets have been considered a success
at the beginning of the season?


"Just from the nature of the club, obviously expectation levels are high,"
confessed Cahill. "We would be expected to win more trophies. But from now
until the end of the season, we can only do what is in front of us. They
[finishing in the top four and winning the Europa League] are what are in
front of us at this minute. So, we need to concentrate on pushing on to
achieve those two come the end of the season. That is all we can really do
at the minute."


If, however, they ultimately fail to qualify for the Champions League,
suffering the consequential loss of earnings and damage to their
reputation, there would be little doubt about assessing Chelsea's season.
It would be a disaster for owner Roman Abramovich.


Pushed about what missing out on the Champions League would mean to the
club, Cahill said: "I do not think we are contemplating it. The
expectation for us is that we are in that competition next year. It is
down to us as players to make sure that happens. We have got six games to
do that and we have got to fully focus on making sure we are in that
competition next season."


Away from the club focus, personally, Cahill could not have wished for a
better 15 months since joining Chelsea from Bolton Wanderers. Having moved
to West London in the January of 2012 in a reported ￡7m deal, he became
an FA Cup and Champions League winner at the end of last season. He
started in the final of the latter for the dramatic penalty shoot-out
victory over Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, where John Terry and
Branislav Ivanovic were suspended. Then came the birth of Cahill's son
this January.


On the field, prior to his knee operation, the 27-year-old had also become
a first choice in the plans of Benitez ahead of injury-suffering club
captain Terry. Cahill's time at Bolton after playing for Villa and, on
loan, Burnley and Sheffield United was the build-up to the big stage. He
is now in the spotlight and accepts the responsibility.


"It has been good for me," he reflected on his time so far at Chelsea. "I
came to the club and wanted to try and be involved. What happened in the
first six months was amazing. Winning the Champions League and FA Cup was
phenomenal. Then, this season, I was trying to push and be more of a
regular feature. It has happened that way, so I am pleased. But there is
still a lot more I want to achieve at Chelsea and a lot more improving I
can do as a player."


He added: "Looking in from the outside of Chelsea before I signed, I knew
the games would be analysed a lot more and the club as a whole is analysed
a lot more in the media. It is sort of what I expected, to be honest. I
knew the expectation level from when I was just about to sign. But that is
something, as players, you want to be involved in and it rubs off on you,
I think."


Cahill is clearly not one to rest on his laurels and he admits he is
developing all the time. But with Frank Lampard's contract nearing its
conclusion and Terry, who scored twice against Fulham, in the twilight
years of his career, Cahill, alongside the likes of David Luiz, Juan Mata,
Oscar and Eden Hazard, is a part of what will be a new-look Chelsea. It is
something he relishes.


"I look forward to it," he said when questioned about being a main man in
Chelsea's future. "I can still improve, which I am excited by, and we have
got a lot of young players here. You forget how young the likes of Hazard,
Juan and Oscar are. It is an exciting next few years for the club moving
forward. Hopefully I can be a part of it."


An element of 'moving forward' is likely to include another new manager at
Chelsea. Benitez's interim tenure, which has been largely unpopular with
the club's fans due to the Spaniard's previous connections with Liverpool,
is almost certain to end in the summer.


Malaga's Manuel Pellegrini or a potential return for Chelsea's former
'Special One', Jose Mourinho, have both been reported as possible
candidates for the Stamford Bridge hotseat. But, either way, Cahill would
be facing up to his eighth manager for club and country since 2012 after
playing under Owen Coyle, Fabio Capello, Andre Villas-Boas, Stuart Pearce,
Di Matteo, Benitez and Roy Hodgson. But the player claims it is not a
major issue.


"It is something you just deal with," he admitted. "Obviously you have no
control over things like that. You are employed to play football and try
and get results for the club. That is what you concentrate on doing. I do
not think you focus too much on it [changing managers], because it is out
of your control."

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