Michael Ballack: FA Cup Win Shows Chelsea Can Catch Manchester United

The German is convinced that the Londoners can match their northern rivals next season...

Chelsea's victory over Everton at Wembley on Saturday to claim the FA Cup is proof that they are ready to rival Manchester United in the title race once again, their midfielder Michael Ballack has asserted today.

The Blues were seven points behind the Red Devils in this season's title race, and also finished behind Rafa Benitez's Liverpool, but ending as the only other side apart from United to take silverware this campaign marks them as the team who will push the Mancunians next season, the famously confident Ballack feels.

"If we win any title we should be happy and the FA Cup is a really important title," the German international told the club's official website.

"Of course if you win the league it is really good but as we have seen, you need a little but of luck in the Champions League. We were close the last years. What the club needs is a little bit of luck as well.

"If we had finished with nothing it would have been a major disappointment. We deserved it, we have played well in the second half of the season.

"We know what we can do and that we have a strong squad. This year we lost too many points at home and we need that consistency. I am sure we are at the same level.

"You can see that in our performances, especially in European games. We went to the final last year and this year we had one foot in the final and we were really unlucky to go out, so you can't say the club is going in the wrong direction.'

"If you compare the clubs we play, Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal, they are really strong teams and only one can win the league. Man U had a really good time the last years, like Chelsea two years before in the league."

However, if the Blues are to improve, then consistency of management is key. Ballack also insists that there have been too many changes of coach at Stamford Bridge in recent years, and that needs to change, with the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as manager today.

"In the three years I have been at Chelsea we have had four managers and it is really important now for the club that we are getting consistent and we are not changing manager every year," the player explained.

"That is what we need for the squad to be successful. I am sure if we have a bit of quietness around the squad, the success will come."