Sheva: Pressure from within
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Andrei Shevchenko insists the greatest pressure to score goals this season will come from within.
The classy hit-man marked his competitive debut for Chelsea in the Community Shield with a trademark strike of clinical precision, only for Peter Crouch to ruin the champions' day out at Cardiff with a late winner.
With Chelsea having brought Shevchenko to Stamford Bridge from Milan for a huge £29 million fee, Shevchenko will be under pressure from the off to deliver immediate results.
However, having capped an impressive bow with a goal, the 29-year-old is in a confident mood ahead of next weekend's opener - adamant that the pressure to score goals is something that he has carried throughout his career.
"Throughout my career, I have always been under pressure to score goals," he said.
"But the person I am means I am the one who puts the greatest pressure on me.
"I am really happy to score in my first official game for Chelsea. It would be great if I could score goals like that all the time, although obviously the most important thing is to do well for the team.
"I am fitting in very well. The club, the players and the manager have all helped me settle, and I am very grateful for that.
"We are disappointed not to win today, but I feel we are just a little bit behind in our conditioning.
"We were stretched slightly, but I don't think that will be a problem in the weeks and months ahead."
While disappointed by the defeat, Shevchenko drew consolation from the way he is already developing an understanding with his Chelsea team-mates as Frank Lampard, who set up his goal, came in for special praise.
"Frank is a great player, and I am sure we are going to play well together," Shevchenko added.
"He seems to have understood my movement straightaway, and that can only be good for the season ahead."
The classy hit-man marked his competitive debut for Chelsea in the Community Shield with a trademark strike of clinical precision, only for Peter Crouch to ruin the champions' day out at Cardiff with a late winner.
With Chelsea having brought Shevchenko to Stamford Bridge from Milan for a huge £29 million fee, Shevchenko will be under pressure from the off to deliver immediate results.
However, having capped an impressive bow with a goal, the 29-year-old is in a confident mood ahead of next weekend's opener - adamant that the pressure to score goals is something that he has carried throughout his career.
"Throughout my career, I have always been under pressure to score goals," he said.
"But the person I am means I am the one who puts the greatest pressure on me.
"I am really happy to score in my first official game for Chelsea. It would be great if I could score goals like that all the time, although obviously the most important thing is to do well for the team.
"I am fitting in very well. The club, the players and the manager have all helped me settle, and I am very grateful for that.
"We are disappointed not to win today, but I feel we are just a little bit behind in our conditioning.
"We were stretched slightly, but I don't think that will be a problem in the weeks and months ahead."
While disappointed by the defeat, Shevchenko drew consolation from the way he is already developing an understanding with his Chelsea team-mates as Frank Lampard, who set up his goal, came in for special praise.
"Frank is a great player, and I am sure we are going to play well together," Shevchenko added.
"He seems to have understood my movement straightaway, and that can only be good for the season ahead."
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