Petit Minded
‘WIN, lose or draw, Claudio Ranieri will be shown the door.
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| Every Claudio has a silver lining |
Thats a kind of poetry – although its not nearly as poetic as the gregarious Italian leaving Chelsea with his head held high and the Champions League pot held aloft.
The Times leads with news of the second leg of Chelseas semi-final tie against Monaco (they trail 1-3 from the first leg), and says that its not too late for Ranieri to change his reputation.
The incurable tinkerman, who has not won any silver during his four seasons at the Bridge, may yet come good.
However, Emmanuel Petit, seen in the Sun sporting a jaw-droppingly horrible goatee beard, thinks the blame for any lack of success lies with Roman Abramovich and not the teams coach.
Abramovich needs to realise money doesnt buy success, says the Chelsea midfielder. He could spend £1bn on another 40 new players but that would not guarantee success.
He could, just as he could spend a few tens of thousands of pounds each week on a player who sits on the bench.
Ranieri is a really good manger, Petit continues, but without the support of everyone at the club, its impossible for any manager to achieve success.
Thats a valid point, but one countered by Ranieris surrendering of the league title when it was still within Chelseas reach and his contriving to lose a crucial game against ten men.
Ranieris Chelsea might yet win the day and, if they do, the Guardian says that they will face Porto in the Champions League final.
Last night, Jose Mourinho, the man many expect to be Ranieris replacement, masterminded his sides 1-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna, which came about courtesy of a penalty.
Meanwhile, the Guardian watched Arsenal continue their unbeaten run in the Premier League with a 1-1 draw at Portsmouth, stretching their record to 36 matches unbeaten since the seasons start.
And congratulations to Norwich, who despite losing to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, still managed to win the First Division title.
Perhaps next season Delia Smiths outfit will be the team to beat Arsenal? Or an egg…’
Posted: 5th, May 2004 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
