Cheats Don’t Prosper

‘HAVING already dictated his own suicide note in telling a Spanish newspaper that Roman Abramovich “knows nothing about football” (a claim he dismisses in the Telegraph as a joke), Claudio Ranieri’s dream of leaving the Blues with the Champions’ League title is all but dead and buried.

The Tinkerman signs his own death warrant

And the papers are united in the opinion that Ranieri, the so-called Tinkerman, is to blame for his side’s 3-1 defeat to Monaco.

“”TINKER BLUE IT,” says the Sun of the Italian’s tactics that saw Hernan Crespo end up on the right wing.

“Chelsea falter as tinkering fails Ranieri,” says the Independent’s headline. “Tinkerman gets his comeuppance,” adds the Telegraph.

It should not have been so. With scores tied at one goal apiece, and Chelsea holding their own, the Londoners benefited from two bits of rough justice from Swiss referee Urs Meier.

The first incident, noticed by the Sun (“IT’S CON WRONG”) saw Marcel Desailly stay on the field despite knocking his elbow against the skull of Monaco’s outstanding Fernando Morientes.

The second was outright cheating. In “WHAT A CHEAT”, the Sun watches as Chelsea’s Claude Makelele receives a retaliatory tap on the back of the head from Vassilis Zikos and goes down like he’s been shot.

Result: Zikos off and the Frenchman and Chelsea’s reputations damaged.

What’s worse for the Blues – as if things could get worse – is that Manchester United are now just a single point behind Chelsea in the Premiership.

Last night, the Indy reports, United beat Charlton 2-0 and edged toward second place in the table and automatic qualification into next year’s Champions’ League.

Meanwhile, in the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, Jimmy White was beaten in snooker’s World Championships by one Barry Pinches.

The Sun hears the people’s champion call his 10-8 defeat a “complete disaster” and say how disappointed he is after another failure at the sport’s top table.

Seemingly doomed to be the greatest player never to be world champion, White must wait until next year for success.

And, barring a shock, so too must Chelsea…’

Posted: 21st, April 2004 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink