Ranieri's rotations put Chelsea in a spin

Champions' League: Victory in Prague underlines benefits of constant team changes as United's reputation overawes Greeks

As Chelsea flew back from the Czech Republic in the early hours of yesterday morning one thing was clear. The old certainties no longer apply at Stamford Bridge. The mantra "never change a winning team" has been steadily downgraded in recent years, but no one has cast it aside as thoroughly as Claudio Ranieri.

The 1-0 defeat of Sparta Prague was Chelsea's sixth victory in seven matches this season, the other game having been drawn. In that time Ranieri has used 25 different players, all but two as starters, and never fielded an unchanged selection. Indeed, for the last four matches he has made five, five, three and seven personnel changes to the starting XI respectively, plus myriad positional ones. Only Carlo Cudicini, the goalkeeper, and Marcel Desailly, the captain and most commanding player, have been ever-presents.

As if this were not enough he has made four half-time tactical substitutions in these games, a ploy even Barry Fry might baulk at. Chelsea's squad are now comparable, as the former Real Madrid player Geremi noted, to anyone's in Europe. In the "Tinkerman" they have a coach who is not afraid to utilise it.

Having conceded early goals in recent games Ranieri began in Prague with a team designed to be tight. Having reached the break at 0-0, he then successfully performed an attacking makeover. Though William Gallas did not score the decisive goal until late on, Chelsea were always the more likely winners. As the manager said: "I am lucky to have so many good players."

The players themselves have taken longer to adjust to the new situation. Many footballers are both egotistical and insecure. They need to know where they stand in the manager's pecking order. Then they can either relax, or moan. At Chelsea they are often as clueless as the punters and press. Frank Lampard said: "We usually have a team meeting about two hours before the match when we talk about the opposition and study videos. The manager then writes the team on a board. Sometimes you have an idea as to who will be playing, sometimes you have to wait and see. Prague was a case of wait and see."

On this occasion Lampard was omitted. He admitted he was unhappy but added: "The manager would not want me at the club if I was happy at not playing." In the event, he came on at half-time and played well. Whether he did well enough to be reassured that Ranieri sees him as a Champions' League regular is another matter. Early indications suggest the coach views the more physical, less technically accomplished players like Lampard, John Terry and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, as primarily domestic competitors. Ranieri himself denies any such verdict. "I pick a team for each game, and every game is different," he said.

In time those players who regularly miss out on the big occasions are likely to make their dissatisfaction known, but it is premature to suggest there is dressing-room unrest. The team are still settling down and the inevitable injuries and suspensions should ensure most will be given opportunities.

Eventually those players passed over for crucial fixtures will be faced with the same dilemma experienced by the likes of Nicky Butt and Phil Neville at Old Trafford. Both have hung in at Manchester United and done well enough to see their England careers prosper, even when their club places remain uncertain.

Besides, the transfer window means no one can go anywhere until January. Those that do wish to move will then have to ask whether being a regular at Middlesbrough, as Boudewijn Zenden now is, is really preferable to being in and out of a Champions' League team. As Steve McManaman found at Real Madrid, there can be significant fringe benefits on the fringes.