Lampard leads Chelsea charge

THERE are copious reasons why Chelsea are favourites to win the Champions League — and not all of them hang on Roman Abramovich’s millions.

The resilience they showed to fight back against Arsenal in the quarter-finals and the meanness of their defence are impressive attributes.

The outpouring of support and affection for coach Claudio Ranieri, even if his long-term future at Stamford Bridge is still uncertain, is also a potent rallying point.

But the best reason of all is the presence in midfield of Frank Lampard, the man sure to be the first player on Ranieri's teamsheet for tonight's semi-final first leg against Monaco.

For all the expensive foreign signings lured to Stamford Bridge, it is Lampard who by far has been the greatest inspiration.

Such has been his influence that in any other season he would be a racing certainty for the PFA Footballer of the Year award when it is announced later this month. We already know, courtesy of Patrick Vieira, that the entire Arsenal squad have voted for him and that is undeniable proof of his quality.

Only the unparalleled skills of Thierry Henry, arguably the world's best footballer, stand between him and the most glittering individual prize in the domestic game.

Not that such thoughts will be on Lampard's mind tonight. He will be intent solely on continuing the form which has seen him blossom from a creative but raw midfielder into arguably the most dynamic all-round English playmaker in the Premiership.

He owes much of that maturity to Ranieri, whose reputation as "the Tinkerman" belies his ability as a coach capable of bringing the best out of each individual in his squad.

The affable Italian has restricted Lampard's desire to bomb forward at every opportunity, the most exciting part of his game but also one which allowed opponents to exploit the space he left behind on the counter-attack.

It has made Lampard shrewder, more selective in his attacking thrusts and consequently, more difficult for opponents to pick up when he does surge forward. It has also made his contributions essential to Chelsea's cause.

True, English involvement at Chelsea is limited to the rapidly-maturing John Terry in central defence, the surging Wayne Bridge at full-back, Scott Parker and Joe Cole at times in midfield and Lampard but there is nothing like success to breed success.

The Chelsea boss has tried desperately to play down expectations and there is no doubt the loss of William Gallas and Damien Duff through illness are major blows.

Gallas' pace would have been useful against a Monaco side which beat Real Madrid and put eight goals past fellow semi-finalists Deportivo La Coruna earlier in the competition.

Ranieri rates tonight's clash as the biggest game of his life but the loss of Duff will be a blow, especially as Chelsea believe they need to continue their record of scoring at least one away goal in every round of the competition in order to help them make it through to next month's final.

Ranieri said: "Damien is our wizard and without him we must try to do something good. I always pick my team on the night before the match and this will be the same.

"I always look at the final training session and feel something is right with this player and maybe not quite right with another. I am hoping that everyone will be okay but I will see how they are.

"It is important to score away, we have done it so far and it is important to keep it going. My mentality is always to win everywhere and I am always confident. In England all the people say we are favourites, in Portugal all the people say Porto are favourites, in Spain all the people say Deportivo are favourites and it is the same here in France with Monaco."

Chelsea's midfield star Joe Cole singled out Monaco's Edouard Cisse, on loan from Paris St Germain, as a potential danger man. The pair played together for West Ham last season and Cole said: "I always knew Edouard had good temperament and ability and if he had been given more chance, things may have been very different for him in England.

"He's a very elegant player in the Patrick Vieira mould and I am not surprised he is doing so well at Monaco. We didn't see the best of him at West Ham. I am sure he will be desperate to put one over on us and show the English public what a good player he really is. That makes him a dangerous player." However Monaco striker Shabani Nonda says his side can no longer rely on the element of surprise. "This is going to be difficult," he went on. "I feel that this time we will be taken seriously."