Ranieri muses over life at the top

CLAUDIO RANIERI yesterday claimed to have cast off his tag as the tinker man of the Premiership 24 hours before his Chelsea team aim for the away victory over Middlesbrough which would take them top of the table.

Ranieri was criticised by the fans and the pundits for ringing the changes last season and he acknowledged the rotation policy, although a vital part of getting to know his players, has been consigned to the past.

"Last year I was a tinker man. This year, no. Now I have all my players available but last season I always had to make changes," said the Italian as he explained his policy shift.

"It was important for me to understand about my players and find out how they react to things but sometimes the criticism was not good.

"Even when I was right because Chelsea won I was a tinker man. I don't understand why because if Chelsea won it was good.

Chelsea certainly appear to have settled in as the genuine challengers to the big three of Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool but Ranieri adamantly refuses to speculate on the possibility of life at the top.

"My focus is only on Middlesbrough and, of course, my own team only the next match. There's still a long way to go. If we are still there in April, of course I will be happy," he said, insisting that the chance to leapfrog Arsenal will have no effect on the approach of his side.

Ranieri is expecting a tough task at Middlesbrough and he recalled: "I remember the first match at Stamford Bridge. Middlesbrough played very well and only the great invention of Gianfranco Zola and the fantastic right foot of Celestine Babayaro enabled us to score the goals against them.

Chelsea will be without Babayaro today, as he serves the second game of his three-match suspension, and central defender Marcel Desailly is ruled out by an undisclosed personal problem, although he is expected to be back to face Manchester United in the Worthington Cup on Wednesday.

Desailly's absence enables John Terry to return to the starting line-up with Ranieri praising him for the fortitude he has shown in fighting his way back from his problems this season.

Injuries and a high-profile court case, in which he was cleared, have blighted Terry's recent career but his manager said: "John Terry has been suffering a lot this season but always in the training sessions he has been fantastic. He always works hard."

The French central defensive duo of Desailly and William Gallas have played a big part in Chelsea's climb up the table and Ranieri understands the predicament this has placed Terry in.

"Everybody always wants to play. It's normal, but he understands the situation", added the Chelsea boss who seems to have got everyone understanding exactly what he is doing and where he is going this season.