Abramovich must take his share of the blame

IF Roman Abramovich is looking for scapegoats for Chelsea’s disappointing season and a painful Champions League defeat against Manchester United — and of course he is — then maybe it is time to look in the mirror and consider his own part in the way the club has disintegrated over the last 12 months.

The reality is that manager Ancelotti will pay the ultimate price for a miserable campaign both at home and in Europe; his squirming body language before and after this week’s tie told you that, no matter what the briefings may be from Stamford Bridge.

But the Italian, who performed miracles with an ageing squad last season to win the double, should not be the only subject of discussion when the post-mortem on Chelsea’s dream of becoming the biggest club in the world is performed.