Storm clouds for Ranieri highlight Highbury serenity

Mustn't they? In the past when they've frozen or underperformed, it has most often occurred in Europe; even if SW6 is not quite Europe as they know it.

Yet should Chelsea fail, who could say they did not have it coming to them?

The hierarchy claim there has been no active briefing against Ranieri but even if you buy that, the fact remains nobody in Roman Abramovich's pay has dared offer Ranieri anything in public which remotely constitutes unconditional support. Except his players.

Having steered them to second in the Premiership and towards their biggest game for years in Europe's last eight, he might have expected that, having asked in this week of all weeks for the speculation about his future to be cleared up publicly, he has received nothing of the sort from chief executive Peter Kenyon.

Yesterday, Ranieri was asked if he felt it might actually suit certain people within the club if Chelsea didn't win the Champions League.

The implication of the question was that, as Ranieri was history whatever happened, it would obviously be much less hassle to sack a losing quarter-finalist than a European champion.

He just looked horrified at the suggestion. "No, that's crazy, no . . . I don't know . . . I hope not. I didn't think about this," he spluttered.

But the fact that he was even being asked tells you much about a climate of uncertainty which could destabilise the team.

Yet here's the irony. The neutrals' support in this tie, which might have been expected to go to Arsenal and their dash over Chelsea and their cash, may have swung in the Blues' favour simply out of sympathy for Ranieri.

Even Wenger yesterday applauded his counterpart's dignity before quickly ruling out any thought that sympathy might extend to charity with his observation: "When you play your wife at tennis, you can love her to death but you still want to beat her."

Watching the Italian's patient and goodhumoured performance amid the circus yesterday, you couldn't help rooting for the man. He himself rules out nothing; yes, he may have been a dead man walking since 3 July 2003, but he's still walking.

When John Terry says that all the speculation surrounding Ranieri only strengthens the players' determination to win this tie for him, it sounds genuine.

The team spirit at Arsenal is tried, trusted and now unbreakable; Chelsea players, still getting to know themselves, may need to tap into this indignant feeling to galvanise a similar esprit de corps.

Chelsea's image since the start of the takeover has noticably begun to alter.

At first, the novelty value of Abramovich's zillions obscured all else but the criticism has gradually begun to surface with one columnist this week suggesting he might be one of those who knew the price of everything and the value of nothing.

The legions who will feel for Ranieri's plight - even though one of his most warming traits is that he doesn't court any sympathy - would love to see the Italian put this theory to the test by beating Arsenal en route to winning the biggest prize in club football.

For who truly knows how Abramovich, who briefly hinted at a romantic streak when he wanted to buy Gianfranco Zola back for his new club, would react if he suddenly found himself with an immensely popular, instantly deified European Cupwinning coach on his hands?

The trouble is that Arsene Wenger will probably never let us find out.