Tel brings end to Boro's home woes

Had Venables' FA enemies braved the Teesside chill they would have seen for themselves that he can still do it as a coach, though his cause was helped by the fact that Chelsea, even with four Englishmen in their starting line-up, do not appear to have the stomach for a fight outside of west London

Yet, Middlesbrough, until very recently, had no stomach at all.

No matter where they played they could not win. They conceded goals that Robson, whose name was not even on Saturday's official team-sheet though he is still supposed to be manager, described as schoolboy errors.

They panicked in defence, they ran in ever-decreasing midfield circles, their work-rate was questionable, their nerves were shot. Vickers, for example, looked liked he could no more mark an attacker or hit any part of Row Z than make a career change into rocket science.

Against Chelsea, for whom Eidur Gudjohnsen looked dangerous and composed at least, he was man of the match - a tower of strength and central defender of inspirational character.

Karembeu, who this season has looked like a conductor without a baton, was under orders to make his passes short and sweet; Paul Okon was charged with chewing away at Chelsea's languid Europeans; Brian Deane and Noel Whelan with pulling defenders wide to allow wing back Keith O'Neill and midfielders Paul Ince and Robbie Mustoe to break into space.

When asked if he meant what he wrote in his programme notes about his Riverside task being the hardest he had ever confronted, Venables laughed, but not with his eyes, when he replied: 'Hard? Are you kidding?'

But he guided Boro to their first home win of the season without half a team, missing because of suspension or injury, and explained how he had to convince the players that their battle is as much psychological as it is physical.

'There are two kinds of bravery,' he said. 'One is about the basics of tackling and heading, the other is to have the bravery to want the ball.

'If you have only two players who want it and the other team have five or six who want it, then you have a problem. But I think they all wanted the ball against Chelsea.

'This is only a start but we're trying to get that 10 or 15per cent out of them that will make the difference. The way to do it is repetition, to keep working on the same patterns, the same principles. To keep hammering it into them.'

Boro also got the kind of luck that they have not enjoyed for so long, substitute Dean Gordon's shot spinning off Mario Melchiot for the 71st-minute winner. Yet the victory was deserved.

Chelsea have still taken only three points home from drawn games to Stamford Bridge all season and no wonder. They appeared to enjoy the cat-and-mouse exchanges of the first half, both sides being very similar in style and tactics.

But when the going began to get tough, the tough were on the other side.

Ranieri, coming under growing pressure so soon in his Chelsea career, needs only learn two words of English that really matter for many of his players when they go on the road: guts and application.

Not enough of either was shown and, in any language the coach wishes to express himself, he must demand a proper response. If he does not get one it will not be the players who get the sack but him.