Tinkering is so costly for Ranieri

The home side huffed and puffed after that but by the end they looked plain tinkered out.

The Chelsea fans obviously knew a thing or two about their team's recent record European competition because around 8,000 of them stayed away.

Those that did turn up on a drizzly evening in west London will have seen their team receive a harsh lesson in Champions League football.

Besiktas, who had lost 2-0 at home to Lazio in their opening group match, soaked up some early Chelsea pressure before opening the scoring after 24 minutes when Chelsea slumbered on at a free-kick and a cross from the left ended with Sergen Yalcin poking the ball home off John Terry.

The second goal, five minutes later, was even worse. Oscar Cordoba, the Besiktas goalkeeper, thundered a long kick down field, Marcel Desailly slipped, Carlo Cudicini flapped while Yalcin couldn't believe his luck as he slipped the ball into an empty net.

By that time, Ranieri had lost Celestine Babayaro through injury, to be replaced by Wayne Bridge, and the Chelsea coach utilised his other two substitutes at half-time with Damien Duff and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink replacing Crespo and Mutu.

Ranieri said he wanted to widen out the game and, to be fair, there were more crosses from both flanks in the second half.

The puzzling thing, however, was that there was now only Hasselbaink in place to try and convert those crosses into something more productive.

Chelsea were given a helping hand by Besiktas striker Ilhan Mansiz, who had been booked in the first half for kicking the ball away and then, unbelievably, did exactly the same thing five minutes into the second half for another yellow and his marching orders.

Chelsea's best chance after that was a Juan Sebastian Veron header which flashed wide of an upright, but their hopes of a recovery were not helped by an injury to William Gallas, which reduced him to the role of a reluctant passenger.

"We started very well," said Ranieri. "We had two good chances and then made two mistakes. My players tried to do everything to score but Besiktas were a well organised team and they closed all the space.

"We lost the match but I think we have also lost Babayaro and Gallas.

"My players have good character though and I am sure they will show a good reaction."

It is to be hoped that the Chelsea coach is right, because a few more defeats like this one and a certain Swede will be mentioned again.

For the moment, though, he has a challenge of his own to meet against Turkish opposition.