Jose Mourinho's Tactical Masterclass Will Dismay Roman Abramovich

What must Roman Abramovich be thinking in the wake of Chelsea's defeat by Inter Milan?

Another season, another Champions League disappointment - and brought about by Jose Mourinho of all people.

The Russian billionaire doesn't often come to Stamford Bridge, but he was there to witness Mourinho's Milan produce a "perfect" game to defeat his side. Well, perfect in the Special One's eyes anyway.

A 1-0 loss on the night and 3-1 on aggregate; did Abramovich stay around long enough to read the verdict of pundits and fans? They all had a similar theme, mainly asking what on earth had possessed him to dispense with Mourinho's services back in the autumn of 2007.

Another man with much on his mind is Carlo Ancelotti.

The Italian was hired because he was one of the few managers on the planet with a better Champions League record than Jose, having won it as a player and then twice as AC Milan's manager.

But he came off second best last night, just as he had last season in his final season in Serie A when Mourinho's Inter won at a canter. The two men do not like each other, that is no secret, but Ancelotti cannot fail to have been dismayed by the warm reception Mourinho was given by the Chelsea fans before kick-off.

Ancelotti's thinking is much easier to fathom than his employer's.

Firstly, at the back of his mind at least, must be the fear that he will go the same way as Avram Grant and Luiz Felipe Scolari, who were jettisoned for failing to land the world's most prestigious club trophy. And Grant, it must remembered, was just a single penalty-kick away from achieving that goal.

Secondly, he must be smarting at the fact that Mourinho outsmarted him tactically from the off. Inter began with three forwards in Samuel Eto'o, Goran Pandev and Diego Milito. Eto'o scored the winner and all three had other clear chances throughout the 90 minutes. This was not a line-up in the Italian tradition designed merely to frustrate so a first leg lead could be preserved.

Chelsea found that to their cost when they tried to impose themselves on the game. Ancelotti's diamond formation in the middle often sacrifices width and that is usually where full-backs Branislav Ivanovic and Yuri Zhirkov come in. But with Milito and Pandev already filling the spaces either side of Eto'o there was precious little room for that.
Ancelotti's longer-term decision-making has also been called into question by this setback.

His failure to spend money in the January transfer window was a vote of confidence in a squad that may yet win the Premier League title as a consolation prize.

But it left him with reduced options on the bench when they were needed the most, with Salomon Kalou and Joe Cole unable to influence proceedings in the second half. And all he had as an extra attacker was the rookie Daniel Sturridge, who remained unused even when Didier Drogba was sent off.

Ah yes, Didier Drogba. The Ivory Coast forward turned 32 last week but declared he still felt like a "big kid". He behaved like one against the Italians. Again.

Chelsea's last three Champions League exits have a common theme; that of Drogba losing his cool, or simply being a sore loser.

Yes, Chelsea might have had a penalty and that might have changed the course of the whole tie. That also applies to a Nicolas Anelka effort that was cleared off the line.

But it does not disguise the fact that, once again Chelsea were found wanting in the most testing arena in world football and that is not a picture that looks like changing in the next 14 months.

Ancelotti shrugged off Sir Alex Ferguson's jibe that Chelsea were too old for success, but every year that passes will prove him right unless wholesale surgery is applied to this squad of 30-pluses.

It's back to the drawing board for Abramovich as the biggest mistake he will ever make came back to haunt him.