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Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri will continue to use the full depth of his rich squad until he finds a settled first choice side despite criticism for too much tinkering with his line-ups.
"At this moment I chose this first 11. Maybe in one week, one month I have a first 11, (but) at the moment, no, everybody is working very well and the first 11 are the players who play," Ranieri said after Chelsea beat Middlesbrough 2-1 away in the premier league on Sunday.
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Ranieri made seven changes from the side that were upset 2-0 by Besiktas of
Turkey in their Champions League match at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
It was Chelsea's first defeat since the 110 million pounds ($183.7 million) off-season spending spree of new billionaire owner Roman Abramovich bloated Ranieri's squad with the likes of Argentina's Hernan Crespo. Ticketmaster
Crespo had an ineffectual first half against Besiktas and was substituted at halftime when Ranieri made tactical substitutions after two terrible mistakes in the Chelsea defence gifted the Turkish side their two goals.
But the Argentine, who came on after the interval on Sunday, headed a brilliant winner two minutes from time against an unlucky Middlesbrough side who were on top for most of the second half. Ticketmaster
Ranieri's tinkering has suffered only one real setback, the Besiktas defeat, in 11 matches in the premier league and Europe.
"When I have a lot of players in good condition, why (stop making changes)," Ranieri said."Everybody is showing a good attitude in training.
"We aren't close to Arsenal and Manchester United. They have a first 11, they have been playing together for a long time." Chelsea are up at the top of the premier league, one point behind leaders Arsenal and level with second-placed United, and they have a game in hand. Fulham and Birmingham City, fourth and fifth, are five points further back. Ticketmaster
BORO REVIVAL
Middlesbrough are four places off the bottom, their recent good run of form having been interrupted by Chelsea. They had won all three of their previous matches, including a League Cup tie, 1-0 after taking only one point from their first five league games.
"I still can't believe it, it just shows you this is a cruel game," their manager Steve McClaren said.
"We had a fantastic performance by the players, we deserved something for it. I can't fault them, their attitude was magnificent. Ticketmaster
"But we paid the price for (missed chances). We were dominating, we were on top. You need those chances to put the game away.
"A lack of concentration in the last few minutes is always vital against top teams. But I'm very encouraged by the performance, we've come a hell of a long way from four games ago," he said.
Chelsea were on top in the first half and might have gone further ahead when defender John Terry's header hit the bar but Middlesbrough were a different side after the break. Asked what he had told his players at halftime, McClaren said: "We just needed a bit more width, we were too compact.
"In the second half we got the width, we stretched them. I don't think you'll see many teams dominate the Chelsea team like that, especially in the second half."