By Owen Phillips

Monaco end Chelsea dream

Champions League semi-finalists, runners-up in the Premiership and quarter-finals of both domestic cup competitions?

Good enough for most clubs - but not for Chelsea chairman Roman Abramovich.

Blues boss Claudio Ranieri's departure looks inevitable now that their quest for silverware is over - despite a season most other teams would be proud of.

BBC Sport looks at the reasons why there will be a new manager at Stamford Bridge next season.

The Monaco first-leg debacle may well have been the final straw for Abramovich.

Seeing an inexperienced hulk of a centre-half in Robert Huth playing as a right wing-back was the sort of thing that happens when you are an injury-hit squad short on players - not a team bankrolled by a billionaire.

Ranieri takes the blame

Ranieri has revelled in his role as the Tinkerman - often making bizarre tactical switches mid-game - but none proved more confusing or disastrous than that.

But despite his tactical blunders in the first leg of the Champions semi-final and his failure to turn it around in the return leg, Ranieri's exit was probably rubber-stamped months ago.

Too often Chelsea have scraped past teams when Abramovich feels his millions deserved more.

Their majestic second-half display against Arsenal in the Champions League game at Highbury is the benchmark for Abramovich.

And it was no coincidence, the performance came with Chelsea going all out for victory.

Abramovich wants to see more flair for his money

Peter Kenyon has talked of Abramovich's desire to see 'sexy' football.

And the failure of Ranieri's Chelsea to play the sort of "champagne football" Abramovich expects and demands is probably the biggest single factor behind his departure.

The new regime does not expect workman-like displays based on solid defence, but thumping wins by way of free-flowing football.

That may be unfair and unrealistic but Abramovich sees Arsenal managing it most weeks without the financial clout Chelsea have.

The purchase of Glen Johnson was a shock to many.

While everyone expected a Ronaldo or Raul as the new regime's first signing, the capture of one of England's best young defenders proved Ranieri, not Abramovich, was spending the cash.

Ranieri was asked to draw up a list of players, and the infamous selection - which included Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira - should have been more carefully planned.

Instead of Henry and Vieira, the likes of Geremi, Hernan Crespo, Adrian Mutu and Juan Sebastian Veron were brought in.

Of those four, Veron has had a completely forgettable season, Crespo and Mutu have impressed only occasionally and the dependable Geremi is not the sort to take a side to the next level.

Abramovich may have unimaginable sums of cash, but that doesn't mean he wants to see it wasted.

Many Chelsea fans feel Marco Ambrosio was an accident waiting to happen.

Ambrosio has looked suspect at times

Pre-season performances hardly instilled confidence, and a Carling Cup display against Notts County confirmed fears he is not a good enough substitute for Carlo Cudicini.

Some decent saves recently have proved he was nowhere near as bad as first feared, but his mistake for the third goal in the first-leg against Monaco was no surprise to anyone who has seen him regularly.

In Ranieri's defence, Ambrosio and Jurgen Macho were bought before Abramovich's arrival.

But Neil Sullivan was signed when there was hordes of cash in the bank and he cannot even oust Ambrosio.

Ranieri's failure to buy a top class keeper in the January transfer window could be the reason Chelsea end this season trophy-less, and the reason he leaves his post.

Whoever takes over from Ranieri will feel pressure never before experienced by an English club manager.

Time is one of the most crucial factors to building a successful team - something no-one will get at Chelsea.

But whatever Abramovich feels about Ranieri, only the class of Arsenal has stopped the Tinkerman guiding Chelsea to the top of the domestic tree.

And because his achievements came under an almost constant threat of the sack, Ranieri emerges with his head held high, and reputation enhanced.

He has gone on record as saying he would like to stay in the Premiership, and managerless Tottenham appear his most likely destination.

The likes of Liverpool and Manchester City could be interested, given how he took Chelsea into the Champions League before Abramovich arrived.

One thing is for sure, he will not find it difficult to find new employers this summer.