Upon arriving in Italy he sought out the advice and wisdom of compatriot and team-mate Ray Wilkins.

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It emerged after football pundit Ray Wilkins used the phrase repeatedly during a Real Madrid v Tottenham Hotspur Champions League clash.

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Following assistant manager Ray Wilkins's dismissal in November, Chelsea took only six points from seven league games and fell behind in the title race.

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Arnesen's resignation is the second high-profile departure announced by the club in a matter of weeks after long-serving assistant manager Ray Wilkins left earlier in the month.

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Both teams left the pitch to a frustrated chorus of jeering at the interval, with Chelsea coach Ray Wilkins clearly angry at the events of the first half.

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Sam Allardyce and Sven-Goran Eriksson are further possibilities, while stand-in manager Ray Wilkins is probably less likely to be a serious candidate with the high-profile names already being circulated.

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The Blues lie fourth in the table, seven points adrift of leaders Manchester United, who have a game in hand, with assistant Ray Wilkins coaching the team on an interim basis.

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But there was no late boost and Chelsea slipped to successive league defeats for the first time in four-and-a-half years after a miserable week in which assistant manager Ray Wilkins was also sacked.

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Ancelotti has also had to contend with the shock sacking of his trusted assistant Ray Wilkins, something which has clearly troubled him despite his insistence this week that he has no intention of resigning.

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