Chelsea will feel the consequences of stalwart's sacking

As universal law states: for every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction. While Chelsea's 'instant karma' came in the form of their stunning home defeat to Sunderland, there is no doubt their ruthless sacking of stalwart Ray Wilkins will further impact on their title defence.

Dismissed at half-time of a reserve team game, the assistant manager was marched out of Chelsea last week to sever a 42-year association with the club. Probably not the best timing with today's tricky trip to Birmingham City marking the start of a crucial six-week phase to finish the year, highlighted by away games at Tottenham and Arsenal and the December 19 home clash with Manchester United.

Carlo Ancelotti had to tow the company line and deny Wilkins' exit had contributed to his side's abject performance against Sunderland. But you could see it on the faces of the Italian manager and injured club captain John Terry in the dugout and in the body language of the players. Getting rid of the man known fondly as 'Butch' in such callous fashion was like putting a dagger through the heart of team spirit at Stamford Bridge.

Former Chelsea manager and youth academy boss Ken Shellito watched in horror from Kuala Lumpur where he is employed as a technical analyst for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Shellito was the man who first worked with Wilkins when he came to Chelsea as a 12-year-old prodigy in 1969.

'I was on the phone to the Wilkins house this week, speaking to his wife Jackie and Ray wasn't given a reason for his sacking,' Shellito said. 'If he's surplus to requirements, there's a way of doing things and that's obviously not how to do it. His absence in the dressing room will be a big loss to Chelsea.'

This week, dozens of wide-ranging theories about why Wilkins was axed have emerged in the British media and through online club chat rooms. The most feasible is that Wilkins fell victim to a simple cost-cutting exercise that has also seen the likes of Michael Ballack, Ricardo Carvalho and Deco leave the club.