MANCHESTER UNITED...1 CHELSEA...1: Claudio Ranieri's emotions are as subject to change as his formations. Last Tuesday he was the picture of good-natured resignation; on Saturday afternoon the Italian was bafflingly optimistic about his chances of keeping his job.

It is this ceaseless swerving, in one form or another, that made his employers fear in the first place he did not know where he was taking Chelsea. The destination, of second place in the Premiership, is pleasant and the club have not visited so attractive a spot since they took the title in 1955, but his employers do not trust him to remember the route.

None the less, the manager has decided it is worth one last effort to argue that second place in the Premiership and the run to the Champions League semi-finals amount to a better season than had been expected after the rushed recruitment programme that followed Roman Abramovich's takeover last summer.

"Next season, with me or another manager, we will have to try and improve again," Ranieri said. He claimed he is "not so sure" he will be dismissed. He does not regard owner Abramovich as unremittingly hostile. "There is a very good feeling between me and him," said Ranieri.

If anything really has altered, it can only lie in negotiations with mooted successor Jose Mourinho. If he does arrive, he will have the makings of a good team. Had it not been for Carlo Cudicini's howler, Chelsea would have come away with a win over punchless Manchester United.

The goalkeeper fumbled a routine cross by Mikael Silvestre in the 77th minute and Ruud van Nistelrooy, back from his knee injury, capitalised with his first goal in six appearances.

Chelsea, despite having greater injury problems than their opponents, had been the more methodical side. United lapsed into bad habits, lazily failing to clear a corner fully in the 19th minute before Jesper Gronkjaer, with Paul Scholes backing off him, bent a splendid drive into the top corner.

Scholes was soon booked for diving in the penalty area and Gary Neville has also developed an interest in the dark arts of simulation in the past few months. Scholes's transgression should have paved the way for a red card that would have ruled him out of the FA Cup final, but referee Steve Bennett administered no booking for the midfielder's late challenge on Frank Lampard. United, relieved, then replaced Scholes.

Ranieri will wish there had been a ready alternative to Robert Huth. The young German needlessly fouled substitute Louis Saha for a penalty in the 42nd minute and although Cudicini saved van Nistelrooy's spot-kick impressively, the Chelsea centre-half, who had already been booked by then, was an obvious candidate for dismissal.

The 19-year-old felled van Nistelrooy in the 73rd minute. A straight red was merited but another yellow removed him in any case.

Alex Ferguson cannot have relished his duty of addressing the crowd after the last home match of the season. Although he had no option but to pledge a determination to beat Millwall in the FA Cup final, the ambitious Ferguson will have heard the bathos in his own words.

The fans meant no harm, but many turned their backs on him, preferring to get away from Old Trafford as quickly as possible.