Chelsea's late arrival in the tunnel at Camp Nou was a miscalculation. A three-minute delay was nothing like long enough on a night when it would have taken a postponement of the fixture to thwart Barcelona. Gamesmanship is always embarrassing when the opposition fail even to notice the ploy, and Frank Rijkaard's players were ready to show their superiority whenever the match kicked off.

Only an unmerited penalty gave Chelsea a 1-1 draw and spared them defeat in each leg. This is turning into a season of slight decline for Jose Mourinho's team. The almost certain retention of the Premiership title and a continuing FA Cup challenge seem signs of rude health, but the deficiencies of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have undermined Chelsea.

Trouble was brewing at the group stage in the 1-0 defeat by Real Betis and the inability to score in either draw with Liverpool. Any assumption they would effortlessly return to a higher level when required was exposed as a delusion on Tuesday night.

If they are to be measured against Barcelona then a process of decay has occurred. Last season, Chelsea did lose at Camp Nou after Didier Drogba had been dismissed, but until his departure they had led 1-0 and should have scored on another occasion as they absorbed attacks and turned them into a launch pad for ventures of their own.

There was none of that to be seen this week. Rijkaard has learned from experience, with the inclusion of Edmilson and Thiago Motta introducing some steeliness to his otherwise idealistic conception of football. Even so, Chelsea were poorer. No amount of talk about the referee Terje Hauge's rulings in the first leg can disguise the fact.

Natural as it is for Mourinho to denounce the red card for Asier Del Horno at Stamford Bridge, it is a strange truth that the side's best spell of the whole tie came when they were without him there, at the opening of the second half. Whenever 11 Chelsea players faced 11 Barcelona players, the Premiership men were second best.

Mourinho will have to ask himself what changes might be necessary. He and Rafael Benitez, when they were respectively at Porto and Valencia, made a virtue out of their relative lack of money. They were the managers who exposed the decadence of the star system embodied by Real Madrid, putting the emphasis on strategic signings, preparation and tactical plans.

While Mourinho will return to the transfer market, the only haughty temperament permitted at Stamford Bridge will probably be his own. Within his own framework, though, a way has to be identified to encourage a degree of exuberance.

Chelsea might well ask themselves if it is really of benefit to turn Damien Duff into a drudge, running hard to get back and cover as well as to ferry the ball to the attack. His dashing display for the Republic of Ireland against Sweden last week was a reminder he can still be the exciting winger he once was.

Mourinho does require some game-changers and it was depressing at Camp Nou to see the side stuck in a rut. He needs to get more out of Arjen Robben and there are occasions when Joe Cole could be allowed to indulge in some individualism. Even Shaun Wright-Phillips might provide some of the missing unpredictability if he settles at Chelsea.

With Drogba looking clunky in Barcelona and Hernan Crespo's long-term attachment to the club being questioned, a new centre-forward may also be essential to bring focus to the attacks.

First of all Mourinho will have to sacrifice some of his own power by letting the more skilful players enjoy a degree of independence when everything rests on talent rather than tactics.