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Grant backed by Chelsea stars
11/03/2008 07:45 - (SA)
London - Avram Grant is clinging to his job by a slender thread but the beleaguered Chelsea manager will be heartened by an outpouring of support from his players ahead of Wednesday's Premier League clash against Derby.
Chelsea's FA Cup defeat against Barnsley on Saturday has once again raised questions about Grant's ability to get the best out of his star-studded squad.
The Israeli had already been criticised for his passive demeanour and confused tactics in last month's League Cup final loss to Tottenham.
So when Chelsea were victims of one of the FA Cup's greatest giant-killings, Grant was certain to get it in the neck.
Blues owner Roman Abramovich has been a staunch supporter of Grant since appointing his friend as Jose Mourinho's successor in September, but even he is unlikely to placated by anything less than winning the Premier League or Champions League now.
Getafe manager Michael Laudrup is the latest name to be linked with Grant's job and Derby's visit to Stamford Bridge must seem like another unwanted trial.
Dressing unrest
If, as expected, Chelsea see off the league's bottom team, Grant will hardly be showered with praise. But a defeat could prove the last straw for Abramovich and the fans who have never fully embraced the boss.
Grant's last hope is to keep his players with him. Rumours of dressing unrest have never been far from the surface since Mourinho left, but, publicly at least, he retains their backing.
"We know there will be people after the manager, but as a player you know when you haven't played well and we haven't done recently," France striker Nicolas Anelka said.
"The criticism should be aimed at the players. We have spoken about the Champions League and we will try to do our best to win it. We have big players who have the quality to do it."
Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech echoed Anelka's support. He said: "We're a big club and have a coach who was unknown in England in the past and that is why everyone tries to find new things.
"If the relationship was not working, we would not be winning. This is clear evidence of that being just speculation."
To his credit, Grant shows no signs of blaming anyone but himself for Chelsea's erratic form.
"When I am responsible for the team, and when my team loses at Barnsley, there will be many negative things said about it," Grant said.
Ankle injury
"On the other hand, we have two major competitions left. I am concentrating on them, not other things."
Cech will miss Wednesday's match as he recovers from an ankle injury, but Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard are likely to return after being rested at the weekend.
Even without those two stars, Chelsea would still be heavy favourites to beat a Derby side whose sole ambition for the rest of the campaign is to avoid finishing with the lowest ever Premier League points total.
Chelsea have gone unbeaten at Stamford Bridge for over two years, while Derby are still waiting for their first win on their travels this season, so their chances of edging closer to Sunderland's all-time low of 15 points are slim.
Rams manager Paul Jewell hardly sounded optimistic when he admitted Chelsea will be determined to recover from their Barnsley humiliation.
"Great teams bounce back. Both Chelsea and Manchester United have had poor results over the weekend for them, they would have both fancied themselves for the FA Cup but they've been beaten," Jewell said.
"They left a few out but they still have world-class players to choose from and I'm sure they'll be chomping at the bit on Wednesday."
- AFP
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