Avram Grant was always on a hiding to nothing when he was given the task of following in the footsteps of Jose Mourinho.
There's no denying that he has done well, especially as there were a lot of sceptics about when he was given the job.
He inherited a very strong squad of course, but he has got Chelsea into a title-challenging position after a bit of a dodgy start.
Avram Grant: admirable start
And he has had to do this without some of his most influential players - John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho for long spells; Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Micheal Essien and Didier Drogba also.
Grant has got Chelsea back in the race and has had to do it without being able to put out his strongest 11, so it is admirable what he and his team have achieved so far.
What we are seeing is an evolution rather than a revolution and it will take a bit of time before we see Chelsea play the Avram Grant way.
Man Utd v Man City
1pm, Sky Sports 1 & HD1
Chelsea v Liverpool
3.30pm, Sky Sports 1 & HD1
Click here for details
Having said that, I don't think an awful lot has changed since Mourinho left in terms of the style and way that this Chelsea team play.
They might be trying to play this expansive football that Mr Abramovich craves, but the players will know one style to play and that's to win.
Whatever you say about the way they play, they certainly play winning football.
I don't quite see this expansive style that Grant talks about, but maybe when he gets everyone fit and the players back from the Africa Cup of Nations then they'll start to show that type of football.
The fans will have been surprised by how well he has settled in at Stamford Bridge as it's very difficult to try and take over a team that has won two championships and finished runner-up in the last three seasons and change their style of play overnight.
You only have to look at Sammy Lee who tried that at Bolton. He tried to change their style from the very successful Sam Allardyce way of playing and it was a disaster.
What we are seeing is an evolution rather than a revolution and it will take a bit of time before we see Chelsea play the Avram Grant way.
Injuries
Grant has had to soldier on with a casualty list as long as your arm at times and has not once complained, but that is no surprise to me. He was delighted to get the job and I don't think he was going to spend the first four or five months in the job moaning about his hard luck.
Even with injuries to key players, he still has a powerful squad - we know that. It is nice to see a manager just get on with it, but that may well change with Grant in a year's time!
He may find when he's under a bit more pressure to win things that he does start complaining about this and that. But he seems a very quite, level-headed man who just likes to get on with the job in hand.
His number two, Henk Ten Cate is a tough cookie who works the players hard and has good ideas. He came from Holland with a good reputation and it's evident that Grant and his right-hand-man are combining well.
They are getting on with it, with no fuss and publicity, and are just letting the players do their talking on the pitch which is refreshing for Chelsea.
Talking of injuries, I have enjoyed the return to form of Ballack. I watched him very closely at the World Cup finals in 2006 and thought he was one of the best players in the tournament by a distance. He is a phenomenal footballer.
I was delighted when he joined the Premier League and was equally surprised that he never quite settled in his first season.
We talk about it all the time; this is not an easy league, no matter how good you are, to come into and hit the ground running. Players sometimes do take a while to adjust but Ballack is now performing to somewhere near his full capability.
It may be a coincidence that his best form has been without Lampard in the team, I don't know. Time will tell whether the two of them can play in the same team.
I don't think Lampard will struggle to get back in the team when he returns to full fitness and Chelsea have a potentially formidable midfield trio of Essien, Lampard and Ballack that sticks out like a sore thumb.
Whether the blend would be right - Essien would have to be the holding player - I don't know. But they have plenty of options in midfield with John Obi Mikel and Steve Sidwell also, and Claude Makelele still performing well.
With what Lampard has achieved and offers you in terms of goals from midfield it would be very difficult to leave him out of the team.
Consistent
It's good to see Shaun Wright-Phillips playing well and showing the form that he showed during his last season at Manchester City. I think that Shaun needed a run in the team, but he also needed to be consistent in terms of end product - whether it's scoring goals or creating chances.
I still think he's a little wayward, at times he doesn't take enough care in delivering a ball, but that will come. He has improved in that department and this season his output in terms of goals and completed crosses has been better and his overall game is better.
There's a lot of promise and a lot of good things to take from Shaun Wright-Phillips' performances lately.
And the signing of Nicolas Anelka can only make Chelsea stronger. He should certainly push them even closer to Arsenal and Manchester United at the top of the Premier League.
Nicolas is a fantastic player but, as when Lampard returns, it will be interesting to see where he fits in when Drogba comes back next week.
Maybe, just maybe we are still watching Mourinho's system of play. We're not sure whether this really is the way Grant wants to play or whether he hasn't really altered too much at all.
Whatever way you look at it, Chelsea have only lost two of their 31 matches since Grant has been in charge.
Next year, if he is going to play both Drogba and Anelka you kind of wonder where he might fit them in if he's going to continue playing with this 4-3-3 formation.
Chelsea were written off too early for me as I think it is a three-horse race for the Premier League title. Slowly but surely they have worked their way back in and are now just six points behind Arsenal.
And they still have the other three teams of the 'big four' to play at Stamford Bridge, starting with Liverpool on Super Sunday.
We know that their home record is phenomenal so that six point gap can easily be shut. Never write off a team who have as many match-winners as Chelsea have.
Do you agree with Andy Gray? Let us know what you think by using the feedback form below.
Comments (10)
- Page 1 of 1
- 1
John Downs (Chelsea fan) says...
I was one of the fans that predicted gloom when Avram Grant was appointed, and guess what? I haven't changed at all. Chelsea has maintained the winning streak due to the mentality of the players and against very weak opposition, not to mention the amount of LUCK that AG brought us, Huddersfield, Olympiakos etc etc. Every time Chelsea plays a better team they struggle, except ManCity, but recall Aston Villa, Portsmouth and now Liverpool. I think clubs now come to Stamfor Bridge with the believe they can nick a point or three. Yes the home record is still there but if Liverpool had played with Torres, maybe a different outcome would have arisen, only speculation now. Let's see what AG will do with all the players fit and ready to play, how is he going to keep them all happy. I don't think Lampard and Ballack or Anelka and DD can play together, just an opinion. Now that the last 12 remaining fixtures are with clubs of better quality, lets see how Chelsea fares against them. Yesterday a different team would have finished our home record. Nope I do not think Avram Grant is the right man for the job, the so-called "sexy attacking football", the "now we do not play the long ball" etc etc it is all rubbish, at least someone may have told him to stop comparing the "now" and "before" because the "before" was much better. Andy you wrote:"Grant has had to soldier on with a casualty list as long as your arm at times and has not once complained, but that is no surprise to me. He was delighted to get the job and I don't think he was going to spend the first four or five months in the job moaning about his hard luck." The casualty list was a blessing in disguise, didnt have to chose much, besides they all internationals, I wanna see when all players are fit his choice of players. One thing he brought in is bucket loads is LUCK.
Posted 12:24 11th February 2008
Christopher Marshall (Chelsea fan) says...
A nice piece Andy, Chelsea have always got what it takes to be champions - anyone attempting to write us off does so at his own peril. Once again, spot on!
Posted 19:07 9th February 2008
Ron Smith (Chelsea fan) says...
If we take each competition seperately Chelsea are up for four big ones.The league probably the hardest trophy to win Liverpool are you listening our home record is second to none and will take a great performance or a Chelsea off day to break that.Our draw at Fratton was a bit dissappointing especially with the chances we had but we are still on track and have the players to kill games off. The two domestic cups are winnable in a knockout situation although the Champions League is a knockout competition the other sides are formidable opponents and it would be in our favour if the away tie came first but again its winnable.As i speak for Chelsea the next game is always the important one and Liverpool have to be beaten a draw wont be good enough due to Arsenal most likely opening up a nine point gap.Avram Grant will earn his money when all his squad are fit free of suspensions and he has to choose who to play in the big games but to Chelsea they are all big games.
Posted 14:00 9th February 2008
Terry Field (Chelsea fan) says...
I have to eat humble pie, I was one of those Chelsea fans who was stunned at Jose's departure and was questioning Avram's credentials but he has won me over and we are still there in the league and I wouldn't write us off in the champions league.
Posted 09:45 9th February 2008
Michael Fish (Liverpool fan) says...
As a liverpool fan i still am going to be honest. Grant has done a good job but i believe the man behind chelsea at the moment is by far Henk Ten Cate, he left Barcelona and look at them this season. Then went on to Ajax and they were doing good, rebuilding mainly. He then decided to go to chelsea and thats where it all changed. I think chelsea are going to beat us this weekend and i also believe by a big margin, but sorry chelsea fans i think you are going to fall short of the title this year. You have to be fair i live in singapore and therefor i can watch every game live including the chelsea ones. You havent really been playing, good opposition and you have been quite lucky on many occassions, but anyway. Good luck
Posted 19:17 8th February 2008
Gary Moore (Chelsea fan) says...
Andy, you are spot on. People always write Chelsea off, our fans have kept faith in the team and the form has been incredible. We have coped without 9 starting players over the previous months now, Terry, Lampard, Malouda, Bridge, Sheva, Ballack, amoungst others and with Drogba, Mikel, Essien and Kalou all away, can any other team cope with all these absentees and still have the best form in the league?No chance. When everyone is back and fit we will regain the title. People can talk all they want about us, these are the facts. Bring on the next 10-15 games!!!!
Posted 15:34 8th February 2008
Daniel Kovari (Chelsea fan) says...
I agree, Andy, that Grant has done a fantastic job so far. Still water runs deep...and so does Grant. i truly belive he will win the champions league!! CHELSEA!!!
Posted 14:55 8th February 2008
Matt O'connor (Chelsea fan) says...
Andy, as nearly always you are right. I agree with pretty much everything you are saying. When we signed Nic i thought he would be perect for Drogs, as they both speak French, they are both simlar in the way they play, excpet Drogba uses his body whereas Anelka prefers to beat defenders by going past them. I think this would create the perfect mixture up front. If Malouda can sort himself out on the left wing, and Joe Cole and SWP keep playing well, our front line will be unbeatable. Just look at Tevez and Rooney, they've hit it off well and I knew they would, because they are so similar they know more ofthen than not what the other one wants to do. I believe this is what Grant is trying to install in the dressing room, and if I'm wrong, then he should be :). I'm very happy with Grant so far, I hope that when the media decide to put pressure on him and his job, as they inevitably will, he's as level headed as he has been so far.
Posted 14:53 8th February 2008
Luke Chapman (Chelsea fan) says...
Too many people were too quick in writing Chelsea off this season after Jose left. Everybody said that this was beginning of the end but once again Chelsea have come back stronger than ever and kept in touch with Arsenal and Man Utd. Then comes the Africa Cup of Nations and people say Chelsea will really struggle without Drogba, but look what we've done, unbeaten in all comps since before xmas and still chasing in all 4. The signing of Anelka has already, and will do in the future, prove to be money very well spent. Competition for places is always good for players and if Anelka and Drogba can't play together, they will play out of their skins to stay in the team when they get the chance -defenders beware! Our form at home can't be matched by any team, and if Chelsea don't win the league, we will definitely have the last word as to where it goes! There is still a long way to go in all comps so just beware - quietly Chelsea are creeping up the table, and grinding out important results, which may in the end prove important and bring silverware to the Bridge once again!
Posted 14:42 8th February 2008
Michael Dunnion (Chelsea fan) says...
You are correct Andy but I think that Anelka could play on the left of the front three when Drogba comes back. I think that Grant has given Joe Cole more freedom, unlike Mourinho. I was sad when Jose left but I think Grant will win us the Champions League.
Posted 14:24 8th February 2008
- Page 1 of 1
- 1
Recent Comments:
Danno Devis on United they fall...
"I just have to say that this is by far the best "review" of the game. You are absolutley spot on about everything from Ronaldo "trying to prove single-handedly that he was the best ... " View all comments
Phil Watts on The nearly men
"Sorry Andy I don't agree. I think some fairly major surgery is required at Arsenal, not least with the managers thinking. Wenger seems unable to understand that he needs to spend money ... " View all comments
Mark Donlevy on The nearly men
"I totally agree with Andy on that there isn't too much wrong with either Arsenal or Chelsea. Arsenal probably need a couple of top quality centre-halves and a quality holding midfielder... " View all comments
Lloyd C on The nearly men
"I think Andy is spot on with regards to Chelsea, and about Arsenal not needing that much experience. As it stands, Arsenal have players for the future, but I for one am tired of ... " View all comments
Michael Houghton on A long Tyne coming
"Imagine what it's gonna be like to be one of the players sat in the dressing room before saturday's mammoth game against chelsea. Instead of having an ex-spur giving it 'good luck boys ... " View all comments
Lee Carter on You must be kidding!
"After watching Tottenham surrender their chances of winning in the UEFA Cup, I feel Harry is under pressure to provide a great performance in the final. I understand we need to stay in ... " View all comments