Grant can ease nervous disorder

After the fireworks of the previous manager’s departure, Chelsea’s season has been characterised by a succession of nervous disorders. There was the borderline hysteria of the sacking, resignation, mutual hate-in; the mind-numbing catatonia of some of the more leaden games; the occasional bout of paranoia as key players like Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard edged ever closer to the exit; and finally the resentment — shaded with psychotic loathing — that surrounds an impending two-legged cup-tie with Liverpool. You could have blinked and missed the moments of ecstasy and yet, here we are, still in contention for as many trophies as this season’s outstanding team, Manchester United.

Resentment because these Chelsea and Liverpool teams — so expensively assembled and, however much some would deny it, so similar in terms of playing ethos — have consistently failed to produce anything worth watching since Chelsea sprayed four past their opponents at Anfield in 2005. A representative title from the forum threads on CFCnet, best of the Chelsea supporters’ forums, reads: “This time, Liverpool must die.” A narrow victory defined by a did-it-didn’t-it goal would not be enough. If Avram Grant can conjure a fightback to effectively end Arsenal’s title challenge and jockey Chelsea back into unlikely contention, surely he’s capable of putting this Liverpool side out of a competition that, more than any other, has enabled Rafael Benítez to continue drawing his handsome salary whilst dazzling his supporters with pronouncements about competing in the League.

This time around, the mind games - if you can dignify ham-fisted sniping with the name - might be a little more one-sided. At least in Grant Chelsea have a manager able to take a step back from the posturing. He might have been driven to monosyllables by a late Emile Heskey header last week, but we can’t envisage him pressing the button marked “snarky” to point out the tasteless fare his opposite number serves up on matchdays. Not that he’d need to: I’m sure the Chelsea fans at Anfield will take great pleasure in reminding their counterparts just how far they’ve come in terms of Premier League success.

The decisions Grant needs to make will be dictated, of course, by the availability of players like Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack, all of whom have spent time on the sidelines in recent weeks. Lampard has not played since the return leg against Fenerbahce and Drogba has seemed muted and distracted ever since his return from Ghana, with the occasional goal or powerful run belying his general air of listlessness. It’s not a tie that you should need to gee yourself up for, but Drogba, in particular, needs to be reminded that — summer move to Milan or not — when you have an opportunity to shine on a stage like this, it should be grasped. As for Lampard and Ballack, they have a Michael Essien-sized gap to fill in midfield. The Ghanaian's matchless physique has produced two vital goals in our last two League fixtures. With Michael Essien suspended for the away tie, Lampard and Ballack need to hit the ground running.

Rob Hobson, cfcnet.co.uk

Comments

[Shay]

Way to go Avram! the goal came from the 3 subtituters (Kalou, Anelka and Risse...) Chealsea plaied purlly but the job was done and thats what counts.. good luck in the second leg