Saturday, May 15, 2010

Chelsea Takes Nothing For Grant-ed


If Chelsea is to win the double by defeating Portsmouth today in the FA Cup Final, it will have to ward off complacency. There is potential of a 'hangover effect' after winning the English Premier League only a week ago, as well as a letdown in playing a Portsmouth side that finished last in the EPL and has been relegated.


The prospects of facing former manager Avram Grant should aid in fighting complacency, as the players who were in the team during Grant's tenure all appear to have respect for him.


Grant steered Chelsea to the final of the Champions League in 2008 after replacing axed Jose Mourinho as caretaker manager in September 2007.

The Chelsea squad still has immense respect for the job Grant did during his time in the hot-seat at Stamford Bridge and that's why they know there is no room for complacency in the FA Cup final at Wembley today.

"The challenge is very exciting because we have never done the double and this is the chance to make history for the club," said Didier Drogba.

"But we know how motivated they will be and we know Avram very well. He knows how to motivate and get the best out of players.

"It's going to be a difficult final and we have to prepare well. The job he's done wasn't easy and I think if they hadn't had the points taken off they would still be in the Premier League and to get to the final is a great achievement.

"There is still pressure on their shoulders because they want to win. It is the last chance for them to make a big impact."


"It was as though he felt I should be grateful and not ask for anything. The pretext for this was I had been brought in from Bolton."

Despite recent comments from Anelka, it appears that the critics who dismissed Grant's achievements during his brief time in charge at Chelsea are realising there is a bit more to the wily Israeli. Grant is bemused by all the plaudits heading his way.

When he guided Chelsea to the first and only Champions League final in their history, all the credit went to his predecessor Jose Mourinho.

Grant said: "In my life I am used to the fact that it takes people a while to understand what is really happening.

"It is human nature to take good things for granted once they have become used to success.

"At the end of my time at Chelsea they asked me if I thought I deserved a bonus.

"So I told them the story of the man who went to the dentist in huge pain with his teeth.

"This dentist fixes the problem and then gives the man his bill.

"The man screams 'how much!' and the dentist replies 'half as much as you were prepared to pay me when you first needed me'.

"When I took over at Chelsea the club was in a very bad situation and not playing good football.

"But we started winning again and very quickly everyone got used to it and started to take that for granted again.

Needless to say, it should be quite the family reunion at Wembley today.

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