Buzzin Football Blog

No one predicted that when Avram Grant took over from the ‘Chosen One’ in September that he would have accumulated the exact same statistics and points as Jose Mourinho did after 28 games in charge at Stamford Bridge. After the semi-final League Cup win over Everton Grant’s record was identical to Mourinho’s at the same stage; and worth noting also that Chelsea’s first trophy under Jose Mourinho was the League Cup, before they went on to win the Premiership title in the same season, for the first time in 50 years.

Grant has a 50-50 chance of beating Tottenham but I believe his toughest test to date will come not in beating Arsenal & Manchester United to the Premier League title but in his team selections over the next few months. Grant’s winning ways, like Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho before him has relied on stability.

Players like Malouda, Pizzaro and Ben Haim have become regular bench warmers while Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joe Cole and Alex have shone brightly in a team that is playing in a similar fashion to Mourinho’s. But hitherto Grant’s hands have been tied with injuries to key players such as Frank Lampard, John Terry and Michael Ballack, followed by the loss Michael Essien, Didier Drogba, Jon Obi Mikel and Salomon Kalou to the Africa Cup of Nations.

But with all but John Terry available for selection now I beleive Avram Grant now faces his hardest test to date. I personally am not conviced that Drogba and Anelka can play together, and furthermore Chelsea’s winning ways over the past few seasons have been with a 4-3-3 formation. I also don’t believe Lampard and Ballack compliment each others play at all, though Grant believes Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack can play together. And what will happen to the in form Shaun Wright-Phillips with the return of Kalou, Mikel and Essien, as well as Ballack and Lampard.

I therefore believe the problems with choice will ruin Grant’s hope of challenging Arsenal and Manchester United this season; and because of this I expect some big named players will be leaving Chelsea in the summer. Let’s start with Ballack, Drogba, Malouda and Shevchenko.