Latest Chelsea News

Chelsea players to hold crisis talks

Two of Chelsea's big-name players are set to demand talks with manager Avram Grant following growing unrest within the squad.
Ashley Cole and Michael Ballack were both left out of the starting line-up for the 2-1 Carling Cup final defeat against Tottenham and both are rumoured to be angry at the way Grant handled his team selection.
Reports suggest Grant's decision making is unduly influenced by senior players - most notably Frank Lampard and John Terry - causing conflict with others and further undermining the Israeli coach.
Lampard and Terry were both reportedly told in the lead up to the final that they would not be taking part because Grant did not feel they were fit enough, following respective injury lay-offs.
However, after Lampard held showdown talks with his manager he was immediately reinstated, along with Terry, who allegedly had a training ground bust-up with coach Henk ten Cate over the possibility of being left out of Sunday's showpiece.

Exclusive news Arsenal played a behind closed doors game against Chelsea yesterday

The game was arranged as a chance for Chelsea to look at some of their players who had not featured recently, whereas Arsenal used it as experience and a chance to give run outs to Rhys Murphy, Rene Steer and Rui Fonte who have been injured in recent weeks.
Chelsea put out a strong side, which included the likes of Ashley Cole, Claudio Pizzaro, Andrei Shevchencko, and Carlo Cudicini.
Arsenal’s young side, which included 15 year old Luke Freeman, and other 16,17 year olds were ripped apart by around a £100 million pounds worth of talent, but huge positives for Neil Banfield as it was excellent experience for our youngsters.

Chelsea loan out winger Sinclair to Charlton

Charlton have completed the signing of young Chelsea winger Scott Sinclair on loan until the end of the season. Sinclair, who has previously enjoyed successful loan spells at Plymouth and QPR, goes straight into Alan Pardew's squad for the game at to Sheffield United on Saturday. 'I'm really excited to be here,' Sinclair told Charlton's official website. 'I've come here to get more experience, and I want to keep playing and get some goals for the club. 'There were a few clubs in for me, but I thought Charlton would be the right one for me and I'm sure I've made the right choice.'

Sinclair, who turns 19 next month, has made seven appearances for Chelsea this season and will be available for the Coca-Cola Championship play-off final should Charlton be involved.
'I've had a few starts for Chelsea, but it's been frustrating trying to break though there, with all the good players they have,' he added. 'That's why I've chosen to come to Charlton. It's a club that seems ready for the Premier League, and I think with the squad that we have got we can definitely reach it.'

Chelsea ban Ten Cate from speaking to English media

Chelsea fans are unlikely to hear from controversial assistant coach Henk ten Cate through the English media anytime soon.The Independent says the 53-year-old is forbidden by Chelsea to give any interviews to the English press.

Obi reveals Chelsea crisis talks

Mikel John Obi has revealed Chelsea's players held crisis talks after their Carling Cup final hell. Avram Grant's men lost Sunday's crunch match with Tottenham 2-1 after extra time.
And Mikel, 20, admitted the Blues held a showdown meeting on their return to training on Tuesday.
The Nigerian said: "We had a talk among ourselves as players and we know we could have done better in the cup final.
"It was obviously disappointing but we just have to put what has happened behind us and make sure we move forward and everything from here goes well."
Mikel has also warned that no-one is safe from the axe as they chase Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup glory.
He added: "There is a lot of competition in the team now and you have to know you can't play every game.
"There are a lot of big players, good players.
"Everyone in the team is a good player and you can't keep them out for a long time."

Chelsea players unhappy with Ten Cate

Some Chelsea players believe the rift between skipper John Terry and assistant coach Henk ten Cate is no easy fix, it has been revealed. The Independent says the relationship between certain senior players, including Terry, and Ten Cate is never likely to be smooth, regardless of attempts by the club to play down Saturday's row between the pair. Some Chelsea players believe that the training sessions Ten Cate has put on simply do not compare with what they were used to either with Jose Mourinho or at international level.
While Ten Cate made a conciliatory gesture towards Terry in a Dutch newspaper this week when he said that both of them were "emotional" characters, some Chelsea players believe that the problem is bigger than that. They feel that during Saturday's training session Ten Cate was showing off to the club's owner, Roman Abramovich who was watching on the sideline. When Terry struck a pass a split second after Ten Cate had blown the whistle to stop play, the Dutchman went on the attack and took on the most influential player at Stamford Bridge.
Despite the ruckus, there are many at Chelsea that believe Ten Cate's approach will be a good thing for the famous names and egos on the playing staff.

Cudicini: I stayed for Chelsea fans

Carlo Cudicini has revealed Chelsea fans convinced him to stay at Stamford Bridge this season.The Italian goalkeeper told Chelsea TV: "The supporters are probably one of the biggest reasons. Of course it was difficult at first to sit on the bench every game but when I had the chance, the supporters gave me great confidence and help. Still now when I play and hear them behind me, chanting my name, after nine years I feel shivers and a great feeling to play."

Barcelona coach Rijkaard wants Chelsea talks

Sources close to Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard says he would consider a move to Chelsea at the end of this season. The Daily Mail says a source close to Rijkaard confirmed yesterday that he would consider shelving those plans if the Chelsea job becomes available.
He said: "Frank is leaving Barcelona at the end of the season. That has always been the plan and at the moment it is 100 per cent that he will.
"The only thing that could change his mind is if they win the title or the European Cup again and then there would be a decision to be made.
"He's got a year left at Barcelona but in the past he has always said Chelsea are a big club. Of course he would be interested if the job became available."

Abramovich organises Moscow Champions League party for Chelsea

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich expects his team to reach the Champions League final in Moscow this season.The Sun says Abramovich has already booked hotels and restaurants around the May 21 showpiece in his native Russia. Chelsea's billionaire owner secured Moscow's most expensive rooms and eateries in anticipation of celebrating the club's first Champions League final.
And that means under-fire coach Avram Grant must deliver the Blues to European football's biggest stage.

Chelsea skipper Terry leads players on team-bonding excursion

Chelsea captain John Terry took the players on a team-bonding excursion yesterday.The skipper was the big shot as he led the squad on a day out paintballing in Surrey - just as he had done 15 months ago. But there were two notable absentees - manager Avram Grant and first-team coach Henk Ten Cate, says the Daily Mail.
Chelsea's squad have been involved in a number of tense meetings this week designed to iron out the problems at the club, particularly in the wake of their Carling Cup Final defeat by London rivals Tottenham.

Clarke, Rogers in charge of Chelsea training

Chelsea's fiery assistant coach Henk ten Cate has little to do with the day-to-day training - it has been revealed.The Daily Mail says Chelsea sources revealed yesterday that assistant Steve Clarke and the highly regarded first- team coach Brendan Rogers take most training sessions, while Ten Cate is responsible for "team shape".
In complete contrast to his predecessor Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant simply watches from the sidelines and rarely has any input.

AC Milan coach Ancelotti on Chelsea shortlist

AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti is under consideration for Avram Grant's job at Chelsea.The Daily Mail says Ancelotti and Barcelona's Frank Rijkaard make-up Blues owner Roman Abramovich's shortlist.
Ancelotti and Rijkaard are two of only five people to win the European Cup as players and managers, but the Dutchman is the preferred candidate.
Every other player had to wait until just before kick-off on the day of the game to find out if they had been selected.
Ballack was one of those excluded, and said: "I am not happy that I did not play from the start. It was not explained, it was on the team-sheet shortly before the game and that was it."
The incident involving Terry and Ten Cate was witnessed by owner Roman Abramovich, who attended training sessions for three days leading up to the final.

Latest Chelsea News

Chelsea boss Grant warned he could flunk licence

Chelsea boss Avram Grant has been warned he risks flunking his pro-licence studies - which he needs to continue working in the Premiership. Grant pulled out of the latest coaching class in Tel Aviv on Monday following the Carling Cup final defeat because he was called on to explain his side's shortcomings to Roman Abramovich.
Israel's head of coaching Amnon Raz accepted his explanation but made it clear Grant would jeopardise his chances of finishing the course if he was absent again.
Raz said: "He called me to say he had a busy schedule and could not attend and I imagine he probably had a good enough reason. But he will have to be careful because if he misses many more, it will be the end for him. He has to be here for at least 70 per cent of the classes, or he doesn't get his licence."

Chelsea boss Grant must settle coaching issues

Chelsea boss Avram Grant is facing a battle to keep his coaching staff in-check. The Times says Steve Clarke, the assistant first-team coach, has complained privately that he is left to do much of the coaching on his own, with little input from Grant, while Henk ten Cate, the Dutch assistant who was brought in to crack the whip, has taken his task to extremes by antagonising several senior players.

Grant wants chance to build "his own" Chelsea

Chelsea boss Avram Grant expects to be around in the summer to buy "his own players". The Independent says a source close to Grant claimed yesterday that the manager was not "under pressure" but admitted that senior figures at the club "are not happy" with the nature of Sunday's Carling Cup final defeat to Tottenham. The source urged patience, and pointed out that Grant only recently signed a three-year contract, but also conceded that it's likely an "assessment" will be made at the end of the season.
Grant will plead then that he should be given the opportunity to make changes having inherited Jose Mourinho's squad, save the additions of Nicolas Anelka and Branislav Ivanovic, the �10m Serbian defender who took part in his first training session with the squad yesterday after returning from injury.
Grant has privately admitted that he "blew it" with his team selection and tactics on Sunday - but has told friends that he expects to be given cash to spend this summer and will use it to bring in his "own players".

Curbishley: Chelsea days numbered for Grant

West Ham United boss Alan Curbishley is convinced Avram Grant is battling to hold onto his Chelsea job.Curbs told the Mirror: "It's the life we're in at the moment. Unless you get results and success quickly then you don't get the same time anymore.
"When you get to a high profile club everything you do is going to be looked at - body language, the way you walk onto the pitch, the way you dress, every last detail.
"Everything Avram Grant does is going to be analysed and that is something he has to handle. I looked at the cup final and the start was the most important thing and Tottenham made much the better start. If you are lucky enough to be a manager of a top-four club then that comes with the territory.
"If it's not Avram Grant, it's Rafa Benitez and if Arsenal weren't doing so well it would be Arsene Wenger.
"Being a manager is getting tougher.
"That honeymoon period has gone. You even look at someone like Dave Jones at Cardiff who was under pressure and then he turned it around.
"I think you get applauded over the top when you win, then you get over castigated when you lose. You have to take it with a pinch of salt.
"I've never been under too much pressure as a manager, apart from maybe when I was first at Charlton when I wanted to do things and change things.
"Even Sir Alex had a period where it wasn't going so well, but United showed the foresight to stick with it and I don't know if that is there any more. I managed my last game at Charlton at Old Trafford and I had done 15 years and Alex had done 20 years. I said to him the days of the two managers doing 35 years between them have gone."

Mourinho shuts out Chelsea completely

Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho decided to skip Sunday's Carling Cup final.The Sun says Mourinho did not choose to watch his former players take on Spurs in the Carling Cup Final on Sunday - preferring to take his son to the movies.
And even when the highlights of Chelsea's 2-1 defeat were shown later on Sunday evening, the Special One preferred to watch two Spanish and Portuguese weekend matches.
A friend of Mourinho, who lifted the Carling Cup a year ago when they beat Arsenal 2-1 in the final, said: "Jose went to the cinema with his son and barely gave the game a thought.
"He was planning to go out at the time of the game anyway. When the Chelsea match was re-run later he switched between a Sporting Lisbon game and a match between Barcelona and Levante.
"Jose loved his time at Chelsea but his interest in the club ended when he left London."

Latest Chelsea News

Chelsea owner Abramovich wants Russia tour

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is becoming more involved in the club's summer tour plans. The Daily Mail says Chelsea are considering a proposal to fly to Moscow on their way back from their Far East tour to play in a four-team tournament on the weekend of August 2 and 3.
After posting losses of £75million last year, Chelsea are aiming to join the global gravy train by becoming the first English team to play in Russia as part of their pre-season programme.
It means Chelsea's players could spend nearly three weeks on the road as part of their pre-season preparation. A final decision is unlikely to be taken before the end of this campaign.

CSKA Moscow are thought to be one of the teams involved in the project which will be run along the same lines as the prestigious Amsterdam Tournament. PSV Eindhoven have also been approached.PSV have strong links with Chelsea after Brazilian defender Alex was 'parked' with the Dutch club for three years before he finally obtained a work permit to play in England.

Abramovich increasingly hands-on at Chelsea

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is taking an increasingly hands-on role at Stamford Bridge. The Daily Mail says the billionaire was so dismayed at his side's capitulation against Tottenham on Sunday that he was already in the dressing room to speak to the players before many had even left the pitch.Abramovich's decision to take a much more hands-on approach will serve only to increase the pressure on Avram Grant, chosen by the Russian to succeed double title-winning boss Jose Mourinho.

As if to emphasise that Abramovich intends to keep far closer tabs on team matters, he even stayed behind at Chelsea's training ground to watch those players not involved on Sunday, including Ashley Cole, Andriy Shevchenko and Claudio Pizarro, take on an Arsenal youth team in a practice match.Those who played at Wembley took part in a light session yesterday having been given Monday off. Despite questions over Grant's tactics against Tottenham, there is also a feeling inside Chelsea that too many players simply did not perform on Sunday and that not all the blame should be shouldered by the manager.

Abramovich holds series of Chelsea crisis meetings

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has held a THIRD crisis meeting with club chiefs on Tuesday. The Daily Mail says Abramovich, who witnessed the bust-up between captain John Terry and assistant coach Henk Ten Cate at a Stamford Bridge training session in the build-up to Sunday's showpiece, called the warring pair together for clear-the-air talks.
The embarrassing flare-up between Terry and Ten Cate had also been seen by astonished members of the public who were on a stadium tour.
Tuesday's meeting was the third time Abramovich has flexed his muscles in the wake of Chelsea's humiliation at Wembley. Manager Avram Grant and chief executive Peter Kenyon also were present.

Ten Cate admits effing rage with Chelsea's Terry

Chelsea assistant Henk ten Cate admits he had a furious training ground bust-up with skipper John Terry last week. Ten Cate said: "We are both kind of emotional - but we respect each other fully.
"We just had a discussion about the intensity of the training session. That's a normal part of the game. There have been a few F-words, no doubt. But that's common in England."
The 53-year-old coach also admitted there was tension before the Carling Cup final.
Quoted on the Dutch newspaper AD website, Ten Cate said: "There was a special tension on Saturday.
"We have 27 players and three keepers but only a few of them could play.
"John wanted to have even more intensity in training but I didn't agree as we were just one day before the match. That was all. Me and John get on well. John won't disagree."

Chelsea coach Ten Cate "likes to bully players"

Former NAC Breda star Jeffrey Van As isn't surprised by Chelsea coach Henk ten Cate's blow-up with club captain John Terry last week.Van As was one of Breda's star players until Ten Cate was appointed manager in 2000 and the defender chuckled knowingly when told of Ten Cate's latest row.
Van As told The Sun: "He's always looking for confrontation. He is a strange guy and likes to bully players to make sure they do what he says and think what he thinks. His philosophy is simple: Do things my way or leave. That's what he did at Breda, Barcelona, Ajax and now he's doing it at Chelsea.
"Now that's easy to do with kids who are seven or eight. And it's also a bit easier to deal with lesser players like that. He will scream and shout and the bigger the player the louder he becomes. But big players like Terry, Lampard, Drogba or Ballack have big reputations, have won titles and are entitled to have their own opinions on the game.
"The thing is that Ten Cate does not care for anyone's reputation and to him the bigger the player, the more you are going to have to do what you are told."
Van As has since spoken with Ten Cate and feels he now understands the coach better. Nevertheless, the pain of his experience is still vivid.
Van As added: "He told me that he didn't like me as a player and that he was going to replace me. When I got injured he brought someone else in and I never played again for Breda.
"But I have to say that every club he has coached have performed worse after he left. It is a very all-or-nothing way of operating and it only works for a couple of years.
"There's no doubt he's a great coach but he's also a strange guy."

Kaka headlines £100M Chelsea shopping list

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is ready to bankroll an amazing £100 million summer spending spree - with AC Milan star Kaka and Valencia striker David Villa headlining his shopping list. The Daily Express says Abramovich has promised Grant a £100 million warchest if he can keep Chelsea's rocking ship afloat.
Abramovich has made it clear to Grant that he must win something this season, or at least finish in the top four, and if he can do that then he will handed the money to bring in his own players and build his own team.
A £25 million bid will be lodged for World and European Player of the Year Kaka and £15 million offered to Valencia for their unsettled striker Villa.

Grant wants to buy 'own players' after humbling by Spurs

Avram Grant has privately admitted that he "blew it" with his team selection and tactics for Sunday's League Cup final – but the Chelsea manager has told friends that he expects to be given cash to spend this summer and will use it to bring in his "own players".That would appear to suggest that Grant is aware that he has to deal with the unrest within his squad which exploded in the run-up to the match against Tottenham Hotspur. Sources close to the Israeli concede that he has made mistakes – but argue that he also needs more time before he can be properly judged.

However, it is appearing increasingly likely that the nature of the defeat – as much as the loss itself – will make it extremely difficult for Grant to continue as manager after this season unless he makes amends by winning a trophy. It did not help Grant's cause that he was out-thought and out-manoeuvred by the Spurs head coach, Juande Ramos, who, ironically, had at one time been linked with the Chelsea job.

It had always been club owner Roman Abramovich's intention to give Grant time, money and support. But the Russian will only do so if he believes the manager can eventually deliver the Champions League and improve the style of play that become such a bone of contention under Jose Mourinho. The failure to beat Tottenham, following on from the failure to beat – or even score against – Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool in the Premier League are starting to count against Grant.

It has meant that those in the Abramovich circle are already talking about who will succeed Grant, with some accepting that a change will be made. Inevitably one of the names that has been mentioned is the Barcelona coach, Frank Rijkaard, who was a previous target of Abramovich's. At present it is simply "mood music" around Grant's future but this is also how matters began to unravel for Mourinho before his sudden departure in September.

Affairs will not be allowed to reach the same acrimonious conclusion with Grant, not least because he is a friend of Abramovich, and a far less abrasive personality than Mourinho. If he is replaced as manager, he will be offered the opportunity to return to the role he first took at Chelsea – as the director of football.One source close to Grant claimed yesterday that the manager was not "under pressure" but admitted that senior figures at the club "are not happy" with the nature of Sunday's defeat. The source urged patience, and pointed out that Grant only recently signed a three-year contract, but also conceded that it's likely an "assessment" will be made at the end of the season.

Grant will plead then that he should be given the opportunity to make changes having inherited Mourinho's squad, save the additions of Nicolas Anelka and Branislav Ivanovic, the £10m Serbian defender who took part in his first training session with the squad yesterday after returning from injury.There are undoubtedly some big personalities in the Chelsea dressing room – not least John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack – and even Mourinho found it tricky at times to appease them all. It may be that Grant has in mind to make some radical changes, with Drogba and Lampard the most likely to leave, having already caused friction by refusing to confer on any player the "untouchable" status that Mourinho awarded to the core of his team.

It has not helped Grant's cause that Terry clashed with assistant manager Henk ten Cate on the eve of Sunday's game. The two are understood to have squared up after a training session with Terry frustrated that he did not know whether or not he would be in the team to face Spurs. Indeed several times during the run-up to the game he told friends that he did not expect to feature and claimed Lampard would also be excluded, although, it appears, the midfielder was told he would play.

Ballack was also bemused by his exclusion, while Joe Cole appeared a frustrated figure on the touch-line on Sunday and, at one point, pleaded with Grant to be allowed to come on. Ashley Cole is also believed to be furious at the way he was dropped, while Andrei Shevchenko and Florent Malouda were among those who were told they would not be needed to stay at the team hotel before the match and could travel to Wembley independently.

It may well be that Grant is simply trying to establish his authority, although that is undermined by results such as Sunday's – which was the fifth cup final, from the six he has contested as a coach, that he has lost. His hang-dog demeanour has also not helped his cause, while the fact that he is still to secure his Uefa Pro Licence, needed by all top coaches, has also undermined his credibility. Indeed he cancelled a trip to Israel this week to continue his course.

Grant has always been concerned about the circumstances under which he got the job and whether or not he could, ultimately, call upon the loyalty of the players. That is increasingly becoming one of the biggest issues to be dealt with at Chelsea.

Chelsea Latest News

Zola seeks Chelsea return !!

Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola has admitted that he would like to return to Stamford Bridge as manager one day.
The Italian ace is hoping to move into management at the end of the season and has admitted that a return to Chelsea is one of his ambitions.
He told the People: "Everybody was talking about me working with Capello but I was never contacted about it."Going back to Chelsea is one of the things I want to do one day."

Terry: We Have To Pick Ourselves Up

Chelsea captain John Terry has warned his team-mates to not allow their Carling Cup final defeat to derail the rest of the season.
"You hear people say the Carling Cup doesn't mean anything - but you try telling that to the players in our dressing room," said Terry. "You can tell by their faces what it means to them. Every year we put a strong side out.
"We have to pick ourselves up now. It is the last thing the players want to hear - my voice saying we need to pick ourselves up - but we need to.
"We are still in three massive competitions. The Premier League is not over. We go away to West Ham next week; then we have the Champions League and FA Cup after that.
"We can do one of two things. We can dwell on it and get knocked out of another competition, or we take this defeat and pick ourselves up and go again.
"The determination and will to win is still there. We hate losing in training, in small games and big games. There are a lot of big teams still to come to Stamford Bridge, and we will see after that."

Cole insists Chelsea will bounce back

Joe Cole insists yesterday's Carling Cup final defeat to Tottenham won't hurt Chelsea's bid for the Champions League this season. Cole, left out of the starting line-up to accommodate new £15million striker Nicolas Anelka, believes the setback can only help them become tougher.
Cole said: "We are disappointed but we have got to pick ourselves up for the next game.
"We will go away and digest this game but it is disappointing for everyone at the club to lose in the final. We've not experienced that before as a group and it can only make us stronger now.
"We will wash ourselves of this game and concentrate on the next one. Tottenham are a very good side and give them credit for winning. But we have to move on."

Shevchenko unhappy being ordered to play with Chelsea kids

Andriy Shevchenko is unhappy with his treatment by Chelsea boss Avram Grant, it has been revealed.The Daily Mail says Shevchenko is said to be unhappy with Grant after the Ukraine striker was asked to play in a behind-closed doors match against Chelsea's youth team - and ended up, incredibly, on the losing side.

Grant tells Ramos: Chelsea job tougher than Spurs

Chelsea boss Avram Grant insists he has a much more difficult job than Tottenham coach Juande Ramos.Before yesterday's Carling Cup defeat, Grant said: "All the success Jose (Mourinho) had does make my job very hard. Since Roman Abramovich came, Chelsea have won a lot of trophies and spent more money than any side in history. But at big clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal or Man United there is always a commitment to win titles. It doesn't matter that I am the manager or that Jose was.
"It is different coming in at the bottom of the league to somewhere like Spurs, even though they are also a big club."

Abramovich presence at training unsettling Chelsea players

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's increased visibility at training is fueling talk that he is influencing team selection, it has been revealed.
The Sun says the Chelsea squad were shocked to see Abramovich attend training sessions for three days before the final.
Such intense interest from the Russian owner is unprecedented and has raised questions among the playing staff about Abramovich's influence in picking the team.

Chelsea Aftermath Carling Cup News

Chelsea's Terry in amazing Ten Cate bust-up

Chelsea captain John Terry had a furious bust-up with coach Henk ten Cate at training, it has been revealed. The Sun says Terry and Ten Cate had to be pulled apart by stunned Blues players after a furious training ground bust-up. The ugly confrontation - just 24 hours before Chelsea's Carling Cup final defeat by Tottenham - was watched by shocked owner Roman Abramovich.Eye witnesses saw Ten Cate aggressively face up to skipper Terry during Saturday's session.The pair went head to head, hurling a tirade of swear words and insults as players dived in to separate them.

A witness told The Sun: "The session was supposed to put the finishing touches to the final plans for Wembley - but it just descended into a massive row."All the players have become exasperated by the shambolic nature of some of the recent training sessions."And there was a lot of unrest among the squad because no one knew what the team was going to be for Wembley."Everyone was trying to guess what was going on and in the end the frustration became too much. But the intensity of the row took everyone by surprise.
"John and Ten Cate were right in each other's faces and when it became clear that neither was going to back down, other players jumped between them to pull them apart.

"To make matters worse, Mr Abramovich was visiting the training ground and saw the whole thing."

Grant failing to convince Chelsea powerbrokers

Avram Grant is battling for his Chelsea job after Sunday's Carling Cup final defeat against Tottenham. The Daily Mail says amid rumours of serious dressing-room unrest, the Stamford Bridge hierarchy are understood to be hugely disappointed with Grant's failure to rise to the occasion at Wembley.
Owner Roman Abramovich visited the Chelsea dressing room after Tottenham's much-deserved 2-1 victory and is said to share the views of those who thought Grant not only picked the wrong team but then displayed a lack of tactical nous and also failed to inspire his players at key times.
In particular, they were shocked to see him on the periphery when coach Steve Clarke delivered a team talk between the end of normal time and the beginning of extra-time.
The Israeli seemed to have the full support of his employers when they handed him a four-year contract in December and he also had their public backing when the club announced their financial results last week.
Chairman Bruce Buck said: "We judge a manager on results and, to date, his results have been very, very good." Before Sunday, his record was impressive. In 34 games since succeeding Jose Mourinho he had won 24 and drawn eight.
But he has lost key matches - against Manchester United and Arsenal - and failed what amounted to the sternest test of his managerial career at the weekend.

Chelsea's Lampard in heated Grant row

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard had a furious row with coach Avram Grant over his first team future, it has been revealed.The Daily Mail says there has been a heated exchange between Lampard and the manager after Grant told him he could no longer expect to play in every game.
Grant suggested on Friday that the injuries Lampard has suffered this year could be the price he is paying for those remarkable record-breaking appearance runs in the past.
Chelsea's Drogba: Tottenham were better team tribalfooball.com - February 25, 2008
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba had no complaints over Sunday's Carling Cup final defeat to Tottenham.Drogba told his club's website: "I think Tottenham were the best team. They did well.
"We have so many options, the first 11 need to perform and they need to show they have to be on the pitch, because of the pressure. We all want to play. The spirit is good.
"It's difficult to lose a final, no matter against Tottenham or other teams. There is disappointment because you want to lift the cup, but I'm not worried about the future. We are strong players with a strong mentality."

Chelsea boss Grant: Players right to be angry with ref

Chelsea boss Avram Grant says his players are right to be angry with ref Mark Halsey after yesterday's Carling Cup final defeat to Tottenham. He was furious that a penalty was awarded for handball against Wayne Bridge on a linesman's advice after appeals by Spurs.
Boss Grant also rapped Halsey for blowing the final whistle with Salomon Kalou poised to shoot.
Even though Spurs were already celebrating and Kalou's shot hit a post, Grant moaned: "We're all upset because he stopped the match when Kalou was right in front of goal. How can he decide whether it's one or two seconds more?"
Petr Cech, Didier Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho and John Terry all confronted the officials after the final whistle.
Grant added: "The players were angry and I can understand that.
"The penalty was a rash decision and it wasn't even the referee's. When the ball hits a hand it doesn't mean a penalty if it's an accident."

Chelsea's fringe Cup players upset with treatment

The Chelsea players who were left out of Sunday's Carling Cup final squad are unhappy with their treatment by management.The Daily Mail says Andriy Shevchenko was among a number of senior Chelsea players unhappy at not being invited to stay with the Cup Final squad in London on the eve of the match.
Only those who were in the starting XI or on the bench spent the night at the Landmark Hotel, with the likes of Shevchenko and Ashley Cole told to travel to the stadium in their club suits on the day of the game.

Chelsea skipper Terry shrugs off Cup final team talk

Chelsea captain John Terry insists there was nothing untoward in him giving the team talk prior to extra-time against Tottenham on Sunday.
Avram Grant took a backseat as Terry attempted to rally his teammates, but insisted that this was simply a case of a club captain fulfilling one of his duties - "when the camera was on me, it was my time to speak and I did," he said