Chelsea hit top gear for final push
By Clive Tyldesley
Sport.Telegraph, 17th February 2008
Avram Grant often wears the hangdog expression of a man beset by problems,
but all of a sudden those problems are of the kind that most football
managers dream of having.
Three months of the season remain, four trophies are still within Chelsea's
reach and Grant's heaving squad is at full strength and in full cry. He has
an embarrassment of riches.
As the Chelsea manager digests today's FA Cup quarter-final draw, ponders
the resumption of the Champions League tomorrow and makes plans for next
Sunday's Carling Cup final, his main concerns are whether and how to pair
Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka and who to leave out of his multitalented
midfield. He is spoilt for choice.
On Saturday, two of Grant's 'untouchables' confirmed their recovery from
injuries suffered back in December. Frank Lampard passed a century of
goals for the club with two trademark strikes that put Huddersfield Town
in their place, and John Terry had the air of a man who had never been
away, marking his unexpected return with a timely goal-line clearance to
boot. Chelsea have their local heroes back.
Lampard and Terry were the only members of Saturday's line-up certain of
starting roles against Olympiakos in Athens tomorrow, or against Tottenham
at Wembley next weekend. Not only are they two of the English club game's
most consistently outstanding performers, but they give Chelsea their
spine and their heartbeat.
"They deserve to be the heroes of the club because of what they give to
the team," Grant said. "There are many midfielders in the world but you
cannot compare Frank to anybody else. He is a player who can do everything.
When he gets a chance, he scores.
"John is a great defender, great player, great leader. Even when he didn't
play for us, he was having a big influence in the dressing room." Remarkably,
Chelsea have remained unbeaten for 15 games in their prolonged absence, but
Grant is glad to have them back for the business end of the season.
Twice, and typically, Lampard timed his run to perfection to take his Chelsea
goals tally to 101 at a strike rate of a little under one every 3.5 games. His
contract negotiations may be on hold, his England place may be in question,
but Lampard's form has been a constant on the ever-changing Chelsea scene.
"When I signed we were a top six or eight sort of club but then we moved to a
different level," he said. "We signed a lot of big players and for me to have
stayed in there and got a hundred goals is something that will stay with me
for ever."
Briefly, Huddersfield threatened to rewrite the script with a well-taken
Michael Collins goal on the stroke of half-time. Moments earlier, Terry had
to prevent Nathan Clarke's hooked volley from going in, but the gulf in
class and resources were too great for the League One team to close for
long, and Chelsea eased clear with Lampard setting up a third goal for
Salomon Kalou. John Obi Mikel kept a dominant midfield ticking over, and
only a lack of first-string firepower delayed the inevitable.
Drogba is nursing a slight knee problem, but Chelsea have all their other
senior players fit and ready for the final push. There is no public wish
list but, after three unsuccessful Champions League semi-finals, there are
no prizes for guessing Lampard's priority.
"The Champions League is very high on our agenda, and it would be a huge
thing for this club," he said. "It's the one that's missing so we want it.
I'm sure that with this set-up there will be a time when Chelsea win the
Champions League. Hopefully it will be this year."
Huddersfield enjoyed rubbing shoulders with such vaunted ambitions for a
day at least - maybe a little too much. It was several minutes after their
team coach pulled away from Stamford Bridge before they realised they had
left goalscorer Collins behind doing television interviews.
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