The most challenging premier league match for Avram Grant. I’m not taking into account the match at Old Trafford as we were only hoping for a draw, at best. Man City could not score against us even once in their last 5 matches. That tells you something about the doubles and domination we had over them recently. This Man City team under Sven could be something else.

I feel Avram is improving with his team selection. He is learning things by trial and error. While there are people that feel that Avram is dropping Sheva only to show that he is in control. I doubt that. I think Avram has really understood that if Sheva starts ahead of Drogba or Kalou or Pizarro, it would seriously impact the results and subsequently his own job. He knows that we simply can’t afford to lose any more points until our rivals have lost big time. After more than a season, playing Sheva is still an experiment. Pity. Avram says:

Andriy Shevchenko was a very, very good player and is still a very, very good player, even if he has not been playing often in the team. His attitude in training every day has been fantastic. For us it is the challenge to improve all the squad, individually and as a team, and we want all our players to be at their best. I know from my experience that there are always some good players who are not at their best, it doesn’t mean they have finished their careers. Andriy has been in a not good moment like every single great player in the past has been in a not good moment at some point in their career. If their attitude is good, they make a good comeback and I think that is what we will see with Andriy Shevchenko. He is a very good player with a very good attitude.

Sounds familiar? For Andriy, nothing has changed – his form, his manager’s remarks, expectations, nothing’s changed.

Ashley Cole and John Terry are still unavailable. The Observer newspaper has tendered an apology to John Terry for carrying a news item blaming Terry for Jose’s departure. I don’t blame Terry but I felt that there was something wrong between the captain and the coach. Even after Jose left, Terry’s media reaction was very suspiciously mellow. May be, he was just trying to be politically correct, as the captain of the team or he was programmed to react that way. Anyway, I’m happy to hear this news on Observer’s apology to Terry.

Playing at home, I guess he would start with a 4-3-3. Drogba, Malouda and Joe Cole up front. Essien, Lampard and SWP if he is quite bold or Maka or Obi for SWP, if he is cautious. I’d go with the earlier because it is Fortress Stamford Bridge. No team, I repeat no team, could beat us in the league in the last three years there. Only team to beat us at the Bridge in any other competition was Barcelona when we went one man down in the first half.

Whatever doubts were there about the commitment and motivation levels of Drogba and Malouda, must have been cleared with their recent performances. I understand that Malouda had a fantastic match (oh that goal was a lucky one, I’d still say!) and Drogba has scored twice since his outburst.

Avram never misses a chance to say we’re playing a different kind of football – “we will win matches but not like before”. The way I see it nothing much has changed. Well, I’m comparing the title winning football from Chelsea and the current one. Short and quick passes are not new to us. If there is something that can be attributed to Avram that is the unleashing of Joe Cole and pressing for more goals.

Jose had a major role in making an international player out of a spoilt glory-seeking Joe Cole. He brought that discipline and structure in him. Jose had always given him a framework to do what he wants to do. I too believe that Joe Cole is not someone who can be given a free role. A free role can be given only to players with incredible quality, brilliant understanding of the game and also have enough maturity. I see the danger of Joe Cole roaming around everywhere in the attacking half soon!

My prediction is a 2-1. If we win this match, the highest we could go up is the fourth place, that is if all other results go our way. A win for us, defeat for Man Utd, draw between Arsenal and Liverpool, I guess we would be No.4. Not bad, my expectations have gone down to such an extent that No.4 is something I’d end up celebrating. Once we are at No.4, I’d be hoping for a No.2 and then to lead the table, you can’t blame me for that. For someone so pampered with near-assured success in the last few seasons, I’m quite lenient right?

[tags]Chelsea, Manchester City, Avram Grant, John Terry, Joe Cole, Malouda, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Premier League[/tags]