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Avram Grant may have felt almost as disappointed as Arsène Wenger last night as Manchester United overcame Arsenal to move six points clear of Chelsea. Still, Grant’s team have a game in hand and play at home to United this month, and the Chelsea first-team coach preserves the hope that Sir Alex Ferguson’s side will stumble near the finish line.
“Nobody’s a computer, pressure can affect everybody,” he said. “It can affect you positively, but even big players under pressure perform not like they usually do.”
The burden of expectation is on Chelsea, too, but it seems a bonus considering their early-season turmoil. “One of the staff said [yesterday], ‘We’ve come so far, we are so close, we don’t want to miss it,’ ” Grant said. “I said to the players, ‘It’s been a very difficult year, I don’t know if other clubs could do what we’re doing – the injuries to big players, the African Cup of Nations, all the problems we’ve had and we’re still winning games.’ And we have the opportunity to do very good things. When the players speak about it they know it’s a very big opportunity and we deserve it after what we’ve had this year.”
United have scored 100 goals this season, and Chelsea are also on the verge of a century. They seek their hundredth unbeaten domestic home match in a row tonight against Wigan Athletic. The sequence dates back to a league defeat by Arsenal in February 2004, and comprises 79 matches in the Premier League, 12 in the FA Cup and eight in the League Cup (including a defeat in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw with Charlton Athletic).
For The Times online http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3740285.ece
- Erm..... No you don't!
Every club has its fair share of problems and if you buy African players then don't act shocked if they actually have to play a few games every couple of years.
Chelsea had Cech out, we had Neville out.
Chelsea have spent a gargantuan amount of money on their squad, which is supposed t help them weather such storms, which you would expect playing 38 domestic games and being involved in two domestic cups, as well as the champions league.
Even with the ACN and Cech and Terry out injured, they still could play:
Joe Cole, Lampard, Ben Haim, Shevchenko, Ballack, Sidwell, Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Ferreira, Anelka, Malouda, Baletti, Alex, Bridge, Pizarro, Bridge and SWP
- That is not a bad squad. Their squad players are probably better than ours, but what's the point if you can't be arsed to do a proper job?
Also, Chelsea have played ugly football. I'm talking super ugly here. Football that fell down the ugly tree and hit every branch a long the way. Football that is uglier than Avram Grant!
Nay, Chelsea do not deserve to be Champions. Arsenal are more deserving than Chelsea, but they did not display the consistency Man Utd has.
There are many games left and I'm not saying it's already in the bag, but Manchester United certainly deserve to be champions of England.
“Nobody’s a computer, pressure can affect everybody,” he said. “It can affect you positively, but even big players under pressure perform not like they usually do.”
The burden of expectation is on Chelsea, too, but it seems a bonus considering their early-season turmoil. “One of the staff said [yesterday], ‘We’ve come so far, we are so close, we don’t want to miss it,’ ” Grant said. “I said to the players, ‘It’s been a very difficult year, I don’t know if other clubs could do what we’re doing – the injuries to big players, the African Cup of Nations, all the problems we’ve had and we’re still winning games.’ And we have the opportunity to do very good things. When the players speak about it they know it’s a very big opportunity and we deserve it after what we’ve had this year.”
United have scored 100 goals this season, and Chelsea are also on the verge of a century. They seek their hundredth unbeaten domestic home match in a row tonight against Wigan Athletic. The sequence dates back to a league defeat by Arsenal in February 2004, and comprises 79 matches in the Premier League, 12 in the FA Cup and eight in the League Cup (including a defeat in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw with Charlton Athletic).
For The Times online http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3740285.ece
- Erm..... No you don't!
Every club has its fair share of problems and if you buy African players then don't act shocked if they actually have to play a few games every couple of years.
Chelsea had Cech out, we had Neville out.
Chelsea have spent a gargantuan amount of money on their squad, which is supposed t help them weather such storms, which you would expect playing 38 domestic games and being involved in two domestic cups, as well as the champions league.
Even with the ACN and Cech and Terry out injured, they still could play:
Joe Cole, Lampard, Ben Haim, Shevchenko, Ballack, Sidwell, Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Ferreira, Anelka, Malouda, Baletti, Alex, Bridge, Pizarro, Bridge and SWP
- That is not a bad squad. Their squad players are probably better than ours, but what's the point if you can't be arsed to do a proper job?
Also, Chelsea have played ugly football. I'm talking super ugly here. Football that fell down the ugly tree and hit every branch a long the way. Football that is uglier than Avram Grant!
Nay, Chelsea do not deserve to be Champions. Arsenal are more deserving than Chelsea, but they did not display the consistency Man Utd has.
There are many games left and I'm not saying it's already in the bag, but Manchester United certainly deserve to be champions of England.
