Avram Grant may be
called in at Chelsea to assist Rafael Benítez in a consultative role
should the poor run continue. Photograph: Alessia Pierdomenico/Reuters
Rafael Benítez believes he retains the support of the
Chelsea owner,
Roman Abramovich,
despite seeing his team endure a third winless match under his interim
management at West Ham on Saturday, though the oligarch could yet offer
Avram Grant a consultative role back at the club if results continue to deteriorate.
The
loss at Upton Park extended Chelsea's run without a win in the Premier
League to seven matches, their worst sequence since 1995, with
Abramovich understood to have been infuriated by his players'
second-half capitulation. There are concerns that Benítez, who remains
the subject of intense hostility from the club's fans given his
long-standing ties with Liverpool, has been unable to spark an immediate
upturn in the side's form with Chelsea now 10 points behind Manchester
United in the title race.
While there is no great desire to
instigate further upheaval within the coaching set-up following the
abrupt dismissal of Roberto Di Matteo less than a fortnight ago, Chelsea
will consider more changes to their staff if results do not improve
swiftly. To that end the possible reappointment of Grant – who had
briefly been considered as an alternative to Benítez when the board
deemed Di Matteo's time to be up – in an advisory role to assist the
Spaniard has been discussed by the hierarchy.
The Israeli's return
to the club would represent further antagonising an increasingly
disillusioned fanbase, though that he is under consideration reflects
the chaos currently gripping the European champions. Grant, a personal
friend of Abramovich and previously the club's director of football, had
controversially replaced José Mourinho as manager in the autumn of 2007
and went on to steer the team to the League Cup and, most notably,
Champions League finals only to lose them both. His contract was
terminated in the wake of the European Cup defeat by Manchester United
in Moscow on penalties, with Grant later claiming he had turned down the
chance to revert to his former position as director of football.
The
57-year-old has remained on good terms with Abramovich since and spent
time in charge at Portsmouth, West Ham and Partizan Belgrade, but is
currently available and in London having delayed a trip back to his home
in Tel Aviv. While Grant has not been contacted formally over any
potential involvement at Chelsea, it is understood he would be willing
to take up an advisory role if the club came calling, though the
specifics of any such position are as yet unclear.
Benítez brought
in Xavi Valero, Paco de Miguel and Bolo Zenden on his appointment 11
days ago on a seven-month contract, though Zenden, nominally his No2, is
still to secure all his Uefa coaching badges and cannot enter the
technical area during games. The interim manager admitted on Saturday he
"cannot be 100% sure" he will see out his short-term contract the
52-year-old has called for more time to make his impact felt having
benefited to date from only a handful of training sessions and three
winless matches in a cluttered schedule.
Benítez has confirmed
there were angry words exchanged by staff and players in the dressing
room after the frustrating 3-1 reverse at Upton Park but reaffirmed his
belief that he can arrest the side's slump in form. Indeed, having
spoken face to face with Abramovich after his first two games in charge,
against Manchester City and Fulham, and again at the club's Cobham
training base last week, as well as attending a board meeting last
Thursday, he is confident he still benefits from the owner's immediate
support.
Benítez will hope to register a first win against
Nordsjaelland in Chelsea's final Champions League group game on
Wednesday, though even victory over the Danes may not be enough to force
passage into the knock-out phase. Should Juventus avoid defeat against
Shakhtar Donetsk, then Chelsea will be consigned to the Europa League, a
reality they would still be digesting as they depart for the Fifa Club
World Cup in Japan immediately after Saturday's trip to Sunderland. Both
John Terry and Frank Lampard will be on that flight to Tokyo with the
pair due to play some part in training on Monday as they step up their
recoveries from knee and calf injuries respectively.
