They can play together or not together," said Avram Grant, when asked how he thought that Nicolas Anelka would eventually combine up front with Didier Drogba. It was a characteristically enigmatic response from the Chelsea manager. Grant has no hope of Drogba being back from Ghana and the African Cup of Nations in time to face Liverpool at Stamford Bridge today because Drogba's Ivory Coast, who were beaten in the tournament's semi-finals, had still to play their third-place playoff match against Ghana, who include another Chelsea star in midfielder Michael Essien.
With Drogba away, Chelsea could have had a crisis in attack. Before the arrival of Anelka from Bolton Wanderers during last month's transfer window, the best Grant could do was to deploy the Peruvian international forward Claudio Pizarro who, the manager admitted, was "not the type of striker" to replace the African. But the Israeli said: "Anelka is quick, you can play with him behind the defence. A good player, a very quick player. He knows how to score goals and how to give assists."
Asked about Anelka's much-travelled, much-troubled career, Grant responded: "You say that he wants to prove himself. I can't say things in his name. I believe in him. I got him because I believe in him."
Drogba, then, has suddenly and quite surprisingly changed his mind about his determination to leave Stamford Bridge; now he says that he wants to stay. Grant was typically phlegmatic about it.
"I'm telling you again, I can judge people for their performance on the pitch and off the pitch. If Drogba says that he's happy, we are happy. If he's happy, it's good," Grant said.
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The solemn-faced manager was asked whether he was happy himself now, given Chelsea's recent results? "What would you want me to do? To dance?" he replied with a rare smile. There is none of the flamboyant egotism of his predecessor, Jose Mour-inho, but a certain humour lurks within Grant. "Of course I'm happy," he said. "People who are happy show it in different ways. I watch them [the players] when I see the development, how they give everything when they come to the pitch with all the performances. It makes me very happy."
He denied there was any animosity between Chelsea and Liverpool, whom the London side knocked out of the Carling Cup earlier this season.
"I'm not working against someone; I'm working for Chelsea," Grant said. "I've nothing against other clubs, except that I want us to be better than them. I don't think it will affect the next game if you have a good result or not a good result. We are not going to take the past to the next game. When two clubs play against each other, always you think about something from the past. Of course I don't have a problem about Liverpool; I only hope that Chelsea will succeed. Liverpool are a very good team, I don't need to say it. It's always not easy to play against them. I think it will be a difficult game, very difficult."
He had benign words for his rival manager Rafael Benitez: "Someone said you're as good as your last game, I don't believe it. I think he's done a good job there." He did, however, concede that a certain tension can be felt, after Chelsea's long unbeaten run of home games. "Maybe you come to the last 10 or 15 minutes and it's a draw and you don't want to lose. So many reasons to be under pressure at Chelsea. One more reason. Football is a strange game. Sometimes when you are very sure, you lose the game. Sometimes you think it's finished, but it's not. Anything can happen."
He sympathised with Liverpool's succession of injuries. "So many players have been out in the last three matches; I know the feeling." By way of consolation he was able to say: "Frank Lampard trained today. I think he will be available for the weekend. It's good news. Slowly, slowly the injured players are coming back."
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What, though, of Andriy Shevchenko, now that Drogba is joined by Anelka? It will be two or three weeks before the Ukrainian is match-fit again, but Grant denied there would be any embarrassment of riches when he is. "In top clubs you need more than two strikers."
Still, he should have the Nigerian international midfielder, the young, explosive Jon Obi Mikel, back in time from the African tournament after his country's early elimination. But can Mikel, who has been sent off four times since joining Chelsea 19 months ago, avoid future red cards? "I will speak with him," said Grant. "I can tell you that I will always be happy to finish a game with 11 players. Football is not for robots, it is for men. Every player when young makes mistakes. Jon Obi is 20 years old, sometimes he makes mistakes, but he will learn."
He is still put out by the intrusion of the African Cup of Nations, and believes it should be played in June or July, and dismisses the explanation that this would bring it into the rainy season: "I think it's an excuse."
When asked whether he had expected to be made Chelsea's manager, Grant replied: "WhenI came here, I came here as director of football. I think I did a good job. Then Jose left, and they offered me the job. I came for a different job which was interesting for me. I'm not a man for planning the future. You need to do your job, then something happens. I wanted to be a manager when I was [Israel's] national coach. I thought that I deserved a chance which turned my life. I can tell you again I don't know what I'm planning. I don't know what will happen tomorrow. We know that 10, 20 years ago, a manager could stay in the same club for five years, 10 years. There's a lot of things involved that were not in the past. This is the new job for a manager."
Will it help Chelsea today to be playing at Stamford Bridge? Yet one more circumspect answer. "It's always good to play big games at your home. I don't think it's an advantage. But it's an advantage."
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Inside track
- In 31 Premier League clashes between Chelsea and Liverpool so far, the Londoners have the edge with 14 wins against 11. In all competitions Liverpool are in front, beating Chelsea 67 times and losing 52 times in 149 matches
- Steven Gerrard is Liverpool's leading scorer on the road with four goals
- A Chelsea win today will extend their unbeaten record to 76 home games - they last lost at Stamford Bridge on February 21, 2004. This season's 1-1 match at Anfi eld, was the first draw in 13 matches between the sides.
- Liverpool have not scored on their past three visits to Stamford Bridge and have scored in only two of their past eight matches there n Chelsea's Nicolas Anelka is the only player in double figures this season not to have scored from a header
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What does Anelka give Chelsea?
What is the difference between Chelsea with Nicolas Anelka and Chelsea with Didier Drogba? Not a lot, says Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, and he's right. With Drogba away, Anelka has helped win five out of six matches
Anelka's secret
There is nobody better than Anelka at playing 'on the shoulder' of the last defender. His first goal for Chelsea came when he caught out Wigan's Titus Bramble and Paul Scharner, beating them to Belletti's pass as they looked for an offside flag
Can Anelka play with Drogba?
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Both have played for long periods as a lone striker, but a shared athleticism could make for a viable pairing. Drogba could use his great strength in receiving the ball under pressure before turning towards goal and releasing his speedy new partner with a through ball