Counting the costs after Bridge bore

ISN’T it a wonder that I have time to write this piece, considering the amount of games going on — it’s ludicrous.

I’m not overly concerned about players being tired — poor souls get paid handsomely for their efforts — but the fans’ bank balances are taking a hammering. Five games in 12 days — is it any wonder more and more are having to pick and choose when to travel?

Results-wise, things have gone our way, but again, the quality of football we are having to watch is absolutely dire. In the pub after the QPR game, we were trying to remember when a tie had been so mind-numbingly dull — and I couldn’t recall one to rival it within the last decade.

Perhaps Anelka and/or Berbatov will improve things? The papers now have them both Stamford Bridge bound — which would allow Sheva to return to his beloved Milan (just to have Mourinho pitch up there next season!). Getting both players would not only have the obvious benefits of goals but the added bonus of seriously pissing off the Tottenham fans, which is always a pleasure.

It would be especially satisfying if it was announced this week, as we face our North London rivals on Saturday. If Berbatov remains a Tottenham player for this match, it will be interesting to see tactically what Grant and the management committee come up with. Tottenham are scoring a lot of goals — not just the Bulgarian, but Keane and Defoe are racking them up, while we had to rely on an own goal to secure passage into the next round of the cup.

Despite the results, the fans are still not taking to Grant — and should we lose our proud home record to Spurs, I imagine the crowd reaction will be loud and less than polite.

With our African players all off to the African Cup of Nations, we have to rely on what is left of our decimated squad. One player that really needs to start showing his worth is Shaun Wright-Phillips. His inconsistent performances were understandable in the last two seasons as he never had an established place in the first team. But the same cannot be said this season and his performances have remained as inconsistent as ever. There are times he looks like a world beater and then times that he looks he should be playing on Hackney Marshes — and quite often in the same match.

His decision making seems intrinsically flawed. He seems unable to determine when to run with the ball, when to pass and when to cross.

Ballack, on the other hand has been a godsend. Since his return from injury he has been energetic, strong and committed. And being German, when he stepped up to take that penalty at Fulham, there was no question in the mind of any Chelsea supporter that he was going to score. He has a confidence lacking in the rest of the team since Mourinho left and with Terry sidelined, Lampard three weeks from fitness and Drogba off to Africa, we need a leader on the pitch.

One man pretty conspicuous by his absence recently is Peter Kenyon, never one to avoid the limelight in the Mourinho era. Whether this is a self-imposed purdah is unclear. If I was him I too would be quick to try distance myself from Grant’s tenure — the press conference where our new manager was unveiled was not Kenyon’s finest moment. He looked embarrassed and ill at ease.

Rumours at the time of José’s departure had Kenyon openly disapproving of Abramovich’s decision (Kenyon more than anyone would have realised how important a character like José was to the coffers). That cannot have gone down well — Russians do not like their decisions questioned. So I wonder whether it will be just player movement we see in the summer or also a shake up in the upper echelons of Stamford Bridge for a more submissive individual.

One person that still seems unable to accept the series of events which saw Mourinho deposed is Didier Drogba as papers once again carry stories of his desire to leave in the summer. I think most Chelsea fans have accepted he will go and are worried this is the real fall out from the change of manager. Whether you liked Mourinho or not, he was a big name and could attract big players — Grant has not got that gravitas. Players do not yearn to play for a manager such as Grant — but will do for huge sums of cash. Not really the way to be going, is it? If we are to become self financing within two years we need to use the transfer market intelligently — not splash ridiculous amounts of cash to correct the mistakes of an egotistic owner.

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