Grant making a lasting impression

WHEN Avram Grant first walked into Portsmouth Football Club it almost resulted in Harry Redknapp flouncing out of the opposite door in a fit of pique.

But it’s a measure of the Israeli’s quiet progress that he left Fratton Park on Saturday embraced as a close friend and tipped as a title-winning manager with Chelsea.

Considering Chelsea had just been held 1-1 to slip six points behind leaders Arsenal in the Premier League, Redknapp’s assertion that Grant’s side will still make it a three-horse title race appeared little more than cordial generosity.

But if you take into consideration the bigger picture — that Chelsea have now won nine and drawn one of their last 10 matches in all competitions despite missing five world-class players because of injuries and the African Cup of Nations — then the claim gains credence.

Jermain Defoe won most of Sunday’s newspaper headlines from this match after scoring an excellent equaliser on his Portsmouth debut — and rightly so because his performance was excellent.

But Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger will be just as interested in Nicolas Anelka’s superb finish that put Chelsea ahead following a sweeping counter-attack move and by the resilience of a Chelsea side that despite beginning to suffer from fatigue after so many matches in a row still refuses to lose.

“Everybody thinks we can still be champions,” Anelka insisted.

“We don’t care that some people are talking about it as a two-horse race, because we know what we have to do. When all our players come back we will be even better. I think we will have to wait right to the end to see who wins the title.”

Given the problems he has had to face, not only with injuries but also with winning over so many critics and doubters, it would be a remarkable achievement if Grant were to guide his team to the championship.

But judging from the way he won over worldly-wise Redknapp it may not be as impossible as it seems.

The Israeli spent a year at Fratton Park as director of football, working alongside the Englishman, and made quite an impact.

“I didn’t know him when he came here,” remembers Redknapp. “To be truthful he was almost given to me, or put on me in a way and I wasn’t happy with it at the time.

“When I first was told I reacted in the normal way I do when people do that to me and that’s to want walk away. But I didn’t. I met him, I liked him and he came here and it was great. I enjoyed being with him every da. I enjoyed his company, I enjoyed talking about football and we became great friends.

“I’m delighted for him because he has done a good job at Chelsea — a terrific job. Obviously he is not a personality like the previous manager. Jose was a great manager and has a great personality as well. But this guy just gets on with it in his own quiet way.

“When he came here I quickly realised he was a nice man and he wasn’t here to take my job or anything else. He was a big help to me. He spent a lot of time travelling the world, watching Milan train, watching Capello work, watching Trapattoni. He is a real student of football, so I found him a real interesting guy.”

Redknapp, in fact, has been so impressed with Grant’s progress at Stamford Bridge that he is adamant United and Arsenal will not have it all their own way over the next few months.

“When they’ve got all their squad back I can see Chelsea having a real chance, I really do,” he said. “It is not over. When Chelsea get Drogba and Lampard and Terry and all them back they are very strong.”

Chelsea certainly need those players back soon. After Anelka’s 55th-minute break-away goal was equalised by a ruthless Defoe finish from a Milan Baros flick here, Portsmouth could have won the game with Defoe having three further strikes on goal. The return Frank Lampard against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge next Sunday is the first step and John Obi Mikel will also be back after Ghana eliminated Nigeria in the Africa Nations yesterday.

“I cannot tell you it has been easy without those players,” admitted Grant. “I have never had a chance to pick my strongest team. I am not happy about this — but I am happy about my squad. We took a risk by not buying more players in January, only Anelka. I prefer to trust this squad and they showed me they deserve it. We still believe the title is possible.”

If the Israeli achieves his dream then undoubtedly Redknapp will not be the only man in football to say he has changed his mind about Grant.

PORTSMOUTH: (4-4-2): James 8, Johnson 5, Campbell 7, Pamarot 7, Hreidarsson 6, Davis 6 (Mvuemba 68, 6), Diarra 9, Hughes 7, Kranjcar 8, Baros 6, Defoe 8.

Subs Not Used: Ashdown, Aubey, Lauren, Mendes

CHELSEA (4-1-4-1): Cech 7, Belletti 7, Alex 7, Ben Haim 6, A Cole 7, Makelele 7, Wright-Phillips 7, Ballack 7, Malouda 7, J Cole 8, Anelka 7.

Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Sidwell, Bridge, Ferreira

REFEREE: Howard Webb (Yorkshire): Missed a handball by Belletti in the first half which should have been a penalty but got most of the other tight decisions right and allowed the game to flow

MATCH RATING: **** An outstanding second half which featured end-to-end football and a string of chances meant both sets of fans left Fratton Park happy.