Grant: concentration gaffes may cost us glory

AVRAM GRANT insists Chelsea must learn how to concentrate for 90 minutes if they are to cut out the mistakes that could cost them the chance of glory this season.

Chelsea’s players have made uncharacteristic errors in recent weeks — allowing a 3-1 lead to slip against Tottenham and then gifting Fenerbahce victory in Turkey on Wednesday after leading 1-0.

German midfielder Michael Ballack has already voiced his concern over Chelsea’s mental fragility and Grant admits their aberrations always seem to happen when the team is playing well.

“It has happened to us for the second or third time and especially when we play well,” he conceded.

“We lost our concentration against Tottenham in what was one of our best performances in the league. It then happened in the Champions League when we produced one of our best performances in Europe.

“When you play well, maybe it is human nature, you think everything is going well and you don’t need to be careful.

“This is why people like football, this is also the reason I didn’t like the game on Wednesday.

“We don’t like it and it will not happen again. We need to continue to play good football like we did against Tottenham and Fenerbahce but we need to concentrate all game. One attack can lose you a game, like it did on Wednesday.”

Chelsea travel to face Manchester City today and that provides them with a golden opportunity to put some pressure on leaders Manchester United, who play Middlesbrough on Sunday.

Grant added: “We are six games from the end and we want to face Manchester United here at Stamford Bridge in a good position.

“It is an important game against Manchester City and we need to win it.

“In the last two or three months, we have played very good football. Sometimes you cannot play well all the time.”

Grant is set to rest some of his top players ahead of Tuesday’s return Champions League quarter-final match against the Turks.

Nicolas Anelka is likely to lead the attack, with Didier Drogba rested and Carlo Cudicini is set to remain in goal despite Petr Cech’s ever-improving rehabilitation from an ankle problem.

Grant also played down suggestions of a rift between him and England midfielder Frank Lampard.

The player was unhappy when substituted against Fenerbahce but Grant insists there is no problem between the pair.

“Frank is a very passionate player,” said Grant. “I like passionate players. If his reaction was good or not, it is an internal matter.”