Sun:

Terry in Catfight
By MARK IRWIN

JOHN TERRY and Chelsea coach Henk ten Cate had to be pulled apart by
stunned Blues players after a furious training ground bust-up.


The ugly confrontation — just 24 hours before Chelsea's Carling Cup
final defeat by Tottenham — was watched by shocked owner Roman
Abramovich.


Eye witnesses saw Ten Cate aggressively face up to skipper Terry
during Saturday's session.


The pair went head to head, hurling a tirade of swear words and
insults as players dived in to separate them.


I understand Terry had not been told whether he would be in the team
to face Spurs and feared he might lose out.


He was so incensed by the bust-up he refused to accept Ten Cate's
offer of an apology.


One witness told SunSport: "The session was supposed to put the
finishing touches to the final plans for Wembley — but it just
descended into a massive row.


"All the players have become exasperated by the shambolic nature of
some of the recent training sessions.


"And there was a lot of unrest among the squad because no one knew
what the team was going to be for Wembley.


"Everyone was trying to guess what was going on and in the end the
frustration became too much. But the intensity of the row took
everyone by surprise.


"John and Ten Cate were right in each other's faces and when it became
clear that neither was going to back down, other players jumped
between them to pull them apart.


"To make matters worse, Mr Abramovich was visiting the training ground
and saw the whole thing."


It is not the first time Dutchman Ten Cate has ruffled a few feathers
with his abrasive nature since being appointed assistant first-team
coach last October.

By IAN McGARRY

AVRAM GRANT is facing widespread discontent among his Chelsea players
in the wake of their Carling Cup final defeat.


SunSport can reveal several senior stars are extremely unhappy with
the preparations for Sunday's Wembley match and feel it contributed to
them losing to Tottenham.


Did NO training with his starting XI beforehand for fear of giving
away his team selection.


Announced his team just TWO hours before kick-off, leaving players
very little time to prepare themselves mentally.


Told Ashley Cole he was dropped AFTER the England left-back had read
it in Saturday morning's Sun and confronted him about it.


The Chelsea squad were also shocked to see Roman Abramovich attend
training sessions for three days before the final.


Such intense interest from the Russian owner is unprecedented and has
raised questions among the playing staff about Abramovich's influence
in picking the team.

Grant's refusal to give anything away on his starting line-up even
extended to skipper John Terry, who was kept waiting until Saturday
night before finally being told he would start.


Terry's frustration at being kept in the dark spilled over into a
bust-up with coach Henk Ten Cate during training on Saturday.


The Dutchman has a reputation for being provocative and has
antagonised several players since arriving at Chelsea last year.


Players had to step in and defuse the confrontation.


Only Petr Cech and Frank Lampard knew they were certain to play before
Terry also got the nod.


Ashley Cole turned up at training on Saturday morning, having already
read in SunSport that he was dropped.


It is understood he went to the manager to ask if it was true.


Grant confirmed it, leaving the defender angry. He failed to turn up
at the team hotel and was dropped from the 16-man squad, although he
did attend the game.


Sources have described the atmosphere at the Chelsea team hotel as
'seething with tension'.


Grant's approach to the biggest match since taking charge is in stark
contrast to the way Jose Mourinho prepared for such games.


Mourinho was precise in every detail and would spend FIVE days
training with his preferred line-up preparing them for every possible
situation.


Grant, however, leaves the majority of coaching to assistant Steve
Clarke, while he and Ten Cate look on.


That method has left the players feeling detached from the manager.


Worse, the bond between manager and players, which drove Chelsea to
five trophies in three years under Mourinho, no longer exists.


That much was evident on Sunday as the Blues tasted final defeat for
the first time since Abramovich bought the club.


Chelsea are still competing for three other trophies and Terry has
warned that they cannot afford to mope over the weekend's
disappointment.


He said: "We have to pick ourselves up now. It's hard, it's the last
thing the players want to hear but we need to — we're still in three
massive competitions.


"The Premier League is not over. We go to West Ham on Saturday, have
got the Champions League after that and the FA Cup after that.


"It's all coming around very quickly. We can either dwell on this loss
and end up getting knocked out of another competition or we take this
defeat on the chin, pick ourselves up and go again."


Asked about Grant's record against big teams — he has yet to beat
Manchester United, Arsenal or Liverpool — Terry ducked the question.


Instead, he said: "The determination and passion is still there among
all the lads. They hate losing, whether it's in a small game or a big
game."


It is not the players' ability to win trophies which is being
questioned, however.


It is Avram Grant's.


And it is a question now being asked by his own players.


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The Times
February 26, 2008

Honeymoon over for Grant as tests come thick and fast
Matt Hughes
Given Avram Grant's fashion preference for what many view as
"undertaker chic", it is little surprise that Chelsea's dressing-room
was as quiet as a morgue after their Carling Cup final defeat by
Tottenham Hotspur, but it has not taken long for the club's
characteristic defiance to return.

John Terry yesterday demonstrated the leadership skills that are
expected to lead to his reappointment as England captain by telling
his team-mates to stop feeling sorry for themselves and urging them to
bounce back in time for the Barclays Premier League match away to West
Ham United on Saturday.

"We have to pick ourselves up now," Terry said. "It's hard. The last
thing the players want to hear is my voice and that we need to pick
ourselves up, but we need to as we're still in three massive
competitions. The Premier League is not over, we go to West Ham on
Saturday, we've got the Champions League after that and then the FA
Cup after that, it's all coming around very quickly.

"We can do one of two things; we can either dwell on the Carling Cup
and end up getting knocked out of another competition, or we take this
defeat on the chin, pick ourselves up and go again. We did well to get
to Wembley, but we still have three competitions to go for. Up to now
it's been a good season, but this makes it a bit more disappointing."

Chelsea's character and the ability of their players is not in doubt,
but whether the first-team coach possesses sufficient skills to get
the best out of them must be open to question. Having kept an
injury-ravaged squad competing on all fronts, Grant is facing a real
test of his managerial ability, picking the correct team to win
important matches and keeping the rest of his players on side.

Terry denied that Grant's unexpected team selection played a part in
the defeat by Tottenham — with the captain picked at the last minute
and Michael Ballack omitted from the starting XI — and the defender
insisted that his extra-time team talk was a normal occurrence.

"It's been the same since he took over," Terry said. "He keeps things
close to his chest — no one knew who was playing. That is how it has
been since he took over. It keeps you on your toes, it's been like
that in every game. As a group of players we have to deal with that.

"The determination and passion is still there among all the lads, if
you go in the dressing-room now, you see it on their faces. They hate
losing, whether it's in a small game or a big game. The team talks are
part of my role. If the manager's got something to say he'll say it.

Clarkey [Steve Clarke, the assistant first-team coach], Lamps [Frank
Lampard] and Didier [Drogba] will as well. But at that moment, when
the camera was on me, it was my time to speak and I did."
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Mail:

Heat is on as Grant must land Chelsea a trophy to save his skin
By MATT LAWTON and NEIL ASHTON

Avram Grant is unlikely to survive as Chelsea manager beyond the end
of this season if he fails to make amends for Sunday's Carling Cup
Final debacle.

Amid rumours of serious dressing-room unrest, the Stamford Bridge
hierarchy are understood to be hugely disappointed with Grant's
failure to rise to the occasion at Wembley.

Owner Roman Abramovich visited the Chelsea dressing room after
Tottenham's much-deserved 2-1 victory and is said to share the views
of those who thought Grant not only picked the wrong team but then
displayed a lack of tactical nous and also failed to inspire his
players at key times.

In particular, they were shocked to see him on the periphery when
coach Steve Clarke delivered a team talk between the end of normal
time and the beginning of extra-time, while problems in the dressing
room will not help Grant's cause.

Sportsmail understands that there has been a heated exchange between
Frank Lampard and the manager after Grant told him he could no longer
expect to play in every game.

Grant suggested on Friday that the injuries Lampard has suffered this
year could be the price he is paying for those remarkable
record-breaking appearance runs in the past.

Andriy Shevchenko is also said to be unhappy with Grant after the
Ukraine striker was asked to play in a behind-closed doors match
against Chelsea's youth team — and ended up, incredibly, on the losing
side.

Shevchenko was also among a number of senior Chelsea players unhappy
at not being invited to stay with the Cup Final squad in London on the
eve of the match.

Only those who were in the starting XI or on the bench spent the night
at the Landmark Hotel, with the likes of Shevchenko and Ashley Cole
told to travel to the stadium in their club suits on the day of the
game.

But it is the way the team — and indeed Grant — performed that most
concerned Abramovich and the Chelsea board.

The Israeli seemed to have the full support of his employers when they
handed him a four-year contract in December and he also had their
public backing when the club announced their financial results last
week.

Chairman Bruce Buck said: 'We judge a manager on results and, to date,
his results have been very, very good.' Before Sunday, his record was
impressive. In 34 games since succeeding Jose Mourinho he had won 24
and drawn eight.

But he has lost key matches — against Manchester United and Arsenal —
and failed what amounted to the sternest test of his managerial career
at the weekend.

Chelsea fear Grant could prove no more successful than Claudio Ranieri
in his one season as manager under Abramovich. Back then, second in
the Barclays Premier League and a Champions League semi-final was not
considered good enough.

Standards are still every bit as high at Stamford Bridge and one
observer noted that they remain 'a club in a hurry', which means Grant
will have to deliver in the title race, the Champions League or the FA
Cup to save his job.

Sunday's evidence would suggest Grant is going to struggle, which in
turn is likely to result in a replacement arriving in the summer.

Barcelona's Frank Rijkaard, who still plans to leave the Nou Camp at
the end of this season and would have the opportunity to link up again
with coach Henk Ten Cate at Chelsea, is the clear favourite.

Grant cancelled a trip to Israel after the Cup Final defeat. He was
due to report to the Israeli FA's headquarters on Monday morning for
the second session of his UEFA Pro Licence course but chose to remain
in London after the setback.

John Terry refused to criticise his manager for his passive approach
after Grant left the extra-time team talk to Clarke and the Chelsea
and England captain.

Terry said: 'That's part of my role. If the manager's got something to
say, he'll say it. Clarkey, Lamps, Didier will. But at that moment,
when the camera was on me, it was my time to speak. I felt I had to
speak and I did.'

Terry wasted little time in delivering another message to the Chelsea
dressing room. 'It's tough to say, but Tottenham deserved to win,' he
said. 'As a team and as individuals, we just weren't good enough.

'It's hard. The last thing the players want to hear is my voice and
that we need to pick ourselves up. But we need to, we're still in
three massive competitions.

'The Premier League is not over, we go to West Ham on Saturday. We've
got the Champions League after that and then the FA Cup after that.
It's all coming around very quickly.

'We can do one of two things; we can either dwell on this and end up
getting knocked out of another competition or we take this defeat on
the chin, pick ourselves up and go again.'
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Mirror:

John Terry in amazing bust-up with Chelsea coach Henk Ten cate
Exclusive 26/02/2008

John Terry had an amazing bust-up with Chelsea coach Henk Ten Cate -
in front of Roman Abramovich.

Chelsea captain Terry had a furious and heated exchange with Ten Cate
at the club's Surrey training ground on the eve of the Carling Cup
Final.

Terry was angry about tactics and preparation for Sunday's Wembley
showpiece and let rip at Dutchman Ten Cate after their final training
session on Saturday.

The row happened in front of the entire first team squad and Chelsea
owner Abramovich, who had gone along to the club's Cobham base to
watch their final preparations.

Ten Cate - manager Avram Grant's assistant first-team coach - has had
a difficult relationship with the Chelsea players since arriving at
the club and Terry made his feelings known.

Chelsea boss Grant went on to see his team lose to Tottenham at
Wembley and disgruntled fans have bombarded supporter websites with
messages about his team selection and tactics for the final.

But Grant has now been left with another major problem as it is clear
that Terry and other senior players are struggling to work with Ten
Cate who is regarded as being distant and a poor man-manager.

Grant will be given time to prove he is in command, with money made
available in the summer but in the meantime, the turmoil among the
fans came with further evidence that all is not well bet ween the
squad and Ten Cate.

His relationship with the players is virtually nonexistent. One
insider said: "The players feel he is arrogant, shows them no respect
and treats them like little children. Avram lets Ten Cate get on with
things and the players feel they are playing for themselves now. Ten
Cate is the main problem."
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Terry's rallying role leaves Grant looking shy of influence


Sachin Nakrani
Tuesday February 26, 2008
The Guardian


The talk in the Chelsea dressing room after their defeat by Tottenham
Hotspur on Sunday was of the importance of moving on and focusing on
the challenges that lie ahead this season. But it was perhaps telling
that it was John Terry, the Blues captain, rather than the manager,
Avram Grant, who delivered the rallying cry.
"The last thing the players wanted to hear was my voice telling them
that we needed to pick ourselves up but we need to," said Terry.
"We're still in three competitions. The Premier League is not over, we
go to West Ham on Saturday, we've got the Champions League after that
and then the FA Cup after that. It's all coming around very quickly.

"I said we can do one of two things: dwell on today and end up getting
knocked out of another competition or take this defeat on the chin,
pick ourselves up and go again."
Go again they must but Terry's remarks give the impression that it is
he and not the manager who has taken on the responsibility of making
sure Chelsea win at least one trophy this season, adding to the belief
held in some quarters that Avram Grant is failing to inspire his
players for the most crucial of matches in the way his predecessor
did.

Defeat in a major final, something Jose Mourinho's Chelsea never
encountered, comes after a failure to beat Manchester United, Arsenal
and Liverpool in the league and a scoreless draw against Olympiakos in
a Champions League last-16 tie which could prove costly in next week's
return at Stamford Bridge.

Grant's case is not helped by the televised images of Terry giving the
team-talk prior to extra-time at Wembley. The England defender says,
however, that this was simply a case of a club captain fulfilling one
of his duties - "when the camera was on me, it was my time to speak
and I did," he said. There is no mutiny, Terry stressed, and those who
took to the pitch on Sunday take responsibility for the defeat and
will stand alongside Grant in their determination to make amends.

"As a team and as individuals we just weren't good enough, we weren't
at the races. We've gone to some tough places in this competition and
won and then blown it in the final. Tottenham deserved to win," he
said. "The passion is still there among all the lads, they hate losing
and with the manager, we all want to put this right."

In fairness to Grant, it is his record since he became manager at the
end of September which still gives Chelsea hope of winning honours
this season. The Israeli has led the club to 24 wins in 35 matches and
they are now third in the Premier League, in the quarter-finals of the
FA Cup, where they face Barnsley, and a home victory away from
reaching the same stage in the Champions League.

The end of the African Cup of Nations, combined with returns from
injury, also brings an impressive squad to full strength, but there
lies another challenge which opens up Grant to criticism. The
decisions to play Nicolas Anelka wide on the left against Tottenham -
in order to accommodate Didier Drogba - and to leave out the
in...#8209;form Michael Ballack so there was space in the starting
line-up for Frank Lampard backfired as the side looked disjointed and
obtuse.

Ballack declined to criticise the manager for his selections after the
match but his curt response to being dropped did

not indicate that the squad is as committed to helping Grant achieve
success at Chelsea as much as Terry suggests. "I was not on the
team-sheet and that is it," the German said.

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telegraph:

John Terry talks up role as prime motivator
By Jeremy Wilson

As the inquest deepened yesterday into Chelsea's Carling Cup final
defeat, the club's captain, John Terry, defended his decision to
deliver a team talk after the first period of extra time.

Avram Grant, however, appeared to have relatively little to say at
some of the important moments on Sunday. Assistant Steve Clarke seemed
to deliver the main rallying call at the end of normal time and, when
some Chelsea players risked disciplinary action in their protests to
referee Mark Halsey, it was Grant's other assistant, Henk Ten Cate,
who rushed to intervene.

It is possible to read too much into such moments but, as Chelsea fan
and former Prime Minister John Major could perhaps testify, it can be
dangerous for a leader to allow any caricature to develop of
indecision or weakness.

Grant can still point to a highly impressive record of just three
defeats in 35 matches and he has plenty of chance this season to
redress Sunday's disappointment. Ultimately, though, his fate will
rest in the hands of a sizeable squad of players who will require
skilled man-management.

Terry insisted that there were no problems with motivation inside the
Chelsea camp. "The determination and passion is still there among all
the lads," he said. "They hate losing, whether it's in a small game or
a big game.

"I just can't believe that we've not played [against Tottenham]. As a
team and as individuals, we just weren't good enough. It's tough to
say but Tottenham deserved to win.

"We didn't keep the ball as well as we can do. Overall, we weren't at
the races. We've gone to some tough places in this competition and won
and then we've blown it.

"We can do one of two things: we can either dwell on it, and end up
getting knocked out of another competition, or we take this defeat on
the chin, pick ourselves up and go again."

Given the depth and quality of his squad, Grant's team selection was
certain to provoke considerable controversy and several key decisions
were highly questionable.

In an echo of the methods recently used by Fabio Capello with England,
Terry admitted that the players were unaware who would be playing
until just hours before the match.

"It has been the same since he took over," he said. "He keeps things
close to his chest - no one knew who was playing. It keeps you on your
toes, there's no excuse in that respect."

Ashley Cole was overlooked in favour of Wayne Bridge, but most
surprising of all were the omissions of Michael Ballack and Joe Cole
from a starting midfield who lacked creativity. Both players
eventually featured as substitutes, although the German had no
explanation for his omission.

"I saw the teamsheet and that was it," he said. "We didn't start very
well, we were not able then to control the match in the way we wanted
to. Tottenham looked sharper, even after we scored the first goal they
looked more likely to score the second goal. We did not do enough to
win this final. We have many experienced players who know how to win
matches. We can definitely come back from this."

Joe Cole was optimistic, predicting that the experience would
strengthen resolve inside the dressing room, while Ballack was clear
about the minimum requirement for the remainder of the season. "We
have to make sure we do our best in the other competitions and win at
least one," he said. "We are always confident, we just have to look at
our performance and think about why we didn't win and make sure it
does not happen in the future."

What next

With Manchester United, Chelsea are still the only club who can win
the Treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. The gap to
Arsenal and United might prove too much in the Premier League,
although outstanding matches at Stamford Bridge against both main
rivals will provide cause for hope.

The cup competitions still represent two good opportunities. A
quarter-final away to Barnsley in the FA Cup is a good draw and, with
Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal eliminated, they stand every chance
of returning to Wembley.

Chelsea should also progress beyond Olympiakos in the Champions League
and they certainly have the squad to compete with any club in Europe.

A much clearer picture of Avram Grant's managerial skills will emerge
in the coming months.
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Indy:

Cup final split highlights Grant's struggle to keep squad happy
By Sam Wallace
Tuesday, 26 February 2008

The fallout from Chelsea's Carling Cup final defeat to Tottenham
hinted at disquiet in the camp when it emerged that the players who
were not involved in the match were not invited to stay at the team's
pre-match hotel. Ashley Cole, Andrei Shevchenko and Florent Malouda
were among those who were told on Friday that they could go to the
game independently.

Cup final tradition dictates that the squad would usually stay
together the night before the match and Chelsea were based at the
Landmark hotel in Marylebone, central London. However, those who were
not named by the manager Avram Grant in the preliminary squad on
Friday, who trained again on Saturday, were told by the club that they
could simply report to Wembley to watch the game on Sunday.

With senior figures like Ashley Cole and Shevchenko left out the squad
as well as others such as Steven Sidwell, Paulo Ferreira and Claudio
Pizarro, it meant that many of Grant's players felt no involvement in
the build-up to the match. Some of them came on to the pitch after the
game, but the decision to leave them behind has not eased the tensions
in a squad that is proving impossible for Grant to keep happy.

Grant said on Friday he already knew the starting XI in his head and
would tell the players "after the training tomorrow [Saturday]" but he
delayed until the day of the game – as has been his custom this
season. It was only on Sunday, the day of the game, that Grant
announced to his players he was to drop Michael Ballack and Alex for
John Terry and Frank Lampard.

His decision to play Nicolas Anelka as a left-winger backfired, with
the Frenchman a peripheral figure. Terry defended Grant's selection
policy after the game. "The manager keeps it all close to his chest,"
he said. "None of us knew until Sunday, and that is how it has been in
every game. So there was no change or excuse. It keeps everyone on
their toes – and as a group of players, we have to deal with it."

Terry added: "We have to pick ourselves up. It is the last thing the
players want to hear – my voice saying we need to pick ourselves up –
but we need to. We are still in three competitions. The Premier League
is not over. Then we have the Champions League and the FA Cup. We can
dwell on it and get knocked out of another competition, or we take
this defeat and and go again. The determination and will to win is
still there."