Grant says the cup is a major trophy - for Everton 
· Chelsea manager wants more prestigious honours
· Fresh blow for Lampard as he suffers new muscle tear
David Hytner
Wednesday January 23, 2008
The Guardian
Avram Grant's first taste of Wembley has stayed with him for the wrong reasons. The Chelsea manager came over from Israel to support Liverpool in the 1977 FA Cup final against Manchester United but his limited means landed him in trouble.
"I was in the stands, I didn't have money for another ticket," he said. "But the supporters almost killed me. I was in the Man United end ... supporting Liverpool. That was the problem by the way. I didn't know the hat was different."
Grant offered the impression yesterday that he was in no great rush to return to the rebuilt stadium. Chelsea take a 2-1 lead to Everton tonight in the Carling Cup semi-final second leg and while Grant did stress that he wanted to win, as he always does, his priorities lie elsewhere. Chelsea are consumed with success in the Champions League and the Premier League and he suggested that this tie might mean more to Everton, who have not won a trophy since 1995.
"I cannot say that it [the Carling Cup] is not important but if you want a true answer, I cannot say that this is the main thing for me," he said. "I cannot tell you that [winning] it will mean a lot to me. I want to win any game but for me, the main target is other targets.
"I understand Everton, I understand clubs that do not take a trophy for a long time. Even if it's not a major trophy, for them it's very, very important. I understand them, it's very reasonable but they need to understand us. We want to win anyway."
Grant's attitude was not ever thus. The boot was on the other foot when he started out in management at Hapoel Petah Tikva, his home-town club. Having won promotion from the second division, his team reached the Toto Cup final in 1990 and 1991, where they played Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv and Beitar Tel Aviv respectively. The Toto Cup is Israel's equivalent of the Carling Cup and Grant savoured victory on both occasions.
"This is the reason why I understand Everton," he said. "We were a very small club. We didn't have a budget even for the tea. We took on the best team in Israel, who were Beitar Tel Aviv, and we were very happy. This is the reason I understand a team like Everton who are not used to taking trophies. Even not major trophies are important to you."
Grant's honesty might rile Evertonians and provoke a backlash from their team but he did appear to economise with the truth when asked how he celebrated his breakthrough silverware.
"I think I took my wife out ... no, I was not married!" he said. "I remember every training session that I made in my life but this I don't remember. I remember we were happy and that all the team went out to a few bars."
Chelsea's Carling Cup triumph in 2005 was a breakthrough for Jose Mourinho, Grant's predecessor, and several members of the squad. The 3-2 victory over Liverpool in the final brought them their first trophy and players, including John Terry, the captain, and Joe Cole, have said that it increased their belief and set them fair for their subsequent honours. Grant has the opportunity to fire his tenure similarly, having only succeeded Mourinho last September, but he played down the parallels.
"If you can promise me that if we take the Carling Cup, we will take the Champions League, I will be happy but you cannot," he said. "I was happy when I won my first trophy [at Petah Tikva] but I cannot say it changed something."
Grant confirmed that Frank Lampard had sustained a further tear to his thigh and would be out "between days to two weeks" while he hoped that Terry, who is recovering from three broken bones in his foot, could be available in "two to three weeks, more or less". Shaun-Wright Phillips' ankle injury is not serious, although he will not feature tonight, but Grant remained in the dark over Andriy Shevchenko's back problem that has seen him on the sidelines since Boxing Day.
"I don't think it is too serious but I am not a doctor. Even Sheva doesn't know," he said. "My mother wanted me to be a doctor. I was sorry to disappoint her."
· Chelsea manager wants more prestigious honours
· Fresh blow for Lampard as he suffers new muscle tear
David Hytner
Wednesday January 23, 2008
The Guardian
Avram Grant's first taste of Wembley has stayed with him for the wrong reasons. The Chelsea manager came over from Israel to support Liverpool in the 1977 FA Cup final against Manchester United but his limited means landed him in trouble.
"I was in the stands, I didn't have money for another ticket," he said. "But the supporters almost killed me. I was in the Man United end ... supporting Liverpool. That was the problem by the way. I didn't know the hat was different."
Grant offered the impression yesterday that he was in no great rush to return to the rebuilt stadium. Chelsea take a 2-1 lead to Everton tonight in the Carling Cup semi-final second leg and while Grant did stress that he wanted to win, as he always does, his priorities lie elsewhere. Chelsea are consumed with success in the Champions League and the Premier League and he suggested that this tie might mean more to Everton, who have not won a trophy since 1995.
"I cannot say that it [the Carling Cup] is not important but if you want a true answer, I cannot say that this is the main thing for me," he said. "I cannot tell you that [winning] it will mean a lot to me. I want to win any game but for me, the main target is other targets.
"I understand Everton, I understand clubs that do not take a trophy for a long time. Even if it's not a major trophy, for them it's very, very important. I understand them, it's very reasonable but they need to understand us. We want to win anyway."
Grant's attitude was not ever thus. The boot was on the other foot when he started out in management at Hapoel Petah Tikva, his home-town club. Having won promotion from the second division, his team reached the Toto Cup final in 1990 and 1991, where they played Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv and Beitar Tel Aviv respectively. The Toto Cup is Israel's equivalent of the Carling Cup and Grant savoured victory on both occasions.
"This is the reason why I understand Everton," he said. "We were a very small club. We didn't have a budget even for the tea. We took on the best team in Israel, who were Beitar Tel Aviv, and we were very happy. This is the reason I understand a team like Everton who are not used to taking trophies. Even not major trophies are important to you."
Grant's honesty might rile Evertonians and provoke a backlash from their team but he did appear to economise with the truth when asked how he celebrated his breakthrough silverware.
"I think I took my wife out ... no, I was not married!" he said. "I remember every training session that I made in my life but this I don't remember. I remember we were happy and that all the team went out to a few bars."
Chelsea's Carling Cup triumph in 2005 was a breakthrough for Jose Mourinho, Grant's predecessor, and several members of the squad. The 3-2 victory over Liverpool in the final brought them their first trophy and players, including John Terry, the captain, and Joe Cole, have said that it increased their belief and set them fair for their subsequent honours. Grant has the opportunity to fire his tenure similarly, having only succeeded Mourinho last September, but he played down the parallels.
"If you can promise me that if we take the Carling Cup, we will take the Champions League, I will be happy but you cannot," he said. "I was happy when I won my first trophy [at Petah Tikva] but I cannot say it changed something."
Grant confirmed that Frank Lampard had sustained a further tear to his thigh and would be out "between days to two weeks" while he hoped that Terry, who is recovering from three broken bones in his foot, could be available in "two to three weeks, more or less". Shaun-Wright Phillips' ankle injury is not serious, although he will not feature tonight, but Grant remained in the dark over Andriy Shevchenko's back problem that has seen him on the sidelines since Boxing Day.
"I don't think it is too serious but I am not a doctor. Even Sheva doesn't know," he said. "My mother wanted me to be a doctor. I was sorry to disappoint her."
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