You can’t imagine that Andriy Shevchenko shed too many tears when Jose Mourinho departed Stamford Bridge, but if the last two matches are any indication, new manager Avram Grant rates the Ukrainian striker even lower than Mourinho. Sheva didn’t feature at all in the Champions League match against Valencia in midweek and was fourth-choice striker at Bolton on Sunday. Even after goal scorer Salomon Kalou strained his hamstring, Grant chose Claudio Pizarro as his halftime replacement in favor of Shevchenko, who reacted explosively at his lack of playing time. To make matters worse, first-choice striker Didier Drogba had been suspended for the match.
“I have to be in charge and make the decisions,” Grant said, when asked about Shevchenko’s lack of playing time. “When I got this job, nobody said I had to pick the friends of Peter Kenyon or anyone else at the club. Every player has good times and bad times, and I’m sure Sheva will be a great player for us. But I need to make decisions for the good of Chelsea.” Grant might also have pointed to his results since benching the Ukrainian striker. Chelsea won its last two games with Sheva on the bench; with him in the starting lineup, the Blues failed to score, losing one and drawing the other.
Separately, Ajax on Monday released manager Henk Ten Cate, paving the way for the Dutch tactician’s move to Chelsea to become Grant’s No. 2.