Grant Delighted With Win

Avram Grant was thrilled to end a good week for Chelsea with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Bolton.

The Blues came from behind to beat Valencia in the UEFA Champions League in midweek and Salomon Kalou's strike ensured they took all three points at The Reebok Stadium.

It was Chelsea's first league win since August and Grant was pleased with his side's performance.

"It was a very good week for the club after not starting the season so well," Grant told Sky Sports.

"But it was not an easy game. Bolton play direct, they play very physically, and they are not easy to beat.

"We played well and created chances, but we can still play better."

Lampard return

Frank Lampard returned to the Chelsea starting line-up after recovering from a thigh injury, and played for the full 90 minutes.

Grant said: "We are still missing players but we have some coming back also.

"We had Frank back and that was a positive after six weeks of not playing. He is back fit and I'm sure he will get better and better."

Grant's future has been the subject of speculation since he took charge at Stamford Bridge in the wake of Jose Mourinho's departure, but he insists he is totally focused on what he has been appointed to do.

He explained: "I have been chosen to do a job for the future. I have done this all my life, even if it was not here in England.

"I want to do it well and that is what I am concentrating on."

REACTION: WIN IS FIRST STEP OF THE WAY

As he was nearing the end of his reflections on a night of victory in Valencia, Avram Grant joked about it being his best game in the Champions League as Chelsea manager.

In a more serious moment, he announced that the morale-boosting win in his fourth game in charge was the first step on a new pathway for the club that employs him.

'I am happy with the winning but I am more happy with the way of the winning,' he declared before leaving the Mestalla for a flight back to London.

'People tell me it was one of the best games away for Chelsea in Europe. I am very pleased with this result because I think it is the start of a new good way.

'I am not surprised. I told everyone before that I was very happy with the attitude of the players in the last two weeks during a very difficult time. We played well in the last two games in the league but this time we finished with 11 players,' he said.

It was certainly one of Chelsea's best nights away in Spain, following last season's win in the same stadium and a 1998 Cup Winners' Cup success against Real Betis as only our third triumph on Spanish soil.

And with the four games in Group B so far this season failing to throw up a single home win, the Champions League qualification campaign is right back on track with Chelsea now a point ahead of Valencia and Schalke.

For Valencia, the inquest has begun on how the same opposition could have scalped them in their own stadium for a second time in quick succession.

'This game was different from the one in April because in that one, we could not reach the goal during the last half of the game,' explained Quique Sanchez Flores, the defeated coach.

'But there are similarities, especially because one team dominates the first-half and the other team the second-half.'

It was home side that Flores believed had enjoyed the clear upper hand before the break. But he bemoaned their inability to 'neutralise' Chelsea's game in the move for our second goal and their failure to finish the game when in the lead, something that he believed Chelsea had done.

'Maybe we could have won the ball back better off their midfield but Chelsea have managed to neutralise our game, and we could not rely on the physical conditions. Players like Makelele and Essien are not made everyday and we cannot compare ourselves to them.

'Even though we have studied Drogba and know how he is playing, he can be lethal. He plays for others, not only himself so he manages to change the situation on the pitch.'

'Didier is a good striker but I don't think that is news for anyone,' said the winning goal scorer's own coach.

'I don't need to tell anyone what we said between us when we talked recently but I was very happy with his attitude. He is willing to give everything to Chelsea and you saw that today.

'We have been trying hard for the last two weeks,' continued Grant. 'Not just me but my assistant Steve Clarke who has been doing a very good job, and all the other staff including the medical staff.

'It has not been easy for them with all the new injuries but we have tried to make things very calm for the players because we know they know how to play football.

'Then when we see the players in the last game, we know their attitude is good but we wanted to keep that, so we needed also a good result.'

Grant Pleased With Reaction

Chelsea manager Avram Grant has praised the 'positive reaction' of his team in their 4-0 Carling Cup victory over Hull.

The Blues' win came courtesy of strikes from Scott Sinclair, a Damien Delaney own goal, Steve Sidwell and Salomon Kalou and Grant was pleased with the performance.

Grant is delighted with the attitude his squad has shown following the dramatic departure of former manager Jose Mourinho last week.

The new Stamford Bridge boss, who secured his first win in charge of the Blues, has been buoyed by the mindset of his players in the win over Hull and Sunday's 2-0 defeat to Manchester United.
Fantastic

"The positive reaction started on Sunday against Manchester United," Grant told Sky Sports.

"It continued on the pitch today. It was a good open game, sometimes too open.

"There were four fantastic goals, all from combinations. I am happy today.

"It is always difficult to play in the cup against a team like Hull especially away because you have a lot to lose.

"But we prepared ourselves very well and our attitude was good."

REACTION: JOSE SALUTES HIS BRAVES

José Mourinho wasted little time before answering the question on everyone's lips after his team had turned a 1-0 deficit into the second three points of the season. Just what had he said to the players at half-time?
After a flat first 45 minutes that hadn't come remotely near the vibrancy of the new away shirts, a couple of personnel changes were made and the reshaped Chelsea flew out the second-half blocks at Reading. Within five minutes, the winning margin had been established.
The contents of his team talk were the first details Mourinho revealed to the hungry media after the final whistle.
'I asked the players if somebody was feeling a bit weak or feeling a little bit of an injury because I wanted to make two changes and I wanted to finish the game with 11 men,' he began.
'They told me yes, everybody was fine and fit and ready to go. We made the changes, I explained the objective of the changes, I explained the good qualities of the changes and the bad qualities.

'I prepared them for the difficult things and I pushed them to try to use the good things.'
Those alterations included Pizarro added to what effectively became a four-pronged attack although the Peruvian had freedom to roam. Mikel came on for Sidwell and with Ferreira making way for Pizarro, Wright-Phillips moved to full-back.
'The players were brave,' continued Mourinho. 'They were brave to accept some difficult situations because it is not easy for Shaun to play right-back, it is not easy for Glen Johnson to play central defender and it is not easy for Ben-Haim after two months at Chelsea to lead his defence.'It is not easy for Mikel to play alone in the front of midfield and not easy for attacking players to have defensive tasks. The players deserve a lot of credit. When the game was 2-1, I could make the game more defensive with Malouda in the centre of the midfield but I thought with this positive wave, we can score the third.'It was only in the final five minutes and with Reading's never-give-up attitude showing that Mourinho believes Chelsea shut up shop. He himself didn't want credit for what many would call brave leadership.'I know it is a big gamble but if one day it doesn't work, like in my first season it didn't work at Newcastle, and I am criticised, I accept that but I sleep well because I tried.'The worse thing in life is when you don't try. It is a message I want to give to my kids all the time - you have to try. If you fail, you fail but you have to try.

'We knew they'd change it at half-time but not how they'd do it,' Reading boss Steve Coppell reflected. 'Given the quality of their players, you knew any changes would mean more questions being asked.'They played with a little more depth which released Lampard to score the first goal - a bad goal from our point of view. The second, which came a blink of an eye later, was a very good finish. At 2-1 down, all the energy you had at half-time has evaporated very quickly.'
'They were important goals from Lampard and Drogba but the team work was a great performance. Pizarro was a big contribution to the attacking game second-half with his movement, his quality on the ball and the way he passed. Kalou and Malouda through the wings were very dangerous second-half and after that, Lamps is Lamps. When he plays well he is best in the game, when he plays bad, he is the second or the third best.
'In defence Shaun played brilliantly, Glen Johnson very good and everybody gave a contribution. But I am happy that Didier is back in the goals because strikers live on their goals.
'It is very good for me that Drogba and Pizarro have scored already in the Premier League.'