BLUES MUST BUY BERBA
Chelsea host Tottenham tomorrow and as well as going for three points, Avram Grant should do their best to steal Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov - that’s the view of Blues legend Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris.
The former Chelsea captain, who made over 655 appearances for the club between 1961 and 1980, believes that - especially with the selection crisis at Stamford Bridge - without bringing a top-class forward to the club as soon as possible, Grant will win nothing.
The Israeli is missing top striker Didier Drogba and Michael Essien, Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel who have all flown to Ghana to play in the African Nations Cup. Goalkeeper Petr Cech, centre-back and captain John Terry, influential goalscoring midfielder and Frank Lampard Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko are also unavailable out through injury.
But 63-year-old Harris thinks that a forward is a priority, and with Bolton’s Nicholas Anelka’s move to Stamford Bridge looking increasingly unlikely, Chelsea should do all they can to buy Bulgarian Berbatov.
He said: “I think you can get away with buying average defenders, but forwards are worth their weight in gold.
“From what I have seen of Berbatov, he is fantastic and is the in-form striker in the Premier League at the moment. What Chelsea need is someone like him to score 20 goals alongside Didier to win the league title.”
He insists that Drogba is the best in the Premier League, and that the Ivorian would be foolish to leave - as the forward has hinted this week.
He added: “Drogba will be a big loss over the African Nations. He is one of the few strikers that a lot of the Premier League defenders would turn round and say: ‘He is very difficult to play against because he hustles and bustles’.
“I would be surprised if he leaves Chelsea, because it is one of the biggest clubs in Europe. If he did go to AC Milan, as is being speculated in the papers, look at where they are in the league – they are only mid table in Serie A.
“He would be going from one of the best sides in Europe who are playing in the best league in the world to a side who are not doing particularly well.”
Chelsea host Tottenham tomorrow and as well as going for three points, Avram Grant should do their best to steal Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov - that’s the view of Blues legend Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris.
The former Chelsea captain, who made over 655 appearances for the club between 1961 and 1980, believes that - especially with the selection crisis at Stamford Bridge - without bringing a top-class forward to the club as soon as possible, Grant will win nothing.
The Israeli is missing top striker Didier Drogba and Michael Essien, Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel who have all flown to Ghana to play in the African Nations Cup. Goalkeeper Petr Cech, centre-back and captain John Terry, influential goalscoring midfielder and Frank Lampard Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko are also unavailable out through injury.
But 63-year-old Harris thinks that a forward is a priority, and with Bolton’s Nicholas Anelka’s move to Stamford Bridge looking increasingly unlikely, Chelsea should do all they can to buy Bulgarian Berbatov.
He said: “I think you can get away with buying average defenders, but forwards are worth their weight in gold.
“From what I have seen of Berbatov, he is fantastic and is the in-form striker in the Premier League at the moment. What Chelsea need is someone like him to score 20 goals alongside Didier to win the league title.”
He insists that Drogba is the best in the Premier League, and that the Ivorian would be foolish to leave - as the forward has hinted this week.
He added: “Drogba will be a big loss over the African Nations. He is one of the few strikers that a lot of the Premier League defenders would turn round and say: ‘He is very difficult to play against because he hustles and bustles’.
“I would be surprised if he leaves Chelsea, because it is one of the biggest clubs in Europe. If he did go to AC Milan, as is being speculated in the papers, look at where they are in the league – they are only mid table in Serie A.
“He would be going from one of the best sides in Europe who are playing in the best league in the world to a side who are not doing particularly well.”
Labels: Avram Grant, Chelsea, Dimitar Berbatov, Tottenham
