All change for Avram Grant as Chelsea try to get final loss out of their system. Preview Chelsea vs West Ham

All change for Avram Grant as Chelsea try to get final loss out of their system
Preview Chelsea vs West Ham
29.02.08

In what may be viewed as a tacit admission that he made mistakes in his tactics and team selection for the Carling Cup final defeat by Tottenham Hotspur, Avram Grant is likely to make several changes for tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League match against West Ham United.

The Chelsea first-team coach has experimented with several systems in training this week and is considering switching to a 4-1-3-2 formation, which would enable Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka to play alongside each other as a true strike partnership for the first time.

Grant will not name his side until after the squad’s final training session today, but there are certain to be changes from the side who were beaten at Wembley last weekend. Michael Ballack is likely to be first beneficiary.

Top of the pots

Four of the top ten earners in the world game play for Chelsea, according to France Football magazine’s annual estimates of player salaries. Kaká, of AC Milan, and Ronaldinho, of Barcelona — both Brazilians — head the list, followed by Frank Lampard and John Terry, of Chelsea, who are the highest-earning Englishmen. In addition to Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko, the other Chelsea representatives, three more Barclays Premier League players are in the top ten — Fernando Torres, Cristiano Ronaldo and Steven Gerrard. Ronaldo’s will improve once he has renegotiated his contract.

Top ten earners
Kaká (AC Milan) £6.6m

Ronaldinho (Barcelona) £6.31

F Lampard (Chelsea) £6.04

J Terry (Chelsea) £6.04

F Torres (Liverpool) £5.86

A Shevchenko (Chelsea) £5.77

M Ballack (Chelsea) £5.77

C Ronaldo (Man Utd) £5.69

T Henry (Barcelona) £5.69

S Gerrard (Liverpool) £5.69

Source:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/chelsea/article3455942.ece