EPL: Is Chelsea FC Really Behind Avram Grant?

When Avram Grant crawled out of his dugout on that glorious Saturday afternoon that put Chelsea level on points with Manchester United, you could have sworn from a distance, he looked more like a bear than an actual human being.

Perhaps for once, the adrenaline had gotten the best of the Israeli manager who finally managed to answer the questions fired by critics on a week-to-week basis about whether he was capable of doing the job as the Chelsea manager.

Whatever the case was, Grant was letting out his emotions in front of the sea of blue at Stamford Bridge—and it showed.

His eyes were bulging out; his arms were outstretched as ever; and his roar of approval after Michael Ballack's penalty was frightening, to say the least.

And ever since that moment, the ball has been rolling in Chelsea's court, after taking a backseat to Manchester United's run at the top of the Premier League table.

Chelsea is now currently level with United with 81 points and two matches remaining in the schedule. Chelsea faces Newcastle United and Bolton; Manchester United takes on West Ham and Wigan Athletic. 

Of course, this sudden change of scenery for Chelsea Football Club has come along with their recent successes in the top flight and, as well, as the Champions League. 

After a sound 4-3 aggregate victory over Liverpool in the semi final legs of the Champions League, the limelight of uncertainty amongst Premier League managers has shifted towards the likes of Sven Goran Eriksson at Manchester City.

It was a result that would have shocked even the most biased Chelsea supporters at the beginning of the year. Avram Grant had done what Chelsea's beloved Portuguese predecessor had never done before: get to the Champions League final. 

Grant was claiming that he did it his way. He even went as far to joke that he was now the new "Special One."

Needless to say, it was a far cry from the monosyllabic press conference given at Goodison Park a little over two weeks ago.

Because, after all, his club had answered the call and at the most opportune time.

The players, themselves, deserve all lot of credit for the resiliency demonstrated on the pitch, in particular, Essien and Carvalho.

Michael Essien has done a fantastic job filling in wherever Grant has asked him to play; whether it be at right-back or in central midfield.

Ricardo Carvalho, the former Porto man, has been the club's unsung hero with his consistent performances while Chelsea was still recovering from the absences of John Terry and Petr Cech.

The Chelsea players even went as far as carrying out a shirt to honor Frank Lampard's mother, who tragically passed away, following Ballack's first goal that initially put his club out in front of the visitors. Led by club captain John Terry, Chelsea players huddled together to show the public of the unity that existed at the club.

Prior to Ballack's season-changing penalty, Chelsea's bid for the league title was hanging by a thread on that Sunday afternoon in London. Players were getting into heated scrums and the intensity was everything you would have expected in such a massive game.

One of the most notable scrums, in the match itself, was the incident between Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba, perhaps a scene that symbolized the internal damage that may still exist within Chelsea, even as they prepare to challenge for the domestic and continental titles.

From an outsider prospective, it was a type of conflict that you would have expected out of ten-year-old boys arguing over a favorite toy or a piece of candy. Nobody wants to back down—and in the end, nobody really ends up winning.

It was a situation between two players who put their own personal glory ahead of a club desperately trying to get a result. Ballack and Drogba were both standing over a free kick with neither of them willing to budge. Both of them wanted to be the man that sent Chelsea supporters into celebration.

The clash of egos was the last thing Chelsea could have afforded at a time like that, but with so much at stake, Ballack was finally forced away by fellow teammates as he allowed Drogba to proceed with his free kick.

Even after Drogba had already taken the kick, he continued to lash out at Ballack and Steve Clarke, in what looked to be a disgraceful situation. Teammates continued to plead in their efforts to calm their cultured hitman down as their manager watched continued to watch the fallout in silence.

After a situation like the one in the Chelsea-Manchester United match, it begs the question: if Chelsea were to stumble or falter in their quests for the double, would the unity still be intact at Stamford Bridge?

At times, it seems as if some of the players don't respect Grant's decisions: whether they be tactical or even with the words being exchanged throughout the matches.

And if Grant is to restore order during this crucial two-week stretch to the end of the season, he'll have to address these issues that could be plaguing the unity.

Personal clashes and egos, like the Ballack-Drogba controversy, will need to be avoided if Chelsea are to pull together and win the trophies they desire. There should be nothing more important than the club's overall success and anything less than that just simply can't be tolerated.

Because after all, with so many rumors of personality clashes behind closed doors and potential moves to other clubs across Europe, nothing can be really certain at a club that has been in turmoil and controversy for parts of the season.

Didier Drogba hasn't made it much of a secret that he intends to move on at season's end to either AC or Inter Milan.

Frank Lampard has been at the center of discussion towards a move to Italy after failing to sign a new contract with the club. Michael Essien, Ricardo Carvalho, and Shaun Wright-Phillips have all had media speculation surrounding their futures with Chelsea.

With recent success at Chelsea, Avram Grant might just be experiencing his honeymoon period with the club after driving his club back into strong recent run of form.

But that could all go away within a blink of an eye.

It only takes a slip-up or two, in times like these.