BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Chelsea | Kenyon backs Grant for long haul

Many observers felt Grant's appointment was a short-term fix

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has voiced his "absolute confidence" in manager Avram Grant and backed him to stay at the helm beyond this season.

"Everybody's talking doom and gloom but here we are," said Kenyon at Friday's Champions League quarter-final draw.

"We've got a very strong squad and absolute confidence in the team and the coaching staff. I'm sure under Avram's management we'll continue to progress."

Speculation has surrounded Grant since Chelsea lost the Carling Cup final.

The Blues lost 2-1 at the hands of Tottenham but Chelsea have a favourable draw for the last eight of the Champions League, paired with Turkish side Fenerbache, and sit only five points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.

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And, despite the 2-1 defeat by Spurs at Wembley and the humiliating FA Cup quarter-final exit to Barnsley, Kenyon is keen to point out that the Chelsea board are sticking to their long-term view of Grant's appointment.

"We appointed Avram in September on a four-year contract, it was never pre-conditional on this season," he insisted.

"Anybody who knows football knows you cannot guarantee winning.

"We have a great run-in towards the end of the season [to look forward to]. We are in a good place."

Chelsea travel to the Stadium of Light on Saturday on the back of a 6-1 thumping of Derby and Sunderland manager Roy Keane believes Grant's position should not be questioned at such a crucial stage of the season.

"The time to try to judge some of these managers is at the end of the season, especially the managers of the big four because if you're not winning trophies it goes hand in hand that you're going to be put under pressure," he stated.

"But I think its unfair to be jumping on a manager's case at this stage of the season.

"You've got to try to gauge and see how they go till the end of the season.

"But at a club like Chelsea - with the players they've got - then the expectations are very high - and rightly so."

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