Football betting: Chelsea departures?

Whoever said money can buy you everything but love may have been talking about the current situation at Carling Cup losers Chelsea. It seems that defeat in last Sunday's showpiece final has not only turned the heat up on current coach Avram Grant but has also led to further speculation that star players are seeking a way out of Stamford Bridge. Click here for a free £50 cash match bet on football with VCbet Ahead of the final - which they lost 2-1 in extra-time to a revitalised Tottenham side, all the talk was of both captain John Terry and midfielder Frank Lamprad not making the starting line-up due to a training ground bust up and a lack of form respectively. Despite reports that the captain had a falling out with coach Henk Ten Cate he is 1/3 to still be at Stamford Bridge next season. Lampard however looks likely to be playing his football elsewhere next season and is even-money to leave. Michael Ballack, who got precious little game time when coming on as a substitute on Sunday, is also available at Evens to leave before next season. The most heat appears to be on the manager and with Roman Abramovich in charge, it is obvious he will not put up with the staid and predictable football that Grant's side offered up against Tottenham. Since the Carling Cup final defeat Grant is into 10/1 from 40/1 to be the next casualty of the Premier League sack race and is odds-on not to be in charge of Chelsea next season. VCbet have already opened a market on who will eventually succeed Grant at Stamford Bridge and they have installed a close ally of Abramovich's as the early favourite in Guus Hiddink - who is 11/4 with the firm. "Hiddink has to be favourite, especially with his links to Abramovich, but there are some interesting candidates around at the moment," said VC spokesman Neal Wilkins. "The old guard of Lippi, Scolari, Advocaat, Ranieri and others will always be in the frame, but there are younger coaches with Chelsea connections like Zola, Hughes and Deschamps who might be in the running." However, the firm cannot see a return to west London for Jose Mourinho and they go 28/1 about the Special One retuning to the Bridge. "He's more likely to take over at Barcelona, and then that would release Frank Rijkaard to take the reins at Stamford Bridge." added Wilkins. VCbet: Who will succeed Avram Grant as the next Chelsea manager? 11/4 Guus Hiddink, 9/2 Frank Rijkaard, 13/2 Marcelo Lippi, 10/1 Luis Scolari, Mark Hughes, 14/1 Dick Advocaat, Gianfranco Zola, 16/1 bar. Click here for a free £50 cash match bet on football with VCbet