Nevin tips Rijkaard for Chelsea

Rijkaard's Barcelona face Manchester United in the Champions League

Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin believes Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard will be the new Blues boss next season.

Present manager Avram Grant has come under increasing pressure following Monday's 1-1 draw with Wigan.

Nevin told BBC Sport: "I'm speaking as someone who just wants the best for the club. I don't have the ear of chairman Bruce Buck or owner Roman Abramovich.

"But I would not be devastated or all that surprised if Frank Rijkaard turns up as the Chelsea manager next year."

Rijkaard is himself under pressure at Barcelona, despite leading the club to the Champions League semi-finals this season - where they are joined by Chelsea.

Avram Grant has only lost three games all season in the league and could still win the Champions League. Can you sack a manager who has just won the Champions League? Pat Nevin

Nevin believes that former Stamford Bridge striker Gianfranco Zola would be another leading contender - if Grant leaves at the end of the season.

And the Scot has a suspicion that long-serving assistant manager Steve Clarke is likely to leave Stamford Bridge if Grant remains at the London club.

"Zola is still great friends with Stevie Clarke and I would hope that Stevie would still be down there," said Nevin on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound.

"If Avram Grant stays, I don't think that will be the case. If Avram Grant goes, you never know."

Nevin revealed that he had been swamped with angry emails from Chelsea fans following Wigan's late equaliser at Stamford Bridge.

"I write for the Chelsea website every Tuesday and usually ask a little question at the end," he added.

"Usually, I get a couple of hundred emails per week.

606: DEBATE So why is it that a lot of people don't give Avram Grant credit for what he has achieved? ExpatAndy

"But, oh dear, my emails went into meltdown because the only way you can contact the club is through my email address.

"I've got over 1000 emails sitting there and they are not answers to the question."

Nevin said that many fans were furious and had given up on Grant.

"Most seem to think he has a problem and that is the important games, yet those games have come against lesser clubs," stated Nevin.

"They lost a cup final to Spurs when Chelsea basically did not turn up and they lost to Barnsley when the FA Cup was wide open for them.

"Then, of course, they lost a late equaliser to a Wigan side that were waiting to get hammered.

"He had left out Drogba and left out Ricardo Carvalho, which was an amazing decision.

"And, most important of all, he left out Joe Cole for the first half and played Florent Malouda, who was absolutely hopeless."

Nevin pointed out that there had been positives to Grant's reign.

"He has only lost three games all season in the league and could still win the Champions League," he added.

"And can you sack a manager who has just won the Champions League?"