PR own goal?

The Kremlinologists at Chelsea FC have got their work cut out after manager Avram Grant hired his own PR man to improve his personal standing in the media following a string of negative stories. His decision to engage former News of the World editor Phil Hall to boost his profile bore fruit on Saturday with positive interviews in the Times and elsewhere following an intimate dinner at Les Ambassadeurs. That won't have gone down well with Simon Greenberg, the former Evening Standard sports editor turned Chelsea director of communications, who had been advising Grant against a divide and rule strategy. Unfortunately for Avram, the plan is unlikely to go down well with rival newspaper hacks either - particularly if his team keep serving up matches like yesterday's lucky 1-0 win over Middlesbrough.