Cut-price Chelsea hit the right notes - Malouda and Drogba in harmony

Results like this as well as a reduction in the cost of tickets will ease the sense of loss that has been felt since the sudden departure of Jose Mourinho after that fateful night here against Rosenborg.

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It's there: Malouda puts Chelsea 1-0 up against Schalke

That night was memorable not only for the empty seats but the end of Mourinho's tenure, even if nobody quite realised it was the end until the following night.

The healing process continued last night, Grant guiding Chelsea to a fourth consecutive victory with goals at the start of each half.

If the football was not as entertaining and expansive as Grant promises to deliver now that he has Henk Ten Cate at his side, it was a far more accomplished display than Chelsea produced against a Rosenborg side significantly inferior to this Schalke team.

Good fortune might have enabled Florent Malouda to seize the lead for Chelsea in the fourth minute but good football brought a second for Didier Drogba after the break.

While Drogba has expressed a desire to follow Mourinho out of Chelsea at the end of the season, he appears determined to make the most of what appears to remain of his Stamford Bridge career. His goal against Middlesbrough last weekend was wonderfully clinical in its execution and this one provided a demonstration of his movement as well as menace.

He started the move when he passed to the feet of Frank Lampard and finished it when he then met a super cross from Paulo Ferreira with a quite brilliant header.

The Germans had every right to feel aggrieved when a television replay suggested they had scored a perfectly good equaliser in the first half, and they very nearly struck again when Soren Larsen sent a header against a post.

But they were beaten by the better team, as a watching Franz Beckenbauer no doubt agreed when he was not walking among Chelsea fans signing autographs.

It's there: Drogba nets the killer second goal for Chelsea

Grant might have said Ten Cate was the deputy in those inaugural programme notes, and he undoubtedly is, but their appearance in the dug-out suggested otherwise. Ten Cate was dressed in a smart, managerial blue suit and Grant in a garish standard issue coat that matched the track suits of the coaching staff.

Even if it confused Chelsea's players, they still made the perfect start. A goal albeit thanks to the kind of keeping error that haunts followers of England.

If Malouda did well to shake off the rather half-hearted challenge of Rafinha before unleashing a reasonably well-struck shot, Manuel Neuer still should have had little difficulty gathering the ball in his arms.

As it was, Malouda's effort slipped through his hands, as well as his legs, and the Schalke goalkeeper was left wishing a huge hole could just swallow him up.

Not least because he was guilty of the error that enabled Hansa Rostock to secure a draw last weekend.

It enabled a Chelsea side missing the injured John Terry and Ashley Cole to settle into this encounter and quickly seize control. They were in command of the midfield. Far more threatening in attack.

Schalke began to lose patience, Jermaine Jones receiving a yellow card for the second of two reckless challenges that could easily have earned him two yellows and a red. Clearly, they did not appreciate the chorus of 'oles' from a Chelsea crowd just delighted to be getting value for their money.

Keen to increase their advantage, Chelsea went in determined search of a second goal and very nearly got it when Michael Essien met a Malouda corner with a header that almost skimmed the crossbar.

As Carlos Grossmuller then demonstrated, however, it is foolish to underestimate a side that currently sit second in the Bundesliga.

The assistant referee had already raised his flag when Grossmuller guided a half-volley past Petr Cech and into the Chelsea goal, but television evidence suggested he was not offside. A good decision for Chelsea but, on that evidence, a gross injustice.

Chelsea responded immediately, and very nearly added the second goal their superior industry and invention deserved.

On this occasion, however, Neuer did well, making a fine save to stop a glancing Essien header that appeared destined for the back of the net.

The Swedish assistant referees continued to baffle observers with their decisions. Didier Drogba sent Joe Cole clear with a wonderful flick of the heel but again the flag went up and again television evidence suggested he was not off-side.

Maybe it is something about being a Swedish official in a Chelsea match. It marked the end of Anders Frisk's career as a referee, anyway.

Cole tested Neuer again with a stinging shot shortly before the interval but there was little the German goalkeeper could do to deny Drogba in the 47th minute.

The Chelsea striker is on fire again this season, comfortably among the best in Europe at this moment.

Occasional drops in tempo invited Schalke to attack and when Rafinha sent in a teasing cross, Larsen went close to scoring. His header hit the post and, much to Grant's relief, bounced straight into the arms of Cech.