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MIDDLESBROUGH, England (AFP) - Chelsea's 2-0 win at Middlesbrough may have been very much in the mould of the Jose Mourinho-era, but it appears supporters of the Stamford Bridge club can look forward to winning with style in the future.
For two seasons Chelsea have faced accusations that their football does little to reflect the so-called beautiful game, but Avram Grant has assured Blues fans that negativity is a thing of the past.
Pointing to the appointment of Dutch tactician Henk Ten Cate as the catalyst for style over substance, Chelsea's Israeli manager said: "Today football is about entertainment.
"We need to win games but to do it by playing positive football. I do feel an obligation to entertain.
"That's the right way to play modern football. You need to win games but the way to win is important. I want to play better football but for now we're on the right track to win games."
It was Didier Drogba who demonstrated his true worth to Chelsea after a typically assured finish laid the foundations for a comfortable victory at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.
The striker's eighth-minute goal settled early nerves and Brazilian defender Alex, standing in for the injured England international John Terry, set the seal on an invaluable win with a wonderfully executed free kick 12 minutes into the second half.
After 24 hours spent desperately backtracking, Chelsea's outspoken forward Drogba reverted to type against Middlesbrough as the lone forward charged with playing on the shoulder of the opposition defence.
The Ivory Coast international may regret telling the magazine, France Football, that he wished to leave Stamford Bridge in the wake of Jose Mourinho's departure but until January, at the earliest, he has no other option but to give his best for the Blues and their increasingly sceptical supporters.
"I think players need to speak on the pitch," added Grant. "Didier is doing that very well. All I care about is how my players behave on and off the pitch.
"Didier is a very positive guy in every respect. He's not negative. I don't see one player who's not 100 percent committed. I judge players on what they say to me and what they do in a game.
"With Didier whether it's in training, in my room, on the pitch - I just don't see a problem. For me it's a great honour for any player to belong to a club like Chelsea.
"If a player has problems then the only way for him to deal with them is to come and knock on my door and we'll find a solution."
Drogba required just eight minutes to soften the blow of his ill-judged words as he raced clear of Middlesbrough's lethargic back line and conjured up the type of cool finish which has turned heads across the continent.
The athletic African had talked about plying his trade in La Liga or Serie A and his third goal of the season, following fine work from the Frenchman Florent Malouda and the Chelsea captain Frank Lampard, was a strike worthy of any of Europe's leading leagues.
Alex's superb free kick 12 minutes after the restart was far superior and the Brazilian's touch of genious was a rare moment of brilliance on an afternoon where the mundane outweighed the memorable.
For Gareth Southgate, the Middlesbrough manager, an unforgiving trip to the Old Trafford home of Manchester United follows hot on the heels of this listless defeat.
"We need a spark," he admitted, after watching his team test Petr Cech just twice in 90 minutes. "It's the fourth game in a row where we've conceded a goal in the first 10 minutes and we always seem to leave ourselves a mountain to climb.
"Confidence is a bit short and we need some belief. It's for us to give the fans something to shout about. They're desperate for something to hold onto.
"There's been a lot of change here already and there will be more change in the future. I had hoped to get everything done in the close-season but there's still some way to go."