Gary Megson insists Avram Grant has done a "brilliant" job at Chelsea but says his real inspiration comes from Stoke boss Tony Pulis.Megson will cross swords with Grant at Stamford Bridge in what promises to be a tumultuous final day of the Premier League season.

The pair have more in common than meets the eye.

Both men have met with their fair share of detractors and suffered image problems since taking up their respective positions last autumn.

And, despite failing to receive the credit they arguably deserve, both are tantalisingly close to achieving their respective aims - namely top-flight survival and winning the Premier League.

Megson feels such success is a welcome victory for the less celebrated managers who do not command the profile of their contemporaries.

Megson said of Jose Mourinho's Stamford Bridge successor: "The expectation level at Chelsea is entirely different to most football clubs.

"But the fact that Avram got the job - and wasn't one of the big names or so-called glossy managers - seemed to be not the right thing to do.

"And yet he has done brilliantly.

"My mate Tony Pulis at Stoke has got this saying about glossy managers and non-glossy managers.

"I think Tony is a proper manager - and that's no disrespect to everybody else - because he has made profits on transfer deals and got Stoke promoted to the Premier League.

"He thinks I'm non-glossy and he says himself that he's non-glossy.

"But he seems to be shining a little bit at the moment because I can't get him off the telly!

"But I'm delighted for Tony and it's similar with Avram Grant.

"When he got the job no-one thought much about him - but he has done brilliantly."

That Grant has kept Chelsea in title contention until the final day of the season has silenced his army of critics - for the time being at least.

He has also succeeded where Mourinho failed by guiding the Blues to their first-ever Champions League final to put them on the brink of a momentous achievement.

However, Megson and his players have the chance to wreck Chelsea's title hopes and the Bolton boss rubbished Kevin Keegan's claim that the Premier League is boring.

"I was surprised at Kevin's comments," said Megson.

"I know his sentiments and have got a lot of time for Kevin Keegan - but it's not boring at all.

"We're coming down to the last 90 minutes and we don't know who has won it."

Megson also refused to accept that Sir Alex Ferguson's men are overwhelming favourites to retain the title.

"They are playing at Wigan - it's a local derby and on a pitch that won't suit them," said Megson.

"But I think United will get a result because of the quality they've got.

"However, it will be difficult for United and they know that."

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