Avram Grant is not Jose Mourinho. He’s not a popular figure or people’s favourite. Is that because he is already 52 and has not quite rocked the football world by now with his ‘achievements’? Or is it because he is not a media darling? Or is it because he does not have the Hollywood looks? Or is it because people believe he’s got a big job through his influences or friendship or whatever sinister reasons? Whatever it is, now he has a chance to change his image with Chelsea as our ‘permanent’ coach. There are five ways or methods or ideas for Avram, if he wants himself to be adored or admired or loved or at least supported by the Chelsea fans and supporters.

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1. Prove that he is no Abramuppet:

Because most of us think he is just a tool for Roman to fulfill his dream of managing a club, of course his own club. Who would not want to manage their favourite club? I’d love to manage Chelsea, however stupid it may sound. If I’m a football freak, powerful and influential guy and also the owner of the club, I’d appoint some piece of rubber as the coach and do my stuff.

The fact that Avram does not have the kind of experience to manage a club like Chelsea shows that he has something special that has got him the job. I won’t even talk about his lack of coaching license. What is that thing, that Roman has seen in him that no one else is able to evidence or vouch? All these days the Press were talking about Hiddink, Klinsmann, Rijkaard, Lippi, Marco van Basten, Capello etc and in comes Avram Grant from the Israeli league! You can’t blame the public to suspect the motives behind his appointment.

That’s why Avram starts with a disadvantage. I don’t see big players of other clubs getting excited to work under Avram Grant. I don’t think players like Eto’o, Dani Alves etc who were chased by JM would now be interested in joining us. Steve Clarke is already leaving sooner or later. Our own Zola has reportedly rejected an offer to work as an assistant coach under Avram. Basically, players, staff and fans do not actually believe Avram is a coach from the top draw and even worse, that Roman has his remote control.

Jurgen Klinsmann has made it clear that Chelsea is not the club he’s waiting for. And the reasons given by him are very obvious:

It is very simple. You want to work with the right people at the right place for the right purpose. It is not hard to turn things down if people don’t share the same perspective, ambition, philosophy. As manager, you will get fired sooner or later so you should be in charge of everyone involved with football: the players, coaches, staff. You are on a lost track already if the president chooses the players or you don’t have that power. If you are not given all the tools, then don’t do it.

These are things which just confirm lots of theories and rumours around. If Avram seems to be a coach on paper, he won’t impress me. If it’s otherwise, he has to prove not just me but also every Chelsea fan, that he is our manager by merit.

At least he had the balls to drop Shevchenko for two matches in a row. Or may be, it’s part of a bigger scheme to make us believe that he is in control. If he plays Sheva, the he is a muppet and if he drops him, he’s trying to make us believe something else. That’s unfortunate interpretation but that’s his own problem. How’s he going to make us believe? I don’t know and I don’t care how he does it but he has to do it in good time. As long as he has not proved this point, he cannot cry about support or the lack of it.

2. Prove that he has the support of the players:

When Jose was around, he made it very clear that the players are on his side and the players too displayed their solidarity with the coach. That makes the fans very comfortable to know that we have a cohesive unit. Now, except one or two players, there is hardly any words spoken about Avram. They all played well against Valencia and that should not be misunderstood that they are playing for their manager. This team has a champion mindset, never-say-die attitude and a killer instinct. Even if there was no coach, they would have played the same way under the guidance of the senior players. But I don’t mean to say they can sustain like this for long.

Guardian reports:

Such is the discontent with Grant’s accession that one senior player considered making himself unavailable for selection for last week’s Champions League game at Valencia to facilitate a January transfer to another major European club. Though that individual played in the end, the sombre reaction of several of his team-mates to Wednesday’s impressive 2-1 victory over the Spaniards was another indicator of their present unease.

Florent Malouda did not celebrate laying on Joe Cole’s first-half equaliser, and Didier Drogba swiftly muted his reaction to scoring Chelsea’s late winner. Post-match, the African striker attributed the win to the team’s quality and spirit, crediting Mourinho for creating that, while neglecting even to mention Grant by name. Drogba said:

“We did it last year with Jose. You know, people will say we don’t need him, but the quality we have is the same quality we have last year, two years ago, three years ago. The man we all respected is gone and now there is someone else coming, but the players are the same. So I don’t know why the quality will go like this. Everybody knows what Jose did for me. Not only for me, for all the players he brought here and all the players who were there when he arrived. That was a difficult period for us but now the best thing to do is to keep playing like this. If we played bad like we did the last few games I don’t think he would be happy in front of his TV.”

Ashley Cole made it very clear that it’s just the players now and no one else!

“When we are losing or drawing games we are letting ourselves down, no one else. So we know we have to come together and be like how it was before when we won trophies.”

Surprisingly, no one except Terry and Joe Cole, said that they are behind Grant and they are looking to achieve under his leadership. So, Avram should somehow prove to us that he has the support of the players, not by the professional obligations, but by otherwise as well.

3. Be more stylish and savvy:

I’m not comparing him with JM as I know that they are from different planets altogether. But Chelsea’s manager should have more style for a club that’s become a top brand, who are challenging the legendary clubs and vow to become a football superpower within a decade. We are a very modern and stylish club where the owner himself is young and smart fella. The manager of such a club should be a very powerful, charismatic and don’t-mess-with-me types, in short, Jose Mourinho.

Anyway, it is clear that Avram is a different personality. While he cannot fake it, he should learn and practice those things that’ll make him better. JM had a south-european English accent and that turned out to be his strength while delivering those sucker punches. I loved his accent. Avram has a different accent which makes us feel that he is struggling with his English. If not possible, at least try avoiding statements like ‘this is my best champions league win with Chelsea’ which he said after the Mestalla match. When he was asked if he has the support of the players, he says “I don’t know”. May be he was honest but honesty is never the best policy, with the journos!

Tom Dart in TimesOnline says:

“Clean sheet, three points, that’s what’s important,” Avram Grant said. Winning with style? Sorry, call back later.

So here, who created this kind of expectation in Tom Dart? Surely not Roman. He hardly opened his mouth about Chelsea’s playing style. He should realise that every word uttered by him is scrutinised and can find the headlines the next day. If he is promising that he would change Chelsea’s playing style, that’s fine but saying that we won the ‘right way’ after the Valencia game was nothing short of a suicide.

Believe me, I think he has a likable face and figure. May be, I can take the credit for being the first person (not even sure about his wife) ever to say this. If he has that sharp wit with an improved accent, it will go very well with his big figure. He needs someone (may be a professional) to really work on his personality, public conduct and appearance.

4. Stop taking digs at Jose:

Making sly remarks on the previous manager is a perfect recipe for a disaster for Avram’s popularity. He should quit talking about the ‘right way’ and all that. He’s not calling it ‘a different way’ or ‘an attacking way’. To call his own style as the ‘right way’ of playing and winning football, he’s making a serious insult to a Chelsea legend and to the fans who have thoroughly enjoyed incredible success under him. In my view, the ‘wrong way’ was the one AC Milan and Juventus took and were suitably punished.

He should keep his dry sarcasm aside until he wins 2 league titles or 6 trophies, whichever is convenient for him. Jose had/has a huge Chelsea fan base and the players were crazy about him too. With his subtle ‘my-style-is-better-than-his’ remarks, he is not helping his already poor fan support. It’s like Sheva making fun of Drogba’s contribution to Chelsea, at least Sheva has some pedigree.

Why is he making such remarks, in just his initial weeks? Is he feeling insecure or he wants to justify his appointment or creates a scapegoat for future failures in the name of playing style? Anyway, the more Avram makes such remarks, the more he forces us to draw comparisons of him with Jose Mourinho. This whole point would not have come up if he was doing well with the previous point, which is his communication skills.

On the other hand, whether he likes it or not, he will always be compared to TSO, by the Press or by the fans or even by the rivals. He simply can’t change that. What he can do is to help us come out of the JM era by his performances, grace and dignity.

5. Win matches, as simple as that

Yes. Get the job done. Win matches for Chelsea and that’s what we need more than anything else. What I fear is that Avram might dish out draws and losses and cover it under the ‘playing the right way’ carpet. This is where the Peter Kenyon can help us. He can clarify what is the club’s expectation for the league title. If it’s only becoming champions, then playing the right way and ending up at No.2 will be bad and anything lower would be called poor.

Avram should win matches. If we are talking about ‘playing the game his way’ and not becoming champions, there are loads of such teams that play well but don’t win but there is only one champion, no matter how they play. I have this kind of expectation because when Avram took over, Chelsea was already a world-beater and we should only maintain or improve on it. We know he lacks style but he should prove to us that he has the substance.

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You’d have noticed that I don’t have any expectation from Avram about changing the playing style of Chelsea. I don’t care about that part as long as he does the above things. Even if Avram fails to do any of these five things, I’d still support him as he is the Chelsea coach and he wouldn’t be there for nothing. But it would take a lot to convince the Chelsea faithful to take sides with Avram, more for the manner of the beloved Jose’s exit and his appointment out of nowhere.

Will Avram’s name be sung in the Bridge? Will we have a nickname and slogan for Avram? Will we be downloading the screensavers and wallpapers of Avram? He’s got a long way to go to earn that kind of adulation. Hope he’ll get there before Roman gets bored of him.