What a night! What a performance from the Blues! This would be one of my most memorable matches as a Chelsea fan. Didn’t you love that celebration from Drogba? Didn’t you love his crazy dance with Steve Clarke? How about that penalty from that English footballer who won’t make it to the Euro?
I’ve never been this nervous before a match in many months. Probably I won’t be so nervous even for the finals of the champions league (if we reach). The fact that we have that away goal and that we have the upper hand in fact makes me restless instead of comforting me.
I did not think Chelsea would be in with a chance for the title with just two matches to go. I thought Man Utd would win it in April. I never thought Avram Grant would manage to pull Chelsea this far. I never thought Grant himself would survive this far. Whether it is because of the players or the squad or bucket loads of good fortune or Grant’s genius or whatever, the team managed by Avram Grant is on level points with the leader with two matches to go.
That’s not an achievement given the squad strength but certainly Grant has exceeded expectations. How much of a role he played in managing the team or how much of his role had to be played by Steve Clarke, Ten Cate or even John Terry, I don’t know. Where would he be without his famed luck? I don’t know. Where would he be without the grudging support by the top class professionals we have, who want good things for the club? I don’t know. Anyway, unless, it is proved otherwise later on, I’m willing to give Grant the benefit of doubt.
My humble opinion is that, still he has a long way to go, I mean many many miles, before he could be compared to TSO in footballing terms. I would even say that this could be his best season in his entire footballing career, even including the seasons to come. Despite the fact that Chelsea is sitting pretty on top of the table, sending shivers in the Man Utd spine, I’m not convinced that he is the right man for the job. I still believe he got the job not because of what he knew but because of who he knew (thanks Telegraph). How many of us would keep him in the job until his contract runs out? As far I’m concerned I cannot even think of giving him another season. I haven’t seen one reason why he would help Chelsea in achieving their ambition of global domination.
Let me also make it clear that I’m not buying his story of Chelsea playing better football under him. No way. I know how well we played when we won the titles. We’re no way near that class. He can lie to the Press but not to us Chelsea fans. No twisted facts or claims please. Chelsea are on joint top and I’m happy about that. There is no other value addition from Avram Grant. He has not brought as anything new. In fact, he has been helped by what he inherited which is quite normal for any new manager. Same with Ramos. But Spurs under Jol and Spurs under Ramos are different. They are lot more meaner and hungrier. In that way, I do not see anything new in this Chelsea team. Instead of Grant, if Ramos were to manage this group of Chelsea players, where would we be? Just a food for thought. Also if Grant is to set up a team of his own, how well would he be able to motivate them to success? With the existing players, he was relieved of this part because they already had the desire, hunger, spirit and determination, they were a team of champions already.
More often than not, I’ve seen Grant getting things wrong, making incorrect decisions, looking clueless and uninspiring and being unable to turn around a match. Whether he is doing things correctly or not, we are joint top in the table. This is a results business. I respect him for keeping us on top of the table with two games to go. The problem with the ‘results business’ logic is that we might be making compromises on our future because our results are all right.
Anyway, even if we don’t win this title, I can’t take this away from him. Winning or not winning the title is not going to change my giving credit to him for putting Chelsea on par with Man Utd in the last few metres of the final lap. Well done Avram, but please make way for someone else at summer!
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