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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Would I give Grant another chance next season?
A resounding yes.
Until the Manchester United game I did not have this opinion about our manager. In fact, I was at utter contempt with him for ruining our title chances. This however, could be no further from the truth. The United game showed me that Chelsea can play if the players want to. Why do we come back from games like Wigan or Everton to play a brilliant match like Manchester United? Because the players truly wanted to. Avram Grant isn’t a motivator and that’s quite clear. It’s also quite clear that this isn’t entirely his team. When the team wins, they’re praised as ‘Jose’s Team’. Only when we lose does Avram Grant’s work come into question.
The facts are simple: since Avram Grant has been manager, we are tied on points in the League table and in a position to go to the club’s first ever European Final. I would argue that Avram Grant deserves a chance to make his own squad and work with it. Joe Cole has voiced his support for Avram Grant primarily because he is now a regular in the squad. Grant gave Joe Cole a chance to shine and he’s been our player of the season. Michael Ballack has come back with a vengeance after being left out of the group stage roster for Champions League by Jose Mourinho(injury or no injury, he wasn’t given consideration or hope to recover).
So I would say to the Chelsea supporters, give Grant a chance to go get a Villa or a Huntelaar or a Van Der Vaart and mold this team how he wants to. The times of Jose Mourinho are gone and we must give our manager time to gain the confidence. The best way to gain the confidence of your players is to buy them yourself. Since Avram Grant took over, starting the Manchester United game at Old Trafford, Chelsea have the best record in the Premier League. I don’t think this is a result of a bad manager. When Chelsea’s players were called into question, they responded for themselves(Valenca at the Mestalla, Manchester City, West Ham, Arsenal, United).
This is a results orientated business. Nobody can argue that Grant’s results have been subpar because they’ve been better than anybody else’s in the league. We should play out the Avram Grant card until he has full control of the team. Some of the men who were most loyal to Mourinho have underperformed and I don’t believe this is coincidence. His strong personality had an effect that might never be reversed. An exodus of players might truly be the case next season and therefore they’ll have to be replaced. Players wold be strongly enticed to join the club if we won either trophy this season. Avram’s team has not been seen quite yet, only fragments that have done great things. One more season for a true evaluation.
Viva La Grant!
Do I want Avram Grant as the manager next season? A resounding NO. NEVER. Does he deserve credit for where we are? Yes, but only some. His most sensible decision is his realisation that this group of players and the way they football need not be changed. He simply followed the foot steps of JM. That was the best decision by AG.
AG only ensured that things don’t fall apart after JM’s exit. Of course, he was helped and supported by Roman, Kenyon, Buck etc. Some more signings of players and even psychologists, public relations experts etc.
Because he happens to be manager when Chelsea is on par with Man Utd, I’d give him some credit. If JM were to be here, he would be leading the table by 6 points atleast. Enough said.
Why did Luka Modric choose Spurs over Chelsea? He said that he admires Ramos and wants to work under him! Adam, do you think any player would think/say so about Grant? Will we get any hot prospect that is less than 25 years of age?
All – ‘my comment is fair comment’. I want to see the fairness in the counter arguments too. Let’s stay sensible.
The opinion poll shows my feelings. Most seem to think that AG can be given some credit but do not want him to be manager next season. Yes, he get some credit for not breaking down to pieces (i thought he did, when he gave that mindless monosyllabic interview). but no way in hell i would want him to continue. we need a proper manager. even bilic is 100 times better.
Adam -> Did you forget about our dull game with Liverpool last week? It was really pathetic. I know we are all in some euphoria after last match but we should be objective and look the whole season through. Grant is extremely lucky to be where he is and our team in my opinion shouldn’t base only on luck. I think that supporters have got really short memory, too short imho.
Cheers mates!
Short memory? It seems that it’s you who is forgetting the pathetic display we put on last season in the semi at Anfield.
The performance last week was miles better than the one last year. That’s not even remotely debatable.
If we pull off the double it will have been the greatest season in our club’s history, in my opinion. I don’t know how you can NOT bring the manager back after that. Why tinker with a winning formula? I don’t care if Clarke or Ten Cate are doing a lot behind the scenes. That’s what assistants are for, is it not? People who are so quick to turn total control over to Clarke should really take a moment to consider the facts. Since Grant’s appointment, we’ve been the best team in England. We’ve advanced through the Champion’s League and have the advantage heading into the second half of the semifinal. For every Drogba that’s played worse under Grant, there’s a Joe Cole who’s played some of the best football of his career under him. What makes you all so sure that Clarke would be able to replicate these results? Sure, we can all say that it’d be trivial with the players in the squad, but it obviously isn’t because not everyone can just walk onto a pitch and be an effective manager.
Again, why fix what isn’t broken? We’ve clearly got a winning combination at the moment, and for people to want to get rid of that just because Grant isn’t as charismatic as they’d like (because that really seems to be the crux of the argument against them) is really stupid.
I wanna watch AG for a whole new season…. for my own secrets reason
Some scattered thoughts :
AG’s gotta lose some weight/lose that paunch if not polish up his diction cos he won’t get to the end of the next season … cos of a heart attack….
Anyways he is just RA’s pawn and will stay as long as the boss don’t wanna sexier version of him.
But then again RA’got AG in there cos :
(1) AG’s uglier than him
(2) less popular than him,AG’s less loved by everyone ‘cept his wife
(3) can’t string together decent sentences in English like him
(4) AG knows just about a bit more abt football than him
(5) AG’s got heaps of luck concerning football but not with chicks
(6) AG’s a YES man, an acquiscent front-man, ready to Kow tow any sec
and sooth the mega-million buck ego
(7) AG’s pay is dirt cheap compared to anyone else at the club
So why get another coach next season ?
I want a proper manager by the start of next season. If it was another new respectable manager took over from JM last September. I would have love to give him another season. It is clear that most of the players are not loyal to AG and they always play better when they want to or get motivated by themselves or someone else apart from AG.
Most matches we lost points this season were due to the bad substitution and clueless tactics deployed by AG. The only credit he deserves is by not tampering so much on JM’s men and style. We are not blind to see that the style of Chelsea is not different to what AG proclaimed to the media. Though the players tend to player most of the match play on the ground but we can count just few many matches we played a different style.
We need a proper manager, a manager, fan and players will all respect and ready to play their hearts for. We need to stop deceiving ourselves that we do not expect to be where we are today on the table and in champions league, we ought to know the depth of the squad and compare to all other teams in Europe. We have one of the best and strong squad and without a coach or John Terry is a player/manager we will surely be among the first four on the league table and go this far in the champions league because all of the players will player with their hearts.
Retaining Avram next season will surely mean exodus of players and replacing them with new players which it will take time for them to adapt to premier league and even play at the level we want at the start of the season. This will surely affect us on pitch and off it. The earlier the better we accept AG has no influence at all in what Chelsea has done so far this season. He is a figurehead manager. We are going to have a disastrous next season if we retain him.
This is just my personal opinion and lets see what the management do at the end of the season if AG-Chelsea wins double.
This blog will become a peaceful arena now BC. Good work
Up Blues
Whether U like it or dont, Grant is the future manager of CFC. Havent you understood RA still? Huh
Eduardo Alcides Come to Chelsea..!! *-)
Okay, The world did not end when JM was sacked. But, with the exception of Anelka, this is still HIS TEAM! I’ve seen the same thing happen in American football with Tampa Bay. Tony Dungy built a fine squad that won play-off apperances only to be fired by an arrogant owner (who by the way owns Manchester United). His replacement takes the team to the championship the following season. After that, the team is nowhere near the same as many top players leave due to dissatisfaction with the coach.
Grant may win something this season. I hope he does. But, bringing him back next season could be terrible. In fact, there are a few of our guys preparing to go elswhere very soon after the season ends. If Roman wants to save money and the team, he should either get a real manager or name Clarke to the post and let him get his credentials straight during the off-season.
Lord, at least let him beat Fathead today!
Would I give Grant another chance next season?
A resounding NO
why?
1. I am not able to enjoy clubs win under him. The position we are in i would have been damn happy had it been with any manager except AG. I want my happiness back. I am just not able to forget when news of his appointment came in 2006-2007 season and jose declined to accept that and AG had to go to pompey another russian owner. Again he came back as director this season. Sat behind jose undermined him and eventually successful in getting the job and resulting in sacking of one of the best managers if not the best manager we had in such a bad manner. thats not the way you treat a champion coach. He is a politician not a football manager. Why didnt we hired ramos at that point is still a question mark. He was available and is a damn good coach and plays attacking football. can anyone answer that why AG was choosen and not ramos? anyone?
2. The way he takes digs at previous manager is not what a good person does. He wants everyone to believe we were piss poor before he came and he is changing things around. His comments of beautiful passing football drive me crazy. Either i am blind that i cant see good things or he is seeing something else.
3. Coming to football now. I have seen him making more errors than right things. In so many games he has changed the game with his substitutions and not making them alas all against us. Why are we not able to hold on to lead any more? Many of his mistakes havnt cost us points but sooner or later they will.
4. Chelsea has reached CL semis but has grant been tested in champions league till now? NO. liverpool is the first test which isnt over by any means now.
5. I do not want sky to call our manager a puppet master and chelsea becoming a laughing stock. Cmon not even having licence.
6. Is romans hunger for flair footy satisfied by him. NO , not untill now but i understand it wont be an overnight change. Can grant do it . NO
So inspite of all these negetive things how have we managed to reach a position where we are now. In Champions League i think everyone knows that. In premiership i think its because we have won 2 very important games against arsenal and man utd at home. arsenal and man utd have just blown up themselves and given us opputunity to chase and we have taken it with both hands.thankyou very much. arsenal dropped 11 pts in 5 matches and man utd has dropped 7 points in last 4 matches and now we are level.
Last season after 36 matches man utd had 88 points compared to 81 this season. Last season chelsea after 36 matches had 81 points same as this year. So only change is our opponents have faded out and we have been consistent and not improved.
hope the lucky season continues
KTBFFH
There were several stories where Managers have turned a dull player to a super star
Now vice versa.
We the Chelsea players, fans, supporters will now have to turn a dull manager in to a super star(super star?)
AG is learning at his own pace. By the time he learns football, we will see FA thinking about having matches in Mars(Real red devils?).
Let him learn football. What i mean is RA should LOAN AG as manager to some other club where he can lean from his mistakes and without any support from other team members
By the time let him also get coaching license.
Then comeback to Chelsea and prove what he is worth of.
Bango => Last year at Anfield we had dull game too, but it was one from very few dull games under Jose. Now we have one good game from very few under Grant. See the difference?
@Adam
not listing ballack was a good decision as he was not deemed to be fit untill the qualifiers. Chelsea could only put 23 names for CL team with various restrictions. What would you have done to choose 18 players( 11 + 7) of 23 players or 22 players for most of the qualifiers given our luck with injuries.
if ballck was named in the list and if we had 5 players injured (not uncommon in chelsea) we could not even complete the team sheet. And in fact ballack was only available for the last game we played even if he had been named.
think about it.
About ballacks coming back with vengeance because of this decision ill just say ..LOL
One more Managerial Battle going on in Mancity. May be avram/RA can help. They know about this very well.
Takshin, walkin to RA office any time and get a solution free of cost.
Oh, i hate this type of sackings. Not good for football.
@2 Steve Clarke
What everyone need to understand is – we do not need any midfielders. Its already jam packed and any new inclusion would mean the player won’t play regularly. We have got attacking midfielders in the likes of lampard, ballack and sometimes essien, and these 3 players have to start in almost all games, other than them we have sidwell, mikel and maka; so inclusion of modric in this squad means he will start less often when compared to dinamo or even spurs and we don’t need him, ofcourse that also means we have lost a talented player.
If chelsea wants to attract any players, we first need to utilize our squad to the fullest by giving chance to all players. I also feel we need to utilize sheva and pizzaro quite often, and drogba was a disaster this season. We do not need any new strikers because we have plenty – sheva, drogba, pizzaro, anelka, di santo, sinclair, sahar. Even if drogba leaves we have enough experience and cover.
I feel Grant needs to prove himself against Liverpool and show the fans that he is tactically sound(if he wants to stay next season). It would be better if he quits next season, otherwise there is a possibility of losing many of our star players.
In CL, except liverpool all our opponents were weak.
should we keep Grant – Absolutely!
1. Results speak for themselves. Yes we have 81 pts exactly like last season but remember that Grant was not in charge when we started with 3 wins 2 draws and a loss (+ a draw with Rosenborg). Results wise he has done everything possible and what would be laughable would be winning the double and sacking the coach
2. I dont believe Grant is learning football, prior to Chelsea he coached Israel’s national team in the 2006 World Cup qualifying and missed out on qualification in the last round because Israel finished 2 pts behind France but ahead of Rep of Ireland. Think about the players who play for France, Ireland & Israel and you can see what a tremendous achievement that is. My point is one Riise own goal yes that is lucky but a whole season + a WC qualifying campaign – Grant achieves results
3. Before coaching Chelsea he was not well known but ok who had heard of Wenger. I certainly dont want Keegan or Maradona as coach. To me it seems obvious because you can play does not mean you can coach
4. Most of the reasons to sack him come because he’s fat, doesnt speak English well, praises himself (this realy annoys me), looks sleepy etc. etc. These are true but they are not football reasons
Finally I admit he is a defensive coach but so Mourinho, Benitez, Capello & Ferguson lately. I dont believe that alone is a reason to sack him, especially as others have right said Anelka aside he inherited this team.
Oh c’mon guys lets keep the old geezer just for the fun of it .
It could be like jumping from the pan into the fire if we let him go.
You know, RA might bring in someone fatter, much more dour and even more clueless and even cheaper than AG. At least we know the devil we got.
Don’t think that RA might do the professional thing and get a proper manager, no siree, he’s gonna keep AG on until we Chelsea get blasted 3-0 and the embarassment will lead to hasty, illogical , spiteful choices .
@ 13 Nihongo Blue
1. So you want Chelsea to get rid of a very successful manager simply because you don’t like him? That’s the most pathetic justification I’ve ever seen. That you can’t be happy for the club when we’re doing so well speaks volumes about your dedication as a supporter. Honestly. Furthermore, what proof do you have that he undermined Jose? There is none, you’re just futilely trying to justify an unreasonable dislike of someone.
2. We are playing better football. With the exception of the Liverpool match, we’ve done a much better job of getting our wingers involved this season. Why do you think Joe Cole is so happy?
3. You think he’s made more errors merely because you notice the errors, while your dislike of the man blinds you to all the good he’s done. If the “mistakes” haven’t cost us points yet, what makes you think they will eventually?
4. You’re going to hold the draw against him? Honestly. Last year we had a fortuitous draw too. Were you complaining then?
5. Ferguson didn’t have a license either when he started. Who cares?
6. What proof do you have of that? We’ve played far more entertaining football this year and have results to back that up.
And your last point, about us not improving, is actually incorrect. Had Grant been manager from the outset of the season, and assuming he obtained the same points per match, we’d have 84 points. So you’re wrong again.
@15
Are you kidding? Last year we played some of the dullest football I’ve ever seen. Again, your memory seems to be poor.
If you have got so good memory you should remember outstanding seasons 2004/05 and 2005/06 – compare them to this season and answer my question: which of them was better? I’m waiting…
Bango,
last season was the most difficult year under Jose for very obvious reasons- obvious to most except few of you of course.
Jose had to play virtually whole season without wingers cos robben and Joey were off through injury. The previous two seasons under Jose saw great pulverising attacking thrust cos of his usage of duff and robben (two left wingers, who few knew could play together till TSO made that a reality.)
last season also saw serious disruption in our team- the fault of Roman of course- sheva and ballack were purchased by roman and must be played somehow- the compromised Diamond formation (facilitated by the departure of Duff- not thro Jose’s fault and the injuries to Robben and Joey) nade things difficult- do not forget as well that Sheva and ballack were just playing in the EPL for the first time so were struggling to adjust.
As if these were not bad enough, Essien our best midfielder had to spend so much time covering either for terry or Riccy (while injured) or Paulo and Boulharouz (who were having a torrid time on the right flank).
Despite all this, we hang in there in all four competitions till virtually May. Manure pipped us only because of those factors. We paid them back in the FA final.
Our squad this season was overall, a better side cos Jose despite Roman’s refusal to commit cash brought along, belleti to help at the right back, alex for back cover so that essien can fully help in the middle. Robben’s departure was a minus but there again given the amount of time he had been injured this season, maybe we did not miss much after all.
last season was proof that we had a great manager- how many managers could have kept hope alive in all four competitions the way we did. manure without Roo and Ron would have long collapsed.
This year, we coped better largely cos of belleti, alex, Swp’s resurgent form around the CAN tourney time and the arrival of ballack back from injury just at the time we needed him.
Overall, we have achieved virtually all we have this season cos, Jose had already inculcated in the boyz a never say die spirit.
Cannot wait for the season to end for Grant to be granted an indefinite leave of absence.
If Avram Grant is able to win EPL or Champion’s league then we should give him a chance to build his team next year. here i am listing some negative and positive of Avram grant Era in chelsea.
Negative Effect of Avram Era
1)I never think Avram has done a great job as chelsea manager,because this season we had a great chance to win all four competition,also if avram did good substitution and read the game well then chelsea may be won EPL, CARLING CUP and be in FA cup final by this time.
2) After 7 month’s in charge avram was not able to show his effect in chelsea team,still chelsea is old JOSE’s Team.After just three month’s kevin keagan converted Newcastle to his team, in same way Ramos and sven errickson did in there respective club’s.
3) When avram took over as manager ,he promised sexy football( wining in style), LOL….after 7months we still playing boring football,during jose’s time even though we played boring football ,it was interesting to watch , because he was a specialist in 1-0 win, opponent’s never scored more than 2 goal’s against us.
4)Avram was not able get respect from his Player’s,fan’s and media.
Positive’ s of Avram era
1) He followed same jose’s formation and tactic’s never changed structure of team
2) During January this year we had many player’s injured and went to African cup ,but with our second best player’s avram was able to deliver 9 consecutive wins.
3) During Arsenal, ManU game’s his substitution and game plan was good.
So we have to wait till final whistle of this season to judge the future of Avram,if avram can win EPL or champion’s league ,then he should continue next season, otherwise we should go for another manager.
I feel like this argument is very similar to having a heated debate as to whether we should change the color of the sky to green. Green looks prettier, isn’t as boring, etc.
But the fact remains that the color of the sky will not change. And neither will the manager. Arguing about it will not bring about any kind of change. Out of our hands.
So how about we accept the fact that AG is manager. If you do not like it, if it REALLY chaps your hide, if you just can’t handle it, then you may find a new team. Teams break our hearts and win them back again, that’s part of the fun of following sports. You don’t have to want AG as manager to be a Chelsea fan, but you do have to want Chelsea to do well no matter what they decide.
I feel like the constant bickering of whether or not to accept AG really halts any kind of enlightening conversation about Chelsea in this blog.
Why don’t we just talk about the Middle Eastern conflict if we want to talk in circles? This Grant debate is the same story over and over!
@25. Mourofessien Good Comments Man…..
Chelsea was great to watch during 04-05,05-06 season, only last season we lost our style of playing.we really missed arjen roobben, duff. For playing 4-3-3 formation we need good winger’s , now we only have joe cole.
I will attempt to answer every statement that was aimed at contradicting my opinion.
@Steve Clark #2
Has Avram Grant changed the shape of Chelsea significantly since the departure of Mourinho? No. Is it completely fair to a assume that he should change the entire structure of the team in the middle of the season and risk dropping countless points? I think not. Had Avram Grant changed the structure in the middle of the season I would wager we would be looking in on the top four. Why should he change the structure? Isn’t this the winning way of Jose Mourinho? Why the need for change? You also must remember that Grant was a employee under Mourinho, not some outside source. He kept the shape of the Chelsea he knew from his experience.
The statistics clearly show that we are second place BECAUSE of the seven games Jose Mourinho was the manager. I’m not taking a stab at Jose, he is the greatest manager in club history and I will rate every new manager against the likes of Jose but the facts don’t lie. Under Avram Grant Chelsea have the best record in the entire league! Since the Man-United loss, Grant’s first match, we have kept the most impressive record in the league. I think he deserve perks for that.
Do I believe that a young hot prospect could be lured to the camp by Avram Grant? I think winning is the most important factor in these decisions. Winning and money of course. Luka Modric picked Tottenham because he would be guaranteed a spot on the starting line-up. Chelsea and any other large club could not grant him such in his first year. That’s my take on it at least.
@Jasix #4
Have YOU forgotten about the 4 Liverpool Semi-Final games prior that resulted in THREE goals under Jose Mourinho? How about the 2-0 defeat by Liverpool last season? If anyone expected that Liverpool game to be exciting then shame on them. History teaches us that this is not humanly possible. Chelsea vs. Liverpool = Woeful. Jose Mourinho is notorious for never going for the jugular in matches, always staying content with 2-0 and playing the counter-attack. We witnessed some bad games under Jose and we continue to watch bad games. After all, this is Jose’s team, isn’t it? You can’t have it both ways, win as Jose Mourinho’s team and lose and Jose Mourinho’s team.
@Nihongo Blue #13
If you support the Chelsea Footbal CLUB, then support the club holistically. Chelsea FC is not a manager, a player, or even the entire squad. If you want your happiness back, support Inter Milan because Jose Mourinho will almost definitely be there next season. This is a results-oriented-business. Would you rather play like Arsenal and Barcelona and not win trophies? I certainly wouldn’t. You shouldn’t worry what the media says about the manager or Chelsea because the media has always and will always be against Chelsea. Have pride in what you believe in and don’t waver that because of outsider opinions. The points tally being lower from last season isn’t because of the lack of quality but rather the increase of competition in the league.
Actually the initial reports on Ballack said he would be read in October or November. There were question marks surrounding the operations and on Ballack in general. So in retrospect Jose could have seen Ballack playing up to four group stage games. Since you put so much of your confidence in the media and are so afraid of them, here’s what the media said about Ballack being left off the group stage roster. This is also what Michael Ballack said, so LOL to you my friend, your ignorance is bliss.
““I am disappointed. But I have to accept it and focus on getting healthy again. Then I can make up my mind about other things,”
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/09/sports/EU-SPT-SOC-Chelsea-Ballack.php?WT.mc_id=rssap_sports
http://eurosport.yahoo.com/04092007/58/champions-league-ballack-axed-chelsea-squad.html
http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=txchelseaballack&prov=st&type=lgns
———————————————————————————-
Final judgment of the manager should be halted until the conclusion of the season. Who has the audacity and the arrogance to say Avram Grant should be sacked even if he wins the historic double? He deserves a chance to create his own squad and tactics in the offseason based on the performance of this season. I have no personal connection to this man and I will not mind if he does leave. However, I do believe in recognition of success regardless of who it would be.
Guys! I’m particularly impressed with the quality and maturity of the comments to this contentious article. You guys are doing a great job! Please keep it up!
switch on the tv guys… awesome match between man utd and barca underway.. united leads by scholes good goal … awesome football both teams attacking… and the best thing extra time not a possibility as united have scored….
lets see whom we are playing against in finals…
cheers
Interesting arguments from you Adam. Here are mine!
I agree that Avram need not have changed anything. But Avram himself admitted that he had a commitment to style. It was his own words. He had said that Chelsea would continue to win, but in the ‘right way’. These things of course meant that he wanted to change something. He himself claims that things have changed and we are playing differently. If you agree that he has not changed anything then consequently you might agree that he has not delivered his promise but claims to have delivered.
The statistics clearly show that we are second place BECAUSE of the seven games Jose Mourinho was the manager. I’m not taking a stab at Jose, he is the greatest manager in club history and I will rate every new manager against the likes of Jose but the facts don’t lie. Under Avram Grant Chelsea have the best record in the entire league! Since the Man-United loss, Grant’s first match, we have kept the most impressive record in the league. I think he deserve perks for that.
On the 7 games under Jose. Please remember that those 7 games was the period when things really went bad between JM and Roman. I don’t think JM could have concentrated enough during that period, which showed in our performances. When JM was sacked, Chelsea were on same points with Man Utd. Now these are the teams tied in points with one of them to win the title. That itself shows that the start to the season does not mean much. The fact that Fergie and Avram have recovered from that average start makes be believe that JM would have done better. Like someone said, JM could be leading the table by 6 points. I believe so.
As regards Luka Modric, Chelsea were surely after him, very badly. That means we are planning to offload one or more of our midfielders which would have given first team chances to Modric. If Grant were to make changes to the Chelsea system next season, I see only one of Essien, Mikel and Maka playing. I see Lampard going. Malouda should also be on his way out. With such possibility for a shake up in Chelsea, Luka Modric should easily get first team chances. It’s all about negotiation and persuasion. If Avram were to phone Modric and talk him to join Chelsea, you think Modric would heard anything impressive to convince himself?
And Ballack said he was disappointed because he had to have his surgery, not disappointed at anything else. History has seen many successful managers being sacked just after they win the league title or the champions league title. While you have to be grateful to the manager for the titles won that season, the club will also see if this man can take us forward, help them achieve their ambition?
I don’t think Avram Grant has adequate enough time to change an entire system that based on playing the same, gritty football for three years(Ranieri’s team wasn’t dazzling either). I don’t honestly believe our football has improved under Avram Grant but that’s not to say it hasn’t shown glimpses of hope. The Manchester City, Arsenal, United, Valencia, and West Ham games are evidence of possibilities and hope for the team. Jose Mourinho’s teams never scored 6 goals in a league game. The injuries are also the forgotten story for Avram Grant, the team he prefers now is a fairly new combination this season. Almost our entire roster spent significant time with injury, suspension, or international duty. You don’t get any points for playing stylishly, only wins and losses. Arsenal plays the best football in the English Premier League and perhaps the title but haven’t won anything for years.
The seven games by Mourinho were dark times for the manager. This is not necessarily a satisfactory reason for under-performing. Are the times really that great for Avram Grant? He doesn’t have the full confidence of his team, they clearly aren’t always on the ball, and he gets berated by everyone including the fans.
Luka Modric was a target by half the big clubs in the world. Chelsea have also had everyone from Pato to Kaka on their never ending want list. Chelsea have never been able to attract the young superstar, that is quite evident. I also don’t believe he would even have a chance of starting for Chelsea, there are only two midfield roles he could field and I don’t think anyone would argue he can’t be at the level of Ballack and Essien. The Avram Grant conversation is a total contradiction. Juande Ramos speaks literally no English or Croatian, I don’t see anything but stature playing into the transfer. Berbatov thought Tottenham was the right decision as well, but it’s almost a certainty he will be leaving this summer. Not all the biggest stars want to start on the biggest team. The club in the world terms is certainly not a big name in prestige and this is also the reason for us not attracting the big names throughout the years. If Kaka and Messi don’t want to come to Chelsea, it won’t be because of Grant’s managerial status, it will be because of the Chelsea organization. But if we win the Champions League, those two might think twice if they got an offer. Big players want to win, Gerrard has said it, Eto’o has it, and Berbatov has said it to name a few.
Ballack said he was disappointed to be left off the roster and would work on his recover. He wasn’t stating that he was disappointed about the surgery.
I don’t want Chelsea to play any differently than they have been playing for the last few seasons. If you know my stance, I just love the way Chelsea play. I don’t want them to ape Barca or Man Utd or Arsenal. I want them to play as they have always been. It was Avram Grant who said that he has a commitment to style and also keeps saying that we have improved and playing in a different style. We played our best football in 04-05 and 05-06. We are now many notches below that class.(by the way, the matches against Arsenal, Man Utd and Valencia were all won by grit, spirit and determination, that have been our hallmark for seasons). I truly feel sad sometimes why people seem to have completely forgotten how we were playing earlier! Most of us simply seem to tag the lines of mainstream media. And, JM’s team never scored 6 goals, that’s right. But that’s not any kind of benchmark, is it? Even Aston Villa scored 6 goals this season. Believe me, I don’t see a 1-0 in any way less exciting than a 6-0. May it’s just the way I see football.
The seven games by Mourinho were dark times for the manager. This is not necessarily a satisfactory reason for under-performing. Are the times really that great for Avram Grant? He doesn’t have the full confidence of his team, they clearly aren’t always on the ball, and he gets berated by everyone including the fans.
Roman-TSO relationship was not a satisfactory reason for under-performing, but certainly a possible reason for under-performance. I’ve worked under similar circumstances under a similar relationship with my boss and I know what kind of impact can it have on my work. And I won’t agree that Avram Grant does not have the confidence of the team. These players are giving their best for the team, for Grant. if there were playing in a lacklustre manner, we would not be joint top with two matches to go. I’ll say it is grossly unfair to say that players are not working for Grant. When it comes to this argument, I’d say either the players are behind or Grant or it the players who are managing the team themselves and brought themselves to be joint top. I don’t think it can be something in between. In a team game like football, divided loyalties would devastate the team. Irrespective of the players personal beliefs, they gave their all like top class professionals.
If we are lacking in prestige, I wonder how Modric wanted to join Spurs. Ramos does not speak English but certainly with the help of an interpreter he would have communicated to Modric. What he lacks in language he makes up with his strong body language. If I were a player and I have to make a choice of working under either Avram or Ramos, I’d choose Ramos. Who would you choose?
English can be a funny language. I always believed and still believe that Ballack was disappointed that he had to miss out due to his surgery. Anyway, even otherwise, he did better than a certain Ben Haim
I didn’t say Modric was the one after the prestige of a big club. Historically Chelsea have had trouble getting the superstar player.
“Overall, we have achieved virtually all we have this season cos, Jose had already inculcated in the boyz a never say die spirit.”
How can you prove that? The entire argument of the anti-Grant camp boils down to this. Refusing to give the man any credit while mercilessly raking him over the coals when he errs.
I find it interesting that you are so quick to come up with excuses for the team playing boring football last season under Mourinho yet use that same argument against Grant. Shocking hypocrisy, really.
After all the talk about Ramos here, Kaboul does a Ben Haim:
Tactically it has changed a bit, perhaps. But then, in terms of personality, Martin was a character. For us, he was a father-figure, whereas Ramos, it is just tactics and nothing else. In training, we do a lot of 11 v 0 and stuff on the blackboard to work on our progress with the ball. Ramos has brought us that, but nothing else. What has saved us this season is the Carling Cup. People say we won the Carling Cup because Ramos arrived at the club, but that has nothing to do with him. We would have won it with Martin Jol. I played the entire first half of the season but since the change of manager, I have not played. I have had no explanation from him. He doesn’t talk, with anyone. Communication doesn’t exist with him. He isn’t playing me? That is his choice – I respect it, I am a professional. I am young and it is the first time this has happened to me in my career. But I am not surprised because when you are a footballer, you must be prepared for that, for good and bad times. Ramos has not really given me a chance. When a player doesn’t have the confidence of his coach, he can’t do much on the pitch. But when a coach has confidence in you, you take the handbrake off and you race away.
Isn’t this very similar to what Ben Haim said? LOL!
Maybe the Backup Defenders Who Aren’t Very Good Alliance is starting to stand up for themselves!
Luka Modric prefered Barca & Arsenal . How come he settled with Spurs ? Probably he should have waited till summer for move .
For me, Avram Grant and Chelsea is having a good fortune this season. The players support Avram Grant no matter how controversial the team selection is. Player may sometimes do not like the team selection themselves, but they understand Avram Grant’s job and responsibilities especially handling a big club full of world class players. Credit? Yes, he deserves it because as a human being, we must appreciate for the good things that he have bring to this club. The bad things are just MINOR. So why not we as a considerate human being, give him a credit. But of course, I would like to see someone else with better knowledge in managing a club and its players next season. Now I do not care, winning EPL or CL, as long they players really show who they really are during the good and bad times. We should not gives a lot of expectation to AG as he already exceeds our expectation and it should be enough. Whatever we have now is a bonus.
ag desreves a place…he has proved this by gettin good results….and arent we forgettin..its romans cash..why will he splash it on some friend…he has invested millions in the club and any owner would want profits…so maybe he saw some spark in ag that jose lacked…an on liverpool game..please i had seen more borin games than that under jose..which put me to sleep by half time….atleast i didnt sleep this time around…and we can all see why we have the bad results…u can see how drogba is playin now…greedy..an he started a fight with ballack…he is like some of you guys..a jose follower…i think ag has done a good enough job an should be given another season an some cash to see wat he can offer us…
i second adam in wat he said….
anyway i want the best for chelsea and i will support chelsea no matter wat..
This arguing abt AG is getting as boring ,stale and stinky as the man himself
bango
If it was just my opinion that i am not enjoying the wins as much i would have wanted to you can call them pathetic. But when we win a good match and we hear something like “we didnt play long balls any more” “we play attractive stuff” the magnitude of the win dies off. Its just not me but many might concur to that opinion
“We are playing better football exception to liverpool game” you must be kidding or havnt seen games against blackburn away, middlesbroug at home, liverpool league match at home, wigan at home, everton away just recently. Watch them again. You will see for urself how good we are playing.
you mean to say grant hasnt made errors? and that too loads of them. What if i say ur love for man is not showing you the errors he has made.
last year you get valencia in quarters and you say its an wasy draw. get a life. it wasnt valencia of this year fighting relegation. they scored an screemer away goal at SB in first leg and we go there and beat them 2-1 . looks like you have started seeing footy recently.
fergie didnt had a license 25 yrs back my dear and he had played enough footy if you know. he never required one that time.
If the football we are playing attacking entertaining football then god bless you. Its even pathetic than last year when because of circumstaces and no wing play we we not quite playing very well and just for results.
personally i dont think we need to play like arsenal or man utd or sth. We have a very versatile style of play according to situation we fall into. but grant is not taking us anywhere and he needs to go.
Blue Champions has once again said it all for me about Grant.
Also Johnarejr I agree with your assessment looking at what has happened in America with an unheralded coach takes over from a great one, promptly wins a championship on the back of their work but then things start to fall apart thereafter – I fear this for Grant and Chelsea.
I will take issue with one of Adam’s points if I may in that he implied that it was the poor start to the season with the loss against Villa and draws against Liverpool and Blackburn that cost us dear.
I smile when people say “Wigan was a critical game” to draw or that loss at Villa was terrible.
In a season a team plays X number of games to win a title and EVERY match is critical whether it takes place at the beginning, end or middle of a season. People concentrate on say one game to say that was the defining moment when we lost the league etc.
Simply put it isn’t! You can name any number of other games aside from the ones Jose was in charge of that could have cost us a chance at the title.
Remember Man Utd were level with us on points when Jose left – so we were neck and neck at that point.
We are now neck and neck again so how has Grant made our position better?
If you are saying that if it wasn’t for Jose losing at Villa etc then we would be X points in front. Well if we keep playing that game if Grant hadn’t drawn against Fulham, Everton, Wigan and losses to Arsenal and Christmas and Man Utd the day after (I realise he had little time to prepare that game) then we would be 12 points infront just about! So the fact we are not really 12 points in front is down to who? Jose again or Grant this time?
In short you can’t assign blame on one manager and say those results were “critical” to where we are now but dismiss the other poor results obtained under the other manager as I’ve listed above as not being relevant in any way whatsoever.
I maintain once again that I don’t believe that Grant has brought anything new to this team, he seemingly contributes little to training, team talks or player psychology and his talk of creating a more attack minded team is just that – talk.
Yes I understand why many now want to give him more time to create his own team in his own image – but I doubt he himself even knows what that is. It is clear the players despite pulling together more recently are not fully confident in him and whilst a more laid back managerial style and lower media profile will suit Roman and some fans – long term it allows egos free reign to argue and cause dispute. Grant seems to have no pull on these players in terms of discipline or rousing them for key performances – he relies on the core spirit already within them to dig him out of a hole.
I can see major changes in the offing in the summer, some key players (Mourinho stalwarts) going and new talent coming in, Grant if he stays will be forced to actually do something for a change and branch out and show us what the REAL Avram Grant is all about coaching wise, instead of relying on what Mourinho had already left behind.
Trouble is I’m not sure I want to find out what that involves as I have seen enough both on and off the pitch to make me feel disquiet at his methods and abilties even with our results this season.
Unlike Ramos and Sven who have both come in, bought players in or made major changes to their squads and have them playing better football and really showing their managerial nous – Grant in comparison has done very little in terms of making changes or shown any aspect of his so called expertise.
Now I realise that this might seem pretty smart but quite why he should be lauded over and above the norm for basically sticking fervently to what Mourinho left behind whilst pretending he isn’t I just don’t know.
When he actually does something tangible off his own bat then I’ll sit up and take notice and be impressed.
I can’t be impressed by someone who got the job given to him by his mate, seems to get by on other people’s hard work (Mourinho, Clarke, Cate, core Chelsea players like JT’s leadership etc) and brings little of import to the party himself by all accounts.
I read Ballack’s interview recently that he gave in Die Spiegal and I thought his vague comments on Grant when asked outright about him were far more revealing and enlightening than any amount of PR bluster issuing forth from Chelsea and Grant fans about what a wonderful coach we have mysteriously found – that if you cared to read between the lines.
Many seemingly don’t want to or choose to ignore them.
That said, good luck to Grant and the players tonight. Lets stick it to Benitez please.
One thing I do take issue with BC is over the idea that these players must have confidence in the manager in order to keep playing as they have been.
No they can play as they have and still not respect the manager that much because the core there is so damn strong (JT, Lamps, Drogba etc) and they want to win as professionals, they may like Grant well enough, they may think him a so-so manager but I have failed to see anything which leads me to believe they have anything like the kind of relationship and level of high respect they had when playing under Mourinho.
I say again, read Ballack’s interview in Die Spiegal – he answered questions about Grant very honestly and politely but it was more what he didn’t say than what he did which made you believe that there is a core block of players in that squad that don’t rate Grant that highly.
If people want to dismiss the rumours of unrest then fine that’s their right but I think there is a fundamental grain of truth running through them.
If Grant stays and certain players like Drogba leave and he brings others in – may be then we will see if he can continue to foster our team spirit to equal heights as before.
If he does then I shall admit I was wrong, I’m not scared to.
Steve Clarke I think has been the glue which has held that squad together.
Now we don’t really need Grant to become some psychological colossus – the chance of a CL final should be enough for these players.
I think it says it all that whilst the poll says Grant has done a good job the overwhelming majority don’t want him to continue on as manager next season.
That just about sums it up.
Surely if Grant was really the real deal we would know that deep down in our hearts and the vote for him to continue would be equally as strongly in his favour.
The fact many of us have voted negatively tells its own tail.
Okay my last post for now!
Bango if you really seriously believe that feeling Grant is not the man for the job is down to the fact he looks dull and has little charisma then you are seriously mistaken.
Grant’s demeanour is a superficial matter in all of this.
There are many great managers that will never win any beauty contests.
I don’t believe Grant is a great manager and winning the Champions League will not automatically make him one in my eyes either.
Although he will enter a noble pantheon of great coaches who have won it – and not so great too.
@adam
thanks for the advice to support inter but NO thanks. i dont wana follow jose or something. Is it so hard to understand.If a person says something against jose he is not a chelsea supporter. if a person says something against avram he is not a chelsea supporter. stop being a kid. you think all the thousands who booed avram at SB are not chelsea supporters and you are?
i do not believe on media reports blindly nor do i ignore them. media has always been against chelsea agreed. Its all filled with those red supporters therefore i believe what i see. and currently avram is a puppet master there is no denying this fact. its quite evident. terry ectra time talks in carling cup final with avram scratching his head clueless. steven clarke giving half time talks. players reaction on being subbed. crowd chanting “YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING” what does that shows? CFC isnt a club to give ON JOB TRAINING to a coach.
When did ballack actually played his first game after injury? that was in aston villa game in late december right? by that time all qualifiers were over and ballack could have just appeared in last game that too not fully fit. manager was spot on regarding him not in the team list.
Well said Nihongo Blue.
I also find it confusing that if you criticise Grant you are told by some “go and support Jose’s next club then”. Or when you are positive towards Jose you are told “Jose wasn’t perfect stop saying he was” when in fact you have never mentioned he was perfect at all. Quite why you can’t have a contrary opinion and still be seen as a Chelsea supporter I don’t know!
As Nihongo Blue said you only have to rewind to some of the things we have seen this year to understand that patently Grant has not got to grips with this squad to anything like the degree Jose managed. Letting JT give the team talk during the Carling Cup final whilst he hangs around in the back ground scratching his head. Standing almost ignored whilst Drogba is at it hammer and tongs with Clarke during the Man Utd game. Would a Fergie, Mourinho or Wenger have just stood their like that looking like a passer by? I doubt it.
It’s not about blindly believing what the media print but seeing what is clearly in front of you, I don’t need the media to tell me that Grant struggles to control this squad at times and has to rely heavily on his assistants to keep the show on the road and that of key players like JT, Lamps etc.
@44 my words exactly…
+
were all games classic with Jose Mourinho? Jose clicked with the fans because of his charisma whereas
AG is boring–thus the scapegoat. i think that AG is an average coach who has no experience, but has definately risen to the circumstances.
now… this argument is getting damn boring…
@BC maybe we should have a article about our thoughts on the upcomming transfer season?–after one of our main targets have chosen the not-so-good Northlondoners!
why is my comment under moderation
ok..im sorry.. i take back “damn boring” and will make it “really boring”
I’m actually happy that we’re getting tired of the JM vs AG debate. Let’s exhaust ourselves here so that we can discuss what’s happening with Chelsea at the moment.
there is no comparision between AG and jose. not possible.
“Okay my last post for now!
Bango if you really seriously believe that feeling Grant is not the man for the job is down to the fact he looks dull and has little charisma then you are seriously mistaken.
Grant’s demeanour is a superficial matter in all of this.
There are many great managers that will never win any beauty contests.
I don’t believe Grant is a great manager and winning the Champions League will not automatically make him one in my eyes either.
Although he will enter a noble pantheon of great coaches who have won it – and not so great too.”
I have yet to see a compelling argument as to why Grant should be sacked. Every criticism leveled at him could have been leveled at Jose, save the charisma one. Bella, your stance seems to be much more reasonable, and, if I understand it correctly, you believe Grant should be given more time to put a stamp on the side. If that’s the case, then that is a position I completely understand and am sympathetic with. However, it is those that would sack Grant immediately, regardless of silverware won this season that I have an issue with. This could potentially be the greatest season in Chelsea history. Shouldn’t the man guiding us to that be given the opportunity to prove himself further?
Nihongo Blue, I can see that attempting to convince you will be futile, as you are in the latter camp that I mentioned above. If you’re not behind the club 100% and ecstatic with every single win, then I am of the opinion that you should seriously consider your status as a supporter. You shouldn’t let your hatred of the manager dilute your love for the club. That’s what I believe, anyway.
its not hatred bango. I do not think he is competent enough to lead chelsea. Cureently he is cashing on to what is already built. If he is in charge next season and certain players leave chelsea is going nowhere. luck wont last long.
FACTS ONLY!!!!
Would AG be the likely choice back when he replaced JM?
No.
Was JM doing a good job when he was sacked?
Nooooooo!!!
Has AG pulled off a SPECTACULAR recovery from the pits that JM had put the team in when he arrived?
YESSS!!
Has AG reached the European final (and long awaited objective) for the first time despite the pits that JM brought the team to?
YES!!
SHOULD WE ALL BE EATING OUR HATS BY NOW?
A little munching of the brims would be in order just about now!!
Grant should stay, End of story
Avram Grant has done very well and has steadily improved his own abilities since becoming manager. The learning curve is steep and he has withstood it. However, he will not take this club forward and in many ways is pulling results out purely through the quality of this squad. We have reached CL final and are equal on pts with man utd going into the last game of the season, but for next season, we need a world class manager who can create an attacking, entertaining, and winning side (a la Frank Rjikaard). I personally think Avram is misunderstood and is really destroyed by the press, and he is horribly unarticulate, creating a false persona about him. He’s probably a fine guy with good intentions, but he simply lacks tactical prowess, transfer acumen, media handling skills, and basically just leadership. I feel like Stevie Clarke and Henk Ten Cate are more responsible for Chelsea’s abilities of late, as well as Capt. John Terry. Grant should go back to the backroom staff.
I think Avram must go away too.This year i’ve lost a lot of mathes because they make me sleep!! The play is too slow and noone run without the ball, there isn’t a player that make a dribbling,for example Malouda every time he got the ball,he pass it ever behind!!!
We need a player like Cristiano Ronaldo on the wing and I think that Quaresma would be perfect!
Coming back to the manager I remember a game this year that can make you realize what a tactical ideas he have:
I think it was Chelsea-Villa finished 4-4 at the Bridge….we were losing and he change a striker with a right back….I don’t remember now who left the field but I perfectly remember who entered: PAULO FERREIRA….unbelieveable…………….
NO COMMENT!!!!!!!!!!