ethicalstrategy

I guess the question then is, if it was another manager (with a better CV) getting the same results, would you feel the same way? Surely the point here is that another manager may be viewed differently depending on who it was and what their credentials were. For example. Let's say Capello had been appointed. The initial reaction to that would have been very different. People wouldn't have been saying Fabio who. They wouldn't be asking what his track record was like and what his credentials were to be managing the club. The reaction if he had then gone on to lose the CC Final, assuming that he would have lost it, would still have been to question him. Particularly if he had made the same selections etc that Grant did. But when people were then calling for him to have more time and the opportunity to bring in some new players and mould the squad they would have had a much stronger argument because of his achievements in the past. Had he lost to Barnsley after leaving out his two best, some might say only, goalscorers then he would also have copped a lot of flak and rightly so. But I still think he would have enjoyed more support than Grant, again because it is evident from his past record that he does know how to win, in spades, and so the assumption that he would get it right at Chelsea, given time, would be reasonable. The reason I, and many others, aren't cutting Grant any slack is because we are being asked to believe that he has what it takes to win things with this club. We can't look back at what he has achieved in the past to give us that reassurance and so we can only look at what he is doing now. My interpretation of that is that he is a decent guy, doing a decent job but that when the chips have been down in the big matches he has come up short. Until he is able to demonstrate that he does have what it takes then I will remain sceptical. He does, however, still have two chances to convince me and I don't have a problem with him remaining in place until the end of the season to give him that opportunity. If he is not able to do that then I would want him to be moved on. I don't think life is fair and I don't think I have any obligation to be nice to him just for the sake of it. If I think he is doing well I will say so and if not I will say so. The benchmark for judging that was set exceptionally high by his predecessor and I have no intention of lowering it for Grant or anyone else.

They were? I didn't hear any singing for Mourinho or any booing of Grant. If there was it was a very small minority and not audible around the ground.

Chippy. I was there and I thought he was disappointing, especially in the context of a goal feast. I think he had 1 or 2 shots, the second of which led to Joey's goal. As has been noted, he spent too much time dropping deep or going wide and not enough time in the box. He is talented and skillful and it was his work that put Joey in to cross for Frank's second goal. But therein lies a problem. If Frank hadn't been playing, there wouldn't have been anyone to tap it in. It was very reminiscent of a move against Barnsley where Joey pulled the ball square across the face of the goal and there was no-one there. It is all very well getting involved, but his job is to get in the box and score goals and he just isn't doing that. I do, however, agree that it is a really tough role playing up front for us on your own. No-one, Drogba included, will score a hatful of goals in that role. It was noticeable that Drogba's best year for us in terms of goals was last year when he had a strike partner (of sorts). As for the match itself, Derby were so poor it is hard to draw many, if any conclusions from it. Even Ricky and JT spent more time in the Derby half than our own!

Just back from the match. It was a bit of an odd game really. The atmosphere was really subdued and even when the goals started going in it didn't liven up all that much. Strange to say it when we have just won 6-1, but I didn't think we actually played especially well. Derby - what exactly is the point? They were comfortably the worst team I've seen at the Bridge in a very long time. After they went 3 nil down they decided to play with two upfront and that left them wide open. Wasn't too sure about the Chelsea substitutions. Given Lampard was "injured" at the weekend I thought he might have come off rather than Ballack. There was some logic to Drogba coming on to play two up with Anelka, but that was shortlived as Anelka went wide when Sheva came on At the end we effectively had four strikers on and just two in midfield. Frank showed why it was crazy not to take him to Barnsley. He is our best source of goals and boy, did we need him on Saturday.

Lampard of course. But Joe played well too. (There, I said it! )

With due respect, Sparky said: I don't think I inadvertently misinterpreted anything. I just responded to what he wrote. If he meant something else then fair enough.

Pizarro v. Birmingham

Coming from you, that's really saying something!

Frank's going to be really pissed off that he bothered learning Spanish now!

If Mancini does come to does become the next manager of Chelsea I would very much welcome it. He is a proven manager and in his time as manager of Inter Milan has done really really well. He would do alot better than Avram Grant IMO. Mancini...followed by Zlatan! (oh be still my beating heart!!!) Certainly no smoke without fire here. No manager of a winning side, with 4 years left on his contract, walks away without something in the pipeline. VERY INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT. Of course he could be going to Barca... Hmm. Zlatan. Hmm. Top show last night. Enjoyed Gray's analysis of his goal-scoring record. 20 goals, of which 9 were penalties. Only 1 goal against a top 6 side and that was a penalty too.

It's his choice. He could have and still could go to another club. I've never really understood why he has stayed.

I'm not saying that this squad doesn't have weaknesses, of course it does. But, saying that the manager isn't able to make any changes to the tactics or formation that he uses because of the players he has at his disposal is just not true. We have two sets of fullbacks - one set, Ferreira and Cole are more defensively oriented and the other, Belletti and Bridge, more attacking. We have JT and Carvalho who can both bring the ball out of defence. We have one true holding midfielder, with two others who can also play in that role. We have Ballack and Lampard and Essien and Mikel who can play across the midfield in a three or a two or a diamond. We have Cole and Kalou and SWP and Malouda who can play wide in a front three or left and right in a four man midfield. We have Kalou and Cole who can play behind either a lone striker or a front two. We have Drogba and Anelka who can play at the centre of a front three or as a strike pair. If you can't change the way you play with those options at your disposal then God help us all.

I think we can be confident of a win in this one. Lampard will be back and probably Drogba too so there is half a chance we will score some goals! Anything other than a convincing win doesn't bear thinking about.

Look again at the players at his disposal. Two of the best Goalkeepers in europe Three of the best central defenders in europe Four(or five) of the best midfielder players in europe Two of the best strikers in europe Along with a host of other internationals covering full back, wide midfield/wings and all of the other positions. Oh, and at least three international captains. In fact I seem to remember bold tactical changes taking place during the course of matches under Mr Grant's predecessor. I don't think he meant the overall quality of the players but rather individual skills they possess. For example,Essien,Mikel and Makelele are all great players but you can't put them in the same midfield and expect it to work. Lampard and especially Ballack,have more creativity than the other three but they're not true playmakers,either. SWP may be an English international but with his skill on the ball he wouldn't make it in La Liga and Seie A. For all the money we've spent i was often dreading to watch Jose's team play long balls to Drogba for 90% of the time. When it did work, we would normally succeed but when it didn't we looked out of ideas because you need creative players in the middle and on the wings that can beat the opponent at least from time to time and attack by passing the ball instead of hoofing it forward. Don't get me wrong, JM is a brilliant motivator and a proved winner but i was puzzled at his reluctance/inability to implement creative skillful players into the team. We do have a very impressive squad on paper but it lacks balance. I'm not talking about going all out to copy the Arse, Barca or MU style but it stinks that after all that spending we look so dull on the pitch. I understand the argument - I just think it's nonsense.

Anyone else spot a theme?

I was amazed we got as far as 15 before we had a gap!

Squad listed below. I took the list from the official website so it ought to be complete (although Scott Sinclair seems to be missing completely as he isn't listed even as being on loan ) It includes 4 (!) goalkeepers and excludes players currently on loan. It comes to 27. 1 Petr Cech Goalkeeper 2 Branislav Ivanovic Defender 3 Ashley Cole Defender 4 Claude Makelele Midfielder 5 Michael Essien Midfielder 6 Ricardo Carvalho Defender 7 Andriy Shevchenko Striker 8 Frank Lampard Midfielder 9 Steve Sidwell Midfielder 10 Joe Cole Midfielder 11 Didier Drogba Striker 12 John Mikel Obi Midfielder 13 Michael Ballack Midfielder 14 Claudio Pizarro Striker 15 Florent Malouda Midfielder 18 Wayne Bridge Defender 20 Paulo Ferreira Defender 21 Salomon Kalou Striker 22 Tal Ben-Haim Defender 23 Carlo Cudicini Goalkeeper 24 Shaun Wright-Phillips Midfielder 26 John Terry Defender 30 Rhys Taylor Goalkeeper 33 Alex Defender 35 Juliano Belletti Defender 39 Nicolas Anelka Striker 40 Henrique Hilario Goalkeeper

Is it any bigger than that now? Maybe one or two but that's all. Part of the problem we had last year was lack of cover in crucial areas, particularly centre back. We have seen the benefit of having quality in the squad this season. Even with the ACN players away and JT and Frank injured we could field: Cech Belletti Cole/Bridge Alex Carvalho Maka Ballack Sidwell SWP Cole Anelka/Sheva/Pizarro We certainly didn't have the same depth last year.

World's Greatest Myths: No.25 Look again at the players at his disposal. Two of the best Goalkeepers in europe Three of the best central defenders in europe Four(or five) of the best midfielder players in europe Two of the best strikers in europe Along with a host of other internationals covering full back, wide midfield/wings and all of the other positions. Oh, and at least three international captains. In fact I seem to remember bold tactical changes taking place during the course of matches under Mr Grant's predecessor.

I'd imagine most people would jump at him - especially if he crept up behind you on a dark night!

I've tried Safari for Windows. It's nice and uncluttered, quite fast and stable for a beta, and I'd probably use it more regularly if it was more customisable. Now I've said that, I've just downloaded Safari 304, the setup file for which is twice the size of the previous version. Bonjour for Windows? I'm not 'aving that! I'm using it on a Mac. I only use windows when I absolutely have to and then I use Firefox. IE is my browser of last resort.

I appreciate that it's probably not true, but it would be a disaster if it were. The last thing we need is to get rid of a load of players. We just need someone to manage them.

Why on earth would we want to be benchmarking ourselves against Liverpool? For the last three seasons we have finished way ahead of them. This year they are struggling to even finish fourth. Saying that we have done alright because we have done better than them is hardly a compelling arguement. I don't suppose so for a minute. But then again isn't that rather the point? He wasn't inconsistent like Benitez. He was consistent. First year - won the league. Second year - won the league. Third Year - runner's up to Man U. 3 domestic trophies. 2 Champions League Semi - Finals.

That's clear to see. You only have to look at the togetherness and never say die spirit that the whole squad is exuding at the moment. I don't recall any shockers in the last 3 years. Or for rather longer than that actually.