ethicalstrategy

The is only one Special One, of course, but there are other managers out there who have proven track records as good as Mourinho. I'm not sure I agree he had it easier though than Grant. They both took over a top quality set of players. They both followed managers who were popular with the players and the fans and who were treated poorly. If anything, Grant had the advantage of two full teams worth of top players - this helped him cope with the injuries and ACN much better than might have been expected. He also took over a squad used to winning. And you have to factor in that Jose not only won the PL, he ran away with it breaking all sorts of records in the process. Of course, no one is suggesting that managing a top PL team is easy. It isn't. In fact it's bloody impossible. What with the fans, the players, the board, the press, it's complete nightmare. Whether or not he has done well depends on what you expect from him. In some ways he has done well. The club hasn't imploded. Results taken as a whole have been good. But he hasn't delivered on the promise/requirement for attractive football. In fact, if anything it has been getting worse as "squeaky bum" time approaches. He hasn't done well against the other big teams and hasn't been able to do anything to change things when they aren't going well. He might learn to do that over time, but I would argue he ought to be doing it somewhere other than here. Come back for an interview when you've got your qualifications and a track record that suggests you've got what it takes to successfully manage one of the top clubs in the world. The fact that Grant's mistakes have coincided with terrible player performances might just be linked! Don't you think? Take the CC Final. He chose a team and a formation. You can argue the merits of who was picked and who was left out but what about during the match? The players were well off the pace, the formation wasn't working. That's when the top managers earn their corn. It was a test that he failed. It is no good inspiring your players to a terrific win one match too late. You need to do it when it really matters. If we go on to win all of our remaining games and win the PL then I will happily eat as much humble pie as you can shovel in my direction. I think on a forum like this it's fine to express how you feel even if it isn't positive. I don't think it is necessary to get behind the manager particularly as long as we back the team 100%. I wouldn't get on his case at a match though as I think that is counter productive. It's not how many games you win or lose. It's which matches you win or lose. And, for the record Grant has lost 2 league matches this season. jose lost 1 in his first season! .

I see it exactly the same as that Barak. Me too. (except change expect to hope)

What happened to the Spurs match? next three matches are Barnsley, Derby, Middlesboro and then it is Spurs before Arsenal.

I'd be astonished if Drogba didn't play on wednesday. He was being rested on saturday. Same for mikel I think.

but it isn't going to happen Liam is it? So nothing to fear!

I didn't say he was wrong in what he said. But it is out of character for him and if you listen to him he is clearly losing his cool. What the F*** man? So that means Jose was out of character and was losing his cool after every press interview? Idiotic. Thanks for your considered views. If Mourinho lost his cool at every press interview then that wouldn't make it out of character would it - smart arse!

Especially after last weeks cup final defeat I don't think.

That damned Avram Grant!!!

Come on Loz. No-one is saying we are never going to win a game under Grant or reach a final (obviously) or play well in any particular match. We are saying that he lacks that final touch to take us from nearly men to winners. Claudio wasn't the clown manager some portray. He was a good man doing a good job but he couldn't quite take us that key extra step. Avram falls in to the same category (although I don't actually rate him anywhere near as highly as Ranieri). That's where the frustration lies. Once you have tasted champagne you don't want to go back to pomagne!

I heard it on 5live. It was his prematch press conference as far as I know. you can watch it on the BBC website if you go to the article "grant lashes out at media lies" Look, it's no secret that I don't rate the guy, but there is no doubt that the events of the last week, including mostly unrelenting press criticism and speculation, have got him rattled.

I meant listen. The guy is rattled. I'm not making it up!

I gave my team in the west ham match thread. ----------------cech -------------jt-------riccy belletti---------------------bridge ------------mikel -----lampard-----ballack ------------Cole -------anelka ----------------drogba The width would come from the full backs getting forward. cole would play in behind the front two rather than wide.

I didn't say he was wrong in what he said. But it is out of character for him and if you listen to him he is clearly losing his cool.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 271624.stm Looks like the pressure is getting to him.

Oh mate can you do me a favour and read any one of about a third of my posts for my views on the answer to that? if you lookat (as you likely may have done already) the last post I made in the thread titled "now we must win the CL" You will find a bit of a hotch botch quick simplified version of how I see events so far and why I believe he has earned his chance, again you quote the big games and how he is'nt up to it and again I say circumstances were stacked against Chelsea in both games, you say that is not the point and I say it is a very big point. Dorset praise indeed from a wordsmith such as yourself OK. My fault. Let me rephrase. I don't agree that he deserves time or has done anything to earn time.

I hope that he would know - what with being the manager and everything. Yes he has been missing players, but he has still been able to pick a strong team. It is easy to rationalise anything, but it is our record against the other top teams that led to our winning 2 league titles and 3 cups. Take that away and where does it leave us? 9 points behind in the league and losing finalists against a team we ought to be beating. But I wasn't wrong. That doesn't make me happy though. I'd rather of won. time he deserves? has earned? how exactly?

Agreed that there is no need for personal attacks - although I have to say in general most of the criticism has been aimed at his shortcomings as a manager. Having said that, I'm just as sick of hearing all the reasons why he should be given more of a chance. He took over a successful team. He has the core of the squad that won 5 trophies in 3 years. He has two full teams of internationals to choose from. Why does he need time and a whole load of different players to be successful? If he was up to the job then he would be able to win things now not in a couple of years. Bottom line is he is taking the club backwards on the field. Whenever he has been called on to change things when it isn't going well he botched it. Performances are getting worse and so are results and we have lost our edge against our main rivals. We will win nothing under Grant.

But you are having a damn good go at it. In fact, I not sure anymore if you actually mean any of it whether you have just become trapped defending him and don't know how to stop.

If at this moment Sinclair was good enough for PL club he'd be on loan to one of those. It's not like we're turning down Sunderland and Boro in favor of the Championship side. Bingo, and I should add, the act of the club putting him out on loan is NOT the club saying he isn't good enough for Chelsea. If they didn't think he was good enough to make it at Chelsea they would simply sell him or release him now. I give you Carlton Cole and Forsell. How many times did they go on loan? Turned out they didn't have a future at he club afterall. Eventually, Sinclair will give up and go elsewhere for regular football. Whether he goes to a Premier League club or not, we will wait and see. No takers so far though.

I agree, not everybody who disagrees with me talks sh*t - just you and a couple of others

He is still young so he might still break in to the team, but I'd guess that the club don't see him making it. If he couldn't get much playing time whilst the African contingent were away and others were injured then he never will.

and whose responsibility is it to get them to buck their ideas up? to play to their potential? to deal with any egos in the squad? to drop people who aren't performing? A clue.... Its Grants Job Unless.................we just won then its Congratulations to Cate and Clarke for motivating the team No, no. It works like this: If we lose it's because of the manager and if we win it is inspite of the manager. Can't you see that?

Guddy, Essien and JT all were cleared of any wrong doing I believe. Unlike Carjacker, who accepted his caution. I can't argue Jody Morris, except to say that he is a nasty little f**ker.

What is this obsession with Cech and penalties? I don't know what the figures are, but I'm guessing that most penalties are scored rather than saved. Cech is a brilliant goalkeeper. I won't say best in the world because he has made a couple of errors this season. He is certainly the best keeper at Chelsea and in the Premier League. Over the course of the season he saves us numerous goals with his shot stopping and with his command of the penalty box. I really couldn't give a flying f**k if he doesn't manage to save any of the 4 or 5 penalties that we get awarded against us. If we are reliant on our keeper saving a penalty to win us a match then we are in deep sh*t. I would suggest our problems lie elsewhere.

and whose responsibility is it to get them to buck their ideas up? to play to their potential? to deal with any egos in the squad? to drop people who aren't performing? A clue....