You're Av-ing a laugh

[Guest Brian M]

You're Av-ing a laugh

Last updated: 27th January 2008

I think they'll get beaten by one of the other big teams but what I will say is, if they keep playing like this, with their players back, with Nicolas Anelka in the squad and with the draw against Olympiacos, they have got a fantastic chance of winning the Champions League this season.

That was the succint verdict of Danny Fullbrook as the Sunday Supplement discussed the impossible dream which is still a reality at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues are four points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United, into the fifth round of the FA Cup, the last 16 of the Champions League and face a Carling Cup final showdown with Spurs in February.

That has all been achieved since losing Jose Mourinho as well, but for Fulbrook the talk of Avram Grant being the new Special One and his side lifting four trophies, is all a little premature.

"I don't think they can do the quadruple," he told the Sunday Supplement.

"I don't think it's possible. I think they'll get beaten by one of the other big teams but what I will say is, if they keep playing like this, with their players back, with Nicolas Anelka in the squad and with the draw against Olympiacos, they have got a fantastic chance of winning the Champions League this season. And that, for Roman Abramovich, would be the icing on the cake.

"Last season at times they had no (Petr) Cech, no (John) Terry, no (Ricardo) Carvalho yet they went on to win two cups, so let's wait and see how they get on. But when he needed players in the transfer window last January Jose Mourinho wasn't allowed to buy anybody, but Avram Grant has been allowed to spend £30million - on the young Chilean and Anelka - when they were in trouble.

"I think we're jumping too quickly. This is still the team Jose Mourinho made and I think a lot of the credit sill lies with him."

He might not hog the headlines like his Portuguese predecessor and he might treat the press with "cynicism and sarcasm" according to Fullbrook, but he is doing all the right things.

But, says the Daily Star man, he is doing it with the strongest squad in the country - and possibly beyond.

"He hasn't won anything yet," he said. "Jose Mourinhop won five trophies and Avram Grant hasn't won anything, so I think we have to reserve judgement until the end of the season.

"What I will say for him is his team have done brilliantly. I think one element is theirs is the strongest squad in the Premier League, it has the greatest depth to it, without a doubt.

"They've had all these players missing and up until last weekend, they still had the German captain in midfield - he got injured before Wednesday's game - they had Claude Makelele, who is one of the best holding midfielders we've seen in years and they had the two England wingers in Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips. Quite feasibly that could be the starting midfield all season and that was when he had five midfielders missing!

"But there is something right going on - whether it's the shackles being taken off, whether it's actually for once about the players, the team and the football, because perhaps Jose's greatest mistake was the way he dominated the headlines so much."

-----------------

This is still Jose's team, and the winning is largely due to him, and the spirit he instilled in the team. But, Grant is doing very well at letting the players and the rest of the coaching staff get on with it. So I take my hat off to him for that.

However, here's what I see happening in the summer:

Grant gets a well deserved pat on the back from Roman, and gets bumped up stairs to his previous Director of Football position. And a certain manager, currently managing Barca, gets brought in as the final piece in the puzzle. Where he is re-united with his former number #2 and the former Teethy World Footballer of the year...

The only way I can see Grant staying in the job is if we win the CL and the Premiership. And if he does that, he deserves to keep the gig.

[mad_mac]

of course he deserves to keep it, but I will aggree with you that I feel Grant will be kept with the club for a further 4 years, but just not always in the capacity of the team captain. I said this as soon as Grant signed the new extention.

Don't get me wrong, I like Grant and I feel taht he is doing a great job. However, I still think he is too nice and reserved, and that Roman in particular, will want in a bigger name.

Just my hunch

[sweet waffle]

I watched that Sunday Supplement, it was pretty good although I had to laugh when Andy Dunn said something along the lines of "Man Utd have got the strongest squad... but if they lose Rooney or Ronaldo for any length of time you'd have to wonder how they'd cope" contradicting himself inside his own sentence. Tool.

[Guest Brian M]

I watched that Sunday Supplement, it was pretty good although I had to laugh when Andy Dunn said something along the lines of "Man Utd have got the strongest squad... but if they lose Rooney or Ronaldo for any length of time you'd have to wonder how they'd cope" contradicting himself inside his own sentence. Tool.

If Ronaldo is sold to Barca or Real in the summer, Utd will be a different team, no matter how much money they get for him. Take away Ronaldo's goals from their matches this season and they'd be fighting Liverfool for 4th place.

[ivorycoast]

I watched that Sunday Supplement, it was pretty good although I had to laugh when Andy Dunn said something along the lines of "Man Utd have got the strongest squad... but if they lose Rooney or Ronaldo for any length of time you'd have to wonder how they'd cope" contradicting himself inside his own sentence. Tool.

If Ronaldo is sold to Barca or Real in the summer, Utd will be a different team, no matter how much money they get for him. Take away Ronaldo's goals from their matches this season and they'd be fighting Liverfool for 4th place.

Thats never going to happen this season. i reckon in maybe 2 - 5 years fergie will pull a van nistelrooy on his ass, and get a fcuking huge fee (40 million?) from Real Madrid.

[just]

I stopped reading when I got to this bit:

"Claude Makelele, who is one of the best holding midfielders we've seen in years"

One of !!!! In years !!!!!!

The bloke is obviously new to football.

The best there has ever been mate and don't you forget it.

[Chippy]

I bow to the great writings of Danny while wondering what he has said that we dont already know?

we have a great squad, but he gives litle credit to the way we have performed with a lot of it missing or how well Grant has kept "Jose's team" playing while keeping "Jose's team spirit" alive,

not thinking we can win all four is a brave statement even for a devoted Fulham fan like Danny, lucky he got off the fence and put his reputation on the line with that bombshell

the article could have been written by anyone on the forum and having a great squad only really helps if the mainstay is available to play so seeing how we have done so far is gonna make people sit up and take notice when we are at full strength,

that said the players still have to do the job and be sent out in formations with tactics and team spirit, all things Grant has a little hand in,

they have to train together and learn who tracks back when whoever else is doing another job,

Jose is not doing this remotely and Grant has got to instil belief in what he is asking them to do be it close to Jose's way or not the players have to believe in it to keep winning.

I think they do and all the hacks undermining the man in charge will only be able to use the Jose's team and mentality bit for so long before they start to sound as boring to everybody as they already do to me.

Dany seems to have complimented the team and Grant to some extent while taking it away by the implication he thinks we have done well because we have the strongest squad and Jose is the man deserving all the credit, this may be me being a bit paranoid and defending Avi when he needs no defending but although some truth lies in his words I feel the compliments a bit backhanded,

my opinion only but not impressed with the nothing new here Danny Fullbrook.

Grant doe's come across as a nice bloke and I can see why people think he's too nice to be a manager because most winners are arrogant but I find in life that winning breeds arrogance and people start to think less of other people as they think more of themselves,

maybe once he starts getting the credit he deserves he'll turn into an arrogant self opinionated bar steward and we'll all love him,

I for one would keep him as he is.

[BLUENUT]

At least he's stopped harping on about 'good football' and 'what went before'. I think he had to once other managers commented on it aswell.

He has inherited a winning formula, a winning team with a winning mentality. He has changed very little. It suits me, as I said before I like us being victorious but one critisism is the 2 games he's lost have been against Manu and Arsenal, which when it comes to the cruch are our main rivals and you've gotta know how to beat the best to compete with them.

[bonetti]

At least he's stopped harping on about 'good football' and 'what went before'. I think he had to once other managers commented on it aswell.

He has inherited a winning formula, a winning team with a winning mentality. He has changed very little. It suits me, as I said before I like us being victorious but one critisism is the 2 games he's lost have been against Manu and Arsenal, which when it comes to the cruch are our main rivals and you've gotta know how to beat the best to compete with them.

I would add the 1 all draw against Everton to those.

Lack of correct substitution was a major reason for Cahill equalising

[callista]

I actually listened to Danny when he was speaking on Sunday Supplement and he was not trying to slag off my boyfriend as such.

I guess he was a fan of Mourinho's (?) but he did not have a rant at Grant like some on those shows do about managers.

What he said I think is what chippy alluded to - many fans and other media news hounds in the press, whilst taking Avram much more seriously now have said pretty much similar things to Danny that really this is still very much a Mourinho team in personnel, attitude, formation and style and perhaps some are going from one extreme to the other now - calling Grant a moron at the start without any foundation but now praising him for this great run of results as if he's already won us something when perhaps they need to take temper it somewhere in between? As for the quad thing well I don't think we can win all four either!

So I think Danny was trying to put this other point of view because the other two on the panel were just sort of Grant is good we were wrong end of. As Danny said Grant is obviously doing something right (although you sense Danny doesn't know what that something really is and he's not the only one ), be it more freedom to players or staying out of the headlines (he said that was Mourinho's biggest mistake) but Grant is aided enormously by what Mourinho left him not just in terms of sheer squad depth but winning attitude, organisation and mentality.

Although as chippy said you have to give Grant credit for not disrupting things and maintaining that "Mourinho spirit". Jose doesn't pick the team anymore Grant does but given our injury situation that is turning out to not be as complicated as it could be because there is no choice to make!

Avram faces sterner tests of his managerial prowess when he has a full squad and no more Wigan but it's Man Utd or a Barcelona to rout.

Often watch Sunday Supplement and Danny seems one of the more saner and more normal ones on there - some rant like you wouldn't believe about their "pet" hobby horses and it's actually quite scary to think they write for quite serious papers some of them.

[callista]

At least he's stopped harping on about 'good football' and 'what went before'. I think he had to once other managers commented on it aswell.

He has inherited a winning formula, a winning team with a winning mentality. He has changed very little. It suits me, as I said before I like us being victorious but one critisism is the 2 games he's lost have been against Manu and Arsenal, which when it comes to the cruch are our main rivals and you've gotta know how to beat the best to compete with them.

Yes, he seems to have toned down the "we play far more positive, attacking football than we did before". Please spare me Avram darling. May be even he realised that people were starting to take the p*ss a bit on that broken record. He does still try it on a bit though but I punish him when he gets home by making him listen to Shakin Stevens records for a few hours.

For me he has inherited a winning formula and he's done nothing to disrupt that or our will to win - I like that very much as I'd pefer to be a winner than a loser any day of the week. So no complaints from me on that score.

[dkw]

hes our coach, were doing well, dont know how much is down to him how much is down to topcat/stevie clark, dont really care. get behind him. simple really.

[callista]

Don't get me wrong, I like Grant and I feel taht he is doing a great job. However, I still think he is too nice and reserved, and that Roman in particular, will want in a bigger name.

Just my hunch

I'm not so sure about your hunch.

Mourinho was often combustible, charismatic, very high profile, definitely not being a yes man, lots of silverware in the cabinet and cock sure of himself then does Roman take the risk of swapping a placid, safe, dependable, calm, "yes Roman no Roman" for want of a better word in Grant to a coach like a Rykaard perhaps who is charismatic, won silverware, very sure of himself, not a yes man - sound familiar?

If you were Roman would you really want to risk it all over again?

If I was him, I would be praying Grant wins the Champions league by some fluke or the league or both and he then can safely turn around and say "well didn't I do well, here's your coach for the next four years" and breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Dilemma solved. Otherwise if Grant wins nothing this season and looks like going close again but no cigar next then that is when Roman will start to sweat.

That said, I did read somewhere that Kenyon and co don't really see Grant as the right kind of guy to be leading a club like Chelsea they want someone more marketable, high profile etc for the long term.

Well I'm sorry but they just sacked the most marketable and charismatic coach in town so what the hell do they want? You can't turn the volume up and down on someone - often charismatic people can be a right handful to cope with because of their very natures whilst dull people are just far more easy going but you lose your high profile market headliner.

With the good can come the bad, personally if Grant starts winning things who cares if he's not Mr Charisma?

In any case, I thought Roman with Mourinho's removal wanted Chelsea's football to do the talking now?

[Chippy]

I really can't see the problem as being anything Grant has done when looking at the losses away at Old Trafford and the Emirates,

The team we took to OT never looked likely to get a result to be honest and had been off form for a while before that result, add to that the early Mikel dismissal and it was backs to the wall,

I seriously doubt the result would have been much different with Jose in charge but that is only my opinion,

away to Arsenal, again no serious threat up front against a very pacy and good defense made me expect a draw, a very rare mistake from Cech and Gallas (who Jose seemed to feel was not as important to our team as Cashley) pops up to haunt us,

not a terrible result with an understrength team when you think Wenger rested enough players for that game to see his side come unstuck in the game before it

The Everton game, I think we had twelve shots to their one and yes it was a tactical error not to shut up shop but we have the benefit of hindsight and in the excitement of the day with the way we controlled the game maybe we could excuse Avi the rush of blood that made him instruct the boys to look for another goal instead of suring things up?

mind you if Cahill was a lesser player or if we had have scored again we would have been happy enough with that particular performance surely?

on the logistics of it being Jose's team and mentality that has got us this far with Grant having the easy job of saying "just do what the special one taught you boys" then the defeats away at the top two are surely Jose's fault anyway

funny thing is when opposition fans have said we bought the league etc we have always argued that you still need a manager who sets the team out right and adjusts his tactics to suit the game as it is happening and players alone are not enough, open chequebooks win nothing unyet now 29 games without Jose our team some would believe is running on some sort of Jose auto pilot?

I dont think so but only time will tell.

[callista]

Well I don't think it's on Mourinho autopilot and I'm not suggesting that Grant is literally standing there like a crash test dummy on the sidelines. That said, I don't feel it's pie in the sky stuff to suggest he has been greatly assisted in taking over a team that can more easily hide any possible deficiencies in his make up as a manager due to the existing structure left for him both in terms of the team and the club facilities/staff. The pressure will be there of course but equally the support is there to compensate to some degree.

I don't think Grant is a poor coach - if he was then we would have seen that by now but I think there is a fine but definite line between being obviously competent at your job and then being truly excellent, no one is fantastic 100% of the time hell Wenger and Fergie have all made cock ups but surely most would agree they are two of the best coaches in the world and I'm just not sure Grant falls into their club.

And yes I know with these results it should be easy to say "he's obviously an excellent coach he's done the same as Mourinho with greater problems so he's damn good".

Just now sure if I buy into that idea yet based on these great stats alone.

And I agree with you chippy about the Man Utd game at least that I don't think he did much wrong there tactically - missed the Arse game totally but I got the impression Grant did fine there too.

[Chippy]

Well I don't think it's on Mourinho autopilot and I'm not suggesting that Grant is literally standing there like a crash test dummy on the sidelines. That said, I don't feel it's pie in the sky stuff to suggest he has been greatly assisted in taking over a team that can more easily hide any possible deficiencies in his make up as a manager due to the existing structure left for him both in terms of the team and the club facilities/staff. The pressure will be there of course but equally the support is there to compensate to some degree.

I don't think Grant is a poor coach - if he was then we would have seen that by now but I think there is a fine but definite line between being obviously competent at your job and then being truly excellent, no one is fantastic 100% of the time hell Wenger and Fergie have all made cock ups but surely most would agree they are two of the best coaches in the world and I'm just not sure Grant falls into their club.

And yes I know with these results it should be easy to say "he's obviously an excellent coach he's done the same as Mourinho with greater problems so he's damn good".

Just now sure if I buy into that idea yet based on these great stats alone.

And I agree with you chippy about the Man Utd game at least that I don't think he did much wrong there tactically - missed the Arse game totally but I got the impression Grant did fine there too.

Callista

I dont expect anyone to buy into the excellent coach idea without at least a couple of seasons to assess the job he is doing and the way he has reacted to situations over a reasonable period,

I have not even bought into it myself but do hope that in time he convinces me that he in fact is.

I feel he will get better and better but if I believed in gut feelings then I would be a millionaire by now

All I endeavour to do is urge people to get behind him and have some patience, he has done better than could have been expected so far and no matter who had come in, I doubt they could have done better.

It urks me to keep having every decision he makes questioned when he has done so well and it also bothers me the way people just want to make reference to his un filmstar like looks as if that has any merits to his managerial prowess,

I wouldn't care if John Merrick was the manager here or if he was as media freindly as Howard Hughes as long as we got decent results.

I dont expect everyone to be convinced in 29 games but I do expect Chelsea fans to cut him some slack and give him the credit he is certainly due.

cheers

[loz]

For me it is a moving target for some people.

At the start some expected him to fail miserably and they made that very clear. Then it transpired he didn't so they started to say he is no better than Jose so there was no point in sacking Jose, now he has proved his early form is every bit as good as Jose's was snd so they are reserving judgement until such time as he wins something but whilst reserving judgement they are still always ready and waiting to jump on any sign of weakness that they see such as a disputable substitution.

I don't for a second say he shouldn't be questioned for things like odd changes (or non changes) but I think there needs to be a balance of credit given and criticism awarded and based on results to date he is miles ahead on the credit score. Even when those who are still pretty anti him feel the need to give him some credit it is more often than not tempered with a negative or non commital comment.

[callista]

Chippy:

Callista

I dont expect anyone to buy into the excellent coach idea without at least a couple of seasons to assess the job he is doing and the way he has reacted to situations over a reasonable period,

I have not even bought into it myself but do hope that in time he convinces me that he in fact is.

I feel he will get better and better but if I believed in gut feelings then I would be a millionaire by now

I guess I'm looking at it from the point of view that I want Grant to be proved an excellent coach from the get go. We let a great coach go and I want a great replacement thanks very much not the bosses mate who got lucky (if that's what he turns out to be looking back in a few years time).

When he was appointed I didn't know what to think, like many others, but at the same time I didn't feel the team would fall apart either - it was still the same squad, Clarke stayed, Cate was appointed and after the three or four games it was clear to me he was a safe pair of hands at least and we would be okay but from there on I wasn't really sure what would happen in terms of challenging for the league etc and I was just going to take it a game at a time.

I'm still stuck in "safe pair of hands mode" with Grant but itching to want to be proved that he is in fact underneath all that mysterious dour persona a top class coach that has been hiding out in Israel for the last 20 odd years who no one noticed somewhat amazingly.

I can believe in fairy stories with the best of them and despite my common sense telling me that this appointment happened generally because he was a reasonably competent coach who managed to sweet talk his way into Roman's good books and become a trusted friend. I'm willing to suspend my disbelief if Grant can prove to me he's something more than that but I don't want to be kept waiting too long. Winning the games we have done has not really convinced me of much - other than what I thought before - he's a competent, calm, solid, dependable coach and seems a generally okay guy.

I guess I don't have the patience though to look for vague smoke signals, I don't read half as much into his record being the same as Mourinho's as some do - yes of course it's good but just because it is the same does not mean Grant is the same quality coach. Hell on just sheer superficiality of what you see before you personality wise, if he was in charge of motivating me to get out of bed to go do work in the mornings I'd still be there come lunchtime.

I get the point of loz's comment previously about Grant being a moving target as he continues on his Chelsea journey and there is obvious truth in that but I think it still seems unbelievable to many that someone like Grant with no history of real success in any serious league worth a name can just be one minute putting out cones at Porstmouth and the next possibly challenging on all four fronts in the premiership.

Still it's happened so may be my belief in fairy stories will come true after all.

As for his looks well when he's holding a trophy above his head, I doubt many will be worrying too much about that aspect, in the end that is a mere superficiality.

[Y_dizzie]

I really can't see the problem as being anything Grant has done when looking at the losses away at Old Trafford

I felt the first 20-25 minutes before the sending off was the best football i seen from us until then this season.

If Mikel hadnt been sent off i feel we would probably have won the game or got atleast a draw.

[Chippy]

Callista

I guess I'm looking at it from the point of view that I want Grant to be proved an excellent coach from the get go. We let a great coach go and I want a great replacement thanks very much not the bosses mate who got lucky (if that's what he turns out to be looking back in a few years time).

For someone who wants Grant to be proved excellent and not just the Bosses mate you sure do bring it up a lot

give Roman credit at least that he is not silly enough to just "give the job to a mate" the bloke has proved already that he is an able manager and mate or not it was not a mistake to appoint him once the Roman Jose situation got too much, something had to give and I am thankful Grant was there to pick up the pieces,

When he was appointed I didn't know what to think, like many others, but at the same time I didn't feel the team would fall apart either - it was still the same squad, Clarke stayed, Cate was appointed and after the three or four games it was clear to me he was a safe pair of hands at least and we would be okay but from there on I wasn't really sure what would happen in terms of challenging for the league etc and I was just going to take it a game at a time.

a lot of people did think the team would fall apart and with the players we have lost through injuries and suspensions and now the ACN we could easily have done, I feel more than a safe pair of hands were needed to keep us realistically challenging.

I'm still stuck in "safe pair of hands mode" with Grant but itching to want to be proved that he is in fact underneath all that mysterious dour persona a top class coach that has been hiding out in Israel for the last 20 odd years who no one noticed somewhat amazingly.

Why worry about the mans persona so much? If you want entertaining quips thats fine but he has a sense of humour it's just he also has a tough job and is fully concentrated on it,

I feel his personality will come through once he fully shapes the team and has all his players at his disposal, mind you it wouldn't worry me if he was deaf and dumb so long as he keeps going as he is,

if I want to be entertained, I watch the Football.

the experience thing is getting a slimmer argument than ever as safe hands would surely come with experience but looking at other peoples choices of coach I wonder if the Barca boss enjoyed experiencing relegation before he got that top post or how qualified Ruud was when he got the Chelsea job (and he was superb IMO)

I can believe in fairy stories with the best of them and despite my common sense telling me that this appointment happened generally because he was a reasonably competent coach who managed to sweet talk his way into Roman's good books and become a trusted friend. I'm willing to suspend my disbelief if Grant can prove to me he's something more than that but I don't want to be kept waiting too long. Winning the games we have done has not really convinced me of much - other than what I thought before - he's a competent, calm, solid, dependable coach and seems a generally okay guy.

You think he sweettalked his way into Roman's good books to become his trusted friend unyet his dour boring persona has failed to have such an effect on you and many others...

you dont want to be kept waiting too long whereas I am amazed at how soon we have got a head of steam going?

we do see things very differently.

I guess I don't have the patience though to look for vague smoke signals, I don't read half as much into his record being the same as Mourinho's as some do - yes of course it's good but just because it is the same does not mean Grant is the same quality coach. Hell on just sheer superficiality of what you see before you personality wise, if he was in charge of motivating me to get out of bed to go do work in the mornings I'd still be there come lunchtime.

His job is not to motivate you though is it? and you, I nor most on here can have much idea of his motivation skills although I look at the teams performances for clues,

I get the point of loz's comment previously about Grant being a moving target as he continues on his Chelsea journey and there is obvious truth in that but I think it still seems unbelievable to many that someone like Grant with no history of real success in any serious league worth a name can just be one minute putting out cones at Porstmouth and the next possibly challenging on all four fronts in the premiership.

its odd though how the interpreter at Barca turned out such a good coach, bet he never put a cone out, see what can happen if you give some people a chance?

yes Jose done great at Porto but have they collapsed without him? have a look at the Portugese league table.

Still it's happened so may be my belief in fairy stories will come true after all.

As for his looks well when he's holding a trophy above his head, I doubt many will be worrying too much about that aspect, in the end that is a mere superficiality.

looks really shouldn't even be a part of a football debate IMO.

[g3.7]

f*cking hell.

what's happening with the diana story?

[callista]

Chippy

For someone who wants Grant to be proved excellent and not just the Bosses mate you sure do bring it up a lot

Sure I bring it up a lot because he did get the job solely I feel because he was mate of Roman. I'm not saying I think he's a bad coach but did get the job due to his connections not because of his sparkling CV. I'm not upset about it, things like this happen all the time in business life (in my very office) every day but I don't see what's wrong in admitting the truth. When Mourinho left if Grant had still been at Portsmouth with no link to Roman would we all have yelled "he's the one we need!". Of course not.

give Roman credit at least that he is not silly enough to just "give the job to a mate" the bloke has proved already that he is an able manager and mate or not it was not a mistake to appoint him once the Roman Jose situation got too much, something had to give and I am thankful Grant was there to pick up the pieces,

Why not? Supposedly smart people in business hand out jobs for the boys all the time and it's not based necessarily on the inherent qualities for the job in hand. It doesn't mean they are necessarily incompetent but it doesn't mean they are ultimately right for the job either. They get it because they brown nosed the person required and keep doing it. Why is it so difficult to believe Grant hasn't done the same with Roman? Why if you are wealthy and run a business do people assume you are necessarily always smart and clear thinking with whom you choose to appoint as underlings?

Why worry about the mans persona so much? If you want entertaining quips thats fine but he has a sense of humour it's just he also has a tough job and is fully concentrated on it, I feel his personality will come through once he fully shapes the team and has all his players at his disposal, mind you it wouldn't worry me if he was deaf and dumb so long as he keeps going as he is, if I want to be entertained, I watch the Football.

chippy, please I'm a gal, we go for this superficial "personality" stuff!

You think he sweettalked his way into Roman's good books to become his trusted friend unyet his dour boring persona has failed to have such an effect on you and many others...

Yep I do. Grant has all the charisma to me of a plank of wood but that doesn't mean the guy can't schmooze as if his life depended upon it. And apparently he's renowed for it in Israel and he worked his charms on Roman a few years back and the result is here before us today. If Roman warms to his particular brand of charisma or schmoozability then all power to him, it's his life after all. Just doesn't work on me but then as I'm sure you would suggest it doesn't damn well have to and right now Grant is more than doing the business so who cares.

you dont want to be kept waiting too long whereas I am amazed at how soon we have got a head of steam going? we do see things very differently.

Yes we do see things differently but then if everyone agreed with everyone else on here then it would be pretty dull - like a Grant post match press conference really.

His job is not to motivate you though is it? and you, I nor most on here can have much idea of his motivation skills although I look at the teams performances for clues,

I wish he could get me out of bed in the mornings though, I was late for work yesterday.

Well so far it appears that the team's motivation is unchanged aside from what it was before this arrival so good for him and give the man a gold star.

its odd though how the interpreter at Barca turned out such a good coach, bet he never put a cone out, see what can happen if you give some people a chance?

yes Jose done great at Porto but have they collapsed without him? have a look at the Portugese league table.

You're really stretching a point here I feel.

Jose came to Chelsea with a CV which proved that he had the right to be called an excellent coach, yes he was an interpreter at the start and he was given his chance as you say but after that his rise was very swift - seven years. Grant has no such sparkling CV to fall back on, yes he could well gain one but to date he has earned little of note, he's been coaching in Israel for 20 odd years, knows a lot of people apparently in football (due to said schmoozability above), yet he never found his way out of coaching there to bigger things and this despite knowing enough people that if he was really that talented surely he would have been "given a chance" to make his way to glory like Jose did much earlier on? Only meeting Roman changed that for him, may be it was on merit may be not, may be the guy is a very slow starter? May be there were problems due to race/religion or he didn't fancy moving abroad I don't know. It just seems a bit late in the day at 53 (?) to suddenly discover this guy is in fact the new Arsene Wenger and yet no one knew it until Roman happened to walk by.

However, if he is then great Roman has hit pay dirt twice in four years in the coaching department and he has my congratulations.

And why would Porto collapse without Jose? It's a strong team, with quality players, experience in Europe, the biggest club in it's league, apparently financially secure I believe and a continual supply of good hungry young players which are keen to go there year after year. So no big deal, sure he took some players with him when he left but they recovered so what? I'm sure the Porto fans are just as happy with their club now as they were under Mourinho whilst recognizing his legacy to the club due to the success in Europe. Will Manchester Utd shut up shop when Fergie retires? Did Madrid collapse after Capello left after doing such a good job? Is there life after Mourinho at Chelsea? Well rather like Porto I would say of course there is why on earth not! There are other top class coaches out there, other "special ones". My point is that I just dont know if Grant is the next one to continue that legacy on that's all long term.

[g3.7]

apparently the bodyguard got no compensation for his injuries!

[BLUENUT]

Chippy

For someone who wants Grant to be proved excellent and not just the Bosses mate you sure do bring it up a lot

Sure I bring it up a lot because he did get the job solely I feel because he was mate of Roman. I'm not saying I think he's a bad coach but did get the job due to his connections not because of his sparkling CV. I'm not upset about it, things like this happen all the time in business life (in my very office) every day but I don't see what's wrong in admitting the truth. When Mourinho left if Grant had still been at Portsmouth with no link to Roman would we all have yelled "he's the one we need!". Of course not.

give Roman credit at least that he is not silly enough to just "give the job to a mate" the bloke has proved already that he is an able manager and mate or not it was not a mistake to appoint him once the Roman Jose situation got too much, something had to give and I am thankful Grant was there to pick up the pieces,

Why not? Supposedly smart people in business hand out jobs for the boys all the time and it's not based necessarily on the inherent qualities for the job in hand. It doesn't mean they are necessarily incompetent but it doesn't mean they are ultimately right for the job either. They get it because they brown nosed the person required and keep doing it. Why is it so difficult to believe Grant hasn't done the same with Roman? Why if you are wealthy and run a business do people assume you are necessarily always smart and clear thinking with whom you choose to appoint as underlings?

Why worry about the mans persona so much? If you want entertaining quips thats fine but he has a sense of humour it's just he also has a tough job and is fully concentrated on it, I feel his personality will come through once he fully shapes the team and has all his players at his disposal, mind you it wouldn't worry me if he was deaf and dumb so long as he keeps going as he is, if I want to be entertained, I watch the Football.

chippy, please I'm a gal, we go for this superficial "personality" stuff!

You think he sweettalked his way into Roman's good books to become his trusted friend unyet his dour boring persona has failed to have such an effect on you and many others...

Yep I do. Grant has all the charisma to me of a plank of wood but that doesn't mean the guy can't schmooze as if his life depended upon it. And apparently he's renowed for it in Israel and he worked his charms on Roman a few years back and the result is here before us today. If Roman warms to his particular brand of charisma or schmoozability then all power to him, it's his life after all. Just doesn't work on me but then as I'm sure you would suggest it doesn't damn well have to and right now Grant is more than doing the business so who cares.

you dont want to be kept waiting too long whereas I am amazed at how soon we have got a head of steam going? we do see things very differently.

Yes we do see things differently but then if everyone agreed with everyone else on here then it would be pretty dull - like a Grant post match press conference really.

His job is not to motivate you though is it? and you, I nor most on here can have much idea of his motivation skills although I look at the teams performances for clues,

I wish he could get me out of bed in the mornings though, I was late for work yesterday.

Well so far it appears that the team's motivation is unchanged aside from what it was before this arrival so good for him and give the man a gold star.

its odd though how the interpreter at Barca turned out such a good coach, bet he never put a cone out, see what can happen if you give some people a chance?

yes Jose done great at Porto but have they collapsed without him? have a look at the Portugese league table.

You're really stretching a point here I feel.

Jose came to Chelsea with a CV which proved that he had the right to be called an excellent coach, yes he was an interpreter at the start and he was given his chance as you say but after that his rise was very swift - seven years. Grant has no such sparkling CV to fall back on, yes he could well gain one but to date he has earned little of note, he's been coaching in Israel for 20 odd years, knows a lot of people apparently in football (due to said schmoozability above), yet he never found his way out of coaching there to bigger things and this despite knowing enough people that if he was really that talented surely he would have been "given a chance" to make his way to glory like Jose did much earlier on? Only meeting Roman changed that for him, may be it was on merit may be not, may be the guy is a very slow starter? May be there were problems due to race/religion or he didn't fancy moving abroad I don't know. It just seems a bit late in the day at 53 (?) to suddenly discover this guy is in fact the new Arsene Wenger and yet no one knew it until Roman happened to walk by.

However, if he is then great Roman has hit pay dirt twice in four years in the coaching department and he has my congratulations.

And why would Porto collapse without Jose? It's a strong team, with quality players, experience in Europe, the biggest club in it's league, apparently financially secure I believe and a continual supply of good hungry young players which are keen to go there year after year. So no big deal, sure he took some players with him when he left but they recovered so what? I'm sure the Porto fans are just as happy with their club now as they were under Mourinho whilst recognizing his legacy to the club due to the success in Europe. Will Manchester Utd shut up shop when Fergie retires? Did Madrid collapse after Capello left after doing such a good job? Is there life after Mourinho at Chelsea? Well rather like Porto I would say of course there is why on earth not! There are other top class coaches out there, other "special ones". My point is that I just dont know if Grant is the next one to continue that legacy on that's all long term.

Nice Post Gal

[Chippy]

apparently the bodyguard got no compensation for his injuries!

I dont think the compensation is an issue here,

I would regard the fact that Paul Burrel has dismissed rumours that Diana was to get engaged as the most revealing and noteworthy point.

nice thread hijack mate and much more interesting