Now we must win Champions League

[Chelsea FC Champions]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... 854454.ece

[bonetti]

Red Rom!

what a load of w**k

[Chippy]

It gets laughable

An hotel employee revealed: “We’ve heard Abramovich has booked a whole floor for a few days in May.”

Got a lot of faith has our Rom

[BLUENUT]

Just look at Grant in that photo.......does he look like a man capable of winning the Champions League.

Take your head out of your hands for fu*k sake - we saw enough of that on Sunday!!!

[Chippy]

Just look at Grant in that photo.......does he look like a man capable of winning the Champions League.

Take your head out of your hands for fu*k sake - we saw enough of that on Sunday!!!

Mate is it worth keep directing posts at me that I am impelled to answer because of how you percieve the geezer looks?

I am not interested in appearances or peoples gut feelings or if you think he has an ingrowing toenail,

If 3 losses in thirty odd games does'nt keep a manager in a job then Chelsea's business acumen is as bad as you would have us all believe.

[BLUENUT]

I don't care what he looks like, could be ugly as f*ck for all I care.

But there is alot to be said on how someone carries themself, their demeanour.

What I want is a manager who looks focused, confident, in control and like he looks like he know what he's doing!

Alas we have Grant.

To see your manager walk up and done the touchline with his head in his hands in a cup final tells it's own story for me mate. You can argue all you like, but I saw him with my own eyes on Sunday and the job is too big for him.

We have assembled an expensive squad that is very hard to beat, and have only lost 3 games but the main point is........they were all to our closest rivals when it really mattered!!!

We should beat the likes of Wigan and Sunderland convincingly but when it comes to the crunch, against the big boys in the big games, he's been found out. We haven't beaten a top 6 side all season!!!

Defend him all you like mate but you won't change my opinion of the man, only trophies will do that, and he blew his best chance at the weekend.

I'm not 'Grant bashing' as you put it, just saying what I've thought from day one, he isn't good enough to manage a club as big as we've become. I know it, other Chelsea fans know it, and the players know it too.

As for winning the Champions league...... The only way we'll win it is if it's bent and it's our turn to win

[Chippy]

I don't care what he looks like, could be ugly as f*ck for all I care.

But there is alot to be said on how someone carries themself, their demeanour.

What I want is a manager who looks focused, confident, in control and like he looks like he know what he's doing!

Alas we have Grant.

To see your manager walk up and done the touchline with his head in his hands in a cup final tells it's own story for me mate. You can argue all you like, but I saw him with my own eyes on Sunday and the job is too big for him.

We have assembled an expensive squad that is very hard to beat, and have only lost 3 games but the main point is........they were all to our closest rivals when it really mattered!!!

We should beat the likes of Wigan and Sunderland convincingly but when it comes to the crunch, against the big boys in the big games, he's been found out. We haven't beaten a top 6 side all season!!!

Defend him all you like mate but you won't change my opinion of the man, only trophies will do that, and he blew his best chance at the weekend.

I'm not 'Grant bashing' as you put it, just saying what I've thought from day one, he isn't good enough to manage a club as big as we've become. I know it, other Chelsea fans know it, and the players know it too.

As for winning the Champions league...... The only way we'll win it is if it's bent and it's our turn to win

I never meant you were worried about how handsome he is (although many are )

I meant my feelings are that you read more than I do into his demeanour and how much he has to say on the big stage,

I think he probobly does his bit behind the scenes and I guess Cate is more likely looked on to motivate and gee up the players,

again we argue about things that are only our opinions

what I can't understand is how many times you and many others can say he came unstuck in the big tests without giving any leeway

to circumstances,

see to me the final was his worst game, he set the team out wrong he pandered tpo reputation and he made late subs,

I expect managers to get things wrong sometimes and this so far to me was Grants big one,

now the mitigation I will give him a bit of leeway for,

he wanted to try Anelka and Drogs together and a final with a good win would go a way to get the fans an media on side,

he knew we never had wingers suited to the 4-4-2 and try though he did to give Maouda the chance to play into some form he knew he had not got himself any in time for this game,

he sent out the 4-3-3 wwasting Anelka wide and I doubt Drogba was full fit, if he was he was in one of his moods where he would rather lay down and whinge than hassle for the ball,

He bowed to pressure from the media and played an unfit Lampard (mom in his last start) and an un match fit JT (captain, talisman, motivator) easy mistakes if thats what they indeed were,

He left Joey on the bench too long but we had taken the lead and Bridge's silly handball(only called by the linesman) cost us a goal,

not great defending or goalkeeping led to the second goal.

I have over simplified but there is truth here that can be turned against him or for him depending how much rope you are willing to allow,

UTD was nothing to do with Grant and we were unlucky, all been said before,

Arsenal We failed to take our chances and they nicked one with an unusual error from Cech, not Grants fault,

Liverpool draw, poor game, they swamped midfield, tactical Benitez hard to break down side, Grant could have done better,

Olympiacos, professional away performance, took no chances, seen this boring crap somwhere before, could have done better,

I just cant see anything here to sack a manager for.

[BLUENUT]

At no point in any of those games did we ever look like scoring let alone winning.

We haven't beaten a top 6 side this season.

I'm not asking for him to be sacked, replacing him now would be just silly.

He should never have got the job in the first place, or been named caretaker! He should certainly not take the reigns next season though.

[ethicalstrategy]

I don't care what he looks like, could be ugly as f*ck for all I care.

But there is alot to be said on how someone carries themself, their demeanour.

What I want is a manager who looks focused, confident, in control and like he looks like he know what he's doing!

Alas we have Grant.

To see your manager walk up and done the touchline with his head in his hands in a cup final tells it's own story for me mate. You can argue all you like, but I saw him with my own eyes on Sunday and the job is too big for him.

We have assembled an expensive squad that is very hard to beat, and have only lost 3 games but the main point is........they were all to our closest rivals when it really mattered!!!

We should beat the likes of Wigan and Sunderland convincingly but when it comes to the crunch, against the big boys in the big games, he's been found out. We haven't beaten a top 6 side all season!!!

Defend him all you like mate but you won't change my opinion of the man, only trophies will do that, and he blew his best chance at the weekend.

I'm not 'Grant bashing' as you put it, just saying what I've thought from day one, he isn't good enough to manage a club as big as we've become. I know it, other Chelsea fans know it, and the players know it too.

As for winning the Champions league...... The only way we'll win it is if it's bent and it's our turn to win

I know it!

[Chippy]

At no point in any of those games did we ever look like scoring let alone winning.

We haven't beaten a top 6 side this season.

I'm not asking for him to be sacked, replacing him now would be just silly.

He should never have got the job in the first place, or been named caretaker! He should certainly not take the reigns next season though.

I know what your saying and dead right, sacking him now would be stupid but giving him till the end of the season leaves a bit of time to see how he go's on the way, If we start to get better, no way can he be sacked until he has had a chance to bring in players and gel them together,

if then he fails he should go(IMO)

I wont argue that he should'nt have got the Job, too big a risk but again since he's had it he has proved the risk was quite well calculated and just might have been worth taking, we dont know either way for sure yet.

The not looking like scoring is a bit harsh, The Utd game you include as I said cant really be included,

The Arsenal game I feel we looked as likely or more likely than they did,

Liverpool.....Total Crap but they as I said played for it and how surprised could we be that they got it against any manager?

Everton, 1-1 we looked like scoring about twelve times done them Home and away in the CC

whatever we could go on and on lets see what we can argue about after the Hammers game

[BLUENUT]

Arsenal had a couple of goals disallowed, did we have a shot?

[Chippy]

Arsenal had a couple of goals disallowed, did we have a shot?

Do you think they were Goals then, defenders are meant to step up

I think we had a few chances on the day Sweepy could easy have scored and Sheva headed one at the keeper that he shoud have put away,

shall we leave it till after the Wet Spam game,

must be something there we can disagree about, I recon the grass will be orange

[forbzy]

Chippy I will agree with you to a certain extent regarding the Arsenal game. Even Arsenal fans that I know thought we were unlucky not to get a draw out of that game. We did create a few chances and SWP should have scored. Arsenal's chances were limited to counter attacks for most of the second half.

Having said that the performance reminded me of the Ranieri era. We played well enough for parts of the game but had nothing to show for it at the end. You have to admit that Jose had a knack of getting a result out of games like that. Look at last season for example. A similar type of game but we managed to get an equalizer and walk away with a proud draw despite playing a large part of the game with 10 men. That is the difference. We can compete under Grant because we have a great squad but it looks as though he is missing that extra quality that is needed to win the games that matter.

[Chippy]

Chippy I will agree with you to a certain extent regarding the Arsenal game. Even Arsenal fans that I know thought we were unlucky not to get a draw out of that game. We did create a few chances and SWP should have scored. Arsenal's chances were limited to counter attacks for most of the second half.

Having said that the performance reminded me of the Ranieri era. We played well enough for parts of the game but had nothing to show for it at the end. You have to admit that Jose had a knack of getting a result out of games like that. Look at last season for example. A similar type of game but we managed to get an equalizer and walk away with a proud draw despite playing a large part of the game with 10 men. That is the difference. We can compete under Grant because we have a great squad but it looks as though he is missing that extra quality that is needed to win the games that matter.

agreeing with parts of my quote and then again coming back with something I have done my best to convey my views of the answer to is getting a bit much,

I'll try again

I think the players we had available for that game and the time the manager has had with them plus my feeling that Arsenal are better this term to me meant it was more difficult to get a result,

the mistake by Cech was very costly.

To say Grant lacks the quality to win games that matters is (to me) absurd, do you think the win away at Valencia did'nt matter?

do you think the wins Home and Away against Everton in the CC Semi did'nt matter?

All games in the premiership and Champions league are very very important and none are easy,

yes he lost a game to Wenger that mattered but in hindsight I doubt Wenger feels the game he lost because he rested players to put out his best side against us did'nt matter, I bet it mattered to Gareth Southgate.

we have a great squad true, but Grant has only had it available to him once.

it's like a virus catching on here, the man has lost three games in charge of Chelsea and played about thirty that did'nt matter

[forbzy]

Of course every game matters Chippy and Grant should take credit for maintaining our consistency in the league outside of those games previously discussed. I respect your viewpoint but I'm just putting forward my opinion which based on what I've seen. In the past I always used to believe we could find our way back into games against any team even when we went a goal down. I don't currently have that same confidence under Grant. He needs to show he can beat the likes of Arsenal or United in a league game. He will have a chance to do (hopefully with a pretty full squd) that in the coming weeks and hopefully will prove us doubters wrong. Wins against West ham and Olympiakos will at least help to stop the boat rocking for the time being.

I will accept that he is also on a hiding to nothing following on from the most successful manager in our history. Unless he wins at least a Cup this season he will inevitably find himself compared unfavourably to Jose. I think he could have lessened that impact if we were truely playing attractive football (even without the results) but we really haven't changed our style drastically up to this point no matter what he tries to make us believe.

[c3blu]

I know i said we should'nt keep going back to JM but how can you say AG cant be sacked because of his 'record' when JM's record breaking trophy winning 3 yrs were not good enough and it was time for a change of direction .

[Chippy]

I know i said we should'nt keep going back to JM but how can you say AG cant be sacked because of his 'record' when JM's record breaking trophy winning 3 yrs were not good enough and it was time for a change of direction .

You likely already know my feelings on this and they are only my opinion but in a nutshell again they are..

JMs record was great but immaterial in that he is now gone, my feeling that we had gradually got worse under JM is again immaterial as the

only Definate here is he and Roman could'nt work together, Fault is again immaterial we can't be judge and jury and it was Romans right to replace him even at that ridiculas stage of the season.

The new man Roman appointed was not a choice I would have made but any new man would need time to stamp his mark on any team,

that would meen getting through as best he can with the players available finding their strengths and weaknesses and trying to play them to their strengths,

This would take time with any team but more time with a team wrecked by injuries and then with four first teamers at the ACN in a crucial stage,

Player injuries were massive and the loss of Drogba huge but first game was OT and without a training session with the players Grant watched on as Mikel showed him one of his weakneses, the rest of that game he learned little about the team,

He settles the squad and although not showing any great new style as he had brought no new players in to complement a new style they do ok,

the full backs are getting forward well and the team appears to attack almost in packs, these type of performances pop up here and there with some Jose style ground out results along the way, even a great drubbing of Man City who are playing well under Sven,

The Christmas period would be a tough test in these circumstances where we as fans could expect things to go bad but to be fair a first season in charge would be a transition where the new man learns about his players and then brings in his own addition to complement the squad in the Summer,

If he had done ok in his first season high hopes would be with him for the new.

But this is Grant and we are Chelsea fans who have been spoilt by success, Grant loses 2 games in very harsh circumstances to two teams who are playing the best football they have for a few seasons and sitting top 2 in the League,

heres how I imagine things have gone, forgive my little story mode

he equals Chelseas 9 game winning run and has us clinging to their coat tails in the league and he keeps us in the CC where both of thes with their full squads to choiose from have crashed out of.

Get more points over Christmas than anyone else and keeps us in all competitions,

He trys to play in Jose's style a bit and tinkers here and there but cant put Liverpool away as they crowd the midfield,

He sets the team similarly against Olympiacos, a team who have beaten Real Madrid and Lazio already in the CL and with a professional bore draw comes away confident of winning it at home.

Disaster and confusion strikes when he finally has a full squad to choose from for the CC final,

He's like a kid in a sweatshop, the media are on it "Grant may not start JT and Lamps the spine of Jose's team" if he trys that and loses he will be slaughtered, "will Grant ever play Drogba and Anelka together" if he does'nt he will be slaughtered,

Grant thinks...Alex has been great..hmm Ballack also..hmmm, are you fit JT, yes boss and right up for this to motivate our boys, leave it to me, Grant hmm,

Lamps you played well against lowly Huddersfield how do you feel, I am at the top of my game guv, two goals under my belt and cant believe I only got five minutes in Greece,

Grant has a dillemma, the fans love these two and they are well up for this, Everone even Grant wants to see the two Strikers together up front but Grant feels his wide boys are not up to the 4-4-2, he tried and tried with Malouda thinking he may be the most natural winger but he could not play him into any sort of form, two good passes in three games were not cup final form,

I will do with Nic what Jose sometimes done with Sheva, play him wide and let him run around a lot with risk he wont score and be slaughtered by the fans but with the tactic of Cech booting the ball up the field as far as he can for that Drogba bloke, I think that used to work.

The game kicks off and Chelsea look flat, spurs are quick to every ball and well up for their first trophy in nine years after thrashing Arsenal in the Semi,

Belletti in the first half plays as if he's in the park with his kids as does Frank, SWP back out wide is in (i think) Zakoras pocket and Anelka is out wide wishing the ACN was a longer tournament.

Drogba is seeing a lot of Cech passes but mainly going to ground as he maybe wishes he'd done better in the ACN, Joey is on the bench

wondering when any of our managers will see he is one of the "spine" we are looking for,

after some scarey moments at our end Drogs stands up long enough to hit a decent free kick past the static robbo and we try to sit on the leed, soon enough Bridgey has a ball to arm moment but an undeniable penalty,

sack the Goalie.....Berbatov makes a stop start run and its 1-1.

Cech saves a clear goal (you've goty to face it sometimes) but soon enough he cant quite get te ball from Keans head and it bobbles into our net.

JT gives an animated team talk to try to get the boys goinf and Grant leaves it to him, second half of extra time it seems to have worked,

Grants subs are late and only Joey makes a difference, he looks the best player out there for the last fifteen minuteswhere we are all over them, Kalou is looking likely when the ref strangely with an attack on blows his whistle.

again very over simplyfied but You get the drift of my take on the season so far. I dont state it as fact, just what I percieve.

For these reasons I feel Grant deserves more time.