Essien For Real Madrid

[Guest Brian M]

Essien For Real Madrid

Watch live television from Ghana, the latest Ghanaian movies and OBE TV.

Michael Essien is considering his future with English side with Real Madrid his likely destination, according to reports.

The midfielder as well as Didier Drogba and Ricardo Carvalho are believed to be unhappy at the current regime at Stamford Bridge after last week's League Cup defeat to Tottenham.

According to reports in 'News of the World', the trio lead a gang of Stamford Bridge stars all ready to leave the west London title-chasers if owner Roman Abramovich decides to keep faith with manager Avram Grant.

Reports of disharmony at Chelsea emerged after their disappointing Carling Cup defeat to Tottenham and a source told the News of the World: "There are a lot of players asking a lot of questions about Grant.

"If he's here next season, then a lot of the big names will be out the door.

"There is no real faith in him - and many of the players don't think he's capable of making the big decisions.

Lampard and Drogba - who was left out of the 4-0 win at West Ham yesterday - are targets for Barcelona while Essien and Carvalho are interesting Real Madrid.

[Chippy]

Essien For Real Madrid

Watch live television from Ghana, the latest Ghanaian movies and OBE TV.

Michael Essien is considering his future with English side with Real Madrid his likely destination, according to reports.

The midfielder as well as Didier Drogba and Ricardo Carvalho are believed to be unhappy at the current regime at Stamford Bridge after last week's League Cup defeat to Tottenham.

According to reports in 'News of the World', the trio lead a gang of Stamford Bridge stars all ready to leave the west London title-chasers if owner Roman Abramovich decides to keep faith with manager Avram Grant.

Reports of disharmony at Chelsea emerged after their disappointing Carling Cup defeat to Tottenham and a source told the News of the World: "There are a lot of players asking a lot of questions about Grant.

"If he's here next season, then a lot of the big names will be out the door.

"There is no real faith in him - and many of the players don't think he's capable of making the big decisions.

Lampard and Drogba - who was left out of the 4-0 win at West Ham yesterday - are targets for Barcelona while Essien and Carvalho are interesting Real Madrid.

Brian,

Mate it's nearly as easy to find some positive stuff out there if you look around

Still lets not try to lift the gloom if we can possibly find some more ways to wallow in it shall we

[Guest Brian M]

Posting this sort of stuff is not wallowing. Thought it was interesting to read that Essien is mentioned as being on the move, in a news network in Ghana, is all.

And please don't try to hijack the high-ground on who's positive and who's not, mate. Don't confuse the 'grant out' camp with being a 'negative Chelsea' camp. Because we're not. We're just realistic enough to know that Grant is not the guy to take us forward, no matter what happens from now until the end of the season.

[Guest]

He was poor against Tottenham and therefore should be sold immediately...........

[Guest Brian M]

He was poor against Tottenham and therefore should be sold immediately...........

Qaz, I was half expecting Dorset to pick you up on this, but I might as well say it: an ellipsis only ever has three dots. As in...

Not.............................................

Because more dots does not equal more emphasis.

If bored with dots, try *** instead.

Oh, and Essien has been crap all season, NOT just against Sp*rs. Especially after JM left. And no, I don't think we should sell him.

[barak81]

He was poor against Tottenham and therefore should be sold immediately...........

Qaz, I was half expecting Dorset to pick you up on this, but I might as well say it: an ellipsis only ever has three dots. As in...

Not.............................................

Because more dots does not equal more emphasis.

If bored with dots, try *** instead.

Oh, and Essien has been crap all season, NOT just against Sp*rs. Especially after JM left. And no, I don't think we should sell him.

Dude, its a football forum, not an english camp!...........................................................................

....................................................................!!!!!!!*&*****$^*#%^&*#%^%^&!!!!

i hope this emphasises things enough

[Guest]

He was poor against Tottenham and therefore should be sold immediately...........

Qaz, I was half expecting Dorset to pick you up on this, but I might as well say it: an ellipsis only ever has three dots. As in...

Not.............................................

Because more dots does not equal more emphasis.

If bored with dots, try *** instead.

Oh, and Essien has been crap all season, NOT just against Sp*rs. Especially after JM left. And no, I don't think we should sell him.

I'm happy the way I wrote it, thanx...........................................................................

...............................................

[Guest Brian M]

i hope this emphasises things enough

The lady doth protest too much, methinks.

[Chippy]

Posting this sort of stuff is not wallowing. Thought it was interesting to read that Essien is mentioned as being on the move, in a news network in Ghana, is all.

And please don't try to hijack the high-ground on who's positive and who's not, mate. Don't confuse the 'grant out' camp with being a 'negative Chelsea' camp. Because we're not. We're just realistic enough to know that Grant is not the guy to take us forward, no matter what happens from now until the end of the season.

Brian

I realise you found the artical interesting mate and fair do's but I just wonder why out of the overload of Chelsea related articals on the Web it seems to be the negative ones that get peoples attention,

not moral high ground, just my bloody glass half full mentality

We both know where we stand on the Grant thing and I find it good fun to offer our different opinions on it in our (usually) good natured way,

Its just guilty even if proven innocent is not a Judicial system I am comfortable with

[Guest Brian M]

Keep holding the glass half full up high, Chippy! I really understand where you're coming from. Rewind 3 odd years and replace me for you, and replace Grant for Claudio. I was his staunchest supporter. But as good as he was (is), the change for Jose was a good one for Chelsea.

I think the Grant situation will play out much the same.

[Chippy]

Keep holding the glass half full up high, Chippy! I really understand where you're coming from. Rewind 3 odd years and replace me for you, and replace Grant for Claudio. I was his staunchest supporter. But as good as he was (is), the change for Jose was a good one for Chelsea.

I think the Grant situation will play out much the same.

I still to this day believe Claudio would have won things here had he been kept on,

His worst game in the CL came about while he was a dead man walking with Jose waiting in the wings and I feel he had an nervous attack of some sort

Yes I believe Jose may have got us winning more and sooner but three things stand out as being very different to me in this situation,

firstly, I doubt there is another Mourinho waiting to step into the Job and I feel the Job Jose stepped into was easier anyway as the team (IMO) was stronger ad had the mentality of being on the up, the opposition was not as strong either, again (IMO)

Secondly Claudio had although done well and had us finish 2nd and CL semi in his time here he had long enough with the team where mistakes like the CL one should have not been made, Nerves would not cut it with anyone but his most ardent supporters,

Thirdly and to me most importantly, Roman gave Grant a Job to do and he has done it up to now very well, the team must have been very hard to motivate after losing Jose and also we all know about the Injuries, suspensions and ACN,

If in any walk of life, you are given a Job (not to mention a long contract) and you do it well, then in my opinion you should keep that Job until your performance is not good enough for a reasonable period of time.

The mistakes Grant has made not only have not happened regularly enough to earn him the sack but they have coinsided with terrible player performances as we witnessed in the CC final,

I believe that we could have won that game, with that undeniably wrong set up if the players had been up for it,

It can be argued that Grant never got them motivated and yes if true a mistake but if thats so he done the right thing in the very next game and helped the players put the loss behind them and get on with the rest of the season.

It (again IMO) would be better for us to say things like "I dont think Grant is up for the Job but lets see what happens and get behind him and the team until at least the end of the season" .

Thats my way of looking at it but I would also say that since he's been here he has lost less games than the two managers above him which is not a bad record (only my guess, not checked it).

[Y_dizzie]

Brian:We're just realistic enough to know that Grant is not the guy to take us forward, no matter what happens from now until the end of the season.

You say no matter what happens from now until the end of the season.

So what if we win PL and CL, should we still get rid of him then?

[ethicalstrategy]

firstly, I doubt there is another Mourinho waiting to step into the Job

The is only one Special One, of course, but there are other managers out there who have proven track records as good as Mourinho.

and I feel the Job Jose stepped into was easier anyway as the team (IMO) was stronger ad had the mentality of being on the up, the opposition was not as strong either, again (IMO)

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.

Thirdly and to me most importantly, Roman gave Grant a Job to do and he has done it up to now very well, the team must have been very hard to motivate after losing Jose and also we all know about the Injuries, suspensions and ACN.

If in any walk of life, you are given a Job (not to mention a long contract) and you do it well, then in my opinion you should keep that Job until your performance is not good enough for a reasonable period of time.

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 mistakes Grant has made not only have not happened regularly enough to earn him the sack but they have coinsided with terrible player performances as we witnessed in the CC final,

I believe that we could have won that game, with that undeniably wrong set up if the players had been up for it,

It can be argued that Grant never got them motivated and yes if true a mistake but if thats so he done the right thing in the very next game and helped the players put the loss behind them and get on with the rest of the season.

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.

It (again IMO) would be better for us to say things like "I dont think Grant is up for the Job but lets see what happens and get behind him and the team until at least the end of the season" .

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.

Thats my way of looking at it but I would also say that since he's been here he has lost less games than the two managers above him which is not a bad record (only my guess, not checked it).

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!

.

[wicksy]

Posting this sort of stuff is not wallowing. Thought it was interesting to read that Essien is mentioned as being on the move, in a news network in Ghana, is all.

.

As far as I'm concerned you are right to report such rumours. I also believe there's no smoke without fire in this case. Even recent reports on Chelsea tv have alluded to problems between the players and Grant. Roman has apparently been making frequent visits to the training ground as he is concerned at what's going on. We'll probably never know the full story, just as we never did with José, but the indications are that the players (well some of them anyway) have a problem with Grant.

I believe Grant must go, otherwise some of our top players will... and I know which I'd prefer!

[Chippy]

Ethical

I wont reply to most of your post mate, not for any reason other than you and me have been through this about fourty five times already

you know the stuff, where you tell me Grant had been given the better squad than Jose was given and I counter with "not in my opinion and definately not with the injuries and ACN"

I dont know about there being only one special one out thre although there is only one Jose, I think he was a good manager and there are more of them out there, that said I amd not sure any would have done a better Job than Grant so far has.

Jose lost only one premiership game in his first season here as you say and that was good but I dont recall the team having circumstances stacked against them like the team has this season,

Grant came in and has equalled one record so far with an injury hit team and fair play to him for that.

The attractive Football bit as I would have thought you would agree, at the very least Grant would need all the players available to find the ones to fit a more stylish system and realistically (to me anyway) to change the style he will need a summer Transfer window and close season to be able to do anything more than a gradual change,

It would be suicide to try to change too much too soon.

I'm sure you could look back to any of our previous discussions if I missed anything as it's all been said before.

Cheers

[just]

Jose lost only one premiership game in his first season here as you say and that was good but I dont recall the team having circumstances stacked against them like the team has this season

Chippy, you forget Jose had one mammoth obstacle to overcome. One that no Chelsea manager had been able to overcome for 50 years. The lack of a Title. It was a huge pyschological barrier.

I know I never thought I would ever see it achieved during my lifetime. I still felt like that under the management of Claudio, even after the arrival of Roman and all his money. Money alone does not buy you the title. Just ask Newcastle, who were the biggest overall EPL spenders prior to Abramovich's reign. And I know many other fans who felt the same way. There was a distinct lack of belief that we could win the "big one" both within the supporters and the players themselves. Where Ranieri spoke about "building and foundations" and reminded everyone how United and Arsenal were better than us, Mourinho was the complete opposite. He changed the mindset of the fans and the players almost immediately. He made us all believe. That was some feat.

[Chippy]

Jose lost only one premiership game in his first season here as you say and that was good but I dont recall the team having circumstances stacked against them like the team has this season

Chippy, you forget Jose had one mammoth obstacle to overcome. One that no Chelsea manager had been able to overcome for 50 years. The lack of a Title. It was a huge pyschological barrier.

I know I never thought I would ever see it achieved during my lifetime. I still felt like that under the management of Claudio, even after the arrival of Roman and all his money. Money alone does not buy you the title. Just ask Newcastle, who were the biggest overall EPL spenders prior to Abramovich's reign. And I know many other fans who felt the same way. There was a distinct lack of belief that we could win the "big one" both within the supporters and the players themselves. Where Ranieri spoke about "building and foundations" and reminded everyone how United and Arsenal were better than us, Mourinho was the complete opposite. He changed the mindset of the fans and the players almost immediately. He made us all believe. That was some feat.

Just

good point mate and one I had not taken into concideration,

Another plus for Jose then but not one that would make me any less impressed by what Grant is managing to achieve so far,

You dont have to tell me money does'nt buy the title, you might be better off reading the last few posts in the "why so quiet" thread where people seem to be starting to expect Grant to win it now as we've still got the big home games coming up

[Guest]

Chippy, you forget Jose had one mammoth obstacle to overcome. One that no Chelsea manager had been able to overcome for 50 years. The lack of a Title. It was a huge pyschological barrier.

Fair point Just, however you could counter that by saying that this meant the players at Chelsea were hungrier for success.

[just]

Chippy, you forget Jose had one mammoth obstacle to overcome. One that no Chelsea manager had been able to overcome for 50 years. The lack of a Title. It was a huge pyschological barrier.

Fair point Just, however you could counter that by saying that this meant the players at Chelsea were hungrier for success.

Er, and you could counter, counter that by saying Jose got those same players to go out and win it again the very next season!!!!!

[loz]

I don't think even the most anti Mourinho person (i.e the whole of Liverpool) could deny that Jose brought a winning mentality to Chelsea that was previously not there.

[dkw]

thats exactly right loz. ranieri had a very talented bunch and had them playing pretty good football. but he never seemed to me to be the one to win things for us. jose came in, and immediately you could see he was a winner.

[c3blu]

Good points about JM turning us into winners, he breathed confidence into the players.

I remember under CR when we were playing Arsenal and he was asked how we would stop Henry, and CR said something like 'its impossible to stop him, perhaps we need a gun'. (we lost that game)

The same question put to JM the following season and he confidently replies, 'thats easy, we have JT' (we won that game with Henry in JT's pocket).

Its silly little things like that that can make the difference to the players mentality.

He made us all believe, fans included. I go in hope more than anything now, and even with our record against spurs i and many,many other fans felt the same on the day of the CC final.

This is why some players may want to leave, but more improtantly this is why many fans want rid of Grant.

[ethicalstrategy]

Jose lost only one premiership game in his first season here as you say and that was good but I dont recall the team having circumstances stacked against them like the team has this season

Chippy, you forget Jose had one mammoth obstacle to overcome. One that no Chelsea manager had been able to overcome for 50 years. The lack of a Title. It was a huge pyschological barrier.

I know I never thought I would ever see it achieved during my lifetime. I still felt like that under the management of Claudio, even after the arrival of Roman and all his money. Money alone does not buy you the title. Just ask Newcastle, who were the biggest overall EPL spenders prior to Abramovich's reign. And I know many other fans who felt the same way. There was a distinct lack of belief that we could win the "big one" both within the supporters and the players themselves. Where Ranieri spoke about "building and foundations" and reminded everyone how United and Arsenal were better than us, Mourinho was the complete opposite. He changed the mindset of the fans and the players almost immediately. He made us all believe. That was some feat.

Exactly. You either have it or you don't. Claudio doesn't. Grant doesn't. Jose does.

[Chippy]

We've had all this Winners and losers stuff many times and although Jose was undoubtably in his time with us a winner more often than not, that is'nt to say circumstances dont play a big part,

As I have said before in my opinion Winners can be losers if circumstances go against them and losers can be winners if circumstances are in their favour,

Circumstances (i.e the players coming back and Grant not being sure of his best team or system) plus JT annd FL and the dillema they caused, made the manager make mistakes, the players then were just not sharp and hey presto, circumstances have made Ramos a winner,

We dont call Jose a loser because we did'nt win the laegue last year, or the CL in his three years unyet Grant is a loser because we did'nt win the Carling Cup.

most seem to believe what they want to believe without giving the man time to win them over.

[ethicalstrategy]

We've had all this Winners and losers stuff many times and although Jose was undoubtably in his time with us a winner more often than not, that is'nt to say circumstances dont play a big part,

As I have said before in my opinion Winners can be losers if circumstances go against them and losers can be winners if circumstances are in their favour,

Circumstances (i.e the players coming back and Grant not being sure of his best team or system) plus JT annd FL and the dillema they caused, made the manager make mistakes, the players then were just not sharp and hey presto, circumstances have made Ramos a winner,

We dont call Jose a loser because we did'nt win the laegue last year, or the CL in his three years unyet Grant is a loser because we did'nt win the Carling Cup.

most seem to believe what they want to believe without giving the man time to win them over.

The reason we get the winner and loser thing so often is because it is highly pertinent to the discussion about whether Grant has what it takes.

Being a winner isn't about "never" losing Chippy. It's about getting the job done more often than not when it really matters. Mourinho has a track record of achievement, not just at Chelsea but with Porto before us.

We don't call him a loser because he won 2 league titles in three years along with 3 other trophies I sometimes feel that some people don't see this as the magnificent achievement that it clearly was.

It is a lot easier to accept losing on occasion when that is balanced with some wins too. Especially if those wins are the PL.

Interesting to hear that you think it was JT and Frank who "made" Grant make a mistake in the CC team selection. You really portray him as a man who knows his own mind! That sounds a rather desperate argument mate.

Having said all that, Mourinho is really not that relevant to any assessment of Grant. Grant needs to be judged on his own merits as he will always fall short when compared to Jose - and there's no shame in that.

On the positive side: so far he has proved that he is a more than competent manager. He has guided us through a difficult period and kept us in contention on, until recently, 4 fronts.

On the negative side: He has shown some fallibility when it comes to making changes during matches that aren't going our way and his record against the better teams is not that impressive. In the big cup final he made a pig's ear of the selection/formation and wasn't able to turn it around.

He was a choice which was unexpected because of his lack of credentials and to date he has done nothing to show that he has what it takes to make the difference between competing and winning.

The problem with backing him through the summer and giving him the funds and the opportunity to create "his own" team is having the confidence that he would be successful. If he isn't then the club will have spent the best part of two years going backwards.

I think it would be a huge gamble - absolutely huge.