Here we are April 6th, and the business end of the season is fast approaching. Chelsea currently sit three points off the top of the Premier League, and a Champions League quarter final against Fenerbahce is their next game at Stamford Bridge.
The Turkish outfit arrive in the capital 2-1 ahead from the first leg, but with the away goal which often turns out to be crucial in European ties, Chelsea are red-hot favourites to progress to the semi-finals.
With five Premier League games still to play and the gap at the top only three points with Manchester United still to play Arsenal and yet to visit the Bridge, Chelsea seem to be in a very good position to claim a magnificent double haul of trophies.
Happy times at Stamford Bridge you might think, but a certain section of the Chelsea faithful are still calling for the manager to be sacked.
A certain chief sports writer of a national newspaper today claimed he had a discussion with a section of Chelsea supporters and they had this to say:
"We hope we don't win either the League title or the Champions League, at least we can get rid of Avram Grant."
What a moronic thing to say, every club in England bar Manchester United would gladly swap places with Chelsea right now. The title could yet end up in west London and they are closing in on the Champions League final, yet that is still not enough for the Avram-haters to give the guy a break.
Rumours of dressing room discontent and players threatening to go on strike have circulated Stamford Bridge ever since the Israeli coach was appointed full-time manager in the wake of Jose Mourinho's shock departure.
Jose Mourinho was an immensely popular figure at Chelsea, and was the darling of the English press, a charming man with an infectious personality, a super confident individual and out-spoken character he was a headline makers dream and interviewers couldn't get enough of the charismatic genius from Portugal.
Back to back titles in his first two seasons alongside an FA Cup and a League Cup meant he will always be a hero at Chelsea, although the Champions League eluded him in his time there, failing to overcome Barcelona and Liverpool in the knock-out stages.
Avram Grant is in many ways the opposite of Mourinho, a quiet, unassuming man, he never runs up and down the touchline celebrating goals. He tends to keep his emotions under wraps and is a diplomatic speaker, not one to invite controversy, he doesn't crave the spotlight in the way Mourinho did.
However compare Mourinho's win percentage at Chelsea alongside Grants and there aint that much difference between the two men.
Fans booing and calling for the manager to be replaced has become common-place in the lower regions of the Premier League, a sad reflection of the way the modern game is heading, with the financial strain of staying in the top flight.
Mid-table clubs with under performing and under achieving players find their fans calling for change.
However Chelsea are currently enjoying an unprecedented run of success, and their players are not under performing or under achieving, they are in the mix for the top honours in world club football.
They have a squad bursting with ability and flair, full of international players with experience and proven Premier League performers. So this begs the question, what is it that the Chelsea fans actually want?
Do they want a new manager to come in and reshuffle the squad bringing in his own players, and to have a transitional period while he stamps his authority on the team?
Or do they prefer a continuation of the clubs recent success with maybe a few trophies thrown into the mix?
I genuinely don't see where the Avram-haters are coming from, so my message to Chelsea fans is this: Jose has gone and he aint coming back.
So just be careful what you wish for!!
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3 months ago
I love this article...
Not enough souls take a stand and this does, it challenges to take sides to go with the writer or not, loved the article...
Alby Jnr
from 3 months ago
Thanks Alby, appreciate the compliment.
3 months ago
Well written Chris. I'll leave it to the Chelsea fans to answer this one.
3 months ago
I'm a Chelsea fan and i sure as hell want Grant OUT!! While i appreciate the fact that we're 2nd in the league and still within a shot, i think most of it is down to star-studded squad that we posses. Had a better manager been in charge instead of Grant, i believe he would've turned many of our draws into wins, kept hold of the countless leads we've thrown away. Eg, Fenerbache, Spurs (twice), Villa just to name a few. Hence, we would've been closer to Man Utd or above them.
Having said that, i would NOT want sacrifice a potential league or CL trophy just get him out. Fans that say that are not real fans. Those people want constant success and achieve it easily & immiediatly. Although, i firmly believe Grant will not be here next season, regardless of how things pan out this season. He's already shown he can't handle: the arrogant personalities we posses, pressure at big games ( we've won ONE all season) - Arsenal being the only team we've beaten in top 7 -
I hope he is relieved of his duties in the summer and maybe he can get his old job back.
from 3 months ago
I agree that most real fans would NOT sacrifice success to get Grant out, although you do hear a lot of people saying things like “I hope Chelsea don’t win the Champions League so we can get a manager that can win it in”. Hmmm, so these fans don’t want to win the Champions League…so that they can get a manager that CAN win the Champions League!! This doesn’t even make sense!
I also agree that he hasn’t made the best out of the big games he’s had so far but this could change if he beats Man Utd at Stamford Bridge and maybe finally beats Liverpool in the CL semis (if they both get there).
If he wins the Premiership and/or CL then I don’t see how you could really sack him. Especially as he just got a 4 year contract recently. I think Abramovich would like to keep him as he causes less trouble (than Mourinho) and is easier to control (in terms of tactics, transfers, etc). However, keeping him on will only be made easier if he actually wins something.
3 months ago
When you are a manager of a team like Chelsea, the people want a person that connects with them on the same level of thinking. They want a coach to make changes that are ideal to what the people want. He (Grant) has been making random changes, some being good and some being bad. His perspective of the game is not well observed by the fans. Another note on why the people dislike him, is because of the play style. He has changed the whole system on how Chelsea was ran under JM. It is a more defensive team, restricting the play on the players, and most Chelsea fans will agree on this. They want pure attacking, goals, goals, goals. He has also played players in wrong positions, which brings the confidence of the team as a whole spiraling downwards. While he may or may not succeed in obtaining any silverware will not matter. The fans don't like him, and whatever the fans wish it happens. But I think his play will decline, and I see Chelsea losing the semi-final place to Fenerbahce. If they play like they did in the second half, which will most likely happen, with more attacking options this time around as well. Fenerbahce is capable of scoring when needed, and they will press on our defense and will attack. The Turkish outfit plays in a league that is based on defense so they will be used to it. So Mr. Avram Grant, get out of here, because you're coaching abilities are ruthless.
from 3 months ago
I dont think Chelsea will lose at home to Fenerbache. I doubt whether Grant will keep his job even if he wins the Champions League, but I still dont understand why.
3 months ago
Chris Kirk conveniently doesn't mention the fact that Avram Grant (so far) seems to freeze on the big occasion. He has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in a number of games with inept substitutions and a lack of urgency on the touchline. Grant reminds me a bit of Sven Goran Ericksson with his lack of passion, lousy substitutions and inability to inspire his team to raelly go that last 10%. Aside from that he has no style and gives the most boring interviews in the Premiership! GRANT OUT!
3 months ago
Well, I agree with the Article, where were we 4 seasons ago? Certainly not in the position we are in today and I think a lot of so-called Chelsea 'Fans' forget that.
Grant gives boring interviews? Who cares? Oh, is that what it's about - entertaining interviews? Please! That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard.
I agree we are conceding more goals and are losing more leads, but at the end of the day, let's see what happens on Tuesday and also wait until after the last few games of the EPL before we judge further.
3 months ago
No manager on Earth, so that excludes Brain Clough, could have gotten Chelsea into the position they are in now, under the circumstances of the mid-season upheaval. I think all Chelsea fans thought Jose was the best ever and that when he left, Chelsea would crumble. However, MOST of us Chelsea fans gave Avram a fair chance. Now we are just sitting back and watching the others eat humble pie. We are winning on both fronts and maybe two more by the end of the season.
Rob. http://www.Soccer8.net/
3 months ago
Well written article, I think many fans need to take a look at themselves this season and ask what's required of them, Chelsea included.
3 months ago
no manager can make the stupid changes Avram Grant makes.chealsea's defeat by Ferbanache shows Grant's incompetence.He should be sack at the end of the season.
from 3 months ago
Well i am sure it wont be happy for you to hear this but i am afraid it is not grent's fault that made chelsea lose the game against fenerbahce, the truth is that fenerbahce is a strong team and they have the strength to defeat any team. It is because they trust their coach ZICO and they have the faith to make the succes in any match they play...
3 months ago
i am a manchester united fan and ill be happy to see avram grant around next season because he is tactically, i guess, less competent than other managers in the premiership
3 months ago
I am a chelsea fan and i honestly do not like "the grumpy one." He is not as mentally tough as Jose and if Jose was the one getting these draws and throwing away leads like Grant has been doing....he would not have lasted as long as Grant has and we all know why!!
3 months ago
This will be a controversial comment, but I think anti-semitism is behind alot of the intolerance to Grant from some Chelsea fans.
Please note I am not accusing all Chelsea fans who have no faith in Grant of being anti-semitic, but historically Chelsea have always had a far-right element amongst their support.
I think this has been a factor in why Grant has been given such short shrift from many Chelsea fans, they simply didn't want him in the first place, some because he wasn't Jose, and wasn't a big name, which on some level I can understand, but also some because he is Israeli, and will simply never be accepted as a Chelsea manager because of that.
Of course I do not condone such a pathetic view, but as I say, Chelsea have always been closely associated with the far right with a core of their local support, and I think it is a factor in the current position of Grant.
Once one loud group start to offer their displeasure with a manager, others inevitably follow, even if their reasons for disliking Grant are reasonable and less sinister than the hatred from the loud group.
from 3 months ago
I think you're comment is a realistic one, Simon, although many supporters of other clubs may give a "Huh?" to that sort of suggestion. I do believe that the number one reason he is hated, however, is that NO ONE was going to be able to take the place of Jose.
Still, I can't help but agree/fear that anti-semitism is playing a bit of a role in that. And it's a bloody shame for the game.
It's a sad, sad day when "supporters" are more concerned with who the manager is, where he comes from, and the style of interview he gives rather than the quality of players and the position the club has gotten itself into.
But then again, this is probably just fallout from the huge globalization of the game that has occurred over the past few years.
from 3 months ago
I totally agree Ryan. Today's game for many is all about appearances, not the nitty gritty. When you get down to it, Grant has taken over a team that was going through a minor rough patch, has steadied the ship, taken them to a cup final, given a respectable challenge for the league that could yet end in success, and taken them to another quarter final that could yet end in success.
He has done a good job, but for some people, it didn't matter what he did or does, he will never be accepted because he not a celebrity manager who fawns for the media. Just about sums up British society as a whole.
from 3 months ago
A controversial comment maybe, but it does speak a lot of sense. I honestly dont know why so many Chelsea fans hate him, as I dont know the true feelings of the supporters, as I live up north. I would hope the anti-semitism view is not widely held, as that would truly be a disgusting reflection of the Chelsea support.
3 months ago
I'd rather have both.
2 months ago
Drogba > Grant .
2 months ago
Like I said, let's wait until the game on Tuesday night. And there it is, we are through. Not bad going. Semi's of the CL and 2nd (only by 3 points) in the EPL in a season where most people, including a lots of Chelsea fans throught we would be out of all competitions by now.
from 2 months ago
Absolutley, and what if Grant goes one better than Mourinho and gets Chelsea to the CL final overcoming Liverpool was something Jose failed to do twice.
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