Avram Grant: The Embarrassment Factor
In life, it sometimes happens that those we love deeply embarrass us in ways that we find absolutely impossible to defend their actions. But while in almost every other aspect of life you can make the conscious decision to withdraw your love or affection (depending on the nature of the slight), in football it’s not quite that easy. It is actually wired into the DNA of every true fan to have that unrestrained tendency to rise above all sorts of human-induced disappointment in support of their beloved football club. Yet, supporting your beloved club and supporting idiotic policies by those in charge of running your beloved club are two different things. Any discerning fan knows that in spite of the fact that Roman Abramovich owns Chelsea, he does not own their soul. In other words, paying for Chelsea does not mean he’s bought your independence of thought or power of good judgement.
Indeed, for those who eternally want us to worship him for ‘saving’ Chelsea, I say I’m as grateful to him as I am to my local pub landlord for making available to me my favourite brew. The day he serves me stale beer or appoints some not-so-friendly bartender to serve me, I’ll let him know what I think without reservation. And while I can take my beer-buying custom elsewhere, in Chelsea’s case, no matter how disgruntled I am as a customer, I remain loyal, because it’s actually more than business for me: it’s my life colours. It’s therefore a privilege that he’s allowed to buy into it. He may be a billionaire, but wealth and wisdom do not always walk in tandem. Yes, rich owners of clubs make mistakes and when they do, true fans should let them know; not hush up everyone for fear of annoying Croesus so much as to make him sulk or bolt away with his bag of precious gold. Well, Chelsea and the fans have been here long before Abramovich, Frank Arnesen, Peter Kenyon, Bruce Buck and José Mourinho and we’ll still be here when they’re long gone. But, history will only vindicate those who stood for truth and reason when it matters; it will not vindicate poodles.
People who’ve read my writings on the issue of Mourinho’s exit would know that from the very moment the news came out, I’ve been one of the very first to call for calm, including asking that Abramovich and those who run the affairs of our club be given the benefit of doubt. Yes, Mourinho was and still is well loved by the fans, but I do understand that if he couldn’t get on with Abramovich, there was little chance he’d last. Of course, the divorce has been expected for sometime, but having resumed the new season with the man in charge and with him and everyone else at the helm singing a new hymn of unity, how can anyone justify a divorce in mid-September when we’re still celebrating the breakout of the much-needed peace? How can we justify this when we know that despite the injury problems of last season, the boardroom troubles played their part in costing us an extra cup or two? Or didn’t we all learn our lessons from last season? Nonetheless, it’s happened. Whatever the merits or otherwise of the divorce, who’s right or who’s wrong, as Chelsea, we simply have to move on. And right now, for me, that is where the problem is. How do you move on from an embarrassment when the whole process of moving on is an extended embarrassment in itself?
Naturally, after deliberately inducing such a huge shock on the Chelsea system, the last people that should act unprepared are those who’ve foisted it on the rest of us. Abramovich and his claque of advisers and board members have been preparing for this eventuality for several months. Yet, every post-Mourinho action they’ve taken has made us more into a laughing stock. The insult is not that they appointed Avram Grant (a man obviously brought in by Abramovich to undermine Mourinho); the insult is to tell us and the world that it is a permanent appointment and that this represents progress for Chelsea. Yet, when we place this whole scheme in the context of the man not having the requisite qualifications to manage at the Premier League level, you begin to wonder why Abramovich spent all this time parachuting him from Israel, ‘parking’ him at Portsmouth, before finally planting him on Mourinho’s bench. Why didn’t they spend all this conspiratorial time getting his qualifications in place since everyone seemed to have known what the game is?
Again, Buck and Kenyon insist they’ve spent a great deal of time talking to Grant and assessing him before his permanent appointment. So, what were they talking about that never bordered on his qualifications for the job of managing Chelsea in the Premier League? In fact, Chelsea are not even denying that he doesn’t have the qualifications, but are merely restating that he has a 12-week period of grace to get these. Are we so desperate to give Grant this job when he is evidently not qualified to the standard required by the Premier League and League Managers Association? Are we happy to see every Tom, Dick and Harry derogatorily and condescendingly discuss our manager’s lack of qualifications to the extent that Howard Wilkinson reckons what he has is only good enough to manage in the Championship? Are we now that reduced in football circles that we need the favours of others to allow our unqualified manager to lead world-domination-chasing Chelsea?
The point is whether this is a temporary or permanent appointment is not the issue The appointment of Grant to the managerial position for any tenure should have been avoided at all cost following what had happened. He was already a disruptive influence in the dressing room. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink testified that while he was there training at the beginning of the season, he noticed that everyone was watching their back. He needed not tell us who they were wary of since we all know that Grant was the new man who came into the erstwhile happy dressing room. Some were already calling him Abramovich’s Mossad agent, especially with his penchant for pulling players aside and asking them questionable questions and trying to plant ideas in their heads. What was quite obvious was that he was not liked and as soon as Mourinho’s exit was announced, most suspected him immediately as playing a role. So, to appoint such a figure to lead the club in the name of progress is truly a joke.
Of course, they tried to pander to Chelsea fans by leaving Steve Clarke as Grant’s assistant; but what they should have done, if Mourinho’s exit was truly in the interest of the club, was to appoint Clarke in a caretaker capacity while they search for the right candidate (many of whom are out there, some even jobless at the moment) to take over permanently. While most Chelsea fans would still possibly have protested Mourinho’s departure, I doubt any would have gone against Clarke’s appointment. That would have ensured minimum fuss from the fans; minimum fuss from the players and less disruption of our season (as Clarke had been Mourinho’s right-hand man and would have easily gained the players’ trust to continue with the campaign as originally planned and with the same mental commitment). Appointing Grant is an unnecessary and expensive joke. Even his coaching ideas are reportedly outdated.
Anyone who needs to know how low we have fallen only needs to look at our outing at Old Trafford. I’m not talking about the match or the result, because Mike Dean has ensured that discussions about the game should only be about his abject incompetence. I’m talking about Messrs Abramovich, Kenyon and Grant walking into an opposition ground and being booed for the first time by a combination of opposition and Chelsea supporters. Mourinho’s name and banners ruled the waves as the travelling fans showed with songs and gestures what they think of the club’s decision to let the most successful and most charismatic manager in our history go at a time we stood another chance to challenge for more honours with him.
The worst part of the show was Grant’s post-match interview. Watching him wilt under the spotlight throughout the game was pathetic enough. In fact, watching him after the match roaming on, shell-shocked, apparently forgetting the protocol of having to shake hands with the opposing manager (yes, Sir Alex Ferguson actually walked a considerable distance to catch up with him to shake his hands) I knew he was in over his head. But by the time of a post-match interview, you’d think he’d have collected himself and be prepared for what follows. Okay, he does not have Mourinho’s media savvy, he does not have his charisma, but even now I’m beginning to doubt his intelligence as well. Asked whether he has the support of the dressing room in the post-match interview, he responded that he doesn’t know. How could he be saying that after Kenyon and Buck had spent the major part of the press conference unveiling him as manager two days earlier stridently telling us that everyone in the dressing room supports Grant?
While some may think his response is honest, it calls to question the decision to put him there, because it reveals that he’s not one capable of thinking on his feet. Being a bumbling presence in front of television cameras isn’t another burden we need of a Chelsea manager at this stage of our history. Whether we like it or not, he represents us. And every fan must ask himself or herself whether someone hanging on to a job he isn’t qualified for simply because he’s kinsman and friend of the boss deserves to be the totem or on-field leader of the club he or she loves. Meanwhile, to rub salt into the would, elsewhere in that city of Manchester, old Sven-Goran Eriksson was having the time of his life denying “a new link” to the Chelsea job. Who’d now blame Martin Samuel for his new crusade to ‘confirm’ that Chelsea are really a small club pretending to be big?
For those Chelsea fans who think we should shut up and lump it because there’s nothing we can do, I say yes, we will ultimately. But one thing is clear - none of us (including them) can now go out there in the comity of fans to convincingly defend Abramovich or Grant before true football followers or before discerning Chelsea fans. In fact, when Buck, with a straight face, began to say Grant did indeed ask for a guarantee of non-interference from Abramovich and got it, I almost puked. Now, why would Grant be asking for such a guarantee if it was there in the first place and if it was not an issue before now? The wind is blowing and everyone, Chelsea or not, is clearly seeing the chicken’s rump. The Emperor has lost his clothes and all we can do is sigh powerlessly until he gets back to his senses. Before then, we can only hope and pray, supporting our beloved team through thick and thin, showing the indomitable Chelsea spirit and keeping it blue as always. But anyone who wants to go worship Abramovich’s folly can do so. It’s a free world.
- Posted at 01:22 AM · Permalink · Print · 3405 views · Last indexed by Google on the 15th May 2008
- Tags: Avram Grant, Bruce Buck, Chelsea, Frank Arnesen, Jose Mourinho, Peter Kenyon, Roman Abramovich
Van Basten tipped to take over from Grant.
After going through the above article I can safely say that any true blue would testify the accuracy of the feelings is completely true and justly potrayed.
Since the last 3 years we have been locked into discussions & arguments about the greatness of the Blue revolution to some I would say historical clubs. Cricticism regarding the inability of our club to show stability and change its status from a boomer to consistant championship material. Avram should never have been made the manager, even if Roman understood the basics of managing business he would have known never to losse your supporters confidence. It is absolutely critical to hang on to the boys supporting the blues.
This is my first comment on your writings and I would say Kenn your blog was amazing and really soothing.
Why all this negativity? Grant is surely not worse than some of the worst the premiership has seen. And he might prove to be tactically better than Mourinho at the end of the day. A nobody he may be, but Wenger was a nobody when he started off too. So was fergie. Mourinho too before Porto.
[...] Kenn Emetulu from Chelseablog says why he finds Avram Grant a complete embarrassment. While Avram has some friends in England, he also has some admirers back home. The former Israeli coach Shlomo Scharf calls him a manipulator! He is a dangerous man, a manipulator, a coach who took the national team backwards in terms of football style and world ranking yet made the media think he did great. Now he has wormed his way in at Chelsea and the thought that Avram from (little Israeli club) Petach-Tikva is the next Jose Mourinho is unbelievable. He does not understand football and never will. He just has connections and his favoured journalists. [...]
I’m sorry but Avram Grant did not ” wilt under the spotlight”. He reacted to the sending off, he was vocal on the touchline, the team were not outlplayed by Man U (first 5mins excepted).
Of course it was a shock to not have Jose anymore. But like or not we have a new manager. I support Chelsea FC , not Jose M FC.
If results and referees and linesman go against that’s one thing. The doom mongers and Arsenal/Liverpool gloaters will be most satisfied.
And as for the Andy Jacobs rant on Talk Sport…he might as well go and support Arsenal. He was pathetic and embarrassing and a hypocrit in his moan. He is surrounded at Talk Sprout by an Institutional hatred and envy of Chelsea. But sod them…sod em all……for the time being we should support the Roman Abramovich
Blue Army. And if Roman thinks Avram Grant should be the manager for now…then I will give him the benfit of the doubt. I am going to be optimistic becasue I don’t feel as bad about Jose leaving as I thought I would. I felt far far worse when Ruud was sacked. For me that was the worstI have a hunch the team will start to play more attractive footbal (sooner rather than later). Stop reading the press with rumour after rumour and stop wailing so much. Try and see the postives if you can. A little bit of pain now….but fabulously exciting times to come.
Actually it’s like replacing a busty blonde barmaid with an ugly fat bloke in my local pub! Hopefully the landlord would move him back upstairs soon! :-)
I notice there is no Giles Smith column on the Chelsea website today.
Looks like he’s not prepared to put a positive spin on a crazy situation.
I have to agree with Hughie G, I too was shocked by the news of Jose’s sacking, but not as upset as I thought I would be. I am prepared to give Avram the benefit of doubt for the next couple of games. If you look at our next 3 fixtures, Hull away, Fulham at home and Valencia away, we will have a better idea of how he’ll do. If come the Middlesboro game there is no improvement I’ll be the first to call for his head.
PS.
Does anyone else think Avram looks like the emperor from Star Wars.
To continue the omelette analogy Chelsea have had some lean years, Jose produced a few omelettes and I’m no longer hungry - but I don’t feel satisfied! He didn’t understand the importance of seasoning and, now I’m no longer dying of starvation, I’d like some finer cuisine than tasteless omelettes, albeit made with the finest eggs. For me eating is just about satisfying hunger, there’s got to be pleasure. Football isn’t just about winning, there’s got to be some joy and excitement. If football is just about winning why do we bother playing games at all? Let’s just deploy a national lottery style machine, pick results out by picking balls but allow rich clubs to buy improved chances of winning better scores.
I was at a Ron Chopper Harris golf day last week and he stated that Chelsea have been tainted by Jose. His antics, most notably the Frisk affair, have besmirched our reputation and turned us from many fans favourite second team to their most hated team.
I’ve read and heard about fans that have compared the loss of Jose to a bereavement or their parents divorce. Quite frankly these people are emotionally dysfunctional. Talk that Jose has been poorly treated is also a nonsense. He’s done a job, been handsomely rewarded and will ride off into the sunset to later return and apply his brand of lying and cheating kidology to some other club.
My first allegiance is to the club. I’ve followed them being relegated, I’ve followed them being promoted and I shall continue to follow them forever. My next allegiance is to Roman, ahead of any manager. If Roman hadn’t arrived we would probably be where Leeds are now. Our success of the last 4 years is due more to Roman than Jose. Roman cleared our debts, bought all the players, appointed and funded Jose. It’s Romans’ club and he’s fully entitled to determine and implement a future direction. If I was sitting in the stand, having spent £500 million, watching turgid performances capped by a 1-1 against Norwegians with my centre-half playing centre-forward, I too would want a change.
Avram may not be the solution but a change was necessary.
You can’t make an omelette without cracking a few eggs.
I have to disagree with this article. As a CFC fan - I agree that Avi Grant is not the ideal replacement for Jose - but when Ranairi was sacked I thought the same about Jose. Roman was right then and he could be right now. At the end of the day, as long as Roman is still with us then we still have a shot at the top level of football. Should Roman leave then we are well and truly fucked and back to mid-table or worse for us!!
Avi looks like the Gungan leader from star wars and seems to have the same charisma as Toad of toad hall. That said I am behind him and the team and hope this season is one of transition and next season we are fighting on all fronts again. The Arse and ManUre went seasons without silverware and look at them now. If like the Arse we go 3 seasons without winning anything i will be upset but ok with it if we then take the league by storm for the next 10 years.
It’s all about the dynasty and everything being spouted by Kenyon et al supports this. If this is the case, then give the team, board and Avi some time and get behind our beloved team.
Yes Jose leaving set us back a lot, but I keep my chin up by rembering the season just before Roman bought us. Mid-table and dropping with no real hope of silverware success in any comp. For god sake we have Gronjkear et al in the team!!
Keep the Faith and back Roman. He is our biggest asset and we can’t afford to lose him - literally.
Van Basten would be a good appointment in my opinion.
He’d try and get us to play attacking, ’shexy’ Dutch football.
Just a shame we sold a Dutch star this summer eh ???
Ah you know what, it’s just top draw to see quality Chelsea fans on here! Hughie G, KT, Mark! Nice to see the sense you guys speak of. Why are people so depressed! No need for it in the slightest. I know that Hughie said that his darkest moment was watching Ruud get sacked, mine was seeing Vialli leave! My Father and i still believe to this day that if Casiraghi hadn’t been injured we would have been premiership champions sooner as the Casiraghi/Zola partnership was mouth watering and was just starting to get going before his injury!
Now look this statement i’m going to make may shock some people and may think i’m crazy but last year was my worst year as a Chelsea fan. Sure we won the Carling cup and F.A cup so it was still a success, but never before have my parents seen me abuse and use foul mouthed language at the TV! I thought we were poor, slow, relied on one or two of our stars too often and basically stumbled to victories! I can sort of see where Roman was coming from with the “we need to play more entertaining football” statement.
Gullit brought up a good point at the wkend after the game and said when you become succesful you become spoilt. I believe that i, along with many of our fans have done just that. After the first two years of Jose in charge and our mind blowing football and winning prizes i guess i just assumed we would kick on but it never happened. So maybe i am spoilt and just want that glory hunter feeling back. So i will get behind Avram and will put my faith in his and Romans hands!
kenn`s comments are spot on i think to how most chelsea fans are feeling at the moment but i think it`s down to how events have hapened over the last week, no warning as such, even though everyone knew about the frosty relations between R.A and T.SO, i seriously doubt that anybody expected to see Jose sacked, paticularly at the beginning of a new season. i`m not a lover of Avram Grant, but am willing like some guys have wrote here to give him a chance to prove us all wrong. i`d be one of the first to stand up, hold my hands in the air and start eating my own hat, followed by a large helping of humble pie!! BUT..he has to get a win, no, a FEW wins before i do that. let`s not forget either that we`re a bit thin on the ground with goals at the mo because our 2 top goalscorers are injured. if sky sports news is anything to go by, they reckon Lamps and Drogs will be out for another 2 weeks yet. the tide will turn then guys, don`t worry, wounds will heal. this has happened to us before and we`ve always bounced back. good luck to the blues tonight against hull!!
up the chels xxx
We need SCOLARI!
Kenn you have decided to feel sorry for yourself. Even in mouring others take longer than others but pal you sound pathetic.
Mourinho was a good coach but it is not fair to Judge Avram’s one game against the many Mourinho gave us.
In the match against Manu prior to the sending off…i actually did see a different Chelsea that would break teams down the middle and whom were we breaking down…ManU?
this toss about down grading etc etc because we got Avram… Honestly it is rubbish…Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get on with it….
I would love to Judge Avram in this currently harder premier league after at least 10 matches… one down nine to go.
Iloved JMs attitude but I think I may like Avram’s footballing style…IMO…
Tonite we play Hull…can we have a few words after the match…objectively?????
>> this toss about down grading etc etc because we got Avram…
looking at the records of the two managers in question Jose, in what way is swapping Mourinho for Grant not downgrading?
this, I have to hear…
Emotional shock would be a good decription of how i and alot of fans felt.
One minute our future was with TSO an outspoken proven winner adoured by most of the fans; then, BANG! Some snide uncious fat man slimes in.
I am now thinking more clearly about all this. As Guido refered to, we were playing horrible last season, and IMO the seasson previous wasn’t great either. The results at the begining of the season were in keeping with our managed decline of winning. So from that side i can see a reason to change things. BUT i still beleive TSO should have been given longer. As many of you know it was three season’s before Lord Fergie won the title with ManU!
Moving on, the clouds are parting and i can see some light, once Grant’s out that is. He definately isn’t the man for Chelsea. some of you are saying give him a chance, don’t be silly he’s a sloth and won’t last till January.
This i suppose is all a result of Roman wanting the Champions League and wanting it now.
K/T/B/F/F/H
Simple fact is that if, for whatever reason, deluded or otherwise, Roman decided that he wanted Mourinho out then fine. Difficult to take from our point of view, but his decision.
But replacing with Grant is just lunacy, plain and simple. Yes, we’ll all eat humble pie if he turns out to be an undiscovered genius (although he’s hidden it well for the best part of 30 years given his record), but when we’re struggling for 4th place (or worse) and reading rumours about the third manager in a year, the ‘we told you so…’ brigade might have it, I fear…
I am an israeli, live in England for the 4 years, back home supported Maccabi tel-Aviv managed by Grant. Support Chelsea for the last 10 years, which some might find not a lot, nevertheless. Avram Grant is in no way manager for Chelsea!!!! Avram Grant is mediocre manager of mediocre team with mediocre players. Most of tye players Grant managed will never do first team in PL. Arguments like he is not worse than some managers in PL are PROPOSTEROUS!!!!! It is good writing Kenn and I completely agree with you!!!!
Agree with Kenn. Balanced article and it is OK, you know, to speak out negatively when you believe something is wrong. This whole episode is embarrassing and I have to wonder who is actually pulling the strings and making decisions. I have never liked Kenyon (and probably never will) or Greenberg and the list of ‘advisers’, scouts, support staff etc is just plain silly. We can talk all day about who ‘owns’ the club or who runs the club but Jose was the point of reference for players, supporters and for everyone else, connected or unconnected to CFC. To remove that without a succession plan is foolish and reckless and makes no sense from a sport or business perspective. So write away Kenn……
Sorry about this but I have to get this out of my system- RE:THE LATEST ANDY JACOBS ARSENAL STYLE WHINGE- WED 26th SEP
I have never criticised another Chelsea fan but Now I feel I have to. For years I’ve listened to Andy Jacobs moan about how un-entertaining Chelsea played. I just let him get on with it. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
But this week I’ve had enough. On Monday his rant agaist the club was pathetic, childish and made me feel embarrased. Something the envious journalists or fans of other clubs have not been able to do.He can’t even offer any constructive criticism.
Ten minutes ago on his Talk Sprout show he moaned that Chelsea should have bought Torres (who played a good game last night). A ago he was not going to move anywhere. For Gods sake, Chelsea can not buy every single bloody player out there. Jacobs said he would fit in the chelsea system and we could lumo long balls to him. Jacobs seems a man who has no will of his own in his Talk Sprout enviroment. I really can’t remember any time when he has defended the club he supports. Instead he just echoes the opinions of the Journalists who support other clubs and have an envious pathological obsession with Chelsea. I’m saying he has to be a propogandist for Chelsea but at least he should have the balls to say what he does like about the club. If I have given Andy Jacobs the benefit of the doubt for two years , then I should at least be able to give the new manager a few weeks/months/season. This week of all weeks the fans have to get behind the players, the team and the club. We have to be defiant and stick two fingers up to to those gloaters waiting to stick the boot in. From now on I’m going to listen Jazz fm. Really. And I still feel optimistic about the season.
I am absolutely stunned by the removal of TSO and replacement with Grant. However, I do have the unfounded feeling I get when I buy a lottery ticket - that maybe I could be onto a winner. Granted, Avram’s career so far depicts him as an untalented but well-connected almost-ran, but maybe (hopefully!) he will surprise us all.
Wishful thinking I know but I’ve been with Chelsea through thick and thin and I’ve never been more upset than when Zola left - managers come and go.
Jose gave us the winning ways but if push came to shove, would you prefer to keep him at the Bridge or Roman? It obviously wasn’t working out so let’s all mourn in our own ways, get the grieving process out of the way and be positive. The team has a strong winning mentality and so should we.
Grant will be swiftly replaced if the results aren’t forthcoming and RA, as a businessman, isn’t going to flush away the enormous amount of money he’s invested.
If he can axe JM , then logically he won’t be shy about dropping this one if the results and play aren’t to his liking.
But oooh, Jurgen Klinsmann!!
@Fifty - If you think Van Basten will have us playing ‘Shexy’ football, you should shtop dreamin right now. Holland in the world cup were one of the worst teams to watch. A 4-5-1 with Vannistelrooij left up on his own. That said, he is just at the beginning of his career so who knows, theres more than enough time for him to change….
And Desmond, Klinsmann was less of a coach than Joachim Lowe for Germany. It was by all acoounts Lowe who was most imstrumental in the German’s recent impressive performances in thwe World Cup.
Then oooh, Joachim Lowe!
Hello everyone,
Just written a little piece about Chelsea’s last fortnight on SquadGod’s Blog. Comments more than welcome!
http://squadgod.com/blog/144/my-way-or-the-highway
Kenn, many thanks for your writing, it blows like a breeze of fresh air. I can identify myself on the way you describe your relation with the Club. The Club will always remain regardless from owners and managers that come and go. In some years from now, people will admire Chelsea for it’s achievements and even more important, for it’s SPIRIT and what it stands for. I will not be accommodate and pretend to over look the damage the current administration is doing to the club and its supporters. They are not only embarrassing themselves but compromising the Club respect and integrity. For those who already forgot where they are coming from and where they should be going, I can only express my sadness. I said it before and say it again, my soul it’s not for sale. My heart can be conquered like TSO did it, but not for sale.
Mark, you are right. Football it’s not only about winning…it’s also about excitement too. Please share with us where are you taking your excitement now. Because I for once could use some, at least positive one. The pre- and post match conferences from TSO where pure excitement. Now I fell like some one already expressed here before, we changed a Jennifer Aniston for a fat, ugly old woman. Sorry Avram but it’s the way I fell.
Sorry but I still have to say some thing more after reading all the comments so far. So of you really not only sold your soul but start to sound like blind Germans following the leader even if he leads you to nowhere good.
http://www.bleacherreport.com/.....ime-260907
Sorry Deep Blue but there is no point in following Jose now. It’s time to move on. If you want to stay fanatically loyal and follow the temperamental former manager then that’s your choice. I am pretty sure Jose will start to fire broadsides at Chelsea in the near future via “sources close to Mourino” I am staying loyal to the team. And heres some food for thought….we are all hurt by the fact Jose has left. What if that leaves room in the future for the the likes of Zola or Ruud or Marcel etc to return to Chelsea in some sort of role at the club. We need former players of such calibre to be more associated with the club. While Jose was manager that would never happen because Jose was never ever going to have the spotlight on someone else. And it pains me to say that.
“WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO GET A PENALYTY” Said the commentators on Hull v Chelsea. Is this the continual punishment for the penalty at Liverpool. Is this the ‘things even themselves up in a season’ view. Ahh…but if it’s Chelsea the bias against will continue untill the year 2014.
This is a serious concern for all fans to Consider. But great to see Wayne Bridge back.
couldn’t have said it better myself mate
I do not disagree about anything said but would like to point out that it is the russian link in Israel that is behind this.
Portsmouth is currently owned by Alexander Gaydamak, son of Arkady Gaydamak a Russian billionaire,who is wanted by France for illegally selling arms to some dubious nations in Africa.
AG, AG, AG and RA are all on friendly terms.
The plot thickens.
Dear Deep Blue
Thankyou for the link to a blog by a gloating non Chelsea fan. You are obviously a non Chelsea fan also. But every one has a right tho their opinion.How clever you are too quote a blog such as this , a blog based on envious feelings about Chelsea and a blog based on other newspaper sensationalist hysteria. It’s flattering that you spend all your free time reading about what goes on at Chelsea.Thinking and reading about Chelsea so much must really fill the empty void of your life with only envy to keep you going. So as you obviously endorse someone else who is having a chuckle at Chelsea FCs expense why don’t you read the Papers such as the Daily Mail or Daily Mirror Guardian or Independant where lots of your little friends are having a little chuckle. You might make some friends.
Is this not Chelsea in a nutshell? Although the dethroning of Mourinho was far from just and the appointment of Grant - a man previously untested outside of Israeli football - spectacularly unpredictable not to mention unpopular, the hiring and firing of coaches at SW6 in recent times has been far from accepted by our fans.
Even before the Special One took his place in the managerial hotseat at The Bridge, Claudio Ranieri was being handed his P45, a man with whom Blues’ supporters also shared a similar loving relationship.
And before the Tinkerman, Vialli, a manager with whom we tasted success was shown the door in dramatic circumstances by Unkle Ken after just five games into the 2000-01 campaign.
The point is that this trend of unsavoury dismissals and appointments at this club is far from sudden and perhaps the highs and lows which our current and previous owners have and continue to put us through is a small part of what makes up the identity of Chelsea FC.