Chelsea sack Grant

[Fowler_God]

Just heard it on the Radio! No shock there

[Joe King]

Chelsea are planning a comprehensive clear-out of their coaching staff with Henk ten Cate and Steve Clarke, the assistant coaches, likely to leave the club along with Avram Grant. The first-team coach was at Stamford Bridge yesterday for talks with Peter Kenyon, the chief executive, and an announcement over his future is expected once a compensation package has been agreed.

Such is the confusion at Chelsea that senior board members confirmed yesterday that they had yet to be told either way about the Israeli's future, although they consider his departure to be inevitable. The talks are understood to have focused on a possible future role for Grant at the club and the terms of his payoff, which if not quite in the region of the £12.5million collected by José Mourinho will still cost Chelsea several million pounds.

Grant will not be offered the position of director of football, as the club are aware that it could be difficult to recruit a top-class replacement with the previous incumbent still involved. Grant would almost certainly have rejected such a position in any case, as he is confident of being offered another managerial job on the back of his achievements in taking Chelsea so close to winning the Barclays Premier League and Champions League this season and is reluctant to return to his old salary, £920,000, having been upgraded to a £2.8million-a-year contract when he replaced Mourinho last September.

Ten Cate is also facing the sack after upsetting many at the club since he joined from Ajax last autumn. The Dutchman has failed to develop a close working relationship with either Grant or Clarke and, more importantly, has alienated several senior players with what is perceived to be his brash and arrogant attitude.

Ten Cate was recruited as the bad cop to complement the work of Clarke, who is close to many of the players having spent the best part of 20 years at the club, but appears to have taken his bullying routine too far. The former Ajax coach, assistant to Frank Rijkaard at Barcelona when they won the Champions League two years ago, is known as “Mad Dog” by the players and clashed with John Terry on the eve of the Carling Cup final defeat by Tottenham Hotspur in February, with the captain leaping to the defence of John Obi Mikel, whom Ten Cate had repeatedly picked on during a training session at Stamford Bridge. That incident, which became an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation, was particularly embarrassing to the club as it was witnessed by fans taking a tour of the stadium.

Clarke's position is more complex, as the board is aware that he remains very popular with the fans as the one surviving member of Chelsea before Roman Abramovich, the owner, bought the club. The Scot would like to leave after four years as assistant and is willing to take a pay cut to secure a management job at a Coca-Cola Championship club,but has yet to be inundated with offers.

Paradoxically, Clarke is more likely to stay if Grant leaves because the pair have never been close, although many at the club believe it would be better for him to move to achieve a clean break and sever all links with the Mourinho era.

[Johnny]

Second in the league,in the race until the final day,lost the Final of the CL on Penalties.

Who`d want to take that Job?

[Nic83]

I ' d say ther ' d b a lot of takers,so I would

Rijkaard is lined up methinks.

[Jayesh87]

Grant sacked as Chelsea manager

Chelsea have sacked manager Avram Grant after just eight months in charge.

The decision followed two days of talks between Grant and the club's chief executive Peter Kenyon.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/7418774.stm

[wishiwasascouser]

Second in the league,in the race until the final day,lost the Final of the CL on Penalties.

Who`d want to take that Job?

Indeed, its quite ridiculous! He doesn't deserve that kind of treatment.

[Johnny]

I`d say most would think "Why would I take that job on just to be sacked next yr if I don`t win the PL/CL?"

[Nic83]

I`d say most would think "Why would I take that job on just to be sacked next yr if I don`t win the Pl or CL?"

Money talks

[Joe King]

Second in the league,in the race until the final day,lost the Final of the CL on Penalties.

Who`d want to take that Job?

Realistically, do you think he would last more than this season?

Only a few candidates: Riijkaard, Hiddink, Lippi, Eriksson

[Johnny]

Money talksCourse it does but given the choice the best Managers in the world would probably choose stability + big money.

[-V-]

With unlimited funds available for transfers i think most of the worlds top coaches will want the job

[Nic83]

Realistically, do you think he would last more than this season?

Only a few candidates: Riijkaard, Hiddink, Lippi, Eriksson

yeah good shout, I'd say good old Roman had a few brewskis over in Russia with hiddink during the week. Might get some quan on that actually and he may take the likes of pogrebniak and Arshavin with him...

[Jayesh87]

Realistically, do you think he would last more than this season?

Only a few candidates: Riijkaard, Hiddink, Lippi, Eriksson

Mourinho :source:

[Joe King]

Mourinho :source:

Tick tock

[Johnny]

Realistically I thought he`d done enough with Jose`s team to deserve another season.How`s the team suppossed to settle with so many managers in a few yrs.

Cue 5 big name players being signed by the new manager and a whole new system to play to.


Roman really is a gormless fuckwit.

[wavydavy]

Had a good laugh when he took over from Jose. He wasn't even remotely close to being Chelsea's manager. Still isn't. For me this year's success (and it was!) was down to their playing staff. When you've got Cech, Terry, Lampard, Essien, Drogba, Ballack, et al you could appoint anyone as manager and still be up there. Seemed a nice fella though. He'll probably kop for a decent job somewhere after this seson's exploits. Good luck to the guy!!

[Vermilion]

Aye, Jose back in......what a disgusting revolting thought.:chunks::chunks: Vile little man. (can coach though, so they say).

[Rich]

Mourinho back could happen

[wavydavy]

Truth is that nobody seems keen on Jose do they? Despite his record his antics seem to have put the big sides off.

[JohnDoe]

I feel sorry for Grant. He did well and deserves to be treated better.

[-V-]

Grant is a mouthy twat as was Mourinho who seems to be headed for Inter Milan

Good to see the back of both of em. I hated seeing that prat Grant get down on his knees and point to the sky after Chelsea beat us. What a fuckin twat, he barely did anything, the team picks itself and the players are quality enough

[Rhys]

rijkaard, hiddink, mourinho and mancini seem the likely candidates imo.

[spud_gun]

Lets hope these fucks self destruct. That they turn into a European type club with a megalomaniac chairman who has a revolving door for managers.

[Vermilion]

Lets hope these fucks self destruct. That they turn into a European type club with a megalomaniac chairman who has a revolving door for managers.

We can always say they bought whatever they win, so with that in mind, i'd rather they end up with the odd purchased title, when we aren't winning it obviously, rather than the scum passing our record with ease & disappearing into the sunset.:handshake:

[kev776]

I wish they would let me be their manager, I would have the bastards in the championship faster than Abranabitch could count his enemies.

[cannotmakeit]

The bright side, he still getting his 3 years and 4 months of salary.

Sven's agent has to be faxing his cv to Kenyon.

[jonesie]

Good luck to Grant in whatever he does next. He never stepped out of that huge shadow created by 'The Special One's' ego and I felt sorry for him in the end.

And guess who's been shooting his mouth off already...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/25/chelsea.premierleague

Sacked Grant dubbed a 'loser' by Mourinho

Avram Grant has been sacked by Chelsea, on the day José Mourinho broke his long silence on his successor at Stamford Bridge by criticising the Israeli's failure to win a single trophy. The Portuguese went on to suggest that the football philosophy of his successor is that of 'a loser'.

Mourinho's interview with The Observer comes as it emerges that Roman Abramovich made his former manager the extraordinary gift of a limited edition Ferrari worth more than £2million in the immediate aftermath of Grant's debilitating Carling Cup final loss to Tottenham.

February's defeat was one of three final-day failures, culminating in Wednesday's Champions League Final loss to Manchester United. The Israeli coach had his contract terminated last night.

Asked if Chelsea's campaign had been the good one Grant depicted it as, Mourinho said: 'That depends on your philosophy of leadership. In my philosophy it was a very bad one because in football "almost" means defeat and Chelsea almost won the Carling Cup, almost won the Champions League, and almost won the Premier League. Almost is nothing.

'After two titles per season for the last three years there were zero titles this season, which in my philosophy means a really bad season. Maybe in the philosophy of a loser this was a great season, which I respect.'

Mourinho was in regular contact with Abramovich and several of his former players ahead of the Champions League final and was quick to commiserate with them after their defeat on penalties in Moscow. He told the Russian billionaire that Chelsea would not continue to suffer the misfortune that also cost them two previous European Cup semi-finals to Liverpool.

'The best team lost the Champions League final, like last season the best team lost the Champions League semi-final,' Mourinho said. 'That is football. I have always said that details make the difference at this level - and luck is a really big detail.

'I am very sad about what happened. In the last two years this team lost a Champions League final and a Champions League semi-final on penalties. The supporters deserve more, Roman and the board deserve more, top people like [Frank] Lampard, [Michael] Essien, [Claude] Makelele, Ashley [Cole], Didier [Drogba], [Ricardo] Carvalho, [and coaches] Steve Clarke, Mick McGiven and some others deserve happiness. I still think of them as my boys.

'Yes, I was sad. Yes, I felt deeply that it was not fair. But I believe that after an empty season new success will come to Chelsea. And I will always be a Chelsea supporter.'

The chances of Mourinho returning as Chelsea manager have increased significantly in recent weeks. Mourinho was astounded when Chelsea director Eugene Tenenbaum called in February to inform him that Abramovich had purchased a rare Ferrari for the man he had removed from Stamford Bridge five months previously.

Customised with Mourinho's 'Special One' moniker, the 612 Scaglietti was one of just 60 produced to commemorate Ferrari's 60th anniversary. While still at Chelsea, Mourinho had told Abramovich that if he could have his choice of cars, the four-seat Scaglietti would be it. The list price is around £250,000, but such is its rarity the secondary-market value is as much as eight times that amount.

Abramovich's gift was made at a time at which he had begun to consider replacing Grant as manager, with Mourinho's name raised as a potential appointment. While such a move appears more feasible now that Grant has gone, sources close to the Portuguese coach say that he is too close to taking a position in Italy for it to happen this close season, although they do not rule it out in the future.

Mourinho is likely to take over from Roberto Mancini at Internazionale, and may sign a contract with the Serie A club this week. He has already drawn up plans for next season and is likely to take Didier Drogba with him to Italy.

Grant has agreed a £5.2m pay-off from Chelsea. Former Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard remains a prime candidate to replace him, although Chelsea have also been involved in secret conversations with Guus Hiddink, whose position as Russia's national coach is not as secure as has been presented.

Hiddink has a provisional contract to coach Russia until the 2010 World Cup, but that will not be ratified until after Euro 2008, and senior figures in the Russian Football Union are unimpressed by the team's qualification campaign. Vitaly Mutko, newly appointed sports minister and head of the Russian Football Union, said: 'We will evaluate his work after the European Championship.' Although his salary is funded by the Chelsea owner, Hiddink has previously resisted invitations to manage the club for personal reasons.

Sven-Goran Eriksson, who was approached about the Stamford Bridge post before Mourinho replaced Claudio Ranieri in 2004, is due to meet Chelsea officials next week after he is formally dismissed by Manchester City. The Swede had been linked with a return to his former club Benfica, but the Lisbon side have appointed Quique Sánchez Flores. The Spaniard was sacked by Valencia last October.

[jonesie]

Although my abiding memory of him will always be this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbWkgzRk-hQ

[EwarWoo]

Aye, Jose back in......what a disgusting revolting thought.:chunks::chunks: Vile little man. (can coach though, so they say).
Consider the position the Chavs were in when he left. Grant getting to even points on the final day is IMHO greater than Maureens achivement of winning it due to the hamperred position he was in when he started.

Consider he kept failing at the semi stage of the CL. Grant got a final in his first season.

Maureen did fuck all when placed in comparison to Grant. Grant was an unknown quantity but he did a great job so although it could be seen coming it's still a shock it happenned.

I would cheer it as a bad day for chavs. But truth is it's another bad day for the EPL. The EPL is heading this way and it's awful to see. No-one has any loyalty anymore. Bunch of bastards.

[TheStig]

'The best team lost the Champions League final, like last season the best team lost the Champions League semi-final

:haha: :haha:

Still bitter? (And we were better anyway)

[-V-]

Actually as much as i hate Jose, i love hearing him moan and groan everytime we beat the Chavs. I wouldnt mind if they hired him back again. Might be fun laughing at him some more

[-V-]

http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/EMP-5891510-thumb-425x282.jpg

CUNT














.
http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xc/81191076.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1933F549535AE5A47FCEE2E42FA3B2E9D41 284831B75F48EF45

HAHA

[slimbimjim]

I hated seeing that prat Grant get down on his knees and point to the sky after Chelsea beat us. What a fuckin twat, he barely did anything, the team picks itself and the players are quality enough

Did you not read why he did that? It was Holocaust Day and he was rather emotional on both fronts. His father was a prisoner at a Holocaust camp.

By the way you sound like quite a cunt yourself. The guy is under intense pressure to succeed at Chelsea so I fully understand his reaction to beating us and getting through to the final.

[tommyg]

if john terry could walk 5metres in a row without slipping he'd still be in a job

[-V-]

Did you not read why he did that? It was Holocaust Day and he was rather emotional on both fronts. His father was a prisoner at a Holocaust camp.

By the way you sound like quite a cunt yourself. The guy is under intense pressure to succeed at Chelsea so I fully understand his reaction to beating us and getting through to the final.

Too late! Fired!! :haha::haha: Bye Bye Avram, dont let the door hit your on the arse on your way out ya mouthy cunt

[dww]

I really don't understand why people feel such antipathy to him. Always seemed a nice enough bloke to me (and supposedly a LFC fan).

Heard someone from the League Managers Association on 5Live this morning saying that he had heard that Abramovic had said he had 30% input in match day decisions. You have to think such interference makes it unlikely he would choose a British style manager (Hughes for example). I would think Hiddink would be a good bet, although if Ten Cate stays you would expect Riijkaard to come in and a clearout to ensue.

[Joe King]

I really don't understand why people feel such antipathy to him. Always seemed a nice enough bloke to me (and supposedly a LFC fan).

Heard someone from the League Managers Association on 5Live this morning saying that he had heard that Abramovic had said he had 30% input in match day decisions. You have to think such interference makes it unlikely he would choose a British style manager (Hughes for example). I would think Hiddink would be a good bet, although if Ten Cate stays you would expect Riijkaard to come in and a clearout to ensue.

Ten Cate has hit the door according to The Times.

[ScouseUK]

its a joke after were he took them from were they were when he took over but we new back than and so did everyone else in football that win or loose he was gone come the end of the season so it didnt come as a shock he was sacked...

[Chrono]

I really don't understand why people feel such antipathy to him. Always seemed a nice enough bloke to me (and supposedly a LFC fan).


Nor me. He actually came across as a very reasonable guy and was overly respectful to us.

Funny Mourinho calling him a loser when in fact Grant's record in the CL is far better.

[Red_hot]

I feel sorry for Grant. He did well and deserves to be treated better.

:handshake:

[-V-]

Oh yeah feel sorry for the guy who publically talked about signing Steven Gerrard the day before we played them in the Champions League

He was a snake just like Mourinho. Fuck em

[wavydavy]

Did anyone else hear the Souness story where he picked up Zhahavi ( a mate of Graeme's) and some friends ,one of which was Grant, from the airport? Apparently Grant thought Souness was the chauffeur!! Lifelong Red my spotty fucking arse!!!

[Dave Benson Phillips]

Nor me. He actually came across as a very reasonable guy and was overly respectful to us.

Funny Mourinho calling him a loser when in fact Grant's record in the CL is far better.

The winner's medal in Jose's cabinet suggests otherwise