pluto

Yes he is, he could win us the champions league this year and I still would find it hard to rate him as a top coach utterly crazy as that sounds, I just look at him, listen to him and think how the f**k did you get this job on merit? And yes I know what the answer to that is!

Thanks for the laugh be it intentioned or not. Still, lets not get on Avrams case, I don't really rate the guy despite everyone now banging on about the fact he has equalled Jose's record - I should be impressed but hell I'm just not. It will take more than beating the teams he has in the manner he has done generally to get me all cock a hoop. But he is doing a very good job so far considering his background credentials and the flak he had to endure (created by his boss it has to be said) when Mourinho left. He still drives me crazy with all this talk of attacking, positive football and constant digs at the previous incumbent but I've learned to deal with that by turning the TV and radio off when he comes on.

Yes and lots of lovely silverware too, that nasty, nasty, loud mouthed man.

Well his spokesman has just said that Jose has not offered himself to Liverpool as suggested by the Sunday tabs. Although he hasn't said he's not interested! Pato scored for Milan today and they won at home for the first time this year - typical! The better Milan do the less chance Ancelotti has of leaving and I would rather Jose went to Milan than back here to Liverpool.

Birmingham held Arse away and got a great draw - it's always footballing sod's law that a bottom tier team who plays out of it's skin one week and gains a result that you weren't expecting promptly falls flat on it's face and gets whipped the next. Arsenal were the victims this week but we will be the beneficiary next. A comfortable 2-0 or 3-0 win to Chelsea.

Barca played some good football today, if they keep that up and do well in the CL and league, Jose might find it difficult to get his foot in the door there. Bayern is a no-no. Real look solid as does Inter. So really it's Milan or Barca. I would go for Milan aside from the fact they usually hire from within, guess it depends whether Ancelotti wins the CL again, he has f**k all chance in the league. As for Liverpool, Mourinho owes Chelsea nothing in terms of where he goes, he did his best for us and can sleep easy at night with the legacy he left, a legacy which has given the new regime a great squad (with the aid of Roman's money of course) and has aided the transition immensely for the new manager. Liverpool drew again today and are playing poorly, I think unless things massively improve then Benitez will be gone by "mutual consent" in the summer and with Klinsmann out of the picture and if Mourinho was still free frankly the choice is a no brainer from a business/risk point of view. Although he could always go to Newcastle if he's feeling particularly suicidal.

I've just got up and switched on my computer to see the results so have not heard or read anything about what he said but let me have a wild stab in the dark what it may have sounded like. (cue droning, mumbling) "we played positive, attacking football, much better than before, we play more passes now along the ground, our passing is much better, we do not play the ball long, the play is much more positive and better than before, did I mention that the play is much better and more positive than before, we are playing much better than before, we have closed the gap on Arsenal playing much better, attacking football which is much better than before, it's good that we won but much more importantly we win the right way, playing more positive, attacking football than before as you can see" Repeat, repeat, repeat until everyone is in a coma. Everyone keeps saying you have to like and respect the guy "he's our new manager for God's sake!". Please explain to me how this is possible when he spends his time managing to annoy me no end with his constant digs to the old regime which are about as unsubtle as a sledgehammer - obviously trying to impress someone not sure who with those, outpourings about our new style of football which is obvious for all to see apparently which is more often than not patently untrue, is possessed of all the charisma of a mushroom and has made stating the bleeding obvious into some kind of art form. I give you this classic from today: No you don't say! So if we lose and they (Arsenal) don't drop points you will not be happy but if we win and they drop points you're happy. Please Avram a word of advice, say you've got a sore throat and can't talk right now or talk about the weather or the Israeli/Palestine problems. Anything but about football, I'd rather share a lift for 24 hours with red nose and moaning Wenger. I tell you, the guy would have been perfect in silent horror movies coming out of a coffin to scare the kids. For me respect and liking for a manager is no given just because they are the chosen one of the boss. You have to earn it not just by results (although those are the very important obviously) but by how you come across in print and on TV and no I'm not talking about if you can wear a suit well by that statement.

Spurs have had what might politely called a rollercoaster season. Ramos is doing well but their defence is still pretty poor and they cannot retain a lead even when playing well as they proved last night. They haven't won at the Bridge since the Stone Age apparently so I say a 2-0 win to us. I don't think Spurs can play well twice in the space of a few days, Berbatov was great in that Arse game but he can also be sulky and anonymous if he feels like it. Knowing Grant's luck he will be anonymous on Saturday as will the Spurs back line.

That man rides his luck no end but despite having all the tactical nous of a wet lettuce comes up smelling or roses time and time again thank God. The players had heart and fire in their bellies and even Grant looked excited at the end, he must have made some pact with the devil is all I can say. He hasn't done one thing yet in his tenure that I would call blindingly inspirational or lead me to believe he is a new Wenger or Fergie in terms of quality coaching. We won though and take a lead to Goodison with good heart so I guess Grant can rightly say I got the job done and stick two fingers up to me as he does so.

'Elliott' I think they are getting used to it by the looks of it. Grant gets out of jail again with a series of subs that make him look like some managerial genius at the end, who would have guessed that the shortest guy on the pitch pushed upfront as a lone striker would get a headed goal at the death - I don't think Grant had a clue would have clung to a draw but just got very very lucky!

I think we have had this kind of spirit for a long time but perhaps not shown very much of it recently. This reminded me very much of when we were down to ten men in the Arsenal game, it brings back our fighting spirit and that is so symptomatic of Mourinho's era because he was such a figher too. I thought with Grant that would fade away with time but we showed it again against Everton. So pleased for SWP but if only he could do this more regularly!

Mourinho learned most I think from Van Gaal and Robson but yes he has also studied too. I think the main difference is the higher quality of teaching he had under the above two and that coupled with the fact that he has an obvious natural gift for man management as his players will attest. I have yet to hear any Chelsea players raving about Grant's capabilities in that department. Or any department for that matter unless you believe the press managed PR guff that sometimes spills forth. As for books Grant could have been reading during his time in the management wilderness getting ready for the Chelsea job, I could give you a few suggestions. How to win friends and influence people A Guide to Getting it: remarkable management skills Your dream career for Dummies Professional Networking for Dummies

I kid you not. Grant according to an article I read in The Guardian a month or so back, is renowed for his ability to get on with players and make them do what he wants and to get inside their heads so to speak. He apparently has read every coaching manual in the book and even went to the USA to study coaching techniques with the gridiron teams to see how they manage players. So when you next see Grant and think "what a smug git" remember that for Grant there is a reason for this smugness, he really does think he knows it all.

I'm with you on that one. I think Milan are going to come a cropper this year after years of not spending, relying on an ageing squad and picking up form towards the tail end of the season. They can't do that every year and I think this is finally the one where it all goes t*ts up for Ancelotti. Can't for the life of me understand how Ancelotti is still in a job with his appalling league form. They have not won at home for three or four months now apparently and are about 12th in the league (albeit with 3 games in hand). If he was in the premiership with that kind of record he would have been kicked out ages ago. That said, the one thing that makes me believe Mourinho may not end up at Milan is that apparently they are obsessed with hiring their coaches from within the Milan "family" (former players etc). Jose does not fit the bill there so he may be ruled out of that one. So I shall keep my eye on the Liverpool developments with interest. If Benitez goes no matter who replaces him, I shall be laughing my head off. In Rafa we trust! Yeah right, in Rafa those deluded scousers trust to keep them out of contention for the league by Christmas EVERY YEAR.

I never thought otherwise actually but I can believe this story, I can believe a lot of stories that come out, are dismissed by fans, players, managers and clubs alike as bullsh*t and weeks or months later come out as being true. So being cynical helps but being realistic that some stories do have an element of truth in that at times - may be - helps as well. Well it works for me.

That's what I think. You either trust Cole to be a leader and know he can do it or you don't and if you have doubts then don't make him captain. What is much worse and harms a player's ego (and Cole surely has one) is to strip them of the captaincy DURING a game and give it to a player (even if Drogba) who is only coming on for the last five minutes. Grant is apparently renowed for his psychological and man managements skills - well way to go Grant that is now one pissed off player for no reason. And yes if Jose had done that I would have thought exactly the same thing it is just not good man management. But you know what? I don't think Jose would ever have done something so stupid, unlike Grant he actually has genuine intuition as to how to handle players for almost every occasion (Sheva excluded he's a lost cause) and he would never have wanted to embarrass Cole in such a way. He would have found some other method to let him know he was not that happy. Grant should know by now who his leaders are not just pass the parcel with the armband. So if this story is true he has embarrassed Cole, made him feel bad and generated antipathy when he is meant to be creating a feeling of all for one and one for all kind of mentality. He needs to learn from some things Mourinho did and not dismiss everything in the past as not being good enough for "new Chelsea".

I don't blame Drogba, he was always very loyal to Mourinho. But lets be honest if Grant tried to pat me, I'd be reeling away in horror too! I think that is what Grant has spent his whole life doing though to get where he is today, toadying up to people to try and ingratiate himself into their good books so he can leach off them later on. He's meant to be a very good at it by all accounts, hence his association with Roman and coming out of nowhere to cries of "Avram who?". If you listen to him you can hear him talking about the various figures he knows in football, this guy is a serious networker despite his anonymous looks and lack of obvious charisma. It will be interesting to see how much further Chelsea can take him, now he's got real power to do what he wants or should that be what Roman wants?

Mourinho doesn't look like getting a job until the summer now with a big club plus he has exit clauses in his contract preventing him from taking over an English team or he loses his pay off. I heard the same stories about Mourinho being a fan of Liverpool when he was younger and he went and checked them out 4 years ago when he was interested in us because he admired them. A lot of water has passed under the bridge now and whilst I don't think this can be dismissed outright as fantasy it seems odd that the owners would get rid of Benitez who has obviously mouthed off once too often to replace him with Jose who can mouth off like no one's business when vexed. Also it doesn't look as if Liverpool have great cash flow at the moment, the owners are up to their eyes in debt so Jose would have to orisk joining a club that is in a state of flux with talk of takeovers and not have enough cash. Seems clear to me watching them against Luton that without certain key players they look a very ordinary team, I realise all teams with key players missing suffer but Liverpool need more investment before they are on a par player quality wise with the likes of MU, Arse and us. If the owners don't have a sensible business plan for the future and can support him in the transfer market then I doubt Mourinho would consider it. I think he would rather go to Bayern who look far more settled. We shall see, it's a terrible thought but one great thing would be to watch those moaning scousers have to bite their words back after everything they said about him when he was with us.

Ranieri is at Juve and doing okay, he got the sack from Valencia after a while. Pleased that he's doing well. As for Bayern they seem to have fallen on hard times a bit for me considering what a top club they are meant to be. I mean they got beat by Bolton in a UEFA Cup tie - hardly stellar! Seems a bit of a weak league to me now and big name players don't really go there. I think this one will be last on Mourinho's shopping list and he would only take it if Milan, Barca etc don't come calling. And I don't think learning German is a walk in the park either!

I would have thought that out of respect for what he did, fans might be interested in at least seeing where he goes. If not for that reason, then because it might mean certain players already here could move to be with him or not as the case may be. I still follow what Ranieri does and where he goes in the news and I will do the same with Mourinho out of the total respect I have for them as our former managers and what they achieved and because I liked them as people. That said, I will not be following Grant's progress with any interest when he finally departs. I don't think Bayern is big enough for him, the league is not glamourous enough and the competition is weak there - he would rather I'm sure take over a club like Milan or Barca. He has lots of time and so do Bayern - Mourinho is not their only option and other managers will lose their jobs no doubt by the summer - possibly even Benitez! Then you might be interested if Jose came back - to manage Liverpool! Wherever he ends up I wish him massive success at another club - his talent surely merits it - as long as he doesn't ever clash with us of course.

You are missing my point with your pic. I did not base my decision to believe that article on a photo of Grant. What I base my assessment on is the same that I do to any person I see on TV or listen to (and have no chance of meeting). I analyse what they say, how they say it, how they move, their moods when speaking and so on and how others intereact with them when in proximity. I have had time to watch our new manager now for three months and also hear other stories which all seem to point to the fact that our manager is one reserved cold bland fish albeit a very clever social networker who has the ear of the owner totally. I would never base my opinion on someone's character or charisma factor based on just looking at a black and white photograph. Could I be wrong? Yes of course as I and presumably no one here knows Grant personally. But what you are expecting me to believe is something I simply cannot - that the persona I see and listen to every week (for my sins) is actually nothing like the man the players see in the dressing room. That he turns into a charasmatic, born leader and a truly inspirational manager. Not buying into it - as for the official Chelsea website, it's one long propoganda machine and is even more so now than ever, I never even log on to it.

Funny you should say that but The Times today has an article that says exactly that!

That means little, journos like Hughes have contacts at the club who will feed them info when required, all have agendas admittedly but I have a feeling this is probably pretty spot on. Look at Grant for goodness sake and tell me that you can buy into that idea that this stiff standing on the touchline suddenly transforms himself with the aid of a phone box into superman and goes into the dressing room and inspires the players? Ballack actually did not say after the game WHO made the dressing room loud - which further points to this article being true. Other sources have also said that Grant just observes training and lets Clarke and Cate do all the hands on work with the players. I realise that a win is a win and it matters not on the surface who gave the team talk but that just tells me everything about this guy right there. He has no charisma, no passion and no ability whatsoever to inspire DIRECLTY the players we have. He has to sit there and let Clarke or Cate give the team the lift up they need and then he goes out there are resumes his impression of a stick on the touchline once again but is quite happy to take the credit afterwards in order to try to bolster his image as being better than Mourinho. Fat chance. Results may still be trickling in but he is not a new Special One. He's ordinary in word and deed, just like he said at this opening press conference ironically. Thankfully we have Clarke still and Cate who seem to happily do the dirty work and keep the show on the road. So yes I buy into this article as it fits with what I can see before my own eyes!

I know I really should try hard to like the guy, he is our manager after all but he leaves me dead cold and I can't muster not one ounce of goodwill towards the man. He is a void and about as interesting as watching a kettle boil. I'm sure he is a nice enough guy personally but just on face value and on the irritating way he continues to whitter on about our new style football and have digs about the previous manager - I just want him to disappear and wish he would leave it to Clarke and Ten Cate.

Agree with the comments posted above about the difference between the Christmas cover defensively and with now. Grant has better options in that department (thanks ironically to Mourinho!) and he has also met far weaker opposition during this period. Essien is also in the midfield not spending his time getting acquainted with defensive duties. I'm sorry but Newcastle and Fulham are teams in a right mess and despite flickers of fight initially are frankly pretty woeful. Villa was the only tough team Grant faced over Christmas and he drew. Even Blackburn proved toothless in front of goal and never looked like scoring after a while. Mourinho fell out with Roman last January over the fact he had no defensive cover and it's ironic that eventually being allowed to bring in Alex, TBH, Belletti gave Grant the platform he needed to boast about the 10 points from 12 he has got. In fact Grant has faced a number of woeful sides in his tenure that last year were far far superior - the likes of Fulham, Wigan, Boro, Bolton and Newcastle are a shadow of what they were once were as they have imploded as the season has moved on. Throw in the likes of just promoted Sunderland, Derby etc into the run and no wonder he can boast such a great winning run that's 7 games right there! Carling Cup easy run against Hull, Leicester and a reserve team Liverpool who didn't care, next up QPR. Mourinho had to beat Blackburn and Villa to name just two last year to get through. Ditto CL where we had Barca, this year Grant had Valencia a team already in crisis when we met them and are now a total mess. When Grant has been ultimately tested against top opposition he has usually stalled. He may yet prove me wrong and win us some silverware and if he does then I'll congratuate him but until then jury still out. He's been made to look far better than he actually is I feel by having luck at key moments and facing generally poor opposition which Chelsea would beat normally any way. He has tinkered little with Mourinho's team and yet has the never to rabbit on about how much better we are playing under him than Mourinho after every match. The only goal fests we have had again are against poor teams or teams having an off day who don't know how to defend! So excuse me whilst I don't immediately think Grant is the new specical one. He's going to have to work harder than this to get my tick in the box for his continuing reign at Stamford Bridge lasting more than a season.