What Was The Most Absurd Appointment

[The only place to be 11,313]

The Grant appointment was always baffling because no-one really knew who he was. It was vindication of a lot of rivals who spouted shit about Roman picking the team and he's proved himself to be a pretty average manager. Strangely we still managed to reach a Champions League Final and only lost on penalties. It makes you wonder how good Robbie Di Matteo actually was considering he managed the same feat a few years later.

The Rafa appointment isn't baffling or absurd in the slightest. It actually makes a lot of sense from Roman's point of view when you look at his track record, his availability/the lack of other options and his relationship with Torres. Yes the fans hated him but Roman decided that he wouldn't make decisions based on that (which the Robbie hiring was) so he took a bit of short-term 'discomfort' until the guy he really wanted was available.

Big Phil was flavour of the month so it wasn't that absurd. In hindsight it was a major mistake though.

[Rmpr 8,977]

The Grant appointment was always baffling because no-one really knew who he was. It was vindication of a lot of rivals who spouted shit about Roman picking the team and he's proved himself to be a pretty average manager. Strangely we still managed to reach a Champions League Final and only lost on penalties. It makes you wonder how good Robbie Di Matteo actually was considering he managed the same feat a few years later.

The Rafa appointment isn't baffling or absurd in the slightest. It actually makes a lot of sense from Roman's point of view when you look at his track record, his availability/the lack of other options and his relationship with Torres. Yes the fans hated him but Roman decided that he wouldn't make decisions based on that (which the Robbie hiring was) so he took a bit of short-term 'discomfort' until the guy he really wanted was available.

Big Phil was flavour of the month so it wasn't that absurd. In hindsight it was a major mistake though.

Yes, I agree.

However, just like you said with Scolari, Rafa will turn out to be a huge mistake.

As of right now, for me. it still is Felipao. Rafa has a big chance of taking his spot though!

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

The Grant appointment was baffling, but I don't think people remember how things were under Mourinho at the end. They were very messy and we were playing really badly despite being one of the best clubs in the world. Of our last 11 league games under Mourinho, we won only 3 of them (and they were 1 goal wins against Birmingham, Reading, and Portsmouth) and that's not to mention drawing Rosenborg at home and being knocked out by LIverpool in the CL. It was still surprising at the time, but that was before we really knew Roman and in retrospect, it was much less surprising. I can't imagine any manager having that sort of awful run an not getting fired under Roman.

Supporters always give too much credit and blame to managers. We won under Mourinho because we had an insanely talented team. You give Mourinho this current team and he doesn't win with it whereas Avram Grant did extremely well with that very talented team we had (66.7% winning percentage). I don't blame Rafa or RDM for us not winning this season. There is no magic tactical formula that a manager can pull out of his hat and make players play brilliantly.

[Beirut_Blues 306]

At least FSW has some experience on the world stage.

Grant for me was like somebody mentioned earlier, a dickslap.

Even more than a dickslap, it's actually quite difficult to explain.

Won't forget the 5 defenders at White Hart Lane LOL

[manpe 10,861]

The Grant appointment was baffling, but I don't think people remember how things were under Mourinho at the end. They were very messy and we were playing really badly despite being one of the best clubs in the world. Of our last 11 league games under Mourinho, we won only 3 of them (and they were 1 goal wins against Birmingham, Reading, and Portsmouth) and that's not to mention drawing Rosenborg at home and being knocked out by LIverpool in the CL.

Yeah I remember things weren't rosey, it all culminated with the "eggs and omelettes" speech after which shortly he was sacked. He was clearly implying that he'd been supplied with "class 3" eggs to make a shit omelette. Roman was tired of Mourinho having so much power so he gave him a reality check, which ended badly for him. For example the signing of Sheva screwed him even worse than Torres is screwing our managers now, because Sheva was and still is actually a friend of Roman. Then there were Ballack, Anelka and Malouda who I don't think were Mourinho signings. Roman was regaining control of the team and for that Jose had to go.

[Dion 2,476]

For me it's Rafa, hands down. He's spoken shit about Chelsea before. Was Loserpool's manager. He's clueless. He believes and defends Torres. I guess that summarizes it well enough.

[Henrique 9,133]

I dont even know why Scolari in in this list. Now its easy to day it was absurd, after his awful job, buck them people thought he was really good. AVB appointment was more absurd.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Avram.

[Mufassir08 2,400]

Grant wins this one.

[nadavTKL 1,787]

The Israeli legend off course... funny (awful...) days.

even dow i was more annoyed with Benitez's appointment.

[NishC300 1,865]

Just asking guyz but why is Grant considered an absurd appointment as he took us to our first ever UCL final and he deserved to win it! Also Scolari wasn't he so famous for his past success?

[xPetrCechx 13,579]

Just asking guyz but why is Grant considered an absurd appointment as he took us to our first ever UCL final and he deserved to win it! Also Scolari wasn't he so famous for his past success?

Grant Was just a puppet... Clark was the manager...

and after his wife said that she wants that we will lose the CL final vs bayern, i hate him.

[Laylabelle 9,539]

Rafa aint a miracle worker thats the thing.Yes Torres played well under him but that was many years ago when he was a decent player and a lot younger....if he was brought in with that having a massive infulence then woops!

[Liquidator 5,176]

I feel a bit sorry for Avram Grant really. He was more or less chucked into the job, yes it was a stupid appointment to make but he didn't do too badly and wasn't a class A wanker like Benitez. It was a stupid appointment but it wasn't his fault.

[manpe 10,861]

Just asking guyz but why is Grant considered an absurd appointment as he took us to our first ever UCL final and he deserved to win it! Also Scolari wasn't he so famous for his past success?

You miss the point. In hindsight he didn't do badly (most people think that it was actually Steve Clarke and Henk ten Cate pulling the strings), but at that time the appointment was beyond absurd. He was an obscure name who noone had ever heard about before, not at least in the sense of being a successful European manager, while we were supposed to be a growing powerhouse. Before Chelsea he worked only at Israeli teams.

Benitez however is exactly the opposite, he may be hated among the fans but in general he's held in much higher regard than Grant ever was and has a much more vast trophy cabinet and experience baggage. Think of it this way: Mourinho --> Grant, Di Matteo --> Benitez. Robbie is a fans' favourite but in managerial sense it wasn't as massive of a downgrade, if it even was a downgrade (still up for debate, many believe Robbie wasn't the right man for the job).

Appointing Benitez had a sentimental backlash but Grant was just a total bukkake in the face.

I don't know how this is even a contest.

[Marvin123 539]

go compareeeeee

[MHL 47 378]

The Grant appointment was always baffling because no-one really knew who he was. It was vindication of a lot of rivals who spouted shit about Roman picking the team and he's proved himself to be a pretty average manager. Strangely we still managed to reach a Champions League Final and only lost on penalties. It makes you wonder how good Robbie Di Matteo actually was considering he managed the same feat a few years later.

The Rafa appointment isn't baffling or absurd in the slightest. It actually makes a lot of sense from Roman's point of view when you look at his track record, his availability/the lack of other options and his relationship with Torres. Yes the fans hated him but Roman decided that he wouldn't make decisions based on that (which the Robbie hiring was) so he took a bit of short-term 'discomfort' until the guy he really wanted was available.

The Grant appointment was entirely understandable when considering who was advising Roman at the time, many were allies of Grant. Grant had made a name for himself in football by 'networking' and by limited achievements. Grant was/is a limited Manager/Coach but was smart enough not to muck around with a tried and tested formula for success.

To compare him taking a team to the CL Final in 2008 and RDM winning it this year is an unfair comparison, that 2008 team was superior in many aspects, better defensively, more powerful throughout the side, a better Lampard, Essien at or near his pomp, Ballack, a fitter JT. Di Matteo's achievement was vastly superior, including beating Munich in their back-yard.

Rafa will prove the most absurd to date. You go to games, you must know how the fans felt about him, his loyalty to the red side of Merseyside, I've no problem with his loyalty to them, just some of his comments and then expecting fans to think that's OK, it's just a bit of banter, I was only batting for my side, and then expect a few wins to change our deeply held dislike of them. Anyone appointed (well almost anyone) then would have had a hard time convincing the fans that they were the right person, his job is almost impossible and I have a real fear that there will be some longer lasting problems because of his appointment. His past achievements are long past and his record in the PL is far from good and to be honest anyone who'd wreck a team and it's spirit for Gareth Barry needs his head carefully looking at.

[The only place to be 11,313]

The Grant appointment was entirely understandable when considering who was advising Roman at the time, many were allies of Grant. Grant had made a name for himself in football by 'networking' and by limited achievements. Grant was/is a limited Manager/Coach but was smart enough not to muck around with a tried and tested formula for success.

To compare him taking a team to the CL Final in 2008 and RDM winning it this year is an unfair comparison, that 2008 team was superior in many aspects, better defensively, more powerful throughout the side, a better Lampard, Essien at or near his pomp, Ballack, a fitter JT. Di Matteo's achievement was vastly superior, including beating Munich in their back-yard.

Rafa will prove the most absurd to date. You go to games, you must know how the fans felt about him, his loyalty to the red side of Merseyside, I've no problem with his loyalty to them, just some of his comments and then expecting fans to think that's OK, it's just a bit of banter, I was only batting for my side, and then expect a few wins to change our deeply held dislike of them. Anyone appointed (well almost anyone) then would have had a hard time convincing the fans that they were the right person, his job is almost impossible and I have a real fear that there will be some longer lasting problems because of his appointment. His past achievements are long past and his record in the PL is far from good and to be honest anyone who'd wreck a team and it's spirit for Gareth Barry needs his head carefully looking at.

Grant had his moments where he was booed by the crowd too. Think Arsenal at home, even though his changes actually worked.

My point about him is that he was seen as nothing but a puppet for Roman to pick the team through. The thing that him and Di Matteo had in common is that they both left the key players to do their own thing and in both instances they reverted to the type of tactics they'd been taught under Mourinho. Robbie's achievements were amazing, but we had a healthy dose of luck in the semis and the final.

The Rafa appointment makes a lot of sense in context. Yes he's hated by the fans but I think Roman's thinking was that he'd put a fan favourite in charge (full-time) less than 6 months earlier and he wasn't happy with the results. On paper, Benitez is a logical choice too. He was available short-term, he'd had experience of the Premier League and his achievements stack up pretty well against most managers. As a person to steady the ship for 6 months I think it makes more sense than the Grant appointment.

If Robbie had lost the final (like Grant) then Rafa would've been in here from the summer. One penalty goes in, one penalty misses and everything changes. Imagine if we'd won in Moscow and Grant was made manager full-time.

[MHL 47 378]

Grant had his moments where he was booed by the crowd too. Think Arsenal at home, even though his changes actually worked.

My point about him is that he was seen as nothing but a puppet for Roman to pick the team through. The thing that him and Di Matteo had in common is that they both left the key players to do their own thing and in both instances they reverted to the type of tactics they'd been taught under Mourinho. Robbie's achievements were amazing, but we had a healthy dose of luck in the semis and the final.

The Rafa appointment makes a lot of sense in context. Yes he's hated by the fans but I think Roman's thinking was that he'd put a fan favourite in charge (full-time) less than 6 months earlier and he wasn't happy with the results. On paper, Benitez is a logical choice too. He was available short-term, he'd had experience of the Premier League and his achievements stack up pretty well against most managers. As a person to steady the ship for 6 months I think it makes more sense than the Grant appointment.

If Robbie had lost the final (like Grant) then Rafa would've been in here from the summer. One penalty goes in, one penalty misses and everything changes. Imagine if we'd won in Moscow and Grant was made manager full-time.

No doubt that RDM had slice's of luck on the way to the CL win, I'd hold that Mourinho's Grant's team was the better overall side and that RDM's achievement was the better effort of the two. I would agree that Robbie winning the Final may have given Roman a predicament relating to the next Permanent appointment, Roman did what was understandable gave Robbie a two year deal, probably only wnating him for one year until probably PG became available - Good deal for Roman, no crap from the fans about not appointing Robbie and at the end of that first season either Robbie has success and stays or he doesn't and he's let go with the second year's money in his bank account.

There were some matters that probably caused Roman and the Board to act sooner than they wanted to, I'm afraid that the hostility to RB won't end and as well as what I believe to be a devisive management trait he has, you have a scenario where it's very easy for the players to become embroiled in it too as the fans make it easy for them to do so. That's why an "Anyone But Rafa" scenario may have been the best of a bad lot for us. I think it's an almost impossible job for him.

Tellingly for me, there's been no Press Conference with JT, Lampard or Cech with ringing endorsements for Rafa, the odd soundbyte Chelsea TV/Website acticle but nothing with a 'chest-beating' message. However I hope I'm way off the mark and all is well, but I have a nasty feeling we're in the mire with him.

[The only place to be 11,313]

No doubt that RDM had slice's of luck on the way to the CL win, I'd hold that Mourinho's Grant's team was the better overall side and that RDM's achievement was the better effort of the two. I would agree that Robbie winning the Final may have given Roman a predicament relating to the next Permanent appointment, Roman did what was understandable gave Robbie a two year deal, probably only wnating him for one year until probably PG became available - Good deal for Roman, no crap from the fans about not appointing Robbie and at the end of that first season either Robbie has success and stays or he doesn't and he's let go with the second year's money in his bank account.

There were some matters that probably caused Roman and the Board to act sooner than they wanted to, I'm afraid that the hostility to RB won't end and as well as what I believe to be a devisive management trait he has, you have a scenario where it's very easy for the players to become embroiled in it too as the fans make it easy for them to do so. That's why an "Anyone But Rafa" scenario may have been the best of a bad lot for us. I think it's an almost impossible job for him.

Tellingly for me, there's been no Press Conference with JT, Lampard or Cech with ringing endorsements for Rafa, the odd soundbyte Chelsea TV/Website acticle but nothing with a 'chest-beating' message. However I hope I'm way off the mark and all is well, but I have a nasty feeling we're in the mire with him.

I don't disagree with any of that, but I think Roman decided he would put up with it for 6 months. Let's be honest, the short-term thinking of the first decade of Roman's ownership has left us in a bit of shit. The Champions League win papered over a lot of cracks in terms of a dearth of players aged about 25 who we simply never bought in and we've still not replaced Mourinho.

The Club World Cup might have bought Rafa a bit of peace (and he's definitely got to beat Leeds) but now his job is simply to get top four and then leave. This last 18 months from AVB's appointment to the JT stuff, and then the Mikel stuff has been pretty awful with some real high spots.

This summer needs to see some real changes and that may include the last remnants of Mourinho's team leaving (even JT). In an ideal world I'd like a clean break at the top of the club and there is an ideal man for that who would help our image but this is complete pie in the sky thinking - Seb Coe.