This Does Not Look Good!

[EskWeston 696]

Chelsea Football Club will be making all the necessary provisions so that Avram Grant and Tal Ben-Haim meet entry requirements for Malaysia ahead of the Samsung Chelsea Asia Tour 2008.

The tour was announced today at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur and Chelsea will play one game against a Malaysian Selection, a team of the best Malaysian players from the country's Super League during the tour.

Malaysia does not currently have formal diplomatic relations with Israel and Israeli nationals cannot travel there without special dispensation. But there have been several precedents in recent years of Israeli athletes entering Malaysia.

This includes the entire Israeli cricket team participating in the 1997 International Cricket Council Trophy.

Chief executive Peter Kenyon said: 'We have been aware of this for some time and have already begun the process. We fully respect the laws of Malaysia and the requirements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs. There is a due process to go through and that has started and we will fulfil all that is necessary for our manager and player.

'There are precedents and we do not anticipate any problems so we will continue the dialogue with the Malaysian Government, through our representatives, and they have been very welcoming and helpful thus far.'

The match, currently scheduled for July 29, has been officially sanctioned by the Football Association of Malaysia.

The FAM's deputy president Encik Khairy Jamaluddin endorsed the tour at the press conference where he was presented with a Chelsea shirt.

Source: Chelsea FC

[Fulham Broadway 16,980]

Does not look good indeedy. It seems as though the Grinch and Tal Ben Awful are going to be around for awhile.

I'm sure Romans ill gotten gains will grease a few Malaysian officials palms and the Jews will be allowed to go.

Malaysia is one of 34 countries that wants nothing to do with Israel and Israelis and has no diplomatic ties.

[EskWeston 696]

Does not look good indeedy. It seems as though the Grinch and Tal Ben Awful are going to be around for awhile.

I'm sure Romans ill gotten gains will grease a few Malaysian officials palms and the Jews will be allowed to go.

Malaysia is one of 34 countries that wants nothing to do with Israel and Israelis and has no diplomatic ties.

Couldn't give a monkeys about Malaysia and Israel..... the club are planning a pre season that involves both Grant and Ben Haim!!!! We are TRULY f**ked......

It is looking more and more likely that no matter what happens from here till the end of the season we are lumbered with Grant for another season!!!

[Fulham Broadway 16,980]

Couldn't give a monkeys about Malaysia and Israel..... the club are planning a pre season that involves both Grant and Ben Haim!!!! We are TRULY f**ked......

It is looking more and more likely that no matter what happens from here till the end of the season we are lumbered with Grant for another season!!!

It was always very odd, 'Zippy from Rainbow' Kenyon announcing a four year contract for the fraudster from the off. Hopefully a Malaysian assassin will take him out.

[EskWeston 696]

You would think if Grant DOES stay in charge then there is going to be a major clearout of sorts, because there is only currently about 15 players that can work in the current system and everyone else is failing big time!!

The major worry for me is that because there is likely to be such a big change around things could get a LOT worse before they get any better. And to make matters even worse, if we are going to have a cler out then why the f**k are they planning a summer with Ben Haim????

[DavidEU 2,023]

I think you are reading too much into that. It doesn't mean Grant and Tal are going to be here, but they have to sort it all out now incase they are.

Grant WILL stay if we win something this season, but I doubt Ben-Haim will, and would really question his desire attitude if he does stay - because he just doesn't play. Has he featured since Liverpool in the Carling Cup?

[EskWeston 696]

I think you are reading too much into that. It doesn't mean Grant and Tal are going to be here, but they have to sort it all out now incase they are.

Grant WILL stay if we win something this season, but I doubt Ben-Haim will, and would really question his desire attitude if he does stay - because he just doesn't play. Has he featured since Liverpool in the Carling Cup?

With a handful of games left of this season the club will know if they are planning to keep grant and especially Ben Haim. Plans should already be well under way for next season....

[Fulham Broadway 16,980]

Very rarely do clubs plan ahead to get rid of the manager, although as soon as Grant oozed his way in, I knew the writing was on the wall for Mourinho.

I think David EU could be right -they are just making a contingency plan if Grant and Ben Haim are here. If we win any silverware I expect Grant to be here though, and Ben Haim if he makes a meaningless substitution in a winning situation.

Abramovich wants his conduit to the team, so he can play real life Football Manager 2008.

[EskWeston 696]

Very rarely do clubs plan ahead to get rid of the manager, although as soon as Grant oozed his way in, I knew the writing was on the wall for Mourinho.

I think David EU could be right -they are just making a contingency plan if Grant and Ben Haim are here. If we win any silverware I expect Grant to be here though, and Ben Haim if he makes a meaningless substitution in a winning situation.

Abramovich wants his conduit to the team, so he can play real life Football Manager 2008.

As much as i find the whole Grant thing Bizzare i certainly don't believe it was done so Roman could pick the teams ect....

A lot of people (Myself included) have been living off the hope that Grant is and always was temporary, this announcement (which incidently i can't understand why it was done other than to underscore the fact that Grant will be here next season) virtually scuppers that theory...

I can't for the life of me imagine any way that Ben Haim could possibly be here next season!!!

[Fulham Broadway 16,980]

Agree with those exclamation marks !!!!!

I certainly believe Grants appointment was so theres a link between Roman and the team -if not selection definitley eyes and ears. Its quite interesting Mourinho has made an announcement that with his next appointment he wants ''entire control over team selection and transfers''.

As far as Ben Haim is concerned - not good enough, Bolton reject, mouth breather should fuck off to the Yids or something...

[C'mon the chels 0]

I can't for the life of me imagine any way that Ben Haim could possibly be here next season!!!

[EskWeston 696]

There are not many explanations for Grants appointment on the basis that our owner wants to run a successful club, did he honestly believe and does he honestly believe now that Grant is a coach good enough for a team that wants to be the best in the world???

Right now i really don't know what to expect from this summer, i do feel that there will be some exciting additions to the squad but i am not confident that they can be successfuly moulded into the team under the current regime..

Ben Haim, Pizzaro, Sidwell = very very poor signings, thank god they were free!!!

[Fulham Broadway 16,980]

Definitely, I would have thought all those three will be on their way -will celebrate when Grant has gone as well.

I can't for the life of me imagine any way that Ben Haim could possibly be here next season!!!

And there in lies your answer. With 7 games to go with us still fighting for the league and the Champions league do you really think Kenyon is going to come out and say 'well actually we aren't planning on taking Ben Haim or Grant to Malaysia because they won't be here'?

We all know that Ben Haim is not going to be at Chelsea next season, the signing of Ivanovic told us that, but until a deal is done Chelsea aren't going to come out and say that, they will publicly plan for him to still be at the club and the same goes for Grant.

This means nothing other than the club know that Journalists will catch on to the fact that special dispensation is needed and if they aren't seen to be trying to get that then it will tell everyone that they are planning to get rid which would be very disruptive now. Notice how Kenyon fobbed it off with the comment 'we will continue our dialogue with the Malaysian government'? That baisically means I'm going to tell you we are doing something about it without telling you what it is because we aren't actually doing anything about it.

Think you're probably spot on there -also Kenyon is like the website, states the fucking obvious, or lies by omission, and is always banal.

Anyway -would it really be a disaster if the Malaysian mega shirt sale is without those two ?

[EskWeston 696]

To be honest i don't know why the club said anything at all!! There was no reason to come out and say this other than to virtually be confirming that Grant is still going to be here in the summer....

It appears that the closer we get to the end of the season the more obvious it is becomming that Grant is here to stay! I hope to god that there is still a way he could be on his bike but it is looking less likely...

Ben Haim i am sure was just lumped into it for the sake of it and i am sure your right that it doesn't mean he will be here next season. Although to me this does seem to be some sort of statement to say that Grant will be staying...

[pippin 0]

nah nothing is set in stone but i expect to sort out visa things you realy need to give shed loads of notice, so i suppose it well just in case we better do something but i think if we fail to win a single thing then grant will be out

i dont expect ben haim to stick around i think he will be off loaded ... not sure why the hell we bought in the first place.. didnt realy rate him at bolton

[warnie_666 1,081]

GRANT Could be in the team as a Football Director.(if we get a new coach)!!! in which case, he will have to travel to Malaysia. And regarding, Ben Haim, Just incase the new coach decides to keep him, they need some plan of action to get him an entry into Malaysia.

[kbchel 2]

ben haim isnt that bad for a fourth choice defender.....

top class players wont be happy to be in the reserve

look at wright phillips, malouda, shevchenko, pizzao

they are not the best....but they are unhappy for sure......

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Shit. The Grinch is here to stay. The club is losing more and more credibility with every passing second.