Official: Avram Grant Sacked.

[Laylabelle 9,296]

According to the Sun Jose is coming back on his terms lol...if only

[Kez 2,727]

Would be nice if it was a british manager. & i'd love to see sparky back.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

lippi is set to apply for the vacant position according to mirror....

not bad but he wins only 1 out of 4 final....perhaps hes not good at one off encounter???

or his juventus squad is not good enough???

not a bad replacement....certainly better than mid table managers who had no trophies to proof their worth

Lippi is the only manager in the world, bar Ferguson, who can compare to the Special One, IMO.

[kbchel 2]

but he dont speak english....perhaps zola can come in and translate

Edited May 26, 2008 by kbchel

[Para6iT 2]

lol kbchel that was so amusing. Good idea. Hey i do read in newspaper jose would take the job as manager back but there's conditions. Is it true or just a rumours

[bombayblue™ 55]

Avram Grant enlists Diana lawyer to fight Chelsea

The fallout from Avram Grant’s controversial sacking by Chelsea took an intriguing twist yesterday when it emerged that the Israeli has appointed Anthony Julius, one of the country’s most high-profile solicitors and best known for representing Diana, Princess of Wales, in her divorce from the Prince of Wales, to negotiate his severance terms.

Grant is understood to have been unhappy with the payoff offered by Peter Kenyon, the Chelsea chief executive, after two days of talks over the weekend, as it contrasted unfavourably with the £12 million José Mourinho received in the wake of his dismissal last September. He has brought in Julius to help secure him a better deal.

Grant’s decision to recruit such a high-powered advocate indicates that his relationship with Chelsea could turn nasty, a remarkable development given that he was originally given the job of first-team coach on the strength of his friendship with Roman Abramovich, the owner. The Israeli has told friends that he felt betrayed at the manner of his dismissal, being told that he was being sacked only on Saturday morning when it had been an open secret in football circles for several weeks.

Julius, a consultant with Mishcon de Reya, the London law firm, was also used in conjunction with Daniel Naftalian, a partner at Mishcon, when Grant was given a new four-year contract by Chelsea last December, with the result that his salary increased from £980,000 to £2.4 million a year. Julius, 51, is best known for achieving a £17 million judgment for the late Princess, but also received fame for successfully defending Deborah Lipstadt, the American historian, against a libel suit brought against her by David Irving, the Holocaust-denying historian. He also acted for Heather Mills in her divorce from Sir Paul McCartney.

Chelsea have yet to decide on the man they want to succeed Grant as manager, with the board and Abramovich’s various advisers divided over who to approach. Kenyon, Bruce Buck, the chairman, and Eugene Tenenbaum, Abramovich’s right-hand man, met yesterday in London to discuss how to resolve a crisis of their own making, but no firm resolution as to how to proceed was agreed upon.

The West London club are prepared to wait to secure the right man, which may be just as well as several of the leading candidates are busy preparing for next month’s European Championship finals, while the development of factions within the club’s hierarchy makes a delay even more likely.

Tenenbaum has told the owner that Chelsea need a strong manager to regain control of the dressing-room, leading him to champion the cause of Guus Hiddink, the Dutch coach of Russia. As well as an impeccable CV, Hiddink has a reputation as a disciplinarian and enjoys a good relationship with Abramovich. Eugene Shvidler, another of Abramovich’s key aides, has mentioned Dick Advocaat, another Dutchman, whose stock is high after leading Zenit St Petersburg to victory in the Uefa Cup final.

Kenyon is talking up the credentials of Mark Hughes. As well as being impressed with Hughes’s work at Blackburn Rovers, the chief executive is also acutely aware of the need to appease the fans and Hughes was a popular player during his three-year stay at the club in the 1990s.

Source:Times

[EskWeston 696]

If we are going by the press then there doesn't seem to be any clear leader for the job. Although i am sure that they already have the man decided. I can't believe that it wasn't planned all along fro Grant to go, also it would be strange to be arranging transfers without a new man decided.

Hopefully it won't be dragged out too long now...

[BlueLion. 21,491]

but he dont speak english....perhaps zola can come in and translate

Carlo Cudicini speaks fluent English and fluent Italian, and he can learn

[EskWeston 696]

I don't think we would discount someone on the basis that they couldn't speak English, there are ways around it while that person learns..

[Jon 18]

The Manager.

Only thing I care about it the amount of time the new manager has to do what he'd like to do this transfer window.

[EskWeston 696]

Well it is very important for this to be decied upon immediately, the Euros don't make things any easier thats for sure. But with regards to transfers, we have already signed Bosingwa - so who knows, either new manager already being involved or transfers are not decided by the manager anymore.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

I think its a case of Roman's advisors scouting for talent and recommending them to him, more than the manager.

[EskWeston 696]

But why would they sign a player knowing that a new manager was due to come in? What if that manager has different ideas about style of play or players. The manager needs to pick his players who will play for him.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

I see your point, but we were in urgent need of a right back.

[EskWeston 696]

I see your point, but we were in urgent need of a right back.

Without doubt, but you can't decide that player for a new manager! The man may come in and decide they want a different type of right back and Bosingwa is not the right man and not needed. It's a risk.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

I know what you're saying. Maybe its a case of Abramovich chosing the signings, and eventually the team? If we ever go that way... dark thoughts indeed.

[EskWeston 696]

I know what you're saying. Maybe its a case of Abramovich chosing the signings, and eventually the team? If we ever go that way... dark thoughts indeed.

I certainly don't want to think that is case, because as you said would be a very very dodgy situation to get in and would put off a lot of managers i would think.

Either the club has always planned to have Grant in place for a season and the new man has long been decided so the signing of Bosingwa and other targets we are looking at has already been discussed and we are waiting for the right time to announce the man.

Or Roman truly gave a chance to be the manager long term but was depandent on winning something this season, Bosingwa was Grants choice and then the club decided Grant was no longer the man for the job.

Or the club are deciding on the right man at the moment but at the same time do not allow the manager much choice on signings and Bosingwa was signed by Roman no matter who was going to be in charge.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Or Roman truly gave a chance to be the manager long term but was depandent on winning something this season, Bosingwa was Grants choice and then the club decided Grant was no longer the man for the job.

I think that option is the case, Grant planned about playing exciting football and Bosingwa is certainly a player who enjoys marauding forward.