Grant: Theres Life After Mourinhio

[EskWeston 696]

His last season we had to change our style of play to accomodate 2 certain players who have been far from convincing to say the least. If we'd stayed playing the way we were I'd have been over the moon. I wasnt saying Jose took it away from Joe cole, but he made his first priority to defend with the rest of the team and then when he could and when he was in the last 3rd of the pitch he could do as many tricks as he wanted as long as he got back when the ball was lost.I'd more than welcome back our play of 3-4 years ago, it was definately a joy to watch.

It certainly was fantastic, Robben and Duff were electric. Hopefully we can back to near that, but we need to change some of our playing staff first

[pluto 0]

His last season we had to change our style of play to accomodate 2 certain players who have been far from convincing to say the least. If we'd stayed playing the way we were I'd have been over the moon. I wasnt saying Jose took it away from Joe cole, but he made his first priority to defend with the rest of the team and then when he could and when he was in the last 3rd of the pitch he could do as many tricks as he wanted as long as he got back when the ball was lost.I'd more than welcome back our play of 3-4 years ago, it was definately a joy to watch.

Ironic that apparently Jose didn't really want Sheva and possibly even Ballack but for some reason they came and they ruined what was a great team. I just wish Roman had trusted Jose to leave him pick the team he wanted and not interfere - he's a fantastic coach and if only he had been left alone I just wonder what would have happened to this team. Buying Sheva was the deathknell I feel ultimately for him. He never wanted big stars in the squad, he wanted a team and Sheva and Ballack never seemed to fit in with Jose's team ethos.I resent the way people keep harping on about how dull Jose played all the time, he made the team play some great football at times but the way Grant and some of the press carry on you would think we never played any slick, fast paced, attacking football at all when he was in charge. If he was such a lousy coach entertainment wise how the hell did we score the goals we did? Win the league two years on the trot? I loved us when we had Duff and Robben on the wings we were fantastic to watch and we were a Mourinho team and that was never dull not for me.I don't respect Grant at the moment because of the constant digs about the past regime, it reeks of abject insecurity and disrespect towards a coach far more successful than he has every been and I feel he's been overly praised for what he has done with what is essentially Jose's team. He left Grant with a fantastic group of wonderful players drilled to the nth degree to play to the death for a win, a wonderful defence a wonderful attacking player in Drogba - a definite Mourinho buy and what a buy. He even had the nerve prior to the Rosenborg game to suggest that we had started so poorly in the premiership under Jose that really concentrating on the CL was the only thing to do but now he Grant had managed to turn it around.We were two points behind the leaders when Jose left us but now we are 5 points off the lead but 4th instead of 5th! How can you be out of the league being 2 points of the leaders in September! It just goes to show you how pathetic his statements are - how he tries to rewrite history to make him look as if he has worked some kind of magic trick - he hasn't. Hasn't he contributed to our poor start by losing at MU and drawing against Everton and Fulham? Or does he ignore those results?The way some act it's as if Jose legacy was some poisoned chalice to Grant - it was one hell of a legacy and he is now reaping the benefits of that Jose left him.I've seen nothing that leads me to believe that Grant has done anything much different, he's taken Jose's team, tried to tinker with it for the odd game but basically it's a well oiled machine that can run and run. Until he gets his own players in it will always have its roots with Mourinho for me, sorry but I just can't help seeing it that way.I just get fed up with people telling me how much more attacking and exciting we are and how "this would never have happened under Mourinho" and I just want to laugh because I have just not seen how different we are and yet if I say that I am shouted down by some for my abject blindness.Mourinho had his faults certainly, he made mistakes but his plus points were big ones and I still feel badly about how he left the club and wish he was still in charge.But he's not and that's it but I don't see why I should worship Grant on the little I have seen so far, this team is no better under Grant, it's not slicker, it's not hungrier, it's not more aggressive, or more attacking unless you count putting goals past hapless opposition more often than not.So yes Grant is doing the business which is great no question but it's a business that is hardly difficult for him. In fact it's been all too easy so far, his tactical nous has yet to be tested for me against really sterling opposition. And when it has we have lost or drawn. Edited November 28, 2007 by pluto

[True_Blue 469]

What did you guys think? We would colapse after Jose left? don't be silly....and by the way Grant is doing a good job.

[pluto 0]

What did you guys think? We would colapse after Jose left? don't be silly....and by the way Grant is doing a good job.

No I didn't, I thought it was ridiculous to suggest that.That is the whole point - the team is excellent and Grant is taking advantage of that quite rightly.It was never going to collapse because Jose left and I could never understand why people thought it would.Grant is a competent coach nothing more at present in charge of a magnificant team but to allude that he has done something special since taking over for me at any rate is totally overblown.Yes if you listen to some of the press you would think that Grant has turned into some kind of stellar coach and has staged a remarkable comeback for the team.What comeback?The team was always capable of improving its form, getting its players back from injury and winning again.Grant has had little out of the ordinary to cause this "transformation" in my opinion.When he gets some of his own players in that's when I'll get interested in his coaching credentials and also plays a top side.

[pluto 0]

To be honest, I don't care who is in charge. Grant will never fill Mourinho's boots, but of course there is life after him. We are a huge club with high ambitions, and have plenty of professional players. Its hardly surprising to see us compete as hard as ever since the Special One left. Ultimately, as I say before, its the players who do the business.

Yes true, of course we compete as hard as ever, I just resent Grant trying to take credit for something which was always there before but giving the impression he's discovered something new that's what grates. When he stops aiming his barbs against our previous coach and stops pretending he was hard done by when he took over then I'll be happier. He should just concentrate on the here and now and stop having digs about what is now our recent history.Then I can get to like and respect him more. I'd like to see what kind of players he may bring into the January transfer window, give me some idea of what kind of team he is trying to build the kind of players he likes and wants.Will they be radically different from what we would normally expect? Edited November 28, 2007 by pluto

[pluto 0]

Sorry but this is what I mean about trying hard to respect Avram but every time I want to try and make an effort to do so he comes out with like this after the game tonight against Rosenborg:

"We played some good football tonight and scored four goals. We had a lot of chances but what is most important is that we qualified for the next round one game before the end and after having dropped two points in the opening round."We want to play positive, attacking football and I am very happy with what has happened. We win games, we progress and play better from game to game.

Again after the Rosenborg game the usual guff about our positive attractive football (okay this time it was!) but the dig about that opening game against Rosenborg. Funny he should mention the two dropped points there but he does not mention the lousy game against Schalke which we deserved to lose and came away with a draw after dropping yes 2 points!But of course that was under his regime so is totally ignored but we can have a dig about the Rosenborg game because he was sitting behind the guy in charge at the time.Like I said it's pathetic and so transparent and just reeks of total insecurity that he has to keep on mentioning Mourinho in a bad light and tries to cover over any deficiencies of his since then by simply ignoring them as if the games never happened.At least we are through and he can no longer use the Rosenborg game as a stick to beat Mourinho with, he will now have to rise or fall on his own results in the next round.Sadly in the premiership I guess he will still harp on about our poor start and how we almost should have given up things were so bad. I'll bet that's all we will hear about from him if we narrowly miss winning the league this year, it wasn't his fault it was Mourinho's.Why can't Grant just shut up so I can enjoy Chelsea without having to listen to his inane childishly spiteful views? He could take a vow of silence like Roman - now there's a man who knows the value of the spoken word - he doesn't use them often! There is life after Mourinho alright no doubt about it but Grant is hardly making me want to rally behind his cause.I'd rather rally behind the players, the rest of the coaching staff even Peter Kenyon than Grant right now. Edited November 29, 2007 by pluto

[ironhorse 0]

Sorry but this is what I mean about trying hard to respect Avram but every time I want to try and make an effort to do so he comes out with like this after the game tonight against Rosenborg:Again after the Rosenborg game the usual guff about our positive attractive football (okay this time it was!) but the dig about that opening game against Rosenborg. Funny he should mention the two dropped points there but he does not mention the lousy game against Schalke which we deserved to lose and came away with a draw after dropping yes 2 points!But of course that was under his regime so is totally ignored but we can have a dig about the Rosenborg game because he was sitting behind the guy in charge at the time.Like I said it's pathetic and so transparent and just reeks of total insecurity that he has to keep on mentioning Mourinho in a bad light and tries to cover over any deficiencies of his since then by simply ignoring them as if the games never happened.At least we are through and he can no longer use the Rosenborg game as a stick to beat Mourinho with, he will now have to rise or fall on his own results in the next round.Sadly in the premiership I guess he will still harp on about our poor start and how we almost should have given up things were so bad. I'll bet that's all we will hear about from him if we narrowly miss winning the league this year, it wasn't his fault it was Mourinho's.Why can't Grant just shut up so I can enjoy Chelsea without having to listen to his inane childishly spiteful views? He could take a vow of silence like Roman - now there's a man who knows the value of the spoken word - he doesn't use them often! There is life after Mourinho alright no doubt about it but Grant is hardly making me want to rally behind his cause.I'd rather rally behind the players, the rest of the coaching staff even Peter Kenyon than Grant right now.

Hiwell said , you are not alone in thinking that way , as is sums up grant perfect .even last nights result against rosenberg was the jose way , overpower as a team , its jose`s way with jose`s team

[pluto 0]

Hiwell said , you are not alone in thinking that way , as is sums up grant perfect .even last nights result against rosenberg was the jose way , overpower as a team , its jose`s way with jose`s team

Glad I'm not alone, last night's result was a typical, physically over powering, counterattacking away win against poor opposition. We crushed them just like we always would have done with our power, superior talent and hunger to get the job done. Things coached into the team by Mourinho and now used very gratefully by Mr Grant.He's done the job asked of him no question but don't over egg the pudding, it already tasted great before he became the chef and no amount of Grant telling me how much better he has made the team and how poorly we were doing before is going to convince me otherwise until he gets his own players in and faces some tougher opposition.

[misschief 24]

He's done the job asked of him no question but don't over egg the pudding, it already tasted great before he became the chef and no amount of Grant telling me how much better he has made the team and how poorly we were doing before is going to convince me otherwise until he gets his own players in and faces some tougher opposition.

Did Jose ever have to make digs at previous managers in an effort to big himself up or did he just win support by doing a very convincing job (which he'd got on his own merit btw)?

[BlueLion. 21,491]

All respect to the Special One, but with the players we have, it wasn't at all likely we would struggle without him.

[ironhorse 0]

Glad I'm not alone, last night's result was a typical, physically over powering, counterattacking away win against poor opposition. We crushed them just like we always would have done with our power, superior talent and hunger to get the job done. Things coached into the team by Mourinho and now used very gratefully by Mr Grant.He's done the job asked of him no question but don't over egg the pudding, it already tasted great before he became the chef and no amount of Grant telling me how much better he has made the team and how poorly we were doing before is going to convince me otherwise until he gets his own players in and faces some tougher opposition.

Hii could not agree more , i will never like him because of what he did , & to try to slate jose a winner of cups & leagues , i dont think not , he is out manager that i must take , then carry on building this " new way" big joke

[True_Blue 469]

All respect to the Special One, but with the players we have, it wasn't at all likely we would struggle without him.

Well i see we still have some reasonable fans