Grant Equals Mourinho Record

[EskWeston 696]

JT was guest in the studio yesterday and said that when Grant took over he told the players that nothing will change from what they were doing under Mourinho, formation will stay the same. That shows that Grant does not have the knowledge and experience to manage properly at the top level and also confirms that it is in fact Steve Clarke doing the lions share of the work. We were pretty poor yesterday and Grant didn't have the ability to change it. I still believe it is the players have kept us in the hunt, not anything Grant has done.

I wouldn't say that. What manager in their right mind would come into a team like ours with the players we have in the middle of the season and try and changes things around too much, it is suicide and would have left us struggling to compete in anything.

Come the start of next season there will more than likely be a lot more changes, the fact is we don't have the players for a fast attacking style of football.

[Fulham Broadway 17,300]

I wouldn't say that. What manager in their right mind would come into a team like ours with the players we have in the middle of the season and try and changes things around too much, it is suicide and would have left us struggling to compete in anything.

Come the start of next season there will more than likely be a lot more changes, the fact is we don't have the players for a fast attacking style of football.

Agree, wholesale changes would have been disastrous , unless executed by a competent coach. The substitutions and tactical changes are akin to a sedated sloth. He has brought absolutely nothing so far, and it is early days I know, but I'm sorry, it's a waste of a key position of Chelsea Football club to have practically no one there.

He's inherited a Rolls Royce with a chauffeur and valet, yet doesn't get it serviced at all. It drives fine for a while. Eventually it will stall.

[EskWeston 696]

Agree, wholesale changes would have been disastrous , unless executed by a competent coach. The substitutions and tactical changes are akin to a sedated sloth. He has brought absolutely nothing so far, and it is early days I know, but I'm sorry, it's a waste of a key position of Chelsea Football club to have practically no one there.

He's inherited a Rolls Royce with a chauffeur and valet, yet doesn't get it serviced at all. It drives fine for a while. Eventually it will stall.

I just can't see how any other manager could have done any better since Jose left. With injuries and the ACN added to the turmoil of losing our most successful manger we have gone on to be challenging for all 4 cups still in February..........

Until things start going tits up we have nothing to complain about.

I can understand people are not happy about not beating the Scousers which is why there has been an upsurge in the posts on the anti-grant threads, but we didn't lose and games against the other big 3 clubs can go either way all the time and seasons are not won on those games.

[Fulham Broadway 17,300]

I just can't see how any other manager could have done any better since Jose left. With injuries and the ACN added to the turmoil of losing our most successful manger we have gone on to be challenging for all 4 cups still in February..........

Until things start going tits up we have nothing to complain about.

I can understand people are not happy about not beating the Scousers which is why there has been an upsurge in the posts on the anti-grant threads, but we didn't lose and games against the other big 3 clubs can go either way all the time and seasons are not won on those games.

Thats true and there would be different conversations flying about today had Joe Cole had a deserved penalty converted. I would rather spot the cracks being papered over than just fall into the trap of accepting someone who's clearly out of his depth, before it's too late.

Maybe we dont need a competent person at the helm, and surrounding adequate staff is enough.

And another thing whilst i'm in Victor Meldrew mode -the atmosphere was shit yesterday from both sets.

still, WIN OR LOSE, UP THE FUCKING BLUES, I SAY.

[EskWeston 696]

Thats true and there would be different conversations flying about today had Joe Cole had a deserved penalty converted. I would rather spot the cracks being papered over than just fall into the trap of accepting someone who's clearly out of his depth, before it's too late.

Maybe we dont need a competent person at the helm, and surrounding adequate staff is enough.

And another thing whilst i'm in Victor Meldrew mode -the atmosphere was shit yesterday from both sets.

still, WIN OR LOSE, UP THE FUCKING BLUES, I SAY.

Everything about that game yesterday was dour, Liverpools game plan was to completely stifle the game and pump long balls up to the freak! we had no invention in our team to open the game up and it turned into a bore-fest!

Time will tell in these circumstances i feel. If the man isn't good enough to manage the team, sooner or later it will be shown up! If it isn't shown up and we keep on winning then great. Happy Days either way

[Fulham Broadway 17,300]

Everything about that game yesterday was dour, Liverpools game plan was to completely stifle the game and pump long balls up to the freak! we had no invention in our team to open the game up and it turned into a bore-fest!

Time will tell in these circumstances i feel. If the man isn't good enough to manage the team, sooner or later it will be shown up! If it isn't shown up and we keep on winning then great. Happy Days either way

I thought the scousers were probably more inventive than us at times, and our passing was schoolboyish. If/when results go Liverpoolesque, a new 'face' will doubtless be brought in.

But if the puppet is going to bring us a blip, I'd rather the puppets strings were cut beforehand.

[EskWeston 696]

I thought the scousers were probably more inventive than us at times, and our passing was schoolboyish. If/when results go Liverpoolesque, a new 'face' will doubtless be brought in.

But if the puppet is going to bring us a blip, I'd rather the puppets strings were cut beforehand.

Lol, bit hard to call though isn't it. 9 straight wins and 2 draws isn't bad, plus a cup final in 2 weeks time. I wouldn't say Liverpool was inventive, they had 2 outlets long ball to Crouch and the ball to Babel who had the beating of Belletti...

[Fulham Broadway 17,300]

Lol, bit hard to call though isn't it. 9 straight wins and 2 draws isn't bad, plus a cup final in 2 weeks time. I wouldn't say Liverpool was inventive, they had 2 outlets long ball to Crouch and the ball to Babel who had the beating of Belletti...

Kuyt going wide caused us problems when Ashley Cole was otherwise engaged.

Don't think its harsh. My stance is that the results are despite the Puppet, and his position could be fulfilled by someone who could offer a contribution to Chelsea football Club for a more than adequate salary.

But like I say maybe thats not neccesary. Top clubs now have enough staff, and Grant fulfils the role of No threat to the Media, and Abramovichs confidant and conduit to team selection.

[Hingis 0]

There's much more than just mentality between them, although thats probably the biggest difference. Grant might try for a more expansive game, sexier football, blah, blah, blah but he certainly dont achieve that aim. He lacks the tactical know-how to have an impact, his substitutions are borne out of desperation and the need to show he's doing something, not because he's read the game and actually knows what'll work.

As for other differences - Grant obviously lacks charisma, personality, social skills, wit, looks, etc, etc, the list is pretty endless.

:thumbsup:

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Not yet. If we lose to the Yids at Wembley, and silverware is thin on the ground, come May, the knives will be out and sharpened for Romans puppet.

JT was guest in the studio yesterday and said that when Grant took over he told the players that nothing will change from what they were doing under Mourinho, formation will stay the same. That shows that Grant does not have the knowledge and experience to manage properly at the top level and also confirms that it is in fact Steve Clarke doing the lions share of the work. We were pretty poor yesterday and Grant didn't have the ability to change it. I still believe it is the players have kept us in the hunt, not anything Grant has done.

I don't think that is strictly true. Whilst it may be, Grant does have enough brains to realise what Mourinho did worked, and he didn't want to make drastic changes to the squad and/or the way we play in mid-season.

[Fulham Broadway 17,300]

I don't think that is strictly true. Whilst it may be, Grant does have enough brains to realise what Mourinho did worked, and he didn't want to make drastic changes to the squad and/or the way we play in mid-season.

Grant isn't stupid. He knows how to weedle his way into £100 000 a week job for a start.

He has no acute football brain this is apparent. Fine, leave things as they are. why not ? Why fix it if it aint broke. That any manager would have done. I'm not advocating Mourinhos return. Hes gone. What he had though was a game strategy. He had a plan B, C, D, and E. This is how he was successful. Get a lead, and keep it. No way would have Villa drew 4-4 under his stewardship. Even Ranieri had plans and imagination. I see none of this during any grant game. This is where crucial decisions cannot be made by his underlings Ten Cate and Clarke.

[pluto 0]

Grant isn't stupid. He knows how to weedle his way into £100 000 a week job for a start.

He has no acute football brain this is apparent. Fine, leave things as they are. why not ? Why fix it if it aint broke. That any manager would have done. I'm not advocating Mourinhos return. Hes gone. What he had though was a game strategy. He had a plan B, C, D, and E. This is how he was successful. Get a lead, and keep it. No way would have Villa drew 4-4 under his stewardship. Even Ranieri had plans and imagination. I see none of this during any grant game. This is where crucial decisions cannot be made by his underlings Ten Cate and Clarke.

I think you've hit the nail on the head with your comment "if it aint broke don't fix it".

Clearly Grant is smart enough to see that and for this season it appears he is going to change little and just carry on as is. The players have as good as confirmed this and that is no surprise you only need to look at the results and how the team play with your own eyes to see that.

Looks like he might get more adventurous next season! And he will have to in order to keep Roman happy.

Trouble is he lacks the tactical nous to make those changes that were so much a part of Mourinho's make up, you can copy the training, the team talks through say Cate or Clarke, the same system, style - you can copy all that but the one thing you cannot know how to replicate is how to change a game.

You either have it or you don't or you have to try and learn how to get better at it fast.

I think Grant is distinctly average in this area and that is where he falls on his face but lets just hope he learns shall we?

He's the manager and he needs support from the fans so whether we like him or respect him or not we have to support him and hope he can make this work.

[warnie_666 1,081]

His tactics are very defensive.

Eg: We needed to win the game yesterday and we played with a Holding Midfielder for the 90 mins. Instead of attacking more.

Against Manutd: we were 10 players. We dint even reach thier half as Sheva was alone upfront. Again we were densive. Mourinho would have swapped a RB for an attacking option.

I guesse we should accept the fact that we no more have a Maverick Manager who would win matches with his Dare Devil out of the box Tactics and not rely on just players playing the same formation for 90 mins and hoping that they would somehow score a goal.

After the Fulham Match, for which we played with 2 defenders for 10 mins inorder to break the deadlock, I havent seen him do that again in any matches.

Edited February 11, 2008 by warnie_666

[Cracker 0]

First of all its a fact that we are not in the position we all wanted to be in & that Arsenal have began to break away from the pack..& of course a win yesterday against the Liver's was very important to try & keep our campaign still live & kicking..

But! the simple fact is that Arsenal & also man-unt & even Liverpool yesterday have/had the last few weeks & months much better teams & squads than ours,

with all the injuries we've had + the African cup, we have had a team that cannot realistically fight for the title!, but still I think that Grant managed to squeeze as much out from the team almost as humanly possible, at these extremely difficult & challenging times.

Are any of you so sure that Mourinho would have got any better results if not worse in such circumstances that 2/3 of his first team are absent?

How many coaches around the world could not pride themselves with the fact of not losing a single game if they we're in a similar scenario as Grant has been in the last few weeks & months?

yes of course were all disappointed,.. but its also really not realistic nor fair to compare Chelsea's situation to any of the other top teams this season..

we can & should compare ourselves only to ourselves..& the only question I think we should be asking at this stage is.. are we so sure that any other coach in the world right now would have produced better results in this very irregular & difficult period the teams been through?

and lets also not forget that at the beginning of the season much before Grants era, when almost all our first team was intact, we still didn't look good if not worse than our last couple of games, & the results were average to poor then to.

Edited February 12, 2008 by Cracker

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

Right.......I'm no bloody Einstein, but I am seriously confused here

Is Cracker a Chelsea fan ?