> Chelsea sack Grant

Ninja

News has broken from within the club that Avram Grant has been sacked with immediate effect.

Grant who took charge of team affairs midway through the season after Portugese manager, Jose Mourinho's departure guided the London side to runners-up position in the Barclays Premier League and the Champions League.

Former Barcelona coach, Frank Rijkaard, is said to be the leading candidate to take over.

Ninja

The London club made their announcement via their official website this afternoon, bringing to an end weeks of speculation over the Israeli's future.

A statement read that the decision was taken after two days of intense discussion, with owner Roman Abramovich and the board apparently losing patience after a season without success in the Premier League or Champions League.

Grant, 53, arrived at Stamford Bridge in September of last year after José Mourinho's departure. Having bossed the Israeli national side, as well as a host of domestic teams, his experience was considerable, but lacked the top-level edge that many fans in west London had grown to expect. What's more, a lack of official UEFA qualification put him in a difficult situation.

Nonetheless he was able to guide the Blues both to the CL final in Moscow and to second place in the Premier League, losing the former game on penalties and the latter competition by a narrow margin.

However, it has been clear for some time that a trophyless season, however close-fought, would not be tolerated, and thus Grants departure comes as no real surprise.

The Search Is On

The second part of Chelsea's official communiqué pertained to the need to find a replacement. It read: "We will now be concentrating all our efforts on identifying a new manager for Chelsea and there will be no further comment until that appointment is made."

The likes of Frank Rijkaard, former Barcelona boss, have been linked with the vacant hotseat, but there are also rumblings in the English tabloid press that José Mourinho could be set for a surprise (and highly unlikely) return.

Source - Goal.com

I don't want Rijkaard at stamford bridge. He is one manager i like apart from Alex, and certainly he deserves a better team than Chelsea. I am sure he too will get a raw deal at stamford bridge

prongs

well they shouldn't have done it .avam gant did what mounho was unable to .he made t to the ucl fnal + extended the league battle to last week ......
it shouldn't be done this bcoz drogba &co. hates grant.i think grant should be given some more time
screw abramovch

Ninja

^ Abramovich is the owner of the club mate, he dictates the terms, on how his club should be run. As far as drogba is concerned, i agree, he doesn't get along avram too well. but this was his last season at stamford bridge as well. He will be moving to milan for the next season. According to Abramovich, he needs a manager who can have a control over the team and can win him trophies.

xXx

That was coming..........poor Grant.....

prongs

@ ninja
how would one say that grant was not good
he was almost there if terry hadn't missed that penalty
u see avram made chelsea reach finals where mourinho had failed not once but twice
atleast he was better than him
secondly abramovich is a greedy man he wants success every year not even once he could accept failure
well though i don't blame him
havin a team like dat and not winnin atrophy is depressin but sacking is not the only option.

Ninja

^ That is what i said prongs

I have mentioned things from Abramovich's point of view. Personally i think Avram is much effective than Mourinho(If not as flamboyant as his counterpart) But seriously Chelsea is not the place for him. Chelsea deserves a snobby manager like Mourinho who can take on Abramovich

I don't see even Rijkaard delivering the goods as soon as he takes over(if he does

)

broar94

Originally Posted by prongs

@ ninja
how would one say that grant was not good
he was almost there if terry hadn't missed that penalty
u see avram made chelsea reach finals where mourinho had failed not once but twice
atleast he was better than him
secondly abramovich is a greedy man he wants success every year not even once he could accept failure
well though i don't blame him
havin a team like dat and not winnin atrophy is depressin but sacking is not the only option.

if Avram Grant is better than Mourinho as you say, why was he sacked after just 8 months of his appointment

? for chelski, they don't like second places

. Just like Real madrid, now if the present coach(Schuster) doesnt get the team to next year's semifinals of champions league, he'll be sacked.

prongs

@broar 94
that's wat i am sayin dat avram was better than mourinho and sacckin part was the worst decision taken by abramovich
i think abramovich is at most falt in here
he just doesn't seem to get up with the losses
and when he loses he goes on sackin spree
at first he wants player like shevchenko in first team(friends u see)
then he also wants to win tropies
he just doesn't wants to give time to managers to firm his postion and get along with his team
luk at sir alex ferguson he didn't start winnin trophes from first year
u gotta give time to managers

Ninja

^ I agree with you on this. Team building is a process and that is what they believe at old trafford or even in Nuo camp(Barcelona). But these rich team bosses fail to understand that, Morons