“It’s out of hand now...This is a human rights situation. If this happened on the street you would be arrested”

It is not the first time that Campbell has suggested this. Back in December 2007 when he, Alex Ferguson and Avram Grant had all been subjected to varying levels of abuse, he stated:

"This is a human rights situation where professional sportsmen - managers as well - want to do their job professionally and people are abusing them verbally"

Having been a Millwall FC fan for some 30 years, Campbell's comments split my sensibilities. Working with human rights on a day to basis, I appreciate that everyone has the right to freedom from degraded treatment and from discrimination in respect of your rights and freedoms: discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, class and so on.

However, individuals also have the right to the freedom of expression and so if paying football fans are criticising 'bad' players, do they not have the right to boo and complain also?

Of course, I'm playing Devil's Advocate and realise that players are subjected to some of the most appalling verbal abuse (see here for my own experience). And there is some evidence that the abuse received by Campbell may have been of this type. Rod Liddle in the Times suggests that Tottenham fans were singing to him to the tune of the hymn, 'I am the Lord of the Dance':

Sol, Sol, wherever you may be,

You’re on the verge of lunacy,

And we don’t give a fuck when you’re hanging from a tree,

Judas cunt with HIV

In that song alone there could be allegations of racism (hanging from a tree), anti-Semitism (Judas cunt) and homophobia (HIV), let alone the mention of mental illness. If Liddle though is right, much of this is incidental: included in the song largely because it rhymes. The argument that he gives for this is that if anyone knows Tottenham Hotspur FC, they'll know that their fans identify themselves with Israel and Jewish culture: even their hooligan 'firm' are called The Yid Army. To suggest therefore that Spurs fans might be anti-Semitic is - if Liddle is right - somewhat ludicrous. Personally, I'm not convinced and where racist, anti-Semitic or homophobic abuse was directed at Campbell, so the legislation is in place for the necessary action to be taken, something the FA appear to be taking seriously.

But I do think that Liddle has a point in that it would seem to be part and parcel of being a professional football player that you will receive some abuse at some time. Without this, away matches would be quite anodyne experiences, resulting in even fewer people going to watch live football which would no doubt be good news for Sky and Setanta. Some of the greatest strengths of certain team's stadiums - Millwall's Old Den being a case in point - has been the atmosphere and 'reception' that away teams and their players get. Many managers - including Alex Ferguson - have been known to call on this and regularly the home crowd are described as the '12th man'. The question now is whether the crowd can still be the '12th man' if they don't abuse - intimidate? - the opposition?

Given my knowledge of football, I know that Fratton Park - home of Campbell's Portsmouth FC - is one of those stadiums where the home fans create an extremely hostile atmosphere. To suggest that 'Pompey fans' are any different from Spurs fans would therefore be wrong and so I wonder whether Campbell will - when overhearing abuse being directed at players from Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal et al - be recommending that his own fans are ejected from the ground and duly prosecuted? I very much doubt it.

Without wishing to endorse such abuse, I do think that some barracking is not only acceptable but somewhat necessary. Where it steps over the line into racism, sexism, homophobia etc, is of course where this becomes unacceptable. But when a player that earns £100,000 per week plays bad and is harrassed for this alone, then I do think that little else can be expected.

And as in the case of Campbell in particular, when you deliberately walk out on a club that you have previously captained and pledged allegiance to at the expense of losing that same club up to £15 million from his sale to its closest and bitterest rival, then I guess that you are not really endearing yourself to 'the fans'. Likewise, when he went AWOL halfway throughout a match for Arsenal - allegedly ending up in Amsterdam - he must accept that he hasn't exactly acted in an entirely professional manner, again not in a way that fans might warm to you.

The players themselves should also reflect upon their own behaviour. The Football Association has this season launched 'Respect', a campaign that seeks to address the lack of respect that professional players - amongst others - show towards match officials. Watch 'Match of the Day' two weeks in a row and you'll no doubt see various multi-millionaire players repeatedly telling the referee to 'Fuck Off' in no uncertain terms. In an article from 2007 in The Times, this point was voiced much better than I have here:

...on the subject of terrace abuse, Sol Campbell made the point that “if this happened on the street, you would be arrested”. Very true, but the rules of modern football do not apply easily to the real world. Emmanuel Eboué, one presumes, does not “grass up” fellow motorists for parking illegally, let alone for doing so legally; John Terry does not follow policemen around the High Street, telling them how to enforce the law; Cristiano Ronaldo does not dangle a leg and tumble to the floor in the hope of getting a fellow shopper arrested; not even El-Hadji Diouf spits at a passer-by in the street, at least not unless they have looked at him the wrong way.

Absolutely true.

Maybe - Sol Campbell listen up - the players should also begin to realise that if you pledge allegiance to a particular club, one that the fans themselves live and breathe and commit increasing amounts of their hard earned wages to, then it is pretty obvious that when you leave and go to your bitterest rivals, you won't exactly get a red carpet welcome on your return. Anyone remember Wayne Rooney's comment of 'once a blue, always a blue' before leaving for the red of Manchester United?

What is most worrying about this episode is that professional players at the top of their game increasingly seem to be unable to differentiate between the world they live in and what might better be described as 'the real world'. Yes, they want huge salaries and are prepared to accept the adulation and praise when they see fit. But then when things go wrong or the press 'intrude' beyond the carefully stage-managed photo-ops, they complain they are being over-criticised, over-scrutinised and treated downright unfairly. As the same article in The Times put it when Campbell first argued the human rights abuse case:

It seems that defending your human rights – freedom from criticism, the right to simulate, freedom to self-worship – is to become a Premier League footballer’s new catch-all phrase in times of trouble, or at least confusion

I totally support Campbell in his suggestion that players - and indeed fans - should not have to be subjected to racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic or Islamophobic abuse either on or off the pitch: none of us should. But I do not support Campbell if all he is suggesting is that players should not be subjected to any criticism - what I feel that he is sometimes equating with verbal abuse - whatsoever, whether that be because he believes that he is above criticism or merely because the self-worshipping cult of the untouchable football player that he and far too many others are already a part of is continuing to increasingly cloud his vision of reality.

This work by Chris Allen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 UK: England & Wales License. Based on a work at www.chris-allen.co.uk.

The two most successful English teams of the previous four seasons lock horns again early in the current campaign, and as usual there are intriguing sub-plots.

The last time they met, Chelsea were dramatically beaten in a penalty shoot-out in Moscow at the end of a thrilling Champions League final. The European crown looked to be heading for West London when Chelsea skipper John Terry stepped up to take his kick. Had he scored he would have lifted club football’s most glamorous trophy; but he slipped, his effort hit the outside of a post and Manchester United went on to claim their third European Cup.
 
Ironically, Terry is already at the centre of controversy ahead of Sunday’s latest showdown between these two heavyweights. The England captain was sent off for a cynical foul during the Blues’ impressive 3-1 victory over Manchester City last Saturday. That should have meant an automatic three-match ban for Terry - the fate suffered by United’s centre-back Nemanja Vidic who was dismissed for two bookable offences as the defending champions succumbed to Liverpool at Anfield earlier the same day. But Chelsea appealed against Terry’s dismissal and, remarkably, the red card was rescinded - to the undisguised disgust of Sir Alex Ferguson, who feels anti-United bias was at work.
 
So United go into the game against Chelsea already harbouring a grudge, and also nursing the disappointment of a relatively poor start to the season. For their part, Chelsea still feel aggrieved about losing in Moscow - and being pipped to last season’s Premier League title by two points by the Red Devils. This game is a revenge mission for them; but more importantly it is a golden opportunity to open up a nine-point gap over their rivals before the end of September in the current season, which will almost certainly be all that matters to Chelsea on the day.
 
Yet coincidentally it was this weekend last year that Chelsea travelled to Old Trafford and lost to United in Avram Grant’s first game in charge, Jose Mourinho having left the club a couple of days earlier. Chelsea were shell-shocked on that occasion; they won’t be on Sunday after making an excellent start to the season under new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.
 
They will also feel comfortable about hosting United at Stamford Bridge, which they have turned into the ultimate fortress in recent seasons. They won this corresponding fixture 2-1 in April, and have not been beaten at home by United since 20th April 2002, pre-Abramovich. Claudio Ranieri was Chelsea manager then, and Paul Scholes, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were on target in a 3-0 United win. Things have changed since then, and Chelsea are undefeated at the Bridge in a record 84 Barclays Premier League games (won 61, drawn 23). They last lost at home in February 2004, to Arsenal. Chelsea are also (uniquely) unbeaten in the League throughout 2008, winning 16 and drawing six of the 22 Premier League games they‘ve played since the turn of the year. Their last top-flight defeat was also at the hands of Arsenal, on 16th December 2007, and the Blues have picked up eight more points than United during the current calendar year. Yet is was United who lifted both the major trophies last season, and that is what rankles at the Bridge.

So the fact that Scolari’s Chelsea can go nine points clear by beating United is a huge incentive - not that incentives are usually required when any of the Big Four clash. United on the other hand will see the opportunity - no, the imperative - to win the game and peg Chelsea’s lead back to a much less daunting three points. But to beat Chelsea, especially at the Bridge, United will have to raise their game many notches above the level they’ve attained so far this season, especially in their last two games.
 
In losing at Anfield last weekend for the first time in a long time, United were out-muscled and out-thought in the second-half. And they struggled to break down Villarreal at Old Trafford in midweek, the game ending in a goalless stalemate. Meanwhile Chelsea, seemingly liberated tactically by Scolari, were pricking Manchester City’s pretensions with a 3-1 win at Eastlands, then brushing aside Bordeaux 4-0 with imperious ease in midweek Champions League action.
 
No question, then, about who goes into Sunday’s game in the better form. United are notorious for slow starts and certainly won’t be panicking yet; but they know from recent seasons that they can’t lag too far behind the pace for long. And Stamford Bridge is not exactly the easiest place from which to launch a winning streak. But they will be buoyed by Cristiano Ronaldo’s encouraging cameo performance after coming off the bench against Villarreal. The Portuguese winger, who enjoyed a simply sensational campaign last season, is seen as United’s talisman, and his presence against Chelsea will lift spirits among the Red Devils.
 
Not that Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard sees any reason to tremble. He says Chelsea have nothing to fear whether Ronaldo plays or not, and adds that he would rather face a full-strength United than a weakened side. Morale is high after those seven goals in their last two games, and Lampard said of Ronaldo:

"I don't know what the situation is with him and I'm not too concerned really.

"He's probably the best player in the world, having done what he did last season, you can't take that away from him. If they put him back for our game then we'll have to deal with that.

"We're good enough to deal with Manchester United at their strongest, we shouldn't want them weakened. If they are strong they are strong and we still want to beat them."

Top after having dropped just two points in four matches so far, Chelsea will present a formidable defensive barrier to United’s attackers, who as yet have not been firing on all cylinders - though Ferguson expects them to get back in the groove soon. Only Arsenal have conceded fewer goals than the Blues’ two so far, while United, normally prolific in front of the net, have so far managed just three goals from their three Premier League matches.
 
Compounding Ferguson’s problems as he smoulders about Terry’s reprieve is the question of who should replace the banned Vidic in his own back-four. One option would be to move Wes Brown from right-back and replace him with the fit-again Gary Neville. But an alternative would be to give Jonny Evans a start at centre-half following his impressive showing against Villarreal.

"I need to work out whether I go with Evans' ability but lack of experience or whether I opt for Wes' experience and Gary at full-back," said Ferguson.

"Gary was only playing his second competitive match on Wednesday but he did very well. That will bring him on if I decide to play him on Sunday but Evans was excellent as well."

Ferguson added: "Jonny was the big plus. For a young man of 20, he shows great maturity in his game. He reads the game well, which is a fantastic asset to have at such a young age. He is commanding in the air and a good user of the ball and that gives me confidence that he could step right into the first team with no worries."

As for Neville, the right-back is philosophical about his chances after such a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The Villarreal game was his first competitive start since he broke his ankle against Bolton Wanderers in March 2007.

"I just need games," he said. "Having been out for so long I need a run in the side. But it is difficult to get that at the moment because Wes Brown has performed so well and deserves to play.

"It is just a case of remaining patient, keeping fit and training well every day. I have made steady progress and when you look at the programme of matches we have coming up I am sure there will be enough games for everyone."

Chelsea (last 5 games):

16/09	v	Bordeaux	UEFA Champions League	H		4	0
13/09	v	Manchester City	Barclays Premier League	A		1	3
31/08	v	Tottenham Hotspur	Barclays Premier League	H		1	1
24/08	v	Wigan Athletic	Barclays Premier League	A		0	1
17/08	v	Portsmouth	Barclays Premier League	H		4	0

Manchester United (last 5 games):

17/09	v	Villarreal	UEFA Champions League	N		0	0
13/09	v	Liverpool	Barclays Premier League	A		2	1
29/08	v	Zenit St. Petersburg	UEFA Super Cup	N		1	2
25/08	v	Portsmouth	Barclays Premier League	A		0	1
17/08	v	Newcastle United	Barclays Premier League	H		1	1

Chelsea

Frank Lampard will make his 400th Premier League appearance knowing that's he's three short of 100 career goals in league action.

The Blues' CL side was unchanged from the team which had put Manchester City to the sword so potently. Scolari, therefore, will be loathe to tinker. Continuity is possible after John Terry's Eastlands red card being successfully overturned.

Anelka, having bagged two in a week, is expected to start despite Didier Drogba slowly snaking his way towards full fitness. Michael Ballack is also pushing for a place, but may be held back from the starting line-up for another week. Michael Essien, of course, is a long-term crock.

Manchester United

Dimitar Berbatov has recovered in time from his recent knee injury to make the matchday squad, while Cristiano Ronaldo, having made a comeback midweek, is eligible for selection. Edwin van der Sar will continue in goal as the luckless Ben Foster faces another two months on the sidelines. Key centre-back Nemanja Vidic is suspended. 

Chelsea
 
Frank Lampard will be making his 400th Premier League appearance in total (for West Ham and Chelsea), and a measure of his impact since joining the Blues is that he needs three more goals to reach the milestone of 100 career League goals (West Ham, Swansea on loan, and Chelsea). Following his decision to reject the overtures of Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan, Lampard has looked at ease with himself and his game, and given his ability to come from deep and find the net, United will need to watch him carefully.
 
Manchester United

With Dimitar Berbatov new to the team - and possibly not playing the full ninety due to his injury status - and Wayne Rooney too often being played out of position, the main United goal threat is coming from Argentine Carlos Tevez. His prodigious work-rate and tireless chasing after lost causes is a major plus for United. He makes things happen, and it could be Tevez who finds a way through the Chelsea defence on Sunday.

It is a testament to United’s consistency that they could suffer a second successive league defeat for the first time in as many as 122 games. But then Chelsea’s home form is itself a byword for consistency, so the danger facing United is real. While Scolari has made an impressive start to his Chelsea managerial career, with four wins and one draw from five matches in all competitions, United are on the brink of equalling their worst ever start to a Premier League season. That is what defeat on Sunday will represent. And it is an uncomfortable fact for United that they have been beaten more times by Chelsea in the Premier League than by any other club (10) and have dropped more points to them than to any other team (56). It is difficult to envisage a Chelsea defeat on their own ground, but perhaps United will treat this as their wake-up call for the season and emerge with a point.
 
Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United

Sidwell was signed by Jose Mourinho last year to add strength in depth to the squad as the midfield was going to be severely depleted in January due to African Cup of Nations. It looked a good decision in foresight as Ballack and Lampard both missed a sizeable part of the season but with Sidwell in the ranks we had someone experienced to call upon if needed. Sidwell knew that it was going to be the biggest challenge in his footballing career trying to find a place for himself in the Chelsea team but in Mourinho he had a manager who made him believe that he would judge him on merit and he was certainly not there to make up the numbers. Unfortunately, the manager who signed him didn't stayed long enough, Mourinho left the club in September. Under him he did got chances to prove himself but he didn't really set the stage alight with his performances. I distinctly remember that Reading game when we were quiet poor in the first half when he was orchestrating things from the middle. Mourinho took him off at the interval replacing him with Mikel and within no time our game improved and we went onto win the match.

Avram Grant replaced Mourinho as the Chelsea manager and it was back to square one for all the players especially the ones signed during the summers. Sidwell had to prove himself all over again. Grant was under pressure to deliver results right from the start and with the majority of the fanbase against his appointment, it was hard for him to make unpopular decisions. He preferred to stick with the experienced players and Sidwell was rooted to the bench, not even the bench at times. He played an important part for us in January when we were very thin on numbers. It would be hard to pick out standout performances of Sidwell in Chelsea colours but I distinctly remember two games, the one away at Wigan in the FA Cup and the League Cup semifinal against Everton at Goodison Park where I thought he performed really well. In his time at Chelsea he only scored one goal and that came against the Hull side who have been promoted to Premier League this year.

Sidwell during his time here didn't gave any glimpses of his play which could make us believe that he was a genuine first team material but one thing you can't deny about the lad is that he does work hard for the team. People don't usually notice that and I know at times they have been too critical of him. Some even wrote him off before he played a game which is sad. At a club like Chelsea these days the pressure of winning is probably too much and players don't get any honeymoon periods. They are expected to fire on all cylinders right from the word go and not everyone can live upto that expectation. Sidwell couldn't.

I am not too disappointed about his departure to be honest because if not for the African Cup of Nations last year we were well covered in midfield which is still the case. Moreover it would be better if an academy players takes up his position as when you are 6th in the pecking order, games are not going to come your way every now and then. Sidwell is undoubtedly a good player and at a club where the level of expectation is not so high he would settle in well. I am quiet chuffed that he has chosen Villa because in Martin O'Neill he has a manager who has the ability to get the best out of his players. With Gareth Barry expected to leave for Liverpool, Sidwell would be the top contender to take his place in midfield.

It would be too harsh on the lad to label him a mercenary because if we use that criteria then every other football player on this planet is one. He was brave and ambitious enough to take the chance that came his way when Chelsea came knocking on the door even though he knew that getting into the first team was by no means a piece of cake. He got the chance to play at one of the top clubs in the world alongside the best players in the business which I believe any footballer worth his salt would have jumped at. Villa presents a brilliant opportunity to him to get back to playing football week in and week out and prove his detractors wrong. Hope he does well there!

Avram Grant, aka Baron Silas Greenback, had been drafted in from the boardroom to steer Chelsea's season back onto some sort of course - bring some respectability to a campaign that had been all but written off by the oligarch chairman who employed him. That is all that was expected, especially after Jose Mourinho, before being fired, had royally messed it up in the first few months. The trouble is, Greenback did an excellent job.

The problem presented to Roman Abramovich was that this guy wasn't employed to do well, he was there just to steady the ship. In the PR stakes, he was nowhere near 'The Special One', and his brand of football wasn't any more exciting. After a 4-4 draw at home to Aston Villa during the Christmas period, the nationwide perception was that, at the end of a fruitless season, Abramovich would be able to shuffle Greenback off to an office upstairs, and employ a coach with greater credentials and a bigger name.

Greenback dug in though, rallied his troops, and fought back in the league. His team saw off Arsenal's challenge, pushed Manchester United right down to the last game, and were a spot-kick away from becoming European champions in Moscow on May 22nd. A tremendous achievement for a team considered dead and buried only months before, but still not enough to please his boss.

Greenback's sacking was harsh and, above all, completely classless. A man considered a friend to Abramovich when he took over, he was discarded like the Russian's ex-wife - ruthlessly, and with a big pay-off. It sent a clear message reverberating around Europe, that the high standards set by Chelsea's owner, and the cut-throat nature of the way he conducts his business, makes the club a place to avoid if you value your reputation.

According to reports, AC Milan's brilliant technician Carlo Ancellotti was just one of a string of managers who, when approached, politely declined. His reputation and relationship with the club was more important than a hike in salary, and the pressure that the Chelsea job now brings.

From a personal viewpoint, I'm not sure Abramovich appreciated what he had with Greenback. He had a guy who had never managed in a major European league before, a manager who's goal was to prove himself and work hard. He wasn't there because of the pay cheque, he'd taken the job because this was his big chance. He desperately wanted to be Chelsea manager, irrespective of what the public and the media said about him, and the players eventually responded to that. Given another season and a few of his own players, who knows what he could have achieved.

I have gone through the above to illustrate an overall observation of what Abramovich (Mourinho's trophies aside) has bought to Chelsea. I think it is clear that he has squeezed out every last inch of soul at the club, including any form of likeability, and replaced it with a selfish, 'look out for number one', money-driven culture.

I understand that this culture is widespread in the modern game, but I think it is fuelled by, and at it's worst at, Abramovich's Chelsea. Just look at their latest appointment, manager Luiz Felipe Scolari. After the 2006 World Cup, Big Phil was all set to become England manager, only to retract his interest at the last minute. His reason was simple, "I don't like this pressure. It may be part of another culture, but it's not part of mine". He certainly will not escape pressure at Chelsea, and there is no doubt in my mind that the Chelsea manager is in the media's spotlight just as much, if not more, than the England boss.

It appears that Scolari has put the issue of pressure to one side, and the main reason he's joined is so that he can earn enough money to retire in 4-5 years. Whilst I admire him for having the honesty to publically state this fact, it only goes to highlight my point.

It's not only the manager though. Players are choosing Chelsea for the financial, not sporting, reasons too. I'm not concerned with the Winston Bogarde's of the world, but when it comes to promising younger players - the likes of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Wayne Bridge, and Steve Sidwell - I have a massive problem with their decisions. All of the aforementioned players are classic examples of those who have jepordised their progression as footballers by signing for Chelsea, or staying there too long.

Wright-Phillips is the strangest one. Such an exciting prospect at Manchester City, and still young, it's really hard to understand why he is happy with sitting on the bench for a large portion of the season. His development has slowed down dramatically, to the point that David Bentley (who plays week in, week out for Blackburn) is now seen as the natural replacement for David Beckham in the England team. Bentley left Arsenal to focus on his career and become a better player, while 'SWP' has been happy stagnating.

Considering all the above, it is easy to see where Abramovich is going wrong. Football management is all about laying out your foundations for success. It's about making indivduals understand the need for teamwork - getting them to look out not only for themselves, but everyone else on their team. A manager needs time to understand the needs of individuals, build solid relationships, and eventually achieve success, which can be maintained by these foundations - just look at what Sir Alex Ferguson did after he got his house in order at Manchester United.

By not allowing a manager any time and instilling a soulless, cut-throat, self centred, money driven culture that attracts and creates mercenaries, Abramovich is the only person to blame if his club don't achieve the goals he has set.

I just hope that, with takeover bids rife in the Premier League, other clubs don't follow suit.

LONDON (AFP) - Chelsea have agreed a deal with Carlo Ancelotti's representatives for the AC Milan coach to take charge at Stamford Bridge, according to reports on Tuesday.

The Champions League finalists have stepped up their search for a successor to Avram Grant, who was sacked last month, and Sky Sports News claimed talks with Ancelotti's advisors reached a swift, successful conclusion.

However, although the Blues apparently have Ancelotti lined up, Milan have yet to agree to release their coach.

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani insisted at the weekend that the club had turned down Chelsea's request to hold talks with Ancelotti, prompting suggestions that Blackburn manager Mark Hughes, a former Chelsea player, was the new favourite.

Now it appears Ancelotti, who led Milan to the Champions League in 2003 and 2007 and Serie A in 2004, is back in pole position for the Chelsea hotseat.

Is Ancelotti going to do much better with Jose's old players than Avram did?  I'm fairly certain one Frank Lampard will let down a rope in the dead of night and shimmy down to Inter to be with his old coach, with Ricardo Carvalho hanging on to his coattails. 

Clippings:

Mark Hughes wants to join Shinawatra's Man City, and feeling's mutual

See? It can be done! Aston Villa are promoting a charity for their shirt front advertising

Since when did Jose cease to be special?  I think he's just going to come up with a better superlative.

Just a few days until Euro2008 begins! I'm still looking for a team to support.  Help a girl out with keen suggestions in the comments section, or make your own decision with this very thorough Euro2008 Team Preview.

When Mourinho left the club and Avram Grant was given the position of Chelsea Manager, I was quite shocked.
I knew about his background in football, his domestic success in Israel proved he was an intelligent manager, but still to suddenly be instilled as manager of Chelsea in their position at the time raised my eyebrows more than a little.

After a couple of months in the job Avram had quietly stamped his own feel to the squad, continued to grind out decent results and more importantly and remarkably began to win over the Chelsea faithful who still pined for their maestro Jose.

There was none of the controversy from Grant that Jose had following him around. In fact from what I saw over the last season Avram Grant conducted himself impeccably, he finally got Ballack playing football again, something he hadn't done so far in his time at Chelsea, and more remarkably he dragged Chelsea in the final weeks to compete point for point with what I believe to be the best Manchester United team Sir Alex Ferguson has ever assembled.

Add to that a first ever champions league final appearance that went down to the lottery that is penalties and I'd say it was a remarkable season for Chelsea and Avram Grant. I'm not even going to mention the carling cup final!!

But Mr Abrahomivich wants more, he wants all those trophies and more and unfortunatley he seems to surround himself with people who will say anything to keep him happy. I am absolutely positive Roman has not got to where he is in life through being easily led by hangers on but football is a million miles away from the oil business and he needs to identify an asset when he has it.

So there are a few names in the hat for the job but there's certainly nobody banging on the Chelsea door shouting "Give it to me!" which has got to be a worry for the Chelsea fans. Rikjaard has been mentioned which I think is ridiculous, he's just pulled apart the spirit of a great Barcelona team much as he did in the Holland camps when he was a player. Mark Hughes?? well I am a massive fan of Sparky but would he really allow the Chelsea board to control him as much as they like to control a man, he didn't let it happen for Wales!

So whilst I'm sure there will be plenty of people knocking on Mr Grants door offering him lucrative contracts I'm not too sure there will be as big a queue knocking at the bridge.

So I guess it's true money can't buy everything......yet!

The sacking of Avram Grant as coach of Chelsea Football Club was dramatic but unsurprising

Alas poor Avram.

Alas poor Avram. I knew him, but not too well.
He seemed a decent sort of bloke

Honest. Generous in defeat.
Not without ability.
Could command loyalty among his men.

Now he is gone.

The dreamer wakes.
Swots at a circling midge.
Goes back to sleep.
To sleep, perchance to dream.

Or, as the BBC described the sacking

It is a sign of the cut-throat nature of the modern game that a decent, dignified man is sacked three days after missing out on club football's biggest honour by the width of a post and on the Premier League title on the last day of the season.

Se Mancini veniva considerato arrogante Mourinho lo batte di gran lunga. Ma non è un aspetto negativo. E' la caratteristica dei vincenti. E Mourinho, come Mancini, è un vincente.

José Mourinho è colui che si autodefinì lo Special One, il tipo speciale. Affermò:

"dite che sono arrogante, ma quello che dico è vero: sono un tipo speciale"

Ed è anche colui che disse:

"il Chelsea è una grande squadra, con grandi giocatori e, lasciatemelo dire, un grande allenatore"

Big Mou è l'allenatore che esultò lanciandosi in ginocchio di fronte ai tifosi avversari dopo aver eliminato dalla Champions League il Barcellona, è l'allenatore che dopo un goal passò davanti ai tifosi avversari e li sbeffeggiò portando l'indice davanti al naso, per dire: "silenzio" (e non c'era nessuna protezione, le migliaia di tifosi potevano anche avvicinarsi). Mourinho è l'allenatore che nel sottopassaggio, sempre dopo aver eliminato il Barca, dà un paio di buffetti ai giocatori avversari. Leggeri, ma il gesto era a metà tra il consolarli ed il prenderli in giro. Ed è anche colui che disse che nel film basato sulla sua vita dovevano prendere un grande attore e che il più adatto sarebbe stato un uomo di fascino come George Clooney.

E' in arrivo un uomo arrogante, vincente, con modi di fare da star. Ne vedremo delle belle.

Ecco qualche anticipazione: quello che segue è il migliore, da non perdere. C'è un pò di tutto:

Così viene ricordato dai tifosi del Chelsea:

Aggiornamento: direttamente dalla Gazzetta, ecco l'IPSE DIXIT DI MOURINHO:

L'uomo "speciale" non ha mai avuto bisogno delle parole altrui. Josè Mourinho ha sempre fatto tutto da solo, disegnando il suo personaggio con una lunga serie di dichiarazioni memorabili. Polemiche, perle di saggezza, gaffe. Antipatico ai più, tanto da far arrivare a dire ad Arsene Wenger, il tecnico dell'Arsenal suo rivale storico: "L'ho trovato non concentrato, scollegato dalla realtà e maleducato".
Questo un elenco di frasi celebri del tecnico portoghese che si crede "secondo solo a Dio":

- "Per favore, non chiamatemi arrogante, ma io sono campione d'Europa e penso di essere speciale" (conferenza stampa di presentazione al Chelsea).

- "Se avessi voluto un lavoro facile sarei rimasto al Porto, con una bella poltrona blu, la Coppa dei Campioni, Dio e dopo di lui io".

- "Guardate il mio taglio di capelli, sono pronto per la guerra!".

- "Quando ho visto Rijkaard entrare nello spogliatoio dell'arbitro non ci potevo credere. Quando Drogba è stato espulso non sono rimasto sorpreso" (dopo una sfida di Champions contro il Barcellona, arbitro Frisk).

- "Volete sapere se ho fatto i salti di gioia quando ho saputo che Poll era il nostro arbitro? No".

- "Wenger ha un vero problema con noi e credo che lui sia quello che in Inghilterra si chiama voyeur. Gli piace guardare. Ci sono ragazzi che quando sono a casa hanno un grosso telescopio per per spiare nelle case degli altri. Wenger deve essere uno di questi. Ed è una malattia".

- "Tre anni senza un titolo di Premiership? Non credo che avrei ancora un lavoro..." (riferito a Rafa Benitez).

- "Tanti grandi allenatori non hanno mai vinto una Champions. Un grosso esempio non è lontano da noi" (riferito a Wenger).

- "Sono felice di essere sei punti sotto. A mio parere, il Manchester United non ha approfittato dei nostri momenti peggiori", con il Manchester avanti in Premiership.

- "Come dite 'imbrogliare' in catalano? Barcellona è un grande centro culturale con grandi teatri e questo ragazzo- dice di Messi, accusato di aver fatto espellere Del Horno- ha imparato proprio bene. Ha imparato a recitare mentre gioca".

- "Mi rimpiangerete, soprattutto quando comincerete a perdere anche le partite in casa. I fan del Chelsea non hanno mai lasciato Stamford Bridge in lacrime, perchè non abbiamo mai subito sconfitte casalinghe, ma quando il Chelsea perderà il prossimo incontro davanti al suo pubblico, allora qualcuno si ricorderà che questa cosa non succedeva da tre anni" (rivolto ai dirigenti del Chelsea pochi giorni dopo il suo addio).

- "Magari nella filosofia di un perdente questa è stata una grande stagione" (riferito ad Avram Grant, suo successore sulla panchina del Chelsea, che aveva definito comunque positiva la stagione dei Blues nonostante la sconfitta nella finale di Champions col Manchester United).

]]> http://hartypar.wordpress.com/?p=70 Mon, 26 May 2008 23:39:39 +0000 hartypar http://hartypar.pl.wordpress.com/2008/05/26/grant-ousted-at-chelsea-an-opinion/ So, the predictable has happened as Avram Grant paid for a trophyless campaign with his job as manager of Chelsea. The Blues sacked their boss on Saturday after just eight months in charge of the club, and only three days after their penalty shoot-out heartbreak against Manchester United in the Champions League.

Grant arrived at Chelsea last summer from Premier League rivals Portsmouth as director of football, a move which did not please then Blues boss Jose Mourinho. After an indifferent start to the season, the popular and media pleasing Mourinho was axed after a 1-1 home draw with Rosenborg in the Champions League, and the Stamford Bridge hierarchy placed Grant in charge.

It was a decision which didn't go down well with the fans as, not only did they adore Mourinho, the self styled "special one" who brought the club 2 league titles, they were rightly concerned at Grant's limited managerial experience.

His first game was a daunting trip to Old Trafford and a 2-0 defeat by Manchester United wasn't the perfect start, though they weren't helped by the red card issued to midfielder Jon-Obi Mikel. After that though, Chelsea embarked on a 16 game unbeaten run which saw them through to the last 16 of the Champions League, quarter final of the Carling Cup and back up the Premier League table.

Although his public demeanour was perhaps duller than Mourinho's was, he set Chelsea out to play in a more attacking sense than Mourinho did, who focused on a solid defence. This was evident in a 6-0 drubbing of Manchester City, who were then flying in 3rd place, and the 3-2 defeat of Liverpool in the second leg of the Champions League semi final. Added to that thrilling 4-4 draws with Aston Villa and Tottenham then the entertainment value was there. Certainly more so for a neutral than what Mourinho's sides produced.

But, ultimately, Mourinho's teams won trophies, which is where the Israeli failed. He came in for fierce criticism following the Carling Cup final loss to Tottenham, who dominated Chelsea for long periods. Then his team suffered the embarassment of FA Cup defeat at Barnsley, who had also shocked Liverpool.

Crucial dropped points in draws at home to the likes of Wigan and Everton, where Chelsea lost very late goals, ultimately cost them the title but from a seemingly impossible position which I stated after that Wigan game, they defeated Manchester United and took the title race down to the last day and marched to their first Champions League final. But Chelsea missed out on both, leaving them with nothing to show for their efforts.

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said in the aftermath of Grant's departure: "We have very high expectations at Chelsea and a couple of second place finishes is just not good enough for us.

"So although it was an excellent season, we are still disappointed."

Now, of course they are entitled to be disappointed. However, this is where football as we know it is going down the swanny in front of us. Chelsea before Roman Abramovich took over were a decent side. Regular qualifiers for Europe, winning the occasional trophy. But since the Russian has invested an obscene amount, they demand instant success. They have had some, but even reaching the final of Europe's elite tournament and almost snatching the title from the dead isn't good enough.

I felt its been a great season for Chelsea in the main and they were unlucky to end empty handed, especially in Moscow. Grant was given a near impossible task in trying to emulate the success of Mourinho, and I feel his sacking is premature and harsh after his achievements this season. He at least deserved to put his own stamp on them and take them into next season.

The foreign owners taking over at Premier League clubs and demanding success instantly is a problem. They don't know too much about the game it seems to me, they'll just think they can throw money at it and they'll get what they want. Thaskin Shinawatra at Manchester City, threating to sack Sven-Goran Eriksson after his first season there, where they finished a very creditable 9th, is another case in point. It's absolutely ridiculous.

I've said it before and will do again. Manchester United and Arsenal didn't achieve the success they have by hiring and firing all the time. Sir Alex Ferguson has been in charge of United since 1986, and Arsene Wenger at Arsenal since 1996. Sure, they have gone through trophyless seasons but the United and Arsenal boardrooms know what great managers they are and always have faith in them.

If the Chelsea board had done that, then perhaps Grant could've delivered trophies next term. 8 months is not time enough to judge, and certainly not given he led Chelsea to their first Champions League final, ultimately decided on a lottery. Even axing Mourinho, after the success he'd brought was ridiculous simply because they'd had a sticky start to the season.

I feel he can leave with his head held high. The question for Chelsea is, who next? Frank Rijkaard seems to be the bookies choice, but we shall have to wait and see what happens.

So Avram Grant gets the sack. We forecast it months ago but he's lasted longer than I ever imagined. It never was going to be an inspired appointment, although that's how Kenyon and Buck tried to present it at the news conference to announce his appointment as Chelsea manager. He was following in the footsteps of the most successful manager in Chelsea history, Jose Mourinho, the self-anointed 'special one'. But he came in as a friend of Abramovitch having, it is said, been active in undermining Jo-Mo's position at the club whilst Director of Football (a position JM thought was unnecessary). The players never really took to him - referring to him as Avram Can't. Several, including the influential Drogba, openly flaunted their disappointment over the Mourinho sacking ( and by inference their disenchantment with his successor). Not a good start...

Henk ten Cate was brought in as his number two for reasons which escape me since they had a fine assistant there already in Steve Clarke. If the players disliked Grant's quiet, reserved and dour personna after the flamboyance and self-confidence of Mourinho, they absolutely hated Cate's abrasive style (didn't Terry and he square up on the eve of the Carling Cup Final?). Cate became less of an influence over time which I guess allowed grant the space to become his own man. He brought in two players in the January transfer window; some unknown guy who hasn't yet played in the first team and le sulk himself, Annelka. It could and perhaps should have been the transfer coup of the year but no doubt fearful of upsetting the other drama queen Drogba, Grant has selected Annelka on an occasional basis and then asked him to play in a wide role, unsuited to his abilities and his temperament (star or nothing). Annelka's confidence and interest has been plummeting ever since and reached its inevitable nadir with that fluffed penalty in the Champion's League final shoot-out. And speaking of which, word is seeping from the camp that Grant's pre-match speech before last week's final was nervy, incoherent and uninspiring. All those meaningful looks from the touchline were nothing more than a cover for a guy who didn't know what to do tactically.

And yet...he came as close as any manager can to actually seeing his team win the biggest club competition in world football; one slip and it was gone. He also pushed a Man U side (who Sir Alex has said is the best reds team he's ever managed and possibly the best ever) to within a whisker of the Premiership title and taken Chelski to another Carling Cup Final. If this had been Benitez they would be calling it a magnificent achievement. But Grant has never had his admirers in the team, amongst the fans nor in the media and no-one's giving him much credit, except himself. He seems to me like a guy who was in the right place at the right time and got a top job, that was ultimately too big for him. A classic case of over-promotion. But he himself seems to believe his track record is good enough to get him another top job somewhere. Well, maybe Avram but I'd think seriously about a return to the role of Director of Football somewhere - get your money for nothing (and your chicks for free).

So what now and more importantly who now at Chelsea? Rijkaard - not sure, maybe's he's in need of a break. Mancini - could be. SG Eriksson - surely he had his chance and passed. Hiddink - think Abramovitch likes him out of the media spotlight in Russia. I sense that they'll clear out all the management team and start again with some role for Zola almost certainly. He could make an excellent assistant to Mancini but a more inspired move might be to have him partnering Mark Hughes instead. It's hard to second-guess Abramovitch at this sort of thing. However one thing's very clear; whoever comes in will be in charge of a huge clear-out of players in the summer. I reckon 11 or more could leave (with quite a few coming in to replace them of course). In that case maybe the Russians should be sounding out old 'arry Redknapp - possibly the only guy who could teach Abramovitch a thing or two about wheeler-dealing.

Could be a fun summer down the Bridgski.

pp

[Avram Grant, Chelsea Football Club's former Israeli Coach]

(BBC Football) -- "It is a sign of the cut-throat nature of the modern game that a decent, dignified man is sacked three days after missing out on club football's biggest honour by the width of a post and on the Premier League title on the last day of the season.

Chelsea will simply say - close but not close enough. Second is nowhere as far as billionaire owner Roman Abramovich is concerned and a man regarded as his friend has paid the price.

Grant took on one of the toughest tasks in football when he succeeded Jose Mourinho in September. He was a man in sharp contrast to the charismatic, endlessly quotable "Special One" who was the headline writers' dream and loved by every Chelsea fan."

Monday 19th May 2008. The week was kicked-off with a Champions League final poll, and we wondered if Ronaldinho was on Glenn's list of potential targets.

Tuesday 20th May 2008. On Tuesday we warned QPR off all of our transfer targets and revealed my new shopping list, and found out that Burnley had made a move for Scunthorpe's Martin Paterson.

Wednesday 21st May 2008. On Wednesday we marvelled at the news of Ipswich's new sponsor, we revealed that 64% of people thought that Manchester United would win the Champions League and I previewed the biggest club game of the year.

Thursday 22nd May 2008. On Thursday I congratulated Man Utd, kicked-off the Championship Play-Off Final poll and I ran the rule over Maceo Rigters, David Bell and Wes Hoolahan.

Friday 23rd May 2008. On Friday Thomas Rooney had a look at how England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008 could be a blessing in disguise, celebrated the fact that Mark Fotheringham had signed a new contract and wondered whether we'd rather see Leeds or Doncaster in the Championship.

Saturday 24th May 2008. Saturday was a busy day. We previewed the Championship Play-Off Final, got annoyed with some Ipswich journalists, congratulated Joe Lewis on being called into the England squad and displayed shock that Chelsea sacked Avram Grant.

Sunday 25th May 2008. On Sunday we wondered if Ronaldo is the best player in the world and welcomed Doncaster into the Championship.

O sucessor de Mourinho, Avram Grant depois de "só" chegar ao 2º lugar na liga Inglesa e na Champions foi despedido. Será isto justo? Pela a avaliação de José Mourinho o 2º lugar é a mesma coisa que ficar em último!!!

Observação:
Se eu fosse ao Chelsea estava contente por não ter sido humilhado pelo rival Manchester United que contém actualmente o melhor jogador do mundo: Cristiano Ronaldo!!!

Fired from Chelsea after Didier Drogba lost them the Champions League Final, Avram Grant's future is in doubt, with Chelsea being the only piece of managing experience on his resume. Manchester City may be calling...

Heads have started rolling at Chelsea after what the owner, Roman Abramovich might consider to be a disappointing season. This is how Chelsea performed in the season

Carling Cup - Runners up
Premiership - Runners up
Champions league - Runners up

For any other team, this would be a pretty good season. But then, teams like Chelsea thrive on getting silverware. If you cant get them, be prepared to be sacked. Anyway, Grant was never known for his tactics and was overtly defensive sometimes considering the fact that Jose Mourinho was sacked for precisely that reason. At least Mouinho grinded out results and made sure that the team won 6 cups during his 3 year reign at Stamford Bridge.

So, who'se the next sacrifical lamb? Popular names include Guus Hiddink (currently coaching the Russian team) or Frank Rijkaard (the sacked coach of Barcelona). Whoever comes in will have his task cut out. There are no half measures at Chelsea and he will have to hit the ground running on day one.

But surprise, surprise, according to these reports on Soccernet, Jose Mourinho might be back too. Jose Mourinho is almost worshipped at Chelsea. Iam not expecting miracles, but then, the return of the "Special One" back to the English Premier League would rile the old foxes Ferguson, Benitez and Wenger. That's what i would love to see. No one gets under the skin of the opposition like Jose can.

Like they say, "Never say never".

+++

Folglich hat Chelsea am Samstag seinen Trainer Avram Grant entlassen.

Drei Tage nach der bitteren Finalniederlage in der Champions League gegen Manchester United verkündete der Londoner Klub: "Wir können bestätigen, dass der Vertrag mit dem Trainer aufgelöst wurde."

Artig bedankte sich die Vereinsführung noch beim 53-jährigen Israeli und machte sich auf einen neuen Trainer zu suchen. Die Milliarden des Gönners Roman Abramowitsch werden sicherlich bald fündig werden.

Kritik an Grant kam auch von Spielerseite - hier vorallem von einem gewissen Hr. Anelka, auch bekannt als "AllesEntscheidendenElfmeterVerschießer".
Tja, so kann man auch vom eigenen Versagen ablenken - besser wäre es gewesen die Klappe zu halten, denn ob der neue Trainer diese Anprangerung gerne liest?

Quyết định trên đã được Chelsea đưa ra trong một thông báo chính thức.

"Chúng tôi khẳng định, Avram Grant thôi giữ chức HLV tại CLB kể từ ngày hôm nay (24/5). Đây là kết quả của cuộc họp song phương diễn ra trong hai ngày qua - giữa Avram Grant và Giám đốc điều hành Peter Kenyon".

"Chelsea rất cảm ơn Avram về những đóng góp quý báu của ông, sau khi lên nắm quyền huấn luyện hồi tháng 9 năm ngoái. Nhiệm vụ trọng tâm của CLB lúc này là tập trung tìm kiếm một HLV mới. Kết quả sẽ được thông báo sau đây không lâu".

Chiến lược gia người Israel, vốn là bạn thân của ông chủ Roman Abramovich, đặt chân đến Chelsea hồi mùa hè năm ngoái sau khi thôi chức Giám đốc thể thao tại Portsmouth.

Ông sau đó được đẩy lên làm Giám đốc thể thao tại sân Stamford Bridge, và chính thức lèo lái "chiếc du thuyền đặc biệt của Abramovich" - Chelsea - hôm 20/9/2007, ít ngày sau khi Jose Mourinho bị sa thải.

Triều đại của Avram Grant tồn tại chỉ vỏn vẹn 8 tháng, nhưng trong đó có quá nhiều sắc màu đối lập.

Mourinho sau hơn ba năm gắn bó thành công với Chelsea nghiễm nhiên trở thành "Người đặc biệt" trong tâm trí giới mộ điệu đội bóng áo xanh. Vậy nên, việc Avram Grant thế chỗ nhà cầm quân người Bồ Đào Nha vô tình biến ông thành "cái gai" trong mắt nhiều CĐV và giới truyền thông Anh.

Chính vì vậy, đưa Chelsea lần đầu tiên vào chung kết Champions League và kết thúc cuộc đua tranh khốc liệt với MU tại Ngoại hạng ở vị trí thứ hai, nhưng tương lai của cựu HLV tuyển Israel tại "The Blues" chưa bao giờ được đảm bảo.

"Chúng tôi đặt nhiều kỳ vọng vào Chelsea. Do vậy, việc CLB chỉ giành cú đúp về nhì (ở Ngoại hạng và Champions League) là không đủ tốt", Chủ tịch Bruce Buck nói khi mùa giải vừa kết thúc.

"Hồi tháng 9 năm ngoái, sau sự chia tay với Jose Mourinho, chúng tôi thực sự không nghĩ mình có thể vào được đến trận chung kết Champions League. Nhưng dẫu sao chúng tôi cũng phải có danh hiệu. Vì vậy, dù đã trải qua một mùa giải tuyệt vời nhưng trong chúng tôi vẫn không tránh khỏi một nỗi thất vọng".

Hattrick á quân đã khiến cho người như Avramovich khó lòng giữ được "bình tĩnh"

Và, như một điều tất yếu, nỗi thất vọng ấy được chuyển hóa thành "lệnh trảm" Avram Grant. Theo một số tờ báo Anh, trong buổi chia tay các cầu thủ diễn ra hôm thứ sáu, nhà cầm quân sinh năm 1955 nói, ông cảm thấy thoải mái về sự ra đi lần này vì dẫu sao được huấn luyện Chelsea cũng đã là "một đặc ân" với ông.

Hiện tại, Frank Rijkaard (cựu HLV Barca), Sven Goran Eriksson (đương nhiệm tại Man City), Felipe Scolari (đội tuyển Bồ Đào Nha) hay Brian Laudrup (Getafe)và Roberto Mancini (Inter) đều được cho là những ứng viên tiềm năng cho chiếc ghế nóng tại Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho, thậm chí, cũng được nhắc đến. Kể từ sau khi chia tay sân Stamford Bridge, "Người đặc biệt" chưa tìm được bến đỗ mới. Hồi đầu tuần, ông bày tỏ hy vọng được trở lại với công tác huấn luyện vào tháng sáu tới. Với diễn biến hiện tại, theo một số nhà phân tích, khả năng vị HLV vĩ đại nhất lịch sử Chelsea được mời trở lại Stamford Bridge không phải là không thể xảy ra. Minh chứng là việc các nhà cái ở Anh đã hạ tỷ lệ đặt cược cho "cửa" này từ 20/1 (đặt một ăn 20) xuống còn 8/1.

Hiện tại, tương lai của hai vị HLV phó Steve Clarke và Henk Ten Cate đều chưa rõ ràng. Chưa có bất cứ thông tin chính thức nào xác nhận về vị trí của họ tại sân Stamford Bridge thời gian tới.

(Theo VnExpress)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/7418774.stm

Up in the Gods sat Mr Russia himself, Roman Abramovich. He was not a man who was going to lose gracefully. Where there's money there's implied God-like power and you just knew that within seconds of the final whistle in Moscow - if Chelsea had lost - Abramovich's lethal barb-studded tail would swish around with enough force to not only sweep Grant out of the way but probably most of the first team. Including the diving cry baby prick from the Ivory Coast (and yes, I would still welcome him at Eastlands).

This is a firm indication of what can be expected in the top flight of the top flight from here on in. If you're managing a club bankrolled by foreign investment you must win trophies and provide that all important return on investment. Second place is too embarrassing in the world of business. If you fail your sacked. It's too much for the greedy foreign cunts that own the clubs to bare and their embarrassment must be appeased by you falling on your own sword. Who the hell would want that job?

The Championship is more fun. But it's only a matter of time before that becomes Premier League 2. Money finds a way.

In probably the least surprising of surprising news. Chelsea following their loss on penalty kicks to Manchester United in the Champions League Final, decide to fire Avram Grant. I'd been telling friends that it looked like even if Chelsea had managed to win that game, that Grant was likely gone. Speculation ran even more rampant when word came out of the Nou Camp that Barcelona would not be retaining Frank Rijkaard, and replacing him with Josep Guardiola that the Blues would make a concerted effort to sway the Dutchman to take over as the manager of Chelsea. I am personally hoping that Rijkaard will take some time off before taking his next managerial job. And, that Roman Abramovich will just put in his advertisement for Manager that the incoming man must be willing to play Andrei Shevchenko more than the player has shown the need to play. Either way, it will be interesting to see how it turns out.

On a player note, Joey Barton of Newcastle United received his jail sentence from the magistrates, and he has begun to serve his sentence. It now remains to be see if the club will retain Barton's services, or if he will be put up on the market once he is finished serving his sentence.

'Chelsea can confirm that Avram Grant has had his contract as manager terminated today. 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'.

'We have very high expectations at Chelsea and a couple of second place finishes is just not good enough for us', said the chairman and CEO of the club.

Any one single club in England can only compete a maximum of 4 competitions a season and AMAZINGLY, Chelsea FC has managed to finished runners-up in 3 of them namely the Carling Cup, the Barclays Premier League and EUFA Champions League. But it seemed that being 2nd is as bad as finishing LAST in the mind of the owner Abramovich and indeed, being 2nd best is just not good enuff to take Avram Grant's managerial career into next season.

Sighhh... See how high the standard being set in Chelsea. While I think it's good to set such a standard, it would be very derimental to a football club if you can't set a stable foundation for your coaching staffs to mould a championship winning team with enough time. Chelsea has always been criticised for BUYING to win a championship and I don't see this trend ending if you keep on changing your manager and the backroom staffs.

Take a look at how Man Utd and Ars-enal run their teams. Both managers in Ferguson and Wenger has been there during the ups n downs of the club for more than 5 years. See how they influence the club and make sure that both clubs are strong financially and technically. Such healthy trust and trend would make sure both Man Utd and Ars-enal would remain a strong competiting force in England for many years to come. As for Chelsea FC, they are treading in dangerous water. As soon as that stupiak Abramovich lose interest in football, they would suffer a very devastating fate and might even be relegated down a few divisions!

The emblem of Chelsea is a proud Lion encrested on the chest of its shirt. However, as long as Abramovich continued to pester around the team, even a once proud Lion might suffer and fall one day.