Here are some basic stats. Played 32, Won 22, Drawn 8, Lost 2, Points 74.
Throw in a couple of cup finals and you've got yourself a pretty decent season.
To the normal football observer, that's an exceptional record. To the normal football observer, it's a record of which to be proud. To the normal football observer, it's a record that would be a bullet-proof defence against any suggestions of the sack.
The trouble is, Roman Abramovich is not a normal football observer and Chelsea are not a normal football club.
For winning isn't enough for Abramovich. Not anymore. The man who apparently fell in love with the game by watching Manchester United beat Real Madrid in 2003 wants his side to play like those two did. All season. He wants goals, excitement and free-flowing football.
Jose Mourinho became the first Premier League manager to be sacked in the season just gone because - while delivering six trophies to the Stamford Bridge - he did it in a fashion that Abramovich did not feel was becoming of his club.
So has Avram Grant done enough to avoid going the same way as his better-looking, more stylish and more quotable predecessor?
Logic and pure facts state that he has, but common sense suggests he hasn't.
Grant has an exceptional record, but how much of that has been his work? How difficult is it to guide a team that includes Cech, Terry, Carvalho, Essien, Lampard, Ballack and Drogba to a decent position in the league? It's been said before, but what exactly has he changed from Mourinho's side? It's the same players, playing in the same formation and with the same relatively direct and physical style.
In his favour, you could say that Grant has dispelled the early criticism that he lacks tactical nous, or that he doesn't know how to handle the big games. His side came from behind to beat Arsenal, outplayed Manchester United in the league, only lost on penalties in Moscow and beat the supposed European master Rafa Benitez in the Champions League semi-final. It's too easy to dismiss his substitutions and preparations as 'lucky'.
However, who can really see Grant taking this side forward?
Successful teams have their manager's personality imprinted upon them. Ferguson's Manchester United are a relentless attacking force. Wenger's Arsenal are intricate and skillful. In their pomp Rijkaard's Barcelona played with a swagger and an irresistible confidence.
Mourinho's Chelsea were a brash battering ram of a side, but what elements of Grant's persona can you see in his side? A slight air of bewilderment? The sense that he doesn't quite know how he got there?
Most importantly, Grant has not succeeded in his overlord's desire to have a beautiful, attacking plaything for him to sit back and admire like the paintings he's apparently bought for his girlfriend's art gallery.
Chelsea may have won a fair few games, but have they done it with style? No. For most of the season they've been the same belligerent and hard-as-nails outfit as they have been for the past few years. That wasn't enough for Abramovich then, so why will it be this time?
It might look like a minor point, like we're trying to stir up trouble, but the absence of Abramovich from the majority of Chelsea's games in the second half of the season does not bode well for Grant. If he thought he had the thing of beauty he craves, like a man with a beautiful girlfriend, he would be paying much closer attention.
Grant has probably bought himself enough goodwill not to be dismissed totally. Indeed, the purchase of Jose Bosingwa for £16million under his stewardship suggests that he still has a role to play at Stamford Bridge.
The most likely occurrence is that Grant will be kicked back upstairs to his old and fantastically vague role as 'Director of Football', with a new head coach brought in.
Who that coach will be is unclear, and we'll leave it to the red-tops to blindly speculate, but whoever it is will have to remember one crucial thing about working under Roman Abramovich; simply winning is not enough.
Nick Miller
Your Comments
dinosky123
"What Chelsea,has achieved since the Ranieri days,(Limbo Time)is impressive, by any standards,anywhere. It fell to the the "savoir faire",of J. Mourinho,to make it "All Happen"..!- a man of Great Charisma,gritt,Football "Cevy" and the envious Quality,and no less proven Ability, of making highly talented,"individual" World Stars,play as World Class Team..!-Mourinho is still,today,referenced by Scolari,Manager,of World Champions,Brasil,as the Best European Manager..,such respect,cannot go unheeded or lost in "little minds". Much regrettfully, for all his hard work,Avram Grant,was not,ever"of" nor "in",the same league as Jose.Chelsea,deserves the best Manager,Abraham knows it now,only too well,too late..!"
jogalong
"Avram Grant would have been sacked no matter what.....I thought he did a good job and pulled Chelsea round after a shacky start....he's a good Manager....."
mikemax
"keep them coming and going at Chelsea all day long, they will never have stability as Chelsea is just a toy to the owner, Come on you Reds, Champions league and domestic league winners. United, Spurs and Popmpey the only winners this season, nothing for the Gonners, scousers or the russians. AGAIN"
josenunes
"Jose Mourinho back!!!! drama bitsh"
westwing
"Let me get this straight - a great team takes the premiership decider to the last game, the championes league to penalties and makes it into the cup to boot and there are calls for resignation. The demands for the dazzle of an animated manager and the singleminded drive for a piece of silverware seems shallow when compared to the inspiring excitement that came from chelsea's turning three competitions into hotly contested, all english, affairs. Chelsea is a team full of overbearing personalities - one that would undoubtly be unable to steer itself true without a skilled helmsmen - surely that at least is obvious? Avram is not the grand media hungry personality of other greats and in some ways this is a loss - and in other ways perhaps it puts the focus back where it should be - on the football. If Roman Abramovich wants media attention and spice tell him to turn up to the games and provide some - I don't see the media monguls turning him down for some airtime - as for Avram Grant - thanks for an exciting, nailbiting end to the football season. - Man U fan. "
jason888
"I think people seem to be forgetting the dream draw that Grant got in the champions league! Olympiakos and then fenerbache in the quarters.. even a below average chelsea side would of got to the semis. Then the very unlucky own goal for liverpool which swung the tie in favour of cheslea. The football under Grant has been mind numbingly boring, its unbearable to watch, They get a goal as early as in the first half and play to defend a 1-0 lead.. How sweet did the heskey goal feel to make it 1-1!!! Even in the newcastle game towards the end of the title, they go infront, and at that exact moment grant decides to take off anelka which instantly implies their going to soak up pressure ZzZzZ.. Chelsea always had that grit about them, but under Grant its grit, hanging on and extreme boredem after they get that typical deflected lampard goal! And Grant had got it wrong in the big games.. everyone knows about the carling cup but playing essien at right back in the champ league final??!!! i knew at that precise moment that ronaldo would have a good game because makeshift defenders dont adopt good positions on corners, set pieces, hence the 1st goal by ronaldo! It's almost like an everton type season for chelsea with all the 1-0 and narrow wins going their way, but that luck will soon run out. They only reason chelsea took the season to the wire was because good old arsenal ran out of steam and united werent that cynical in games.. if ronaldo wasnt playin, god knows how man utd season would turn out! Its lookin likely grant will go, if he stays he needs to change his tactics because he's got the dream sqaud, jus needs to organise and motivate them and get them playing attackingly. "
blackstar
"Sorry for the long delay in response (timezones). @ Chelsea1905 I just wanted to point out that u first dismissed what I said as "utter b*llocks" and then proceeded to quote me on things which I didnt actually say - which is quite ridiculous. At NO POINT in my previous comment did I actually say that Grant should be fired, I really didnt. Me pointing out that he won 0 from 3 is pointing out a FACT - rather than putting forward an opinion. More importantly I DID NOT say Rafa and Arsene DESERVE to stay because of their reputations, I said they WOULD stay because of them. Once again I didnt say I agreed with this - I just pointed out that it is like that. To be honest Grant did a whole lot better than Rafa, but it is the FACT that he did as well as he did which is the problem now. Arsene/Arsenal threw the League away, Grant came within striking distance, but once again it looks worse for him becuase he gave the fans and boardroom hope, when really Grant/Chelsea had to work damn hard to even get a sniff. So in a lot of ways he is the second best manager of the premiership teams, but yet his future is in doubt. But to get to my original point - you took eveything that I said out of context. If you read my original post again at NO point did I say that Grant doesnt deserve to stay on - I merely pointed out that it is HIGHLY unlikely that he will. Mine and yours personal feelings aside...."
laylowlg_2008
"Chelsealad! Spot on!!"
skanktipple
"i think avram grant should be given at least another 5 year contract,he cannot match mourinho's ability to motivate his players and in my opinion his contnued contract as manager would be good news for all us united fans!!!!! "
KenGooner
"Smudger21 is right, Rome wasn't built in a day. Let a manager (personally i say Mourinhio was the better out of the two) come in, and give him some time. I can't see what Grant has done wrong really, I just dont feel he is the right man for the job. I still HATE Abromavich"
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