Avram Grant believes he will be Chelsea manager next season after winning the backing of Roman Abramovich, according to reports.
Chelsea's Russian owner was there at Stamford Bridge on Sunday to see the Stamford Bridge crowd give the Israeli a very warm reception.
The pair had talks after Chelsea narrowly missed out on winning the Premier League and Grant has reportedly been given the impression that he will continue next season despite suggestions that Frank Rijkaard will take over.
A 'close pal' told the Daily Mirror: "Avram feels he has the backing of Roman and the club, and that it will now be down to him.
"He doesn't quite understand why there's so much speculation, because he has always felt that was the way things were going to be heading.
"As he has always said, if the club don't want him, they only have to let him know.
"Avram is convinced the team was on the way down under Jose Mourinho, and that change was required.
"But he can only really change things and bring the style of football both he and Roman want if he can bring in the players capable of playing in a different way, not ones who have been conditioned by three years of Jose.
"Now Avram is planning for next season. He believes he will be manager next season."
Your Comments
Mutid
"The word from Maka is ka-ka. Stop piping the rocks, Spaceman. Same goes for Kuze - look at the league table, dude: MORE goals scored, LESS goals conceded, MORE points total, MORE trophies to come. It's not Grant's fault (he's done exceptionaly fine despite a Myopic Moronic Majority of Chelsea fans not getting behind him all season), it is Fergie's genius. See you in Moscow."
Chelsea1905
"Kuze? What are you talking about?"
kuze
"I pray and hope that Avram Grant will respect himself and leave Chelsea or move 'upstairs' with his friend after the champions league victory over united (yes I believe Manyoo can¿t stand Chelsea eleven men against eleven men for 90 minutes with all our players in unity of purpose. In fact it is 60:40 in Chelsea¿s favour! We don¿t even need a top coach!!) I promise that all of us (Chelsea fans) will pretend he (Grant) never lacked wit, never lacked composure in turbulence and never lacked the ability to inspire confidence. We will take all these in addition to his compassion, humility and inevitably, friendship with Roman Abramovich. I promise we will really forget about Mourinho (like all the Board and Chelsea TV have been preaching) and we will move on. And I promise we will offer him a place in our hearts just under the name of the Portuguese Special One for being the one that gave us the champion¿s league final ticket. I for one will not be blinded by the second position in the league (credit to United but they and Arsenal slipped up too many times and forgive me a team managed by Mourinho would not have surrendered that kind of lead only for Fergie to win a match against one of his former loyal boys at the last day in match handled by ref Bennet). I will not be blinded by the Champion¿s league final also, especially when I remember that amongst the teams we met at crucial stages were Fernabache and Olympiakos. This is Kuze who has finally gotten over the charm of Mourinho and is begging Grant to quit so we won¿t have to rediscover his inability to manage a top team. We (including Grant as person) may not be so lucky next time. "
Chelsea1905
"They were wonderful years under Jose. But he's is gone and we have to move on. Roman clearly no longer wanted Jose at the helm. Grant has given Chelsea some stability and some consistency. He has also kept Chelsea out of the papers for the very things Roman and some fans disliked about Jose. I loved Jose and thought he was a class act but we have to get over it. Who else is there in football that could come in and do the job. Tatcically, Grant has done well. Other than the SPurs Cup Final he's been astute. He has gone about business with minimal fuss and did well to get us back into the title after such a shaky start."
Maka
"I feel Avram Grant will be on of the greatest managers of all time. Have a look how he has quelled all the internal bickering that eventuated from Mourinho's sacking. Compare that to Rafa who plays out every team issue in the press and basically derailed the teams season when they were flying by airing his greivances about the owners. Look at Wenger who has plenty of great players leave unhappy and teaches his players to headbut each other - look at Eboue! Then have a look at Ferguson who has had many personal problems with his players which has cost Man U dearly. Look at what happened When Stam wrote his book and bagged Fergie. Fergie sacked him and Man U went from treble winners to having one of the worst defences in the league and winning nothing for years. Avram Grant doesn't let his ego get in the way and runs a tight ship as opposed to some of the other pretenders I have mentioned. That is the word from Maka."
Battylele
"Which set of players is it that Mourinho has 'conditioned' exactly? What a load of garbage. Ashley Cole hasn't forgotten what it was like to play for Arsenal (where he spent far more time with Wenger than he ever did with Jose), Shaun W-P and Joe Cole are still exciting (sometimes), Lampard and Ballack are two of the most prolific goalscoring midfielders in Europe, Drogba can score sublime goals and Essien was outstanding all over the pitch at the African Nations Cup. If Grant thinks they're all conditioned to play dull football, that actually means he hasn't got the coaching ability to get them to play like we all know they can. In other words, Roman has got the wrong man - just like his last object of desire; that £30m waste of space Andriy Shevchenko. "
rume1200
"I beg to differ,what a lousy close pal, three wonderful years of Jose you mean! Was it not the same set of boys he used to achieve what he is trying to claim as achievement? I basically feel angered by the words of this fella, he wants money?? He will have money! but if he fails to achieve what mourhino achieved in that year with his OWN team, he should resign from active football coaching and limit himself to playing poker! Let him who has ears and eyes learn from Arsenal and arsene wenger, the only coach who without winning any trophy for 3 years and counting and still is untouchable. People want success no matter how you get it! Initially, Abram wanted success, he got it, now he wanted flair, will grant give him??....food for thought!"
chelsea1905
"I for one hope he'll still be here."
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