[RedForceRising]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_3605961,00.html

Chelsea have sacked manager Avram Grant after only eight months in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Grant has been under severe pressure in West London since replacing Jose Mourinho last September.

And the Israeli, who steered Chelsea to a second-placed Premier League finish, has now been handed his marching orders after the Blues ended the 2007/08 campaign without a trophy.

Grant's last game in charge of Chelsea was the UEFA Champions League final penalty shoot-out defeat to Manchester United on Wednesday.

A statement on the club's official website read: "Chelsea football club can confirm that Avram Grant has had his contract terminated today (Saturday 24th May). This follows meetings over the last two days.

"Everybody at Chelsea FC would like to thank Avram for his contribution since taking over as manager last September.

"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 Internazionale manager Roberto Mancini and Frank Rijkaard will now be strongly tipped to take over at Chelsea.

- Thanks to Red Man Walking for breaking the news, Banana for reminding us and Adam for this gem " ADAM_85: to be fair, it broke at around 22:57 wednesday 21st May"


Ouch.... Mourinho rubs salt in Grant's wounds

ALMOST IS NOTHING - MOURINHO

Jose Mourinho has described Chelsea's season as "really bad" and insists the London club's campaign could only be described as great by someone with "the philosophy of a loser".

The former Chelsea boss was speaking before his successor Avram Grant was sacked, but was critical of the 52-year-old Israeli's short stint in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho, when asked if the season had been a good one as depicted by Grant, told The Observer: "That depends on your philosophy of leadership.

"In my philosophy it was a very bad one because in football 'almost' means defeat and Chelsea almost won the Carling Cup, almost won the Champions League and almost won the Premier League. Almost is nothing.

"After two titles per season for the last three years there were zero titles this season, which in my philosophy means a really bad season. Maybe in the philosophy of a loser this was a great season, which I respect."

Mourinho admitted to being "very sad" at Chelsea's defeat in Moscow to Manchester United, adding that the supporters, the board and many of the players "deserve more".

However, he sounded a note of optimism, adding: "I believe that after an empty season new success will come to Chelsea. And I will always be a Chelsea supporter."

 

[yangch0000]

it has been coming. hardly surprising
finishing second in the league and reaching the cl final are already a bonus to their much disrupted season.

 

[UgraUgra]

Abramovic is fool. I don't like Grant but he is a good manager. He just needed more time to rebuild squad.

 

[greenhoff]

No surprise from a club like Chelsea,Grant was a good bloke made a scapegoat.Take the money and run Avram...

 

[Keano!]

Well that's not a huge surprise.

My eyes are now looking at the players who will leave and who'll take over?

Mourhino is bound to be thrown into the hat despite being heavily linked with
Inter Milan.

Grants time at the top lasted longer then I expected and he, TBH, did remarkably
well considering what he had to follow and the pressure on him.

 

[tallgirl]

I've just seen it on skysports news and it's no suprise but they didn't really give the man a chance but then thats chelsea for you. I can't wait for the day to see when Mr Abramovich takes all his pennies and leaves chelsea skint!

 

[cimbomGS]

I think changing manager is big mistake if it is happen every season.
I believe, team's boss will be stay at least three season. He can choose their players for his squad and he can form his style and tactics..

 

[Red Devil]

Hardly a shock. BUT, very bad none the less. Abramobitch does not like coming second, and it shows.

He has sacked a manager who finished second in the Prem; won the Carling Cup; finished runners up in the Champions League - thats a terrible record for a team off the Tesco shelf!!

 

[-zuco-]

Spurs won the Carling Cup RD

 

[The_Red_Prince]

Chelsea really dont know how to stabilize a club.Avram Grant was'nt a bad manager.He almost led Chelsea to a premier league title(but United beat them to it.) and he reached the champions league final for the first time in Chelsea's history.Really,i cant wait till abramovich packs up his money and goodies and jets off.

 

[Dynamite]

No suprise & not a good decision, He did well as a manager & deserved more respect than that

 

[RedForceRising]

I'm a bit surprised by some of the statements about Grant.

First of all, I'm not sure he actually is a good maanger. With the squad that Chelsea have, he would have had to be really, really bad to not get where they got.

Chelsea's form has picked up recently, but I don't think it's down to the system he's employed, rather the players recognizing they have to do whatever necessary in order to win.

We've heard that Steve Clarke gave the half-time talks, during the Carling Cup final John 'The Slipper' Terry was trying to psyche up the team and Drogba couldn't even look him in the eye when Grant tried to give him instructions during the final.

He simply does not ommand the respect of these footballing stars, because he has no reputation or success to respect.

I love what is happening at Chelsea. Abramovic is going to pay for Mourinho's success. Roman probably really thinks that enough money + great manager = titles, because they did it twice. As soon as Mourinho couldn't deliver, he probably thought Mourinho was slacking, instead of accepting that you can't win all the time. God help the Chelsea fans, if he ever decides he's had enough of his toy and wants the money back that he's loaned chelsea.

*sings* Stamford Bridge is falling down, falling down......

 

[NateR]

Somehow, i don't think Grant would be as disapointed about this as most would think. I've read, that he doesn't really like the media attention he's been getting and so well...its better for him this way.

Respect to him though, he did a great job. yeah he was lucky to have great players when he took over, but its still no easy job to take them from the postion they were in, all the way too the final day challenging for the title.

 

[Titface]

after reading others posts they have covered all the relevant points regarding the sacking...so the only thing i can add is HA!

 

[rooneytunes]

Abramovic is fool. I don't like Grant but he is a good manager. He just needed more time to rebuild squad.

Agree...Lets be honest,He's done great ! Only lost league on last day ! lost league cup final,champions league to a penalty shoot out ! harshly treated imo !

 

[erwinvr101]

they didn't give him a chance, when in fact, he has actually done a good job at chelsea. if you consider the time when chelsea missed some players because of the african cup and i think with drogba out for quite a time due to injury, plus the fact that his players didn't give as much respect to grant as they did to mourinho, finishing second in the PL and making the finals of CL was not a bad achievement. It's actually a good achievement

 

[ScholesHeScoresGoals]

Harsh, everyone treated him with no respect and he got them to the champions league final, the style to jose's is barely different! So yeah Chelski made another mistake! Read todays early papers and they want Sparky, thats right Mark Hughes, i hope not!

 

[dlan4327]

Man the Russian one moves fast.

 

[-zuco-]

I'm a bit surprised by some of the statements about Grant.

First of all, I'm not sure he actually is a good maanger. With the squad that Chelsea have, he would have had to be really, really bad to not get where they got.

By that rationale, you think Mourinho is a bad manager
because he never got to the Champion League Final.

 

[abojodeh]

he deserves a respect
but where is money(abramovic) idiots(drogba) and bums(lampard +terry) there is no respect
he did something that maurinho didnt do REACHING THE UCL FINAL