Abramovich sees foot, opens fire

[Matt Clark]

Mourinho's gone "by mutual consent".

I know the Rosenborg game was dismal. Half-empty stadium full of booing people, John Terry up front in a last throw of the dice, tactically bereft, couldn't beat a side that most EPL relegation strugglers would fancy their chances against ... yadda yadda. But talk about chucking your toys out of the pram.

Abramovich's statement of intent is clear enough, in any case. I want the titles AND I want to be loved.

Put your money on Klinsmann for replacement.

[superdave]

Klinsmann won't take the job. He doesn't care enough about money, and he doesn't want to leave SoCal.

JK, Landon, Beckham...resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

[Matt Clark]

And yet he was in the press just two days ago saying he wants to manage a Champions' League club.

Grant is clearly a stop-gap. You can probably already get only stingy odds on him lasting the season. Next season is then a case of hiring someone who has the cachet and the CV and the likeability to win the CL in style, which is clearly the benchmark for this job now. Klinsmann doesn't have the CV, but he's got the name and the likeability.

The alternative, of course, is Abramovich's current employee, Guus Hiddink.

[Matt Clark]

Relax Chelsea fans, Roman has a cunning plan (http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2174026,00.html).

Roman Abramovich will take a more active role in team affairs after the departure from Chelsea of Jose Mourinho

...

"[Abramovich] won't pick the team but he will be more aware of the team [than under Mourinho]," said the source. "It is the Russian way: they like to be the boss when they are paying for things.

So that's OK then. Full steam ahead!

[RichardL]

I thought the reporting in the Mirror today was kind of funny - loads of talk about the anger of the fans about the move and the demonstrations outside stamford bridge. There's even a picture of the fans lined up behind a giant pro-Jose banner (which surely can't have been made by the Mirror itself, could it?) but what it painfully can't hide is that despite the impression of thousands of angry fans, they are barely enough there to hold the banner up.

[Matt Clark]

Arf ... yeah. I saw some footage on SSN as well. The word "half-hearted" barely covers it. Chelsea's grass-roots support shown once again for what it is.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: Chelsea = QPR With Money

[superdave]

The chant was hilariously lame...to an American, anyway.

"Bring back the Special One, bring back the Special One."

Repeat ad nauseaum.

[Matt Clark]

Yes, Chelsea fans aren't known for their witty songsmithery. This is a set of people who chant "You're not singing anymore" at fans of tiny 3rd-round FA/League Cup opponents when Chelsea go 5-0 up.

Which, just by the by, also happened at 5-0 in the Spurs game last night. For shame, White Hart Lane.

[RichardL]

Yes, Chelsea fans aren't known for their witty songsmithery..
who is these days though? Most songs I hear from opposition fans lead me to believe they think they are playing a round of top trumps.

[Matt Clark]

Oh I dunno. I think there's still quite a bit of wit around. In fact, I loathe myself for saying it, but Everton fans have got a bit about them in that department. Funny buggers. Sometimes, like.

[leg_breaker]

Yes, Chelsea fans aren't known for their witty songsmithery. This is a set of people who chant "You're not singing anymore" at fans of tiny 3rd-round FA/League Cup opponents when Chelsea go 5-0 up.

Isn't that what Liverpool fans sang against Luton the other season?

[Matt Clark]

No.

[cdmphy]

What do you expect. These are busy people who now have to find a new team to pick. They don't have time for banners now. Songs and banners can be dealt with when they jump on their next bandwagon.

[Gino Franconni]

Mourinho's gone "by mutual consent".

I know the Rosenborg game was dismal. Half-empty stadium full of booing people, John Terry up front in a last throw of the dice, tactically bereft, couldn't beat a side that most EPL relegation strugglers would fancy their chances against ... yadda yadda. But talk about chucking your toys out of the pram.

Abramovich's statement of intent is clear enough, in any case. I want the titles AND I want to be loved.

Put your money on Klinsmann for replacement.


Roman is everything that's wrong with the game. I love the EPL & I'm all for outside investors' as long as they stay in the office & let the managers' run the show on the pitch. This has not been the case for Chelsea. When you have Roman in the dressing room having of all failures' ...Sheva! Translating on how each player should play their particular position then you have ... Big Problems!!! Roman had it all. Good manager, good players' now it look's as if this club's about to implode!:eek:

[phil80]

not even Sheva wants to admit he's good friends with Abromovich:
"Mr Abramovich and I talk but no more than any other player at the club. In fact, other players talk to him more than I do.

"I speak Russian to Mr Abramovich, of course, but that is because it is our mother tongue. No-one else at the club speaks it, so it is natural.

"There is no more to it. It is not true that we are close friends. He is the owner of the club and I am a player, it is as simple as that."

[Gino Franconni]

Sheva is alot like Roma's Totti which is to say not very bright when he open's his mouth. He's better off keeping quiet & to feel lucky that he earn's so much for in reality doing so very little. I kind of wonder when he's going to come across the pond to join the Los Angeles Spice Boys'! Whoops! I meant Galaxy!:D

[BlackburnRover]

What do you expect. These are busy people who now have to find a new team to pick. They don't have time for banners now. Songs and banners can be dealt with when they jump on their next bandwagon.

League 1 and 2 clubs accross the country are bracing themselves for the influx of returning fans.

They're also preparing song sheets because "one man went to eat, went to eat a prawn sandwich" just isn't good enough.

[NorthernBoy]

It'll be really interesting to see how Shevchenko gets on now the 'Special One' has left. If he suddenly starts scoring then there could be some good quotes from both camps.

[Harry Boulton]

Shevchenko won't start scoring. It's very obvious why he hasn't succeeded in England and a change in manager isn't going to change the obvious. Shevchenko canot run. He looked very quick in Italy where the game is more methodical, but in England, where defenders close down their forwards immediately, he hasn't got the legs. And if you can't run, you can't play in the EPL, even if you're the best goal scorer in the world. Grant may well giuve him more time on the pitch, but I can't imagine it changing a thing to be honest with you.


Roman is everything that's wrong with the game. I love the EPL & I'm all for outside investors' as long as they stay in the office & let the managers' run the show on the pitch. This has not been the case for Chelsea. When you have Roman in the dressing room having of all failures' ...Sheva! Translating on how each player should play their particular position then you have ... Big Problems!!! Roman had it all. Good manager, good players' now it look's as if this club's about to implode!


In one sense you can understand why he wants to be involved. If I was plowing endless millions into my employees pockets then I would expect them to deliver what I want them to. If you have a well paid job you don't tell your boss to "mind their own business" when they come down and talk to you bcause they have every right to do so and you'd probably get sacked. Roman is minding his own business. Chelsea is his business and he's minding it. If Chelsea win then they win, but if they do it in a boring way then no one comes to watch them and they lose money. That is Romans business is it not?

However, I think football is a very specific job and one that requires a great deal of restraint and cooperation in equal measure from both sides of the touchline. Abramovic was right to enquire as to how things are going. However, as a man who has not played the game and is very new to it he has no right to gate-crash a managers half time team talk and start telling the clubs most expecsive and most important players how to do their job. That is clearly wrong and he needs telling. All the money in the world does not make you an expert or coach.

I thik he was also wrong to buy Shevchenko for Chelsea without speaking to Mourinho. That is also wrong and should not be happening. If a manager is responsible for the first team affairs then he needs to be able to manage them himself. You cannot force a player upon a manager and then sack him when it turns out poorly. That way the manager is taking the rap for a purchase made by the owner...

[Gino Franconni]

Shevchenko won't start scoring. It's very obvious why he hasn't succeeded in England and a change in manager isn't going to change the obvious. Shevchenko canot run. He looked very quick in Italy where the game is more methodical, but in England, where defenders close down their forwards immediately, he hasn't got the legs. And if you can't run, you can't play in the EPL, even if you're the best goal scorer in the world. Grant may well giuve him more time on the pitch, but I can't imagine it changing a thing to be honest with you.



In one sense you can understand why he wants to be involved. If I was plowing endless millions into my employees pockets then I would expect them to deliver what I want them to. If you have a well paid job you don't tell your boss to "mind their own business" when they come down and talk to you bcause they have every right to do so and you'd probably get sacked. Roman is minding his own business. Chelsea is his business and he's minding it. If Chelsea win then they win, but if they do it in a boring way then no one comes to watch them and they lose money. That is Romans business is it not?

However, I think football is a very specific job and one that requires a great deal of restraint and cooperation in equal measure from both sides of the touchline. Abramovic was right to enquire as to how things are going. However, as a man who has not played the game and is very new to it he has no right to gate-crash a managers half time team talk and start telling the clubs most expecsive and most important players how to do their job. That is clearly wrong and he needs telling. All the money in the world does not make you an expert or coach.

I thik he was also wrong to buy Shevchenko for Chelsea without speaking to Mourinho. That is also wrong and should not be happening. If a manager is responsible for the first team affairs then he needs to be able to manage them himself. You cannot force a player upon a manager and then sack him when it turns out poorly. That way the manager is taking the rap for a purchase made by the owner...


I agree with you about Sheva. In Italy he was there for years'. He perfected the art of being able to beat the offsides' trap. He had more time on the ball there. In England he's never been able to adjust to the pace & the fact EPL defenders' are on you before you even get the ball. He just doesn't have what it take's to play in the blinding pace of the EPL. As for Roman, if he keep's it up he will ruin that team.:eek: