Or not, as the case maybe..
Three games into the season and the Daily Star`s Danny Fullbrook is calling for Avram Grant`s head. It turns out that winning against Oxford didn`t completely avert the doom laden prophecies in the press. Although as far as Grant goes, Fullbrook seems to have taken a dislike years ago.
Back when Grant took over at Chelsea according to Fullbrook “he’s not doing anything”. But then he goes on to call him a “puppet master” which makes no sense at all,
“There’s much more unity towards Steve Clarke and for me Avram Grant is just a puppet master.”
Surely a puppet master is the guy in charge of everything that`s happening?? Apparently Chelsea got to the Champions League final and were runner`s up in the league, just two points off Man Utd, despite of Grant.
Taking over from Mourinho was going to be a losing proposition for whoever took over but to give Grant no credit at all seems a tad harsh!
Fullbrook`s belief during Grant`s reign at Chelsea was that Steve Clarke was so respected as a coach that the players were playing for him. He even wonders if Clarke was suggesting the match substitutions. Which makes me wonder how the Zola and Clarke show finished with a paltry 35 points and our bums on the Championship trapdoor? Surely Clarke`s influence should have been more apparent in conjunction with Zola?
What I really don`t get is how sacking Grant five days before the transfer window shuts solves anything? Fullbrook seems to have completely forgotten the plight the club is in. Not only would we have to pay out a hefty compensation fee but sacking one manager doesn`t magically give us a war chest for the next bloke to spend.
Still, let`s say we overreact and follow Fullbrook`s solution to bring in Croatian boss Slaven Bilic. A man, who like Grant before Chelsea, has not managed a club in a major European league. But because he has a West Ham connection it makes it okay. Wouldn`t bringing in a manager with no experience of managing in the Premier League, over one that does, be more of a gamble?
Of course, Bilic would bring in “some good young talent” says Fullbrook. It seems that Pablo Barrera and Winston Reid don`t count because they`re “unknown names”. I`ve thought Barrera looked promising in the outings he`s had so far and Reid was an awful lot better playing in his natural centre-back position against Bolton.
No matter who took over from Zola, this was always going to be a battling season for us.
It remains to be seen if Grant will be successful but does sacking the manager three games into the season really make any sense at all?
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