"There are only two ways for me to leave Chelsea. One way is in June 2010, when I finish my contract and if the club doesn’t give me a new one. The second way is for Chelsea to sack me. The way of the manager leaving the club by deciding to walk away, no chance. I will never do this to Chelsea supporters"

Mourinho February 2007

Chelsea’s players might respect Roman Abramovich, but they love José Mourinho and they will be hurting as much as the former manager. It would not be an easy situation for anyone to come into, let alone Avram Grant.

We do not know much about Grant, but we know that he is the owner’s man, and that could damage him in the eyes of fans and players from the start. Whatever the uncertainty off the field, Chelsea have been reliable on it. That predictability may be a thing of the past.

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There is nothing in Avram Grant’s CV that qualifies him for this job

Martin Samuel

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BACKGROUND

• Blue is colour, total chaos the game

• No special side to Grant

• Shoot-out at the Bridge goes to Abramovich

• Grant's job under threat from lack of Uefa licence

BACKGROUND

• Ferguson keeps Chelsea under pressure

• California dreamin’ in bid to lure Mourinho

• Machiavellian manager will not remain on shelf

• Chelsea could become Southern Rock

BACKGROUND

• Ferguson upset by 'relieved' Mourinho's exit

• What did Roman’s magician ever do for us ...?

• How Jose made the game more beautiful

Multimedia

• Who needs Mourinho - TheGame online

• Fanzine Fanzone

• Jose Mourinho video highlights

Multimedia

• Pictures: Chelsea, the Mourinho years

I met Mourinho with his squad a couple of times, once at a charity auction where he was outbidding his players. The banter, the camaraderie – the bond between manager and squad was plain and it was powerful. It was obvious that it was a huge reason for Chelsea’s success.

The players did not like Mourinho only because he was charismatic. They knew that he made them better. They may not have loved his rotation policy – no manager can keep everyone happy all of the time – but they will have appreciated that basic truth. Especially because that individual improvement translated into collective achievement.

Above all, the players love Mourinho for making them winners. Despite their wealth, the squad’s hunger was immense. Grant will have to hope that the desire did not depart along with Mourinho.

You have only to look at the queues outside branches of Northern Rock to realise the mess that is created when people lose confidence on a massive scale. Are Chelsea about to become Southern Rock? With players led by someone as committed as John Terry, it seems unlikely, but belief is so fragile and so dependent on the manager.

It can all disintegrate rapidly, which is frightening. I was at Aston Villa when the well-liked Graham Taylor left; the decline was quick. It is impossible to predict what will happen under Grant, given these extraordinary circumstances. There will be speculation about key players, especially Frank Lampard, whose future was already a matter for debate. But mass departures are unlikely – the top performers are on such huge wages that few clubs can afford to buy them.

The first task for Grant and Steve Clarke, the assistant manager, will be to keep things as calm as possible and prevent any rift developing between the squad and the hierarchy. There are plenty of strong characters in the Chelsea dressing-room and Terry, as the captain and a powerful influence, will not be shy about making his feelings known.

The players will listen to what Grant has to say. It will be confident talk about moving forward into a bright, exciting new era. The players will take a lot of convincing. They will think: “Why do we need a new dawn? Things weren’t going badly.”

They will also wonder if this man is supposed to be an improvement on Mourinho. What has he achieved in the game? The answer is, he has managed a couple of teams in Israel and did pretty well with their national team. It is not a CV to match that of Mourinho.

Is it even possible to get a better manager than the Portuguese? You wonder who in world football has the reputation and character to excite the Chelsea team and fans, to persuade them that there is life after Mourinho. I can think only of Arsène Wenger and Frank Rijkaard. Maybe throw in Jürgen Klinsmann as a wild card. Grant was already at the club, so that may taint him – rightly or not, the players could hold him partly responsible for Mourinho’s downfall. Mourinho did not seem to want Grant around and the players trust Mourinho’s judgment.

As if taking over from one of the most brilliant and successful managers in the game was not tough enough, Grant is also battling against history. Turbulence at the top is not a recipe for winning trophies.

We do not know much about Grant, but we know what Abramovich wants: to win the Champions League playing exciting football. But even Wenger has not achieved that with Arsenal, so what are Grant’s chances?

View from the Bridge

Scott Minto (Chelsea player, 1994-97) “José Mourinho almost guarantees you trophies. There was the spat of last season between him and Roman Abramovich, but we thought it had been sorted because if he was going to go you’d have thought he’d have gone last season.” Verdict Wrong decision

Ray Wilkins (Chelsea player, 1973-79) “The guy has been a breath of fresh air and it looks like we are going to lose another fabulous manager out of the country. Chelsea are going forward, but maybe this is a little kick in the teeth for a couple of months.” Verdict Wrong decision

John Hollins (Chelsea player, 1963-75; manager, 1985-88) “José could go away with quite a lot of money, but the things he has left behind are cup wins, league wins and making the club one of the best in the country.” Verdict Wrong decision

Gavin Peacock (Chelsea player, 1993-96) “I am sad, to be honest. I like the man and he has been great for Chelsea. The players will be hurt by this as well.” Verdict Wrong decision

Jason Cundy (Chelsea player, 1988-92) “I was shocked by the timing of it. What José achieved at the club may never be done again in the Premier League. Look at what he has done for players like Frank Lampard. He’s been brilliant.” Verdict Wrong decision

Dennis Wise (Chelsea player, 1990-2001) “I’m surprised. He was a fantastic manager. The Premier League will miss him because he brought style and charisma.” Verdict Wrong decision

Pat Nevin (Chelsea player 1983-88) “Avram Grant is a certainty to be a short-term measure because they can’t get the man they want. The man I’m sure they want is Guus Hiddink.” Verdict Wrong decision

Suggs (celebrity supporter) “Who knows what the future holds? The Special One has gone. We’re all orphans down the Bridge now. We’re living on a prayer.” Verdict Undecided

Ron “Chopper” Harris (Chelsea player, 1961-80) “It has come as a shock to some, but there will always be a Chelsea without José Mourinho. I know he has had injuries, but the season has not started as well as the owners would have liked.” Verdict Unsurprised