Chelsea: Who’ll Take Over From Grant?

Three moments from Avram Grant’s eight months at Chelsea stand out.  The first was the sight of him a passive by-stander as John Terry gave the motivational talk to the team ahead of extra-time against Tottenham in the League Cup final, the second was the crowd telling him that he didn’t know what he was doing in the final minutes of the game against Arsenal and the third was him falling to his knees after making it past Liverpool to the final of the Champions League.

What was particularly telling about that last incident was that there was no Chelsea player rushing to celebrate with him, much less to offer him congratulations.  It confirmed the over-riding feeling that he simply wasn’t good enough to be in his job, that Chelsea’s season was still on purely because the team was built on a number of highly talented and determined individuals.

All that might have changed if he’d managed to win either one of the League or the Champions League.  But Chelsea won neither – they even managed to lose the League Cup final – making Grant’s dismissal the least surprising outcome of the summer.

The Candidates:
Dick Advocat
Zenit St Petersburg’s success in the UEFA Cup brought him back to general attention but he’s been doing exceptionally well in Russia for quite some time.  He’s helped bring through a talented group of players and, most importantly, won the Russian title in the face of serious competition from the Moscow clubs.
Verdict: Experienced and capable, he has to be in the running.

Sven Goran Eriksson
With Grant being linked with the City job it is only fair to reciprocate by putting Eriksson in line to go in the opposite direction.  Has done fantastically well at City, got them playing attractive football and, importantly, has shown that he knows what it takes to beat Manchester United.
Verdict: An attractive option but perhaps not the first choice.

Guus Hiddink
Having been rumoured to be on his way to Chelsea innumerable times in the past, it is hardly surprising that he should be mentioned now.  Much depends on how Russia do at the European Championships next month and how much Abrahmovic is willing to upset people back home.
Verdict: Probably the best option.

Mark Hughes
For a player who only stayed at Chelsea for a short time, many at Stamford Bridge retain fond memories of him and he certainly seems to appreciate his time there.  Of the upcoming British managers he has to rank as one of the best and his ability to spot talent is impressive.  He has the experience and all the credentials necessary yet is his football attractive enough?
Verdict:  A (better than) good outside bet.

Michael Laudrup
The fresh face of European football did an exceptional job at Getafe in keeping them up and taking them to the semi-final of the UEFA Cup.  His lack of experience will count against him but Laudrup was wonderfully creative as a player and obviously loves his teams to play in a similar way, making him an intriguing option
Verdict:  His predecessor at Getafe got the Real Madrid job so there’s no counting him out.

Roberto Mancini
Mancini has never made any secret of his desire to manage in England, having played out his career at Leicester, and he has been linked to the Chelsea job recently.  Did excellently to get Inter winning in Italy even if the experience has been soured by the club’s struggle in the past six months.  His reluctance to commit himself at Inter indicates that he’s waiting for another job to become available, something that might just have happened with Grant’s dismissal
Verdict:  Would need some time but there’s no doubting that Mancini, much like Mourinho, is a born winner.

Jose Mourinho
Come back Jose, all is forgiven?  Well, not quite even if the fans still adore him it would be an incredible turnaround if the club’s senior management were to ask him to come back especially given how much they paid to get rid of him.  Yet there still remains the feeling that it will be a struggle to find someone capable of guiding the team better than him – and there’s no way that Jose would have allowed his players to lose both the league and the Champions League – so he’s surely worth being kept in the frame.
Verdict: The fans would love him back as would the players but it is hard to see him return

Frank Rijkaard
When Theo Ten Cate moved to Stamford Bridge in January, many saw this as the first step that would eventually lead to Rijkaard’s eventual appointment.  With Ten Cate’s position rumoured to be under review, holes have been blown in that theory yet Rijkaard still continues being mentioned.  The memory of his great side from two years back remains and he can certainly get his team to play attractive football, something that seems to be much sought after at Stamford Bridge.  Yet this past season at Barcelona was abysmal and there are serious doubts as to whether he can handle big name players.
Verdict: The way his teams play makes him an attractive option.