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and dis writer a talk bout Grant's appointment being an accident of birth. The whole world run suh and will continue to, for the rest we have to deal with it.
How does a Prince become a King? by the way The Tudors on Showtime is a wicked series that I clamour to watch.
Avram Grant lacks calibre of a true leader
By Henry Winter
Last Updated: 2:13am BST 24/04/2008
If the calibre of Chelsea's coach, Avram Grant, remains under legitimate scrutiny, the character of many of his players remains incontestable. If Chelsea build on their fortuitous first-leg draw at Liverpool to reach Moscow, Grant would look out of place in a European Cup final. Petr Cech, John Terry and Frank Lampard certainly would not.
Scepticism has dogged Grant from the moment he was appointed Jose Mourinho's successor. His demeanour has been analysed, with the general verdict of his resembling a bloodhound who has lost a favourite bone. Grant has also been called to account over his substitutions, particularly the costly withdrawal of Joe Cole at White Hart Lane.
Men in the middle: Frank Lampard and Chelsea manager Avram GrantThe focus on Grant's doleful features can be dismissed as an irrelevance, as if the dugout were really a catwalk. The charge that Grant makes only poor tactical adjustments mid-match is not supported by events at home to Arsenal, where his introduction of Nicolas Anelka and switch to 4-4-2 turned the game, and then Tuesday's insertion of Salomon Kalou. Grant was rewarded when Kalou crossed to trigger John Arne Riise's moment of horror, his own goal cancelling out Dirk Kuyt's strike in a 1-1 draw.
However, the most significant criticism of Grant is broader: his employment in charge of a leading European club is a snub to all those better-qualified managers, like Mark Hughes and David Moyes, hungrily and expertly climbing their profession's ladder. Hughes and Moyes rise through hard graft. Grant has acquired one of the top jobs mainly through being a friend of the owner, Roman Abramovich. It is a case of who he knows, not what he knows. That's wrong.
As ever with discussions of public figures, serious points can be lost in all the heat, hysteria, and controversial press conferences. If English and European football is to take coaching seriously, it must hope that managers of substance collect the glittering prizes, not men like Grant with contacts in high places.
It is as difficult to feel respect for Grant as it is to find any admiration for the sons of George Gillett and Tom Hicks, who enjoy the privilege of sitting on the Liverpool board simply through an accident of birth. That's wrong.
Alan Smith analysisSo, if Chelsea do continue past the bruised plaything of Gillett and Hicks, reaching the final in Moscow, there can be little compunction to laud Grant, and every incentive to salute the resolute spirit of Chelsea stalwarts like Cech, Terry and Lampard.
Cech should have his own column in The Lancet, chronicling the latest injury sustained in preventing a ball from going in a net. On having his face stitched up after challenging Tal Ben Haim in training, the goalkeeper immediately talked with pride of how he stopped the shot as his skin was being peeled by a stray boot.
An intelligent individual, Cech also possesses an incredibly determined streak. His technical skills are superb, noted in the way he spread himself to deny Fernando Torres in the first half at Anfield. His reflexes are as quick as anyone's, seen to Liverpool's deep frustration when he pushed over Steven Gerrard's volley near full-time. Cech kept Chelsea in the tie.
Like Cech, Terry makes light of injuries, resembling the Monty Python knight whose desire to keep fighting remains unaffected by the loss of each limb. If Terry's bodycheck on Javier Mascherano revealed the occasional cynical side to Chelsea's game, it cannot hide the centre-half's importance to the Blues' cause. Terry is the glue that keeps Chelsea together.
Arguably the performance of the night, in terms of sheer guts, came from Lampard. Knowing how gravely ill his mother was, Lampard still went out and delivered a solid display, admittedly far from his best, but courageous in the circumstances. Some of his passing, particularly in a 10-minute purple patch in the second half, will have reminded the watching Fabio Capello of Lampard's capabilities.
The contributions of Cech, Terry and Lampard contrasted with a disappointing shift from Didier Drogba. A stronger manager than Grant would get a grip of his leading centre-forward and tell him to stop rolling around, which even Chelsea supporters must now find embarrassing.
If Chelsea are going to grasp a trophy this season, they need Drogba back on his feet and at his imposing best. If he is leaving in the summer, as appears likely, the striker should start pushing up his price and wages with some shop-window pyrotechnics, beginning against Manchester United on Saturday.
How does a Prince become a King? by the way The Tudors on Showtime is a wicked series that I clamour to watch.
Avram Grant lacks calibre of a true leader
By Henry Winter
Last Updated: 2:13am BST 24/04/2008
If the calibre of Chelsea's coach, Avram Grant, remains under legitimate scrutiny, the character of many of his players remains incontestable. If Chelsea build on their fortuitous first-leg draw at Liverpool to reach Moscow, Grant would look out of place in a European Cup final. Petr Cech, John Terry and Frank Lampard certainly would not.
Scepticism has dogged Grant from the moment he was appointed Jose Mourinho's successor. His demeanour has been analysed, with the general verdict of his resembling a bloodhound who has lost a favourite bone. Grant has also been called to account over his substitutions, particularly the costly withdrawal of Joe Cole at White Hart Lane.
Men in the middle: Frank Lampard and Chelsea manager Avram GrantThe focus on Grant's doleful features can be dismissed as an irrelevance, as if the dugout were really a catwalk. The charge that Grant makes only poor tactical adjustments mid-match is not supported by events at home to Arsenal, where his introduction of Nicolas Anelka and switch to 4-4-2 turned the game, and then Tuesday's insertion of Salomon Kalou. Grant was rewarded when Kalou crossed to trigger John Arne Riise's moment of horror, his own goal cancelling out Dirk Kuyt's strike in a 1-1 draw.However, the most significant criticism of Grant is broader: his employment in charge of a leading European club is a snub to all those better-qualified managers, like Mark Hughes and David Moyes, hungrily and expertly climbing their profession's ladder. Hughes and Moyes rise through hard graft. Grant has acquired one of the top jobs mainly through being a friend of the owner, Roman Abramovich. It is a case of who he knows, not what he knows. That's wrong.
As ever with discussions of public figures, serious points can be lost in all the heat, hysteria, and controversial press conferences. If English and European football is to take coaching seriously, it must hope that managers of substance collect the glittering prizes, not men like Grant with contacts in high places.
It is as difficult to feel respect for Grant as it is to find any admiration for the sons of George Gillett and Tom Hicks, who enjoy the privilege of sitting on the Liverpool board simply through an accident of birth. That's wrong.
Alan Smith analysisSo, if Chelsea do continue past the bruised plaything of Gillett and Hicks, reaching the final in Moscow, there can be little compunction to laud Grant, and every incentive to salute the resolute spirit of Chelsea stalwarts like Cech, Terry and Lampard.Cech should have his own column in The Lancet, chronicling the latest injury sustained in preventing a ball from going in a net. On having his face stitched up after challenging Tal Ben Haim in training, the goalkeeper immediately talked with pride of how he stopped the shot as his skin was being peeled by a stray boot.
An intelligent individual, Cech also possesses an incredibly determined streak. His technical skills are superb, noted in the way he spread himself to deny Fernando Torres in the first half at Anfield. His reflexes are as quick as anyone's, seen to Liverpool's deep frustration when he pushed over Steven Gerrard's volley near full-time. Cech kept Chelsea in the tie.
Like Cech, Terry makes light of injuries, resembling the Monty Python knight whose desire to keep fighting remains unaffected by the loss of each limb. If Terry's bodycheck on Javier Mascherano revealed the occasional cynical side to Chelsea's game, it cannot hide the centre-half's importance to the Blues' cause. Terry is the glue that keeps Chelsea together.
Arguably the performance of the night, in terms of sheer guts, came from Lampard. Knowing how gravely ill his mother was, Lampard still went out and delivered a solid display, admittedly far from his best, but courageous in the circumstances. Some of his passing, particularly in a 10-minute purple patch in the second half, will have reminded the watching Fabio Capello of Lampard's capabilities.
The contributions of Cech, Terry and Lampard contrasted with a disappointing shift from Didier Drogba. A stronger manager than Grant would get a grip of his leading centre-forward and tell him to stop rolling around, which even Chelsea supporters must now find embarrassing.
If Chelsea are going to grasp a trophy this season, they need Drogba back on his feet and at his imposing best. If he is leaving in the summer, as appears likely, the striker should start pushing up his price and wages with some shop-window pyrotechnics, beginning against Manchester United on Saturday.