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20 09 2007 Goodbye to Chelsea's greatest ever manager
Cried on the way into work today
Am not ashamed to admit it – I love Jose.
I think Chelsea has made a massive mistake by getting rid of him. I cannot think of a single manager who has the
charisma or the success to fill his boots.
My initial instinct is to go to Stamford Bridge and ask for a refund for my season ticket, but I guess in a few days time I
will have got over my depression of seeing him go. Chelsea would doubtless not offer me a refund even though I am
supposed to be a customer rather than a fan these days. I have never felt even close to being so sad about a manager
leaving Chelsea up until now.
Jose had two fantastic seasons which won us the league title. Last year we failed but this was solely down to injuries –
instead we “only” won the FA Cup and League Cup, reaching the semis in the Champions League and a not too distant
second in the League.
We had an average start to this season but let’s be honest: apart from the Villa match Chelsea have been very unlucky
not to secure victory in the games they have failed to win this season. Many managers have had a poor run at some
stage, and if someone was sacked because of a short term blip all the time then Wenger, Ferguson and Benitez would
have been long gone by now.
The writing seemed to be on the wall when Chelsea (allegedly) signed Shevchenko and Ballack behind Jose’s back the
summer after he had won his second consecutive league title with us. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it! Now resentment is
growing even more towards Chelsea’s administration. As grateful as we are that Roman probably saved us from
bankruptcy, it also shows that when backroom staff meddle in team affairs the manager is left with little choice but to
leave. Ultimately, even though the owner is Russian, the club belongs to us: the Chelsea community; those who have
been following the club through thick and thin.
Chelsea has sold some good but troublesome players in the last season: Robben and Gallas to name but two. In both
cases you felt that Jose did not have the backing of the board that he needed to get over two players who cared more
about themselves than the team. Some regret the sale of Eidur to Barca, but any Chelsea fan who watched him play
towards the end of his stint at the club could see he was not the same player that he was. In return we have tried to
avoid buying world class players and have brought poor to average replacements: Boulahrouz is one example.
Criticism of his allegedly profligate spending is ridiculous: he did not choose to pay the asking prices for players – the
club negotiated poorly and the sellers knew we had a multibillionaire owner. Some clubs have spent lots of money and
won nothing in the last few years (Real Madrid, Newcastle) or have won a few trophies thanks to penalty shootouts
(some team in red that pities itself). Manchester United has bought 3 players in recent history that have cost £30 million
each! Jose has produced the goods consistently and he is allowed to have a short period of struggle: where is the hope
for the rest of us when it is so easy to lose your job at such a fickle club?
Chelsea has certainly not been the same team as it was in its first two season with Jose. Injuries to Robben and Cole
last year and the sale of the injury prone Duff meant that although we lacked flair, we were more than solid enough to
hold our own finishing only 6 points behind the winners, Manchester United, and only going out in the Champions’
League semi-finals on penalties having been drawn away to Liverpool (again) to play the second leg.
His record is unbelievable: along with the many trophies he helped us win he remained undefeated at the Bridge in the
league. Of the 185 games he was in charge of Chelsea, they won 124, drew 40 and lost 21. Of these losses, 4 were
from penalty shoot outs.
Perhaps the nail in the coffin was the 25,000 attendance for the Rosenborg game. It shows our fickle fanbase (the same
lot who moan that they cannot get FA Cup Final tickets!) as well as the fact we have to pay extra for all our home cup
games. This is a team that needs support when it is going through a bad run, and those fans who provide it deserve
more than this debacle created by the Chelsea board. God forbid we drop out of the top 4 in the next few seasons as
the JCL’s decide that mowing the lawn is more important than getting behind your club.
So what of his successor? At the moment I certainly do not feel like Jose leaving will lead to the dawning of a new age: I
feel like we are going to go backwards and am very unenamoured with the administration running the club that I love.
Avram Grant may be a good manager in theory, but Jose was such a presence and such a character that there will be a
massive vacuum in the Premiership. Will Avram succumb to Roman’s wishes and give us attractive football but a style
that may not necessarily win us trophies? Who will the media fill their backpages with now that such a charismatic
presence has left? I am gutted.
Bye Jose – I will miss you, and thanks for all the good times.
Am not ashamed to admit it – I love Jose.
I think Chelsea has made a massive mistake by getting rid of him. I cannot think of a single manager who has the
charisma or the success to fill his boots.
My initial instinct is to go to Stamford Bridge and ask for a refund for my season ticket, but I guess in a few days time I
will have got over my depression of seeing him go. Chelsea would doubtless not offer me a refund even though I am
supposed to be a customer rather than a fan these days. I have never felt even close to being so sad about a manager
leaving Chelsea up until now.
Jose had two fantastic seasons which won us the league title. Last year we failed but this was solely down to injuries –
instead we “only” won the FA Cup and League Cup, reaching the semis in the Champions League and a not too distant
second in the League.
We had an average start to this season but let’s be honest: apart from the Villa match Chelsea have been very unlucky
not to secure victory in the games they have failed to win this season. Many managers have had a poor run at some
stage, and if someone was sacked because of a short term blip all the time then Wenger, Ferguson and Benitez would
have been long gone by now.
The writing seemed to be on the wall when Chelsea (allegedly) signed Shevchenko and Ballack behind Jose’s back the
summer after he had won his second consecutive league title with us. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it! Now resentment is
growing even more towards Chelsea’s administration. As grateful as we are that Roman probably saved us from
bankruptcy, it also shows that when backroom staff meddle in team affairs the manager is left with little choice but to
leave. Ultimately, even though the owner is Russian, the club belongs to us: the Chelsea community; those who have
been following the club through thick and thin.
Chelsea has sold some good but troublesome players in the last season: Robben and Gallas to name but two. In both
cases you felt that Jose did not have the backing of the board that he needed to get over two players who cared more
about themselves than the team. Some regret the sale of Eidur to Barca, but any Chelsea fan who watched him play
towards the end of his stint at the club could see he was not the same player that he was. In return we have tried to
avoid buying world class players and have brought poor to average replacements: Boulahrouz is one example.
Criticism of his allegedly profligate spending is ridiculous: he did not choose to pay the asking prices for players – the
club negotiated poorly and the sellers knew we had a multibillionaire owner. Some clubs have spent lots of money and
won nothing in the last few years (Real Madrid, Newcastle) or have won a few trophies thanks to penalty shootouts
(some team in red that pities itself). Manchester United has bought 3 players in recent history that have cost £30 million
each! Jose has produced the goods consistently and he is allowed to have a short period of struggle: where is the hope
for the rest of us when it is so easy to lose your job at such a fickle club?
Chelsea has certainly not been the same team as it was in its first two season with Jose. Injuries to Robben and Cole
last year and the sale of the injury prone Duff meant that although we lacked flair, we were more than solid enough to
hold our own finishing only 6 points behind the winners, Manchester United, and only going out in the Champions’
League semi-finals on penalties having been drawn away to Liverpool (again) to play the second leg.
His record is unbelievable: along with the many trophies he helped us win he remained undefeated at the Bridge in the
league. Of the 185 games he was in charge of Chelsea, they won 124, drew 40 and lost 21. Of these losses, 4 were
from penalty shoot outs.
Perhaps the nail in the coffin was the 25,000 attendance for the Rosenborg game. It shows our fickle fanbase (the same
lot who moan that they cannot get FA Cup Final tickets!) as well as the fact we have to pay extra for all our home cup
games. This is a team that needs support when it is going through a bad run, and those fans who provide it deserve
more than this debacle created by the Chelsea board. God forbid we drop out of the top 4 in the next few seasons as
the JCL’s decide that mowing the lawn is more important than getting behind your club.
So what of his successor? At the moment I certainly do not feel like Jose leaving will lead to the dawning of a new age: I
feel like we are going to go backwards and am very unenamoured with the administration running the club that I love.
Avram Grant may be a good manager in theory, but Jose was such a presence and such a character that there will be a
massive vacuum in the Premiership. Will Avram succumb to Roman’s wishes and give us attractive football but a style
that may not necessarily win us trophies? Who will the media fill their backpages with now that such a charismatic
presence has left? I am gutted.
Bye Jose – I will miss you, and thanks for all the good times.
My favourite mistake