It is just past seven in the morning on Wednesday January the 12th, and Avram Grant is still in a job. But for how much longer?
The Media are now on Avram watch, awaiting the smoke signals from Upton Park that will indicate either a change of manager, or that the chef is on his way out after burning Sullivan's kippers. Brady wants Grant gone and Brady knows everything there is to know about football. She must do. She's never played the game, true, but she has shagged a footballer.
There are rumours about O'Neill. There are rumours about Hughton. O'Neill and Sullivan? That one will last five minutes! Hughton? That must be based on his ability to take the Championship by storm! If he is appointed, get out the maps to locate Scunthorpe!
And meanwhile, we are in the semifinal of the League Cup and a goal to the good in a two legged affair, despite a casualty list worse than after tram crash on Coronation Street. I keep hearing Grant can't motivate. Dear God, these players are on £50,000 plus a week - isn't that motivation? I keep hearing Grant can't coach. Then why do Tomkins, Noble, Parker, Sears, Upson and Green all look better players under him than under that great coach Gianfranco Zola? I keep hearing Grant is tactically inept. Then how do you explain last night's first half performance and the substitutions that eventually won us the game? I keep hearing the players aren't playing for him. Then how do you explain victory in a game after going down to 10 men?
Hang on, it is 7.32 and Avram is still in a job. But the clock is ticking.
Pathetic! The guy is clueless and he has to go. I have celebrated the win last night but there was only one time out to play football after the half time talk. Don't fool yourself. Keeping Grant means we go down!
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
ReplyDeleteThe Media are not just now on Avram watch, they've been on Avram watch from almost the moment he got the job at West Ham. These parasites utterly despise the bloke (why, I don't know?) and have hounded him from the moment he took charge. To his credit Avram has handled himself in the past week with a great amount of dignity despite the media baying for his blood. He has never once turned on the fans (unlike Hodgson, and some of our fans really have turned on him in an utterly disgraceful fashion) and has continually praised his players after games despite the constant line of questioning about his future at the club.
I for one hope the club does not get rid of Avram and will be bitterly disappointed if they do
then how do you explain bottom of the league?
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how the day unfolds. I would only get rid of Grant if O'neil or Jol had agreed to come. Replacing him with Sam or Houghton wouldn't really be an improvement for me.
ReplyDeleteI wish you'd make up your mind and get off the fence regarding Grant... One game your calling him tactically inept, next game it seems you're quite happy to have him stay...
ReplyDeleteStop comparing him to Zola, unfortunately Zola wasn't the manager we all hoped he would be. But being a fantastic footballer doesn't make you a fantastic manager!!! I don't think Grant is the man to take us forward. I know that Cole mentioned that he was great for us last night. But if that were the case why the hell did we fall under the cosh in the 2nd half. Yes, McLeish's teamtalk would have done exactly what it did do for the Brum players. But Grant should have known this and also made sure that the players knew not to let it slip during the start of the 2nd half. He didn't, also how do we know it was Grant decision to make the changes when he did... It may have been the backroom staff telling him he'd better do something or thats it! It's amazing just what the threat of losing your massive paycheck can do to make you open up to suggestions...
He needs to go quick if we are ever to try and turn this around. Is it me or when you see him on the side-lines does he look pre-occupied in his thoughts?
kevin in manchester writes..
ReplyDelete"..shagged a footballer" - but she did marry him and anyway she looks great on the Apprentice- I am sure she knows what she's doing. ; we are over stuffed with midfielders and with parker, noble and Hitz and collinson fit next month why Sidwell? anyway i think she was being cute, she had one david onside and the public disclosure has forced the other to stop dithering and make his mind up. AS for Grant,at the top level, at any level really, most coaching is in the mind and it is evidentally a place Avram has been unable to reach- particularly in relation to our defence but also the team in general .. great goal by Noble BTW and thought Ried looked more comfortable in his natural position. Spector clearly under a misapprenhension for his career so far that he was a defender.. much better in forward midfield role.. can't tackle as well as SP but does run with his head up! Some great crosses too- shame we didn't have a killer forward capable of converting one of the many we created in the first half otherwise we'd more or less be at wembley by now.. it'll go to penalties.
Mark Lawrenson quote whilst commentating for the BBC during last night's game:
ReplyDelete"The word from my sources at Upson Park is that pigs will fly before Scott Parker is sold"
What do think HF? Still confident that he'll go before the end of January?
we need patience and stability for a change ,i hope grant stays!Everyone sip slowly on your pints for a while
ReplyDeleteWe keep hearing that Avram's a great motivator, coach, tactician, and that the players have improved. But how do you explain that we're bottom of the league? Lol!
ReplyDeleteDid you see Karren at the game last night? She looked like she had her daggers in hand. Hell hath no fury than a Brady scorned!
ReplyDeleteGrant will go today i reckon and he looked like he knew it last night, especially in his post match interview. Who replaces him? MO'N is favorite every time a vacancy in the PL opens up but he definitely wont work on G&S terms. Its worrying stuff. Watch this space...
I don't think you can critise any manager that has inherited our unbalanced squad.
ReplyDeleteNo left back, no right back, no left midfielder, no right midfielder.
I think Grant is doing as good a job as any with this squad. Results have improved.
Let get the missing players in and things will improve I'm sure.
It is being reported that he will not be sacked today. For some reason they still say his job is 50-50, but this far into January I doubt it.
ReplyDeleteI admit I am disappointed. I think a change is our only hope of survival.
I hope I'm wrong and your positive points about him are right, HF.
Hammered, I am on the fence for the reason everybody should be at this stage. he has inherited a mess and is trying to sort it out. It is too early to judge him. When he makes a mistake, I say so. When he does well, I say so. Is he a great manager? I don't know yet! I gave Zola 16 months before I judged him. That seems like a fair period of time to me. We are where we are because of what has gone before, not because of Grant! Last night he didn't have a lleft back because ben Haim had gone back. Zola left us without a left back for a whole bloody season, and without a right back too! Thirteen players were ruled out yesterday. Thirteen!
ReplyDeleteBut it was Grant who said 'don't judge me now - judge after 15 games'. He gave the go-ahead to judge him and the rule must be that he has been crap.
ReplyDeleteOne foot in Wembley? After all these years? I'll take that!
ReplyDelete