Avram Grant: what has he ever achieved?

[facaldaqui]

I always dislike listening to Grant's miserable post-match interviews: every week I find his comments unconvincing. I really do think it's unfair that this guy has been appointed to three different premier league clubs (four appointments in all) while never appearing to have actually achieved anything in the roles.

Clearly he was successful in Israel, but that is a very small football pond, akin to Scotland. I suspect he was made Director of Football at Portsmouth because Gaydamak was Jewish and knew of him that way. Grant's appointment at Chelsea was completely undeserved, by any standards--but, once again, Abramovich knows him through Jewish connections. Grant didn't add much at Chelsea and was removed quickly. What made him suitable to help Portsmouth stay up I don't know, but he didn't. For which he was rewarded with the job at struggling West Ham, whom he is signally failing to turn round. David Gold again has Jewish connections. What on earth is it about the grim, uninspiring figure of Avram Grant that makes him eligible for all these jobs?

[zummerset]

Grim -I think it was on Mock the Week that Grant was described as having the sort of face that belonged riding out of the gates of hell on a chariot made of human skulls

[southbank1871]

Something in your post makes me want to say it's because he's Jewish.

[Hoop Blah]

Same as many industries it's who you know not what you know.

I do think it's a bit rich that Grants success at Chelsea is always put (by the media who are all up JT and Franks arses that is) at the foot of the players and not the manager. How much he did have an impact I'm not sure but there are plenty of examples of managers taking over decent sides and losing the dressing room or making them worse very quickly so he can't be a complete dud.

I don't think he's got a lot going for him, but fair play for making a small fortune off of the back of such apparently limited qualifications and achievments.

[papereyes]

plenty of examples of managers taking over decent sides and losing the dressing room or making them worse very quickly so he can't be a complete dud.

The very next season at Chelsea would be a superb example.

[Wax Jacket]

I don't think he's got a lot going for him, but fair play for making a small fortune off of the back of such apparently limited qualifications and achievments.

he's no schlepping schmuck that's for sure

[facaldaqui]

Something in your post makes me want to say it's because he's Jewish.

I think connections are par for the course, but in his case they should surely be wearing thin by now.

[facaldaqui]

Same as many industries it's who you know not what you know.

I do think it's a bit rich that Grants success at Chelsea is always put (by the media who are all up JT and Franks arses that is) at the foot of the players and not the manager. How much he did have an impact I'm not sure but there are plenty of examples of managers taking over decent sides and losing the dressing room or making them worse very quickly so he can't be a complete dud.

I don't think he's got a lot going for him, but fair play for making a small fortune off of the back of such apparently limited qualifications and achievments.

I'm not sure that Grant did have success at Chelsea, by their standards: he fell at the final hurdles. Unless you count success as not failing as much as he could have. He certainly had Portsmouth playing with spirit last season; but so had they been under Paul Harte. I can't see what he adds.

[prostak]

He was John Terry's wonky balance away from winning the Champions League... which is about the same distance as your post was from mentioning a global Jewish conspiracy... They don't all talk to each other, you know. It's not like with black people.

[facaldaqui]

He was John Terry's wonky balance away from winning the Champions League... which is about the same distance as your post was from mentioning a global Jewish conspiracy... They don't all talk to each other, you know. It's not like with black people.

Don't be silly. No conspiracy, just circumstances by which Grant got jobs he didn't appear to deserve. He did get into three finals with Chelsea, but he won none--and that with a team which had won the league two years running.

It's tricky to bring up the Jewish connection without evoking antisemitism; I'm sorry my point did that for you.

[Svlad Cjelli]

At Portsmouth he was known as a "BBC Man" - he dished out the balls, bibs and cones at training sessions.

So it really is a mystery how he progressed so quickly.

[prostak]

It's tricky to bring up the Jewish connection without evoking antisemitism; I'm sorry my point did that for you.

Maybe because you have provided no proof that this is why he got those jobs. And the three mentions of the religion in one paragraph...

[facaldaqui]

It's tricky to bring up the Jewish connection without evoking antisemitism; I'm sorry my point did that for you.

Maybe because you have provided no proof that this is why he got those jobs. And the three mentions of the religion in one paragraph...

No proof needed for what is only an opinion about a possibility. It should be possible to talk about a Jewish connection in the same way as an Irish connection or an Icelandic connection, etc. There's nothing sinister about doing so, despite the shadow of history. Antisemitism is repugnant to me.

[leon]

I always dislike listening to Grant's miserable post-match interviews: every week I find his comments unconvincing. I really do think it's unfair that this guy has been appointed to three different premier league clubs (four appointments in all) while never appearing to have actually achieved anything in the roles.

Clearly he was successful in Israel, but that is a very small football pond, akin to Scotland. I suspect he was made Director of Football at Portsmouth because Gaydamak was Jewish and knew of him that way. Grant's appointment at Chelsea was completely undeserved, by any standards--but, once again, Abramovich knows him through Jewish connections. Grant didn't add much at Chelsea and was removed quickly. What made him suitable to help Portsmouth stay up I don't know, but he didn't. For which he was rewarded with the job at struggling West Ham, whom he is signally failing to turn round. David Gold again has Jewish connections. What on earth is it about the grim, uninspiring figure of Avram Grant that makes him eligible for all these jobs?

[From Despair To Where?]

To be fair to Avram Grant, and I'm rather disinclined to be so, you can't so easily dismiss his record in Israel which is very good. It justifiably got him the job at Portsmouth. Fair enough, his friendship with Abramovich got him the Chelsea job but he was on a hiding to nothing after Mourinho. I would suggest getting the West Ham job was down to him being cheap and available.

[LUX]

I like the guy. No idea if he's any good, but I hope he survives, even with West Ham.

[facaldaqui]

To be fair to Avram Grant, and I'm rather disinclined to be so, you can't so easily dismiss his record in Israel which is very good. It justifiably got him the job at Portsmouth. Fair enough, his friendship with Abramovich got him the Chelsea job but he was on a hiding to nothing after Mourinho. I would suggest getting the West Ham job was down to him being cheap and available.

In retrospect, yes, he was on a hiding to nothing after Mourinho; Benitez is in the same boat now at Inter. On the other hand, many people believe that it's easier to manage a big club with top players--it's rare that people like Grant or Hodgson get the chance to manage big English clubs, so it's interesting to see how they do. Grant clearly did much better than Scolari--I'll give him that. But Hiddink and Ancelotti (in the latter case until very recently) were more convincing than Grant. I hope Grant revives West Ham, because in a way WH are my second team (by a very long way, but my best mate supports them and I go to Upton Park with him now and again); but I'm finding it hard to picture him inspiring a relegation-threatened team in the changing room.

[From Despair To Where?]

I'd agree that he doesn't seem the right person to drag West Ham out of the mire, he doesn't appear to have the personality to inspire but I think it's too simplistic to attribute his continued employment in English football as being down to sme old boy's network.

[Silver Fox]

To be fair to Avram Grant, and I'm rather disinclined to be so, you can't so easily dismiss his record in Israel which is very good.

Israel though? It's got a large jewish population, just sayin'