Does Avram Grant Need a License to Drive Chelsea?

It’s well known that Chelsea boss Avram Grant (that still sounds weird doesn’t it?) is lacking the necessary UEFA Pro License to manage at the top level. UEFA are OK with it and won’t be banning him from the Champions League touchline unless the Premier League formally complain, but there’s still pressure for him to get the badge sewn on his tracksuit. Grant’s case is muddied by his history. He has a wealth of experience, but all in the relative football boonies of Israel. It should still be a simple enough process of Israel proving to UEFA that their coaching qualifications are equivalent to the governing body’s, and job done, simple as that. But if Grant has many more days like today, this won’t be an issue for much longer.

Despite Grant’s promise of a five man attackathon which [cough] I’m sure had nothing to do with Roman Abramovich, Chelsea struggled to a goalless draw at home to Fulham. It’s OK going all guns blazing against Hull City, but things are different in the Premiership, even when you’re playing the fifth bottom team in the league. Andriy Shevchenko started alongside Didier Drogba, and neither played very well. Shevchenko took corners that failed to beat the first man, and a rotten free-kick that trickled into the feet of Fulham’s defensive wall. He was shit, and very rightfully substituted on the hour mark.

Shevchenko being rubbish isn’t a new problem for Chelsea. John Terry being out with a fractured cheekbone is though (credit to Terry for playing about 40 minutes with a fractured cheekbone though.) Just as bad, Didier Drogba was sent off on his return to the team. A stupid yellow card for arguing with the ref over a non-existent penalty (they never change their mind) was followed by a probably accidental but still dangerous foot to Chris Baird’s face which got the Drog a second yellow. And as we all know, two yellows equals red.

So now Grant has a horribly out of form striker who – by Abramovich diktat – must be picked, and the likes of Drogba, Terry, Lampard and Carvalho absent through injury and suspension. He has a team that can only score against Hull, and a Premier League record of played two, no wins, no goals and two sent off. He also has fans booing his team off the pitch in his first home game, and singing the former manager’s name, as well as probable successors like Marco van Basten and Guus Hiddink circling Stamford Bridge like vultures, waiting to feast on Grant’s managerial corpse.

With all this to worry about, should a 52 year old coach with 21 years of coaching experience – incorporating titles in Israel and a fairly successful spell at international level – be forced to spend his time doing badges when he could be trying to sort out all his problems at Chelsea? Or, failing that, enjoying a drink with his wife.

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Category: English Premier League, World Football