Rafa out, Grant in, Grant out, Jose in…
Essentially we could have an interim-interim manager and it’s going to be Grant, who was close to winning both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League when he took over from fan favourite Jose Mourinho, but is an unspectacular character and it just goes to show what sort of situation Chelsea are in that he would be welcomed back with opens arms by a significant number of the supporters.
Like many of the board’s actions at Chelsea it may provide some sort of solution that can only be short-lived and many argue that the players may become more prevalent and take charge like they did during the Israeli’s last term as manager, that is the common belief anyway, but if that were true then it suggests that the playing staff are passing the buck and aren’t taking responsibility from their own lacklustre performances as it stands, especially as they’re fully aware that Benitez will take the brunt of criticism from both the fans and the media.
Standard Sport also report that Jose Mourinho will be the man to take over in the summer following Grant’s departure who will follow Benitez and bring Chelsea in a full circle. The Portuguese manager has endured a dreadful season at the Santiago Bernabeu and he has made too many enemies at Real Madrid which has made his position untenable for next season. But he still has plenty of offers on the table and Paris Saint-Germain may provide a more attractive offer for him to win a league title in a fifth different country and unlike Chelsea we know that they will compete in the Champions League next season.
Chelsea have long been criticised for their short terminism and failure to back their managers, and we’ve had some good ones, but we may be running out of options and it’s a worrying time for the club’s fans.