Roman Abramovich is supposedly interested in reuniting Avram Grant with Chelsea in some measure, a choice that could be a step in the wrong direction.
TEAMtalk reported that the Russian owner was contemplating offering the ex-Blues manager a role back at his old stomping ground.
Grant’s last post was in the Indian Super League with NorthEast United, acting as a technical adviser, prior to spending time in Serbia and Ghana.
He will be remembered as the nearly man during his year in charge of Chelsea, finishing runners up in the Premier League, Champions League and League Cup.
His relationship with Abramovich has remained strong, hence his reasoning for wanting the Israeli back in the picture, to add experience and knowledge to the club’s hierarchy.
The 65-year-old has been away from England for ten years, following a disappointing spell at West Ham United. The landscape of football has changed since his days on at Stamford Bridge or Upton Park, and there’s a worry his views on transfers and general maintenance may be outdated or too traditionalist.
However, he did oversee the signings of Nicolas Anelka, Florent Malouda and Branislav Ivanovic whilst at Chelsea, three players who made a positive impact. His acquisitions at West Ham were less encouraging, and proved futile as they faced relegation.
Having banked on a young-manager in Frank Lampard, surely the Blues should be broadening that approach across the chain of command. Grant’s views will likely differ from Lampard’s, perhaps even reflecting Abramovich’s words rather than the current boss.
After some negative press surrounding his future, Grant may be in place as a potential replacement if Lampard does face the chop, which would be back-peddling in terms of progression. Abramovich is no stranger to reintroducing former employees – just look at Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink – so it shouldn’t be ruled out.
Grant did offer support to the situation in an Instagram post, saying the club needed to “be patient”, not to “lose your fighting spirit”, or “lose what you have”. This could have tugged on the heartstrings of Abramovich, persuading him further to bring his friend aboard, but we think it would be a poor decision if he was to arrive.