Sport

Parallels between Ranieri and Grant are stark as Abramovich's sword hovers

David Hynter see many similarities between the current Chelsea manager and the Italian who was sacked in 2004

Sat Apr 26 2008 - 01:00

David Hyntersee many similarities between the current Chelsea manager and the Italian who was sacked in 2004

CHELSEA WERE preparing for a Champions League semi-final second leg and the team lay second in the Premier League, but for the manager the knives were not merely out, he was dodging the slashing blades. "I already have the Abramovich sword embedded in me," said Claudio Ranieri in April 2004. "I'm convinced that, even if I win the Champions League, I'll get the sack."

Spool forward to the present day and Chelsea are preparing for a Champions League semi-final second leg and they sit second in the Premier League. There are two significant differences.

After the 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Tuesday night they are better placed to advance to the Champions League final - Ranieri's team trailed 3-1 to Monaco after a disastrous first leg - and with three league matches to go, unlike the class of '03-'04, they have a fighting chance of winning the title. If they could beat Manchester United at Stamford Bridge today they would draw level on points at the top of the table.

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Once again, though, the manager finds himself in peril. The parallels between Ranieri and Avram Grant are stark.

Both began with uphill struggles, after succeeding popular predecessors. At the beginning of his reign Ranieri would hear the home crowd chant the name of Gianluca Vialli, who had won the League Cup, European Cup Winners Cup and FA Cup. Likewise Grant continues to be serenaded by cries for Jose Mourinho, who won the lot domestically and fell just short in the Champions League.

Ranieri was on borrowed time after Roman Abramovich took over the club in June 2003 and decided that he wanted more from his manager; the Italian felt that nothing he could do would be enough, and Grant has endured similar difficulties in justifying himself and his record.

Grant, however, has the possibility of a lifeline. If Abramovich's ultimate football fantasy is to win the Champions League in Moscow, then the prospect is equally tantalising for Grant. Ranieri failed to overcome Monaco, to render the question hypothetical, but it now burns with fresh intrigue. Could Abramovich sack a manager who had delivered the Champions League? And would he remove Grant were he to win the Premier League? In contrast to Ranieri, Grant's biggest problem is not Abramovich, it is further down the food chain. Ranieri won over the Stamford Bridge diehards and his final days at the club were characterised by "Save Claudio" and "Don't tinker with the Tinkerman" campaigns. Given some of his previous notable defeats - St Gallen, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Viking Stavanger - that was quite something. It is a struggle, by contrast, to find a serious Chelsea fan who wants Grant to remain.

Grant heard the dreaded chant of "You don't know what you're doing" when he made his double substitution against Arsenal in the Premier League last month, at 1-0 down. The team rallied to win 2-1. He heard it again after Wigan Athletic's injury-time equaliser two weeks ago and there was unrest when he substituted Joe Cole at Anfield in the Champions League. Cole's replacement, Salomon Kalou, crossed for the equaliser. Chelsea supporters have never sung Grant's name.

For Grant it appears that the predators are in reverse order. The Israeli has struggled to win the respect of sections of the dressingroom, and higher up, in the boardroom, the public support for him has been lukewarm. Peter Kenyon, the chief executive, has said he wants to see more enterprising football and Bruce Buck, the chairman, refused to give a yes-or-no answer when asked whether Grant would be in charge next season.

Abramovich is the man who matters. The owner considers decisions carefully but when he has reached his conclusion there is ruthlessness, as Ranieri can attest. The Italian knew that Abramovich and Kenyon had met with Mourinho's agent on the day before the first leg of the semi-final against Monaco.

Abramovich had been rumbled earlier that season meeting with Sven-Goran Eriksson, then England manager, but there have been no such dealings during Grant's time in charge. Abramovich wants him to succeed. After the frequent bouts of negative publicity under Mourinho, he prizes Grant's unflappable temperament. The club's image is important to the owner. He feels, with some justification, that it has improved under Grant.

Seasoned Chelsea watchers have followed Grant's tenure with degrees of bemusement. "It's a strange one because, when he took over, a lot of people were saying 'Top four, qualify for the Champions League and have a season of consolidation, maybe go for one of the cups'," said Scott Minto, the former Chelsea player. "Now they are the only team to be challenging United for the title, Grant's record has been excellent and he has a great opportunity to finish off Liverpool in a Champions League semi-final, which is something that Mourinho couldn't do - and his future is still up in the air."

Abramovich will not tolerate a season without silverware - Ranieri won nothing in four - and he wants to see the team play with greater flair. The stakes could not be higher; one slip now and the Abramovich sword will descend. Yet Grant stumbles on and he believes he can stay alive.