da poker： The last time a relegated side played in the FA Cup Final it was against Chelsea. They beat Middlesbrough back in 1997. Ironic? It is ironic that Avram Grant’s last game of manager of Portsmouth could well be in a cup final as it was for Chelsea. Twice in his short time as Chelsea manager he guided them to a final only to get beaten. He will be hoping it’s third time lucky in May and get one over his former employer.
da prosport bet： Even if John Terry hadn’t slipped at the vital moment in the Moscow downpour and his penalty went a few inches to the left, you still don’t believe Grant would have been able to defend the title in the Champions League the following season.
For some, he was no more than a puppet that the senior players in the squad held the strings too. For others, he lacked the killer guidance and belief to install into his players that subsequently meant they just fell short.
But Grant has come a long way in management since he walked aimless round in a circle, staring into space, when he should have been giving an inspirational team talk to his troops before extra time in Chelsea’s League Cup Final of 2008 against Tottenham, that they went on to lose 2-1.
The biggest evidence of this is of course guiding Portsmouth to the FA Cup Final after knocking out Spurs in the semi final at Wembley.
‘The difference between good and great is ‘extra effort’- the message Grant gave to his players before the Spurs semi final encounter. In many ways, it’s a statement Grant has instilled in his own approach to the difficult job he has had as Portsmouth manager. How many other managers would have just jumped out of the oven when it was getting too hot? Grant has instructed his players to play for the glorious Pompey fans and given them the belief that anything is possible. Morale is high among players at a club bound with problem which has been well documented.
The off the field turmoil that has plagued Portsmouth’s season has had an overwhelming factor in their relegation. You have to go back to their FA Cup success of 2008 to start to look for the cracks which has lead to the hole that Portsmouth have fell into. Time will tell if they land in the Championship or fall further.
Their has been the odd thrashing by the big boys, no disgrace in that under the circumstances, other than that though, since Grant took over in November, their defeats against most other teams have been of a narrow margin. Their FA Cup run has seen them battle through against tough lower league opposition, replays, and a local derby. Not to mention Premiership sides that weren’t afraid to bring out the cheque book last summer. Under the circumstances, many players would have thrown in the towel when they went behind in a FA Cup replay on a cold weekday night in Coventry. But not one of Grant’s players. Not this season.
You can’t but admire their success against Tottenham. You can’t help but recognise that if it wasn’t for Grant’s determination not to give up that they probably would have gone out the FA Cup that night against Coventry. They may have been relegated a lot sooner. A lot more of the players may have found it easy to leave in January. They’re going down, Portsmouth, but they are giving their fans the opportunity to do so in some style in the oldest showpiece footballing event.
Despite of what Grant’s perception was as Chelsea manager, the facts are that his Chelsea side pushed United to the final game of the 07/08 season. All the way to penalty kicks against them in the Champions League Final. Portsmouth have gone down fighting in the league and if Grant can install the same belief into his side as he did against Spurs, then as things stand, the FA Cup may prove the more trickier of the Double for Chelsea to complete.
As the summer brings the inevitable managerial departures, chairmen and owners across Europe will be foolish not to take note of Grant. If he was once a puppet, he’s proved he’s cut his strings loose!
Written By Luke Harrison