Bluer than ever as Grant saps our spirit

NEVER in my Chelsea-supporting career have I felt so much as though I were simply going through the motions. We won on Sunday, and regained second spot, from arch-rivals Arsenal — not that anyone seemed to notice, or care much, to tell the truth. The feelgood factor that I have always got from football, even in some of our darkest hours, seems to have gone.

I am obviously not the only one. A large contingent of the crowd booed at the final whistle against Boro. That, factored with the chanting last week, is not solely a view on those two particular games. It’s the paying fan showing their dissatisfaction at the state of affairs in the only way open to them.

It’s easy to say “vote with your feet” — but with many of us that just isn’t an option. As much as we hate the various “appendages”, we love the club. Special dinners held for the press to get to know Grant, the man, do not bode well for those that clung on to the vain hope that he is simply manager until the end of the season.

One of my lot despises Grant as much as I do, but wants him to stay. Indeed he wants the Israeli to be given exorbitant funds to buy his own team too. He says only when Grant fails with his own team will Roman finally come to his senses. But I don’t think I could take another season of this, I really don’t.

I want to feel some semblance of affinity with my team. I realise that is a tall order in this day and age. Football is a business — there is little room for sentiment but there are not many clubs asking their fans that they accept a man at the helm that was even turned down by QPR because he lacked any real experience.

No amount of propaganda can persuade me that we are seriously challenging for the title. What we are in fact doing is battling for second place with Arsenal. Don’t get me wrong. This is far better than I expected under Grant, but is hardly the point. It’s as if the wins are papering over the cracks. Winning is not enough. I want to feel part of the club I have always loved — and Grant, the board, Abramovich, etc are preventing me from doing that.

We saw Ballack disappear straight down the tunnel for the second game running after being subbed. Whether he deserved to be subbed is another conversation; the point here is that it shows a lack of respect for the manager. Lampard and Drogba have also made their feelings known and as for the rest of the players, there has hardly been a stampede among them to big up old Avi G has there?

Surprisingly we have not heard a peep out of Anelka, previously never backward at coming forward to moan about stuff. Surely he more than anyone must be getting most frustrated at Grant’s tactics surely? The man is a goal machine and where do we put him? Out wide. Genius. You know it’s bad when even Tony Adams can spot what’s wrong.

When you read this I will be in Istanbul. We all know this is the prize that the owner craves more than any other and even Grant should be able to deliver a semi-final place, so I am not overly concerned about the game; but then I wasn’t overly concerned about the Barnsley game.

I am rather looking forward to a few days away from the internet, the papers and the TV as I won’t have to purposely attempt to avoid Grant’s ridiculous comments and musings. !

I would like to send out a big thank you to the Premier League for again stitching up the ordinary supporter for the sole aim of making piles of money. Moving our game against Everton to a Thursday evening shows the contempt with which those that govern our game hold us.

It’s not enough that I spend almost a quarter of my annual salary following my team; it’s not enough that I use up on average three quarters of my holiday allowance doing the same, just so that armchair fans on the other side of the world don’t lose too much sleep. It’s not enough that we already miss out on any cheaper travel that there could be on offer as they unilaterally move games after they have been announced.

But now they decide to move games to midweek for no reason despite protestations from both clubs involved. We are edging ever closer to this great game of ours being played behind the glass of a corporate crowd, there for the gourmet dinner, fine wines and networking opportunities — we “real” supporters will be a side show, the “freaks” of a different era.

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