Eriksson backing Grant to make mark
Grant, the club’s director of football, and assistant manager Steve Clarke have been put in charge after the Portuguese left Stamford Bridge.
“It is a big job but I think Avram is ready for it and I think he will succeed,” said Eriksson, who is a long-time acquaintance of Grant.
“He is a very good man who knows his football. The people at Chelsea are experienced and obviously they trust him. If they say he is the man and they think he can do it, I am sure he can.
“I know Avram very well. I have been to dinner with him many times and I will phone him to wish him good luck.”
Reading’s Stephen Hunt insists he is genuinely disappointed Mourinho has left Chelsea.
The Laois man felt the wrath of the former Blues boss last October when Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech sustained a fractured skull in a first-minute collision with the winger, who had been making his first Premier League start.
“Honestly, I’m disappointed he has gone. He is a character and has been great for the league,” said Hunt.
“In terms of what he has done in the competition and the worldwide press he has brought to the game has only been good for the Premier League.”
Derby manager Billy Davies also believes English football will miss Mourinho.
“He’s a great character, a very strong-minded man and he’ll be a big loss to English football,” said the Scot. “He’ll go on to bigger and better things.
“There’s one thing for certain in this game; you are going to leave a club at some point or get the sack. Whether it’s because the club reevaluate their goals — or you do — or whether there’s a takeover or just time for a change, it’s going to happen to you.
“Ultimately you’ve got to stay true to who you are and be true to your own aims and you won’t go too far wrong.”
Ex-England manager Graham Taylor believes the beginning of the end of Mourinho’s reign came when Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko were brought in, reportedly against the wishes of the then manager.
“Once you take away the authority the manager has in signing players, you’re on a slippery slope.
“What I would say about Mourinho is his record is with underachieving players and when Shevchenko and Ballack came in, it disturbed the balance.
“They have never looked as fluid and that’s because the manager probably did not himself believe that is the way they should be playing.”
Former Chelsea captain Ray Wilkins believes the club could now struggle without their inspirational manager.
“I’m absolutely astounded,” he said. “I don’t really see the sense in it, let’s hope they’ve got someone lined up.”
Asked if he agreed Mourinho was the best manager in the game, Wilkins added: “I would say that would be a fair comment — obviously they will have to look for someone who can hold the reins.
“Winning football matches is what the game’s about and he is a winning manager who puts a winning mentality in players’ heads and they go and win things.”
Another former Chelsea player, Gavin Peacock, was also worried, adding on BBC Radio Five Live: “I think that half the team will have been affected badly and it’s going to be hard to get that team spirit José managed to manufacture.”
Mourinho’s influence was felt even outside football and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown heaped praise on the Portuguese for being one of the “great characters of the game”.
* Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido insists he has no knowledge of any interest from Chelsea in acquiring the services of coach Juande Ramos.
The Sevilla chief told Spanish daily Marca: “We know it is the intent of our coach to remain in Seville at least until the end of season and not to abandon the club halfway through a season.” Ramos was also linked with a move to Tottenham in the summer, but declared he would see out his contract at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan which runs until June 30, 2008.
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