Grant tells rival how to handle new cash
HAVING talked his way into the manager's job at Chelsea through his friendship with Roman Abramovich, Avram Grant is well placed to tell Luigi De Canio, his opposite number at Queens Park Rangers, how to deal with a billionaire backer before the Coca-Cola Championship team's visit to Stamford Bridge this afternoon.
The combined fortunes of Flavio Briatore, Bernie Ecclestone and Lakshmi Mittal, the club's owners, far outweigh that of Abramovich, giving QPR a competitive advantage over their Championship rivals that could result in the return of this West London derby as a regular fixture after an 11-year hiatus.
The thrust of Grant's advice to De Canio is to treat his employers as normal human beings and concentrate on his areas of responsibility. In keeping with his penchant for charming the rich and famous, Grant is also close to Ecclestone and Briatore and is sympathetic towards QPR's attempt to keep up with their neighbours.
"Someone told me that we are no longer the richest club in London," Grant said. "I know Bernie and the other guy and I wish them all the best. Every new challenge is good for me and if QPR become a big club and there's another derby, then fine.
"Just do your job. It doesn't matter (how rich they are). We're managers and we need to do our best for the team. We need to know the vision and targets for the club and then to do it on and off the pitch in the right way. Owners, like everyone else, are human, not monsters."
While Grant is waiting to complete the signings of Nicolas Anelka and Branislav Ivanovic, De Canio has embarked on a spending spree reminiscent of Abramovich's first summer in charge of Chelsea in 2003.
Seventh
Fitz Hall became the seventh new player to arrive at Loftus Road in the past four days yesterday when he completed a £1m move from Wigan Athletic and more will follow, with Rowan Vine, the Birmingham City striker, Stefan Postma, the Den Haag and former Aston Villa goalkeeper, and Sebastian Rusculleda, of Tigre, the Argentine club, expected to sign in the next few days.
Many of Abramovich's early signings were expensive failures, with only Joe Cole and Wayne Bridge still at the club, and QPR will get better value for money to suggest their revival can continue. De Canio's team have won four of their past six matches to climb away from the relegation zone and Grant is expecting a difficult afternoon.
"They have bought a lot of players in the last few days and they have won a lot of games," he said. "They will be difficult opponents. The tradition in England is that a big team goes out, but I hope it's not us. They want to win a lot. If I am coach of QPR and I am playing Chelsea then I know it's a big day for me. I know that they will do everything they can to fight against us, but so is every team."
