http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1031572/next-chelsea-manager-has-it-easy---avram-grant?cc=4716

Roberto Di Matteo has been appointed interim manager until the end of the season after Villas-Boas was ousted after only eight months in charge on Sunday.

Poor results and a reported fractious relationship with some of Chelsea's senior players lead to Villas-Boas' downfall, with the Portuguese becoming the seventh manager of the Abramovich era to have been shown the door at Stamford Bridge.

Despite the fact Chelsea are looking for their eighth manager in eight years, Grant, who lead the Blues from September 2007 to May 2008, believes the person given the reins on a permanent basis has nothing to fear, insisting it will not be difficult to do a better job than the sacked Villas-Boas.

"Whoever takes over from Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, now that will be a tough job, almost impossible," Grant said in the Sun. "But it will be much easier to take over Chelsea now than when I did.

"I had to replace Jose Mourinho. He was and still is a massive name at Chelsea - that was tough. The writing was on the wall for Villas-Boas. Football is a game of results and I like to see managers given at least a year. But even after three or four months you can sense the direction in which the team is going.

"When you sign a coach you sign a philosophy. Under Mourinho the team got results. This time results were not good neither was the football and when they happen like that together there is only one outcome."

Russian billionaire owner Abramovich has been heavily criticised for pulling the trigger too readily on his managers, but Grant has defended his previous employer.

"Abramovich is a manager's dream," he said. "When he takes you on he gives you everything you want. He will spend whatever it takes on the facilities you require, he will sign whatever players he can for you.

"We went after Kaka when I was manager but it was impossible. The price was £80 million. He does not say it in words but when you work for him he will do everything for you. Everyone was surprised when Villas-Boas got the job. I like him and worked with him when he was a scout at Chelsea with good ideas and methods.

"Chelsea it is not about training and playing games and then going home, it is about so much more than that. Abramovich does not like sacking managers. But he is passionate about football and as much as he wants stability, if he can see the club is not going in the direction he wants he will act. Even though Arsenal are not getting the best results the club is going in the right direction under Arsene Wenger. Game after game it was not good at Chelsea.

"But is Chelsea so much different to any other club? Look at Mick McCarthy at Wolves. He had proved himself there but still got sacked. All the other Chelsea managers have been sacked when results are on the way down. I was the only one who got sacked when results were improving and that made me very angry with Abramovich.

"But you could not ask for more support when you are the Chelsea manager. He is a positive person. I don't know what he will be deciding now. But every big name in football is possible to manage Chelsea - even Mourinho again."

Grant, now coach at Partizan Belgrade, also revealed that a couple of players had a hand in his Stamford Bridge exit, and warned Abramovich not to undermine the manager's relationship with his players.

He added: "It is dangerous for the owners to listen to the players. They talk when they are angry and there are always a couple of players who are not happy with the coach. At a club like Chelsea with 27 full internationals how do you keep everyone happy? I know of two players who criticised me, not because they were right but because they were angry with me. The owners should not listen to them.

"You have to respect the players but also know how to manage them - it's the same with my wife. It's not what you ask her but when you ask her that's important."