AVRAM Grant described himself as 'The Normal One' when he succeeded 'The Special One' Jose Mourinho as Chelsea's manager last September.
His eight months at Stamford Bridge were far from normal, however, despite being second in the Champions League, Premier League and the Carling Cup.
Second was just not good enough. And he's now The Axed One.
According to former Israeli star Eyal Berkovic, he was sacked for three reasons, all serious mistakes:
His inability to communicate with the English media.
His failure to befriend the fans.
And the undermining of Jose Mourinho.
'All these led Roman Abramovich (Chelsea owner) to understand that despite his affection and friendship with Avram, it would not be enough to improve Chelsea's fortunes,' Berkovic wrote on the Hebrew sports Web site www.one.co.il.
Berkovic and Grant fell out in 2004 after the manager dropped his outspoken captain from the Israel team, a move which ended Berkovic's international career.
'I have no doubt that the day after he receives his severance pay cheque he will sit back at home and consider all the mistakes he made. He has been a consummate media operator, knows how to deal with players, but he failed badly at Chelsea in both these tasks,' Berkovic said.
'Nevertheless, he will take with him a life-long souvenir - I don't see any Israeli manager handling a club the size of Chelsea in the next 20 or 30 years,' he added.
Berkovic said Grant's rise to the top had been achieved too quickly and through the connections he had made.
'A manager, just like a player, must advance step by step.
'Avram passed over many stages on his way (to the top). He got to the top because of friendships and machinations and it was a mistake on his part,' Berkovic said.
The former midfielder who played at nine clubs in England and Scotland said he did not think any other English club would consider hiring Grant 'not because he is not a good manager, but because he made huge errors.'
Former Liverpool and Tottenham striker Ronnie Rosenthal also said he was not surprised by the dismissal.
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'Any Chelsea manager - not only Avram - who does not win titles will be replaced,' Rosenthal told Israel Radio.
'Had he managed another English club which was not expecting to win titles, it might have been different.
'But they played in four competitions and didn't win any of them.'
Grant, meanwhile, launched an astonishing attack on Abramovich following the sacking.
He blasted: 'I feel completely betrayed.'
Grant, dressed in black, walked into the Russian's six-storey London mansion at 1.45pm on Saturday to be told he was axed.
The meeting - less than 72 hours after the Blues' heart-breaking Champions League final shoot-out defeat to Manchester United - lasted just under three hours.
Grant told friends in Israel: 'I took on the job at a very difficult time but Chelsea have pulled the plug on me. I feel very hurt, upset and angry.'
It is believed Abramovich offered Grant the position of Director of Football but he turned down the £2 ($5.3m) million-a-year job because it meant having to take a massive pay cut.
