So long, and thanks for all the eggs.

So, after a little over three years in charge, 'The Special One' is now quite simply 'The Unemployed One'. It seems the unwelcome presence of a certain Ukrainian, the absence of any style in their play, and the recent baffling talk of omelettes has finally put paid to Jose Mourinho's tenure at Stamford Bridge, "by mutual consent" of course.

Perhaps more confusing than the former manager's egg-related ramblings are the Chelsea board's choice of replacement. There is something deeply worrying about the term "close personal friend of Roman Abramovich" at the best of times, but when it describes the new man at the helm of the Russian billionaire's favourite plaything, one has to worry whether he has the credentials to do the business at the highest level. He has plenty of managerial experience, more than Mourinho's even, but the Portuguese ex-manager was appointed on the back of taking an unfancied Porto team to an unlikely European Cup triumph. Grant spent around 4 years as Israeli national coach after managing at domestic level and so is no novice to the game, but despite this many Chelsea fans must surely be more than a little concerned. Whether Grant is a long-term choice is unlikely, and a big name will probably assume control next summer (if not sooner) but for the time being at least this development is yet another fascinating turn of events for the boys in blue.

Of course, from a Spurs fan's point of view, it's great news: it means they haven't swiped Juande Ramos from under our noses.

Viva el mojito

Hello all - I've not been able to update my blog for a while, having spent a fantastic 10 days in Cuba. For 5 nights in Havana we wandered the beautiful crumbling streets to the soundtrack of countless live salsa and merengue bands playing outside restaurants, watching classic 50s American cars cruise by, sipping mojitos and daiquiris at the haunts of Ernest Hemingway.

Cliched, you may think, but the city really can be an enchanting and beautiful place (the term "faded glamour" is probably best used to describe it) provided you keep an open mind and are willing to explore. For the rest of the trip we were at a beach resort in Varadero on the Hicacos peninsula about 3 hours east, and I'd recommend such a trip to anyone.

Man, I feel like a journo.

Last night I conducted my first interview as a wannabe journo - and boy did it feel great. My interviewees were Dave and Sarah from extremely promising, up-and-coming band The Magic. It was a great way to ease myself into the practice, as I've know the pair for about 5 years since we were at school together and I've been a fan of the band since they formed shortly as we all went our separate ways after finishing our A-levels. They're good interviewees and were only too happy to talk at length about being in a band, writing and recording their demo material and gigging around London and in uni venues all over the country.

The band themselves began with a funky, keyboardy sound but have recently developed more of a guitar-driven indie direction. Check their MySpace here, and don't forget to listen to their new tracks while you're at it.

Once the interview finds a home on the net I'll update with a link.