It may not be long before he suffers another.

Chelsea are considering an offer for former Real Madrid and Barcelona star Michael Laudrup, who currently coaches Getafe in the Spanish Primera Liga, to replace Grant next season.

There is nothing to recommend letting the Israeli carry on - having also lost the League Cup final to Spurs three weekends ago.

Sources close to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich revealed that the Russian billionaire, who was watching the sixth-round tie on television, was incensed by his team's latest Cup exit.

It was the first time the Blues had been beaten in the FA Cup by a lower division team since 1995.

And plenty of the blame can be placed on the foolishly over-confident Grant for leaving stars Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba out of Saturday's FA Cup squad.

Third-placed Chelsea were trailing leaders Arsenal by seven points on Saturday in the Premier League, and winning the Champions League now appears their best bet when it comes to keeping Grant in the job.

Grant said: 'We are all very disappointed because losing in the quarter-finals is not acceptable.

'Barnsley played well and showed good spirit. But we created a lot of chances and couldn't take them.

'We played with a team that was good enough to win this game, and it didn't happen.

'There is pressure at Chelsea and we feel it all the time, but we must keep looking to the future.'

What will concern Abramovich most is Grant's inability to change systems and styles when things are not going to plan.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE