Avram Grant has confounded all his critics to lead Chelsea into the final of the Champions League for the first time in its history.
But when he replaced Jose Mourinho as Chelsea manager last September, he was given little hope of staying in the job.
Grant was virtually unknown in England, outside of Portsmouth, and his arrival as director of football at Stamford Bridge had already caused Mourinho to question his own future.
But now that Grant has steered Chelsea to a showdown against Manchester United in Moscow on May 21, he has every chance of remaining in charge - win or lose.
Mourinho's departure from Chelsea was a massive shock after three years in which he brought the club two league titles plus FA and Carling Cup triumphs.
Mourinho's last game was its 1-1 Champions League draw with Rosenborg at Stamford Bridge and Grant, appointed swiftly by billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, has worked wonders ever since.
Not only did Chelsea reach the final of the Carling Cup, which it lost to Tottenham, but it pushed United all the way to the final game of the season in the Barclays Premier League title race.
Grant achieved all this against a backdrop which consisted of losing four key players to the African Nations Cup and suffering a string of crucial injuries, including one to talismanic captain John Terry.
Yet Grant's record in his first 28 games was identical to Mourinho's, with defeats by Manchester United and Arsenal the only blemish on his record.
His side also equalled a club record of nine straight wins in all competitions that was previously set by Mourinho's team in 2004-05.
Unlike Mourinho, Grant does not seek the limelight or the glare of the camera. Many critics see this as a weakness but Chelsea had become tired of always being in the spotlight - often for all the wrong reasons.
Grant boasted that he would change Chelsea into an attacking force and, to some degree, he has been successful, but more often than not the football has been less than sparkling.
Chelsea recorded numerous 1-0 victories in the Premier League and in Europe its poor display in a goalless draw against Olympiacos away from home showed it was still coming to terms with Grant's way of playing.
Everyone expected a mass exodus when Mourinho was axed. Rumblings in the camp suggested that some players were unhappy at Mourinho's exit but judging by the response Grant has received from the squad, nothing could be further from the truth.
Grant's style of man-management differs greatly from Mourinho. Grant prefers the individual approach and can often be seen in deep conversation with players on the training ground.
He is not afraid to speak his mind when necessary but overall Grant's softly, softly approach has worked wonders with players, both experienced and young.
The key to his success was his ability to change little things in training. These techniques have stemmed from 20-odd years of travelling the world and watching all kinds of teams train from Bayern Munich in Germany to Manchester United.
Grant's handling of Frank Lampard when the midfielder's mother passed away showed the compassion and care he has for his players.
He allowed the England midfielder to make his own decisions about when he felt mentally able to play and Lampard's performance in the return leg of the semi-final against Liverpool will be long remembered