MHL 47

They should try for the fans, but they are not fans, they're employees and probably act like most other employees when faced with a shit boss. Things will be OK for a while, they'll then start to get a flavour of what the new boss is like, whether he's got the leadership, motivational and man management skills necessary. When they find out he's a useless lump of shit who couldn't motivate a junkie to get their next fix, with the man management skills of a concrete slab and the tactical nous of an Italian WWII General, they'll do what they're doing now - down tools. That's why ABR (Anyone But Rafa) would improve what we've got now, simply the lift around the place that his departure would probably cause.

They had the opportunity to go out against Prague but put enough effort in the end to stay in it. It seems pretty clear to me they've decided not to play for TFSW, no rallying calls to arms, no statement from them in support of the manager from any of them. Doesn't defend them not putting it in for us, but as we sometimes forget they react more like us at times then we'd sometimes like to believe.

Note to myself: I'm never, ever, ever going to moan about Ramires again, I don't even care that he's probably the only Brazilian who struggles to pass the ball - BECAUSE even at his worst he offers the game three times the amount Mikel does. Oh and by the way, Benitez you're a useless c***

Sad days indeed!

He's been here far too long already.I've never seen so many good players play so badly all at once.

They're shite, we're worse. This performance is the worst I've seen in years. There's not one positive thus far.

Annus Horribilis thus far, many years ago I had three friends die in separate accidents within 2 years of each other and it's tough for a while but you'll be ok. There's only one thing that's constant and that's change, best thing in my experience is to try to take control of as much of that change as you can, that way you dictate the terms of it and not to be on the other end of it as the consequences can be painful. Good luck anyway.

Don't see any issue personally, he was simply telling the truth. Utd were the side looking like they were going through and were playing better as a team than Real Madrid were. He's always had a healthy respect for SAF anyway and from all we can see the feeling is reciprocated. I don't think either of them needed to 'stir the beast' before the tie and the nature of the game yesterday didn't call for them to get excited with one another. I thought Utd rolled over and just retreated without being organised for 15minutes after the sending off, it was that, that cost them the game, not just the sending off. They just went narrow and left the flanks exposed and that's where the winner came from. The equaliser was a great strike and well placed, but the space and time he got was poor from a Utd perspective. Gracious in victory, that's all I could see. He's still got a 'spikey' side, as anyone would have picked up when he gave Arsenal and his old foe Wenger the thumbs down, saying, amongst others, that Munich will be a tough side to beat if Madrid are drawn against them as he can't see Arsenal reversing the tie now.

WRITTEN IN THE STARS, IT SURE WAS!!

Just thought I'd bump this, while we can eh! Watched some of it back again last night, never, ever fails to bring tears to the eyes. From Monaco to Merseyside from Moscow to Munich, the expectation of Monaco only to be let down and disappointed, the feeling of being cheated on Merseyside and disappointment again, the absolute heartbreak of Moscow diappointement yet again, so near and yet so far and the wonderment of Napoli, Barcelona and onto Munich. The fears and tears of the Allianz, something I and also my son together will never ever forget, I'm on the way again now!!

I've actually quite enjoyed them, first double, first CL!!! Plus it's not been a dull ride. We deserve something after the last 14 weeks of dis-service we've been dealt with by the club, I'd grant you that.

It's a bit of a surprise that he's been quite so 'open' with his comments, normally players are very reserved with comments regarding current managers. One of the key comments is one where he begins it with 'we only have one manager.........................................he decides whether he listens or not'. It's only a matter of time now for TFSW and I hope it's our choice of timeframe and not his. Clearly Cech has no issue with JM returning and would welcome it, considering that Cech has his choice of goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon who was brought from Renne here and that JM has a goalkeeping coach who follows him this would be upheaval and a change for Petr.

Gooner Coke Head, thought for a moment you were talking about one of their current midfielders there for a moment! :-)

Good luck fella, sounds like you've been through tough, tough times. When you're well enough and if you ever want a ticket to a game let me know, it'd be a pleasure to get you to a game.

As I understand it, his position and title is still DOF at Real Madrid. You are absolutely correct that he's doing his coaching badges currently and then returns full time to Madrid to act as a coach to some of the younger age groups. According to reports he was scouting Bale on Monday night this week.Again I'd agree that his appointment was as much of a PR exercise and gaining Jose some merits with the Madrista's as it was about a DOF role. If I'd have been pulled up on Zidane, It would have been more difficult to argue my stance.

On this occasion I will correct you because I think you are wrong and have been wrong in previous conversations we've had regarding him. Status and experience are not pre-requisites for success but they are a good start. However knowing the internal workings of how a football club operates, how agents operate, how the dynamics of a football club operate, how tactical strategies make their way off a whiteboard and onto the field of play and how good players apply those instructions, how opposing strategies effect your own and how to counter them - experience at the highest level will greatly assist, whereas little experience will have you at a distinct disadvantage. Having a degree in international relations won't help much either, sports sciences may in a way. Now if you're really and honestly querying Begiristain qualifications with me, you really ought to think more before you type (and I'm trying not to sound too harsh), because all you've done is prove my argument to be wholly true. He has overseen the building of a team and tactics that are generally regarded as being the best in the world. He has done this by marshalling the majority of the team through the Barcelona system into the first team. He doesn't possess a Degree in International Relations and/or Sports Science or played for a fourth division English team or in fact coached a girls soccer team. What he did do was play at the highest level, experience at first hand some of the best managers in the world and know the art of football back to front. He probably learned the politics of football reasonably well too. No surprise a top team have taken him, I ask again who'll take Emenalo, I'll treat you to a night on the beer if he gets a job at a top four team in England, Italy, Spain or Germany - if he doesn't you can treat me, are we on?

The standard I'd hold him to would be to look at the same or very similar roles at similarly sized or clubs of the standard/level we believe we're at or would like to be. Therefore for example: Leonardo @ Paris St GermainZinedine Zidane @ Real MadridMattias Sammer @ Bayern MunichFernando Hierro @ MalagaTxiki Begiristain @ Man CityNow if we are to have one of these DOF's then status and experience within football at a high level seems to be the modus-operandi of the larger/largest clubs. That's part of what I mean by over-promoted. We've got a bloke who's played, for not very long for Notts County and managed a girls football team, in that 'soccer' hub the good 'ole US of A!!

I think you give too many fans the credit of being able to differentiate between them all, some of them haven't the faintest at how the club operates, the thoughts are possibly limited to we hate scousers, he said some bad stuff about us, he managed them and lives there still. It's a bonus to them that he just happens to be a s**t manager. I agree the song is a poor effort. The banners, personally I think the banners are just as much about personal attention as they are about protest. Some bloke holding up a Rafa Out banner stood behind him or near the corner flag just when the TV camera's are about to flash over there, 'look at me, that's me that is'. Some of them are placed with genuine feeling I'm sure. Would I hold one up, usually no, but I am thinking of having two tomorrow. The first one saying 'don't blame Rafa, blame me' the second one's going to say 'on no don't blame me, blame him' with a big arrow pointing to the bloke next to me! Personally I think the board have called TFSW's bluff and that may be for them to save face, by that I mean it'll go off tomorrow with torrents of abuse being hurled at him and it'll be genuinely unpleasant. The board can and will make a politically correct statement saying how 'the fans have spoken, his positions untenable etc, etc' and they'll sack him. The fans get the blame, the board may mitigate some responsibility, some will buy this. However they appointed the numpty in the first place, mis-judging the level of ill-feeling almost completely. They also didn't realise at how poor a manager he is and his manipulative ways plus his unjustified high opinion of himself. They are responsible for the mess, I hold some of them in as much contempt as I hold TFSW.

Fans with an agenda - Yep, he was correct on that one, what'd he expect? You want to build bridges, you'd better start building the foundations especially as it was you who demolished them in the first place. That wasn't his approach, he was arrogant, thought we'd accept the standard line. He got it wrong with his approach, however I do agree there'd be some who it wouldn't matter to and they'd continue regardless. However if he'd approached it differently it may have marginalised the issue. Scapegoated - Can't agree there, he's made his bed and then made it worse again. If people want to have a go a Roman, get to it. Overall we know who we're best off with if it was a choice. Too much is made of the 'abuse' he receives, you go to games, you'll know the 'we don't care about Rafa' song is sung two or three times a game generally and not by the majority. It's he who's upped the ante, look he's done it for a reason and that's to try to take the responsibility away from himself. If there was a reason not to give him grief it would be that, reverse the psychology. Like I said before, given the liklihood that the players are beginning to dislike him, they'll take little notice anyway.

That would be fine, dandy and admirable if that was the case, if you've changed your policy you have to be doubly sure you have chosen the right person to do it with and not backed the wrong horse.

Did you honestly expect it to get better after his 'speech' on Wednesday evening? There was only one way it was going to go, that way was never going to be for the better and I suspect he knew it. More and more is coming out now, rumours abound that TFSW got word of a meeting between the Owner and a prospective new manager, his ego couldn't take it so he's let rip. His apologists in the media i.e. Ballegue, Ian Herbert are now making up stories of why he's right or why he feels he had to do it and how it wasn't a pop at the owner or board as well as the fans (oh yes it was, clear as day), load of old b******s really, trying to get him out of a crap situation in order for him to still be a realistic target for other sides. So it's OK for him to have a pop at us, and let's be frank he did so years ago, come in and expect us to be thankful he's come here and forget what was said (no apologies or statement of even slight regret from him), him get it back, have another major pop blaming us for the teams and his poor performance managing the team and us as supporters of the club to be OK with that - righto. Tw**ts like him should remember we're the only ones (except Roman, TV and the sponsers) putting money into a club, him and the staff just take out, they're servants of the club. Act a little like that and you'd get a bit of grace, act like a c*** and you'll get treated like one.

I'd go for Average Grunt if really pushed, I knew, most of us knew he was an ordinary manager. What he did have was the sense to leave well alone, left it to Clark and Ten Cate and kept the players onside. Heck if he had Robbie's luck, I'd have been walking around Moscow not caring about the rain and missing flights etc. This bloke's (FSW) dangerous because he truly believes he's a really special and talented manager, those traits and his unfailingly large ego make for a car crash waiting to happen.

A famous man said "By knawing through a dyke a single rat may drown a nation", well this FSR won't be drowning me or a great deal of others in the Chelsea nation there on Saturday. Like I said support the team, he can GTFO asap. Anyway if you believe the reports some of the players may well appreciate us giving him a volley. I'd never criticise those who choose not to.

Get behind the team yes, that object that sits in the Managers Chair - never, ever NOT NOW. Give him personally lots of stick, nothing vile. I just hope that no one does anything silly or physical.

Jose returning would be something to witness, and I'd make sure I was there to see it. I went corporate to the England v Brazil game with the MD of company I do alot of work for, he is very close friends with the owner of a company who have sponsered Chelsea for nearly 20 years. He told him to put money on Jose returning, therefore my fingers have been tightly crossed since. Hope it's true. I'm still struggling with how lardy's still here though.