super_frank8

Really mate? You're going to make me do this to you? I think you need to learn when to swallow your own pride if you're unwilling to outright admit your own shortcomings... EXAMPLE 1: EXAMPLE 2: EXAMPLE 3: So after taking all of the above into account, are you really still going to try & pretend like you haven't been defending him all along? Sure, you say that you hate the guy just as much as anyone else - but then you continually go on to digress by saying we should support him nevertheless because 'He is the coach now, ergo he is part of the team. That doesn't mean I like him or even enjoy the fact he's at the club. But the fact is he is at the club and for my club to prosper I need him to do a good job. That's why he has my support, begrudging at is may be.' & you seem to have no real issue whatsoever with forgiving him for the unforgivable words that he has attempted to tarnish this club with - 'You bring up the fact that he slagged us off in the past. So fucking what? That was his job, to gain a competitive edge for his team in whatever manner possible and if that meant giving his own fans a hard on by slagging us off then so be it. I can let a few words slide for the sake of getting behind my team and yes, my team's coach. That's what he is.' As far as I am aware, if you are supporting him in any way, shape, or form - particularly if you are condoning his putrid past behaviour & referring to him as 'my team's coach' - you are thus, at the very least, advocating his mere presence at The Bridge. Which you definitely seem to be continually doing & maintaining, regardless of the 'begrudging' circumstances & your valiant beguiling efforts in diverting focus away from that fact. So it appears that you may very well be just as much of a classless hypocrite as the fat one himself... That - or you're just a condescending charlatan who somehow believes it is so much better to pretend to support a manager you hate than to display your pure & honest disgust in vagrant fashion like the rest of us who choose to stand up for what we feel is truly right for the club we love - because it is somehow above you? Because you're one of the few who 'actually make their way to a football match at the Bridge.' every week? I'm sorry, but do you think you could sound any more desperately petty & contrived in your reasoning than you currently do if you tried? He's had 3 games now to prove that his managerial capabilities may just be able to partially compensate for his personal inadequacies. All that he has actually managed to prove in that time - is how right & justified we all were in abusing the fuck out of him in the first place.

Was only saying what was on all of our minds mate...

So I'm looking forward to hearing more of this 'you're not supporting the team because you're not supporting the manager' nonsense from all of the delusional Rafa advocates... Because I'm really struggling to believe in your contrived stance at this point. How on earth some of you are able to continue to blindly defend & support an overgrown Spanish sewer rat is entirely perplexing to me. 3 games, 2 points, 1 goal - playing some of the most negative football I have ever seen at this club - is that what you call a fucking solution? Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you choose to continue to support this tactless clueless clown in the dugout 'for the sake of the team', then I can only view that as you advocating the poor performances on the pitch that come with the rest of his bullshit - & that is surely far more senile & detrimental to the team than simply despising a man who deserves it due to his past discrepancies. & that was always my point amidst my unrelenting hatred for this useless lump of shit. He's not only a massive fucking cunt - he also happens to be an absolutely atrocious incompetant fool of a manager - & now that the latter has been proven once again, there is not one single thing you can say to convince me or anyone else that this was a justified appointment in any way whatsoever. Or maybe you would just prefer us to become a struggling mid-table side that can't even get a point, let alone a win, at fucking Upton Park?

I think you rather misinterpreted that rhetorical query that I posed - I was actually attempting to make a point regarding the nature of being in the crowd & the right to express yourself & your beliefs as a fan - as opposed to requesting this 'dick measuring contest' that you speak of. I'm not judging anyone's support purely by whether they attend live matches or not; that is simply ignorant & petty. However, I do expect those who have been present in the stands, who have learnt the songs, who have ensured that you can hear them cheering for their heroes on the moon & beyond - to actually understand a fan's undefiable urge to let everyone else hear their voice loud & clear so they know just exactly what is on their mind - especially when everyone around them is feeling the exact same thing. That is the kind of unity that gives me that indescribable sense of pride & adoration for the club that I love, as well as the invaluable camaraderie of my fellow supporters around me who comprehend & relate to it on the same level. It's what makes me feel 'at home' - as cheesy as that may sound. Every single person in that stadium on a matchday has the given right to let the joy & jubilation as well as the pain & anguish in their heart be known to the rest of the world. Therefore making all of those at the game as well as those watching from their living rooms more than aware of their displeasure with the appointment of a fat fuck who does not deserve a single miniscule of respect from anyone who deems themselves 'Chelsea through-&-through' - is 100% justified. Personally what I believe is in fact fully unjustified, is individuals such as yourself declaring that they are not supporting the team purely because they have the integrity to stand up for the club they love. You clearly don't realise that these fans aren't just singing for themselves purely to spite Rafa/Abramovich/for the fun of it; they are singing for the millions of supporters from all corners of the globe that feel exactly the same way & wish more than anything that they could be at the game to join them in making it abundantly clear how much of a mistake this is & how pissed off they are about it - & inflict enough of an influence to catalyse change. Ultimately all in the hope of the possibility of our owner actually acknowledging this & choosing to rectify the situation. But yes, since you have in fact been part of the crowd at many games both home & away, just as I am sure many of us on this forum have done (dick measuring contest anyone?) - then surely at some point or another you have waved your 'plastic flag' with pride & sung with every single bit of passion that your heart endears you to? By all means correct me if I am misled in my beliefs; but when I say that I'll keep the blue flag flying high, I definitely fucking mean it. Maybe this kind of stuff is completely arbitrary to you, but for fans like me it's not. Not by a long shot. So when a certain Rafa Benitez decides to call YOU out personally on YOUR support for the club that YOU love - it is not forgiven anywhere near as easily as you seem to be comfortable with doing. & for most of us, it never will be whatsoever - regardless of the results or trophies that he obtains. He does not deserve the honour, nor the prestige, of managing our team; let alone being collectively included as a part of it. That is a title reserved for true legends like Mourinho & Di Matteo - & at the very least good men who have never gone out of their way to directly insult the players or fans or club as he has done in such a gloriously cuntish manner. & still you continue in failing to recognise the distinction between the manager & the team. When I speak of the team, I am generally broadly speaking about the players (& the club that they represent) - only when a manager reacts to every goal & injustice the exact same way you & the players do - when you can clearly see that he cares about what happens on the field just as much as those around him - is he truly worthy of being recognised as part of the team. & when Benitez is a manager who makes it part of his job to intentionally distance himself from the dressing room & any kind of genuine relationship with the players, he is as far from that as humanly possible. When Mourinho was manager, when Di Matteo was manager, when Hiddink was manager, when Ancelotti was manager - you could see that the players were playing for them as well as the fans - because they inspired & invested themselves in the team, sharing every bit of joy & heartbreak together as one - & elevated the players as a result of that. They showed that they cared, because they genuinely did; the players knew it & the fans knew it. Jose going absolutely mental in a sequence of sheer jubilation & manic fist pumping before sliding down the touchline on his knees in a 6000 quid Armani suit - you will never see Rafa do that; & there is a reason why. They aren't playing for him mate, they are playing for us - & if we achieve anything worthwhile this season, it is going to be down to their resolve & their will to win - not because some fat Spanish waiter inspired them to do so.

Yep, couldn't agree with you more. The fact is that we need to be more dangerous & provide more options going forward - because it is clear that we are running out of ideas in the final third time & time again - as well as simply lacking the quality to actually create & finish enough of them. & the only reason we are in this situation is because we have a player in the middle of the park who is incapable of scoring or providing goals. It doesn't make any sense to continue with a player like Mikel when we are no longer the same largely defensive-minded team we were last season (& let's face it, that has really been the only season he has performed to his potential) - because we now have the luxury of having so much genuine quality in Mazcar - the only real issue is how we can assist them in their efforts, which Mikel unfortunately does not do whatsoever. I don't really want to see a player like Hazard or Mata having to be forced to go all the way back into our own half to take the ball off Mikel just so we can actually get a decent attack going. It is making us extremely inefficient offensively & really doing no favours for anyone on the team when we are essentially playing without a striker anyway... Anyone who thinks Ramires can't defend is clearly not watching the same games I have been. He makes far more impressive/vital tackles than Mikel does - whilst also giving away far less fouls because he actually has the pace to catch up to players rather than just grabbing at their shirts & nibbling & swiping at their legs once it is clear they are never going to reach them - as has become Mikel's trademark over the last 5 years. In fact, Rambo constantly has to cover for the wandering or simply static Mikel much of the time, & this is when he is supposedly meant to be playing the more attacking role of the pair. So I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that he has the discipline, as well as the fitness, to fulfill his defensive duties & cover for a more attacking-minded partner like Lampard & also push forward whenever he gets the opportunity to run with the ball into space, as he is one of the most effective players at doing so. & he does have the ability to go forward & make something happen on occasion as well, it's just difficult for him when he isn't exactly the world class passer that is required to carve out clear cut chances at will - & I don't blame him for that at all, it's not his specialisation & there is nothing wrong with that. But with someone who does have that kind of ability next to him, he will not only be able to truly excel as potentially one of the best ball-winning midfielders around, but he will also flourish going forward by benefitting directly from Lampard's partnership & service for him too. I'm really not convinced at the notion of Lampard being irresponsible with his defensive positioning too - I can think of countless occasions where he has tracked back & made potentially game-saving tackles on some of the most threatening opposition players (Messi/Iniesta/Gerrard to name a few) - many sliding from behind when he knows there is every chance of giving away the foul, but somehow the majority of the time he pulls it off when it matters most. & again, he is really just as good as Mikel at tackling, not because he happens to be particularly exceptional at it by any means - it's more because of the fact that Mikel really just isn't. But yes, for those of you who are somehow not aware of this/have been hiding in a cave for the last 10 years - Lamps CAN in fact tackle. & he also happens to be extremely disciplined in getting back when we don't have the ball & need the extra men in defence. He's not the sort of player to over-commit going forward, he's intelligent & experienced enough to know when to go & when to stay. So when Ramires is going a full pelt with a lung bursting run towards the opponents goal, you are not going to see him abondoning all posts & getting ahead of the ball. He will push up WITH the attack, but remain behind it to cover - exactly the same way Ramires would do in the converse situation - & in reality the same way Mikel currently does for Ramires. The only difference being that it would actually allow the option of playing it back to someone who can create or score if they do receive the ball in that deeper position. In reality, this partnership has all the makings of being an extremely effective one that will inevitably provide more chances as well as more goals with an actual specialised midfield passer & scorer, because that is what we are missing. Once he is back from injury, I can only pray that Rafa somehow ignores his over-conservative tactics in favour of actually making this team into the goal-machine it truly has the potential to be.

Fair enough if you truly believe that the players are affected by such things. Personally, I know that deep down they really couldn't give half a shit about the fat cunt who is their new manager & are going to play for the fans no matter what - they are paid extortionate sums of money & worshipped globally as heroes to do just that. In fact, if anything it may just get them to step up their game. But they most definitely are not going to be offended by the crowd calling for the fat spanish waiter's head on a platter. Not when they have no such existing nor potential future relationship of any genuine value with him. & I really don't understand why you think I want Roman out? He's made a poor decision & we as the fans are making him fully aware of it - but he is nevertheless the best thing that has happened to this club without a doubt. I love the guy for elevating us to the next level & almost single-handedly transforming us into the true trophy-winning dominant global phenomenon that we are today. He's the owner every club wishes they had. & I certainly don't believe he should have to cave to our every demand - he is the owner after all, & the owner does what he likes. In fact I actually quite admire his cold, calculated ruthlessness to an extent - he's got guts & sticks by his guns. However, that can also be his downfall as has been shown with Torres, Sheva, Mourinho, etc. & when he appoints a manager who is so blatantly & undeniably despised by almost everyone associated with the club - especially those who shell out ridiculous amounts of money to attend every game & purchase the jerseys of their heroes - he really does have to consider the fans since it is only through them that he is able to run a profitable business & football club in the first place. No matter how well off he may be - without us he wouldn't actually be able to successfully operate a football club as a business unless his only goal is to lose money because he's bored of having so much of it. Therefore I simply find it impossible to believe that he doesn't care about the entirety of Stamford Bridge being in complete & utter uproar & disrepute because of a quite frankly unthinkable decision on his part. Pretty sure it's a little hard to ignore when there are 40,000 people shouting at the top of their lungs in a relatively enclosed area with little other background noise - so he definitely heard it. We don't want him to leave - to quite the contrary, we want him to recognise & rectify this unconscionable mistake so that we don't need to continue hounding him about it anymore than we have to. I guess we'll have to wait & see to find out if he really 'cares'.

Of course I am upset by RDM going, but I can also at the same time understand why Roman did it - & therefore I can accept that decision, even if I don't agree with it. I mean to say that we don't want Rafa out just because we want RDM back in. It is the mere presence of Rafa whatsoever that is the issue; it really could have been just about anyone else - even Harry Redknapp - & they would not have suffered a miniscule of the backlash that Rafa has & is going to until he crawls back into the hole he dragged his fat arse out of. It's really not the same as the Ancelotti situation whatsoever because Carlo had never gone to the press & made a personally offensive retort regarding Chelsea Football Club - let alone numerous ones. That was just typical skepticism for a new foreign manager & his abilities as a manager. As a person, I don't believe anyone was questioning his morals nor offended by anything he had said in the past that was directly derogatory towards our club, players or fans. Roman may not have listened to or respected the fans wishes in that decision, & I certainly don't expect him to let us dictate his choices by any means - but at least he didn't outright insult us the way that this appointment irrevocably has done. So once again the issue at hand seems to be eluding you entirely...for reasons that I am really struggling to deduce right now to be perfectly honest...

'Mate, you still just don't get it do you? It has NOTHING to do with who he sacked or why he sacked him. It is EVERYTHING to do with who he hired - & that is not based on his ability as a manager - but value as an individual person. I was never against Carlo coming to the Bridge, not by any means considering how atrocious Scolari was before Hiddink took over & saved our arses. & of course I wanted Hiddink in the job just like everyone else did, but it was simply not possible at the time & I was perfectly fine with that considering the calibre & integrity of the replacement. Ancelotti was/is not only a great manager with a proven track record - but he also didn't tell us to stop waving our 'plastic flags' & how 'passionless' the 40,000 strong crowd that show up to Stamford Bridge every week are. He did not insult this club, our players & our fans the way Benitez has. That is all it comes down to, so stop trying to act as if we're all just butthurt by RDM's departure. The reason we are so offended by the decision is because he was replaced by a lesser manager - & more importantly a lesser man. & as for AVB? I don't know about the rest of you...but I wanted him out within the first 10-12 games. The man was clueless (or more kindly 'misguided') in his tactical approach & showed zero respect to our legends when it was clear that they were needed more than ever as his reign spiralled into oblivion. So no, I didn't want to give him more time or patience; I honestly wish he was given far less. In fact in hindsight, since you mention it - imagine if he had been sacked at this time last year - we may have just gone on to win the treble.

Are you fucking serious? So Lampard is suddenly not a playmaker, when he has been one of the most effective in the history of the game? He may not be a typical deep-lying playmaker in the sense of sitting back in front of the back four & lobbing balls out, i.e. Alonso - but that is because his game is about so much more than that. So okay if you want to be specific about it, he is an 'attacking playmaker' (exactly the same way Gerrard & Scweinsteiger play) - but the fact is that he is a playmaker because he so often conceives the attack from his own half or in the middle of the park - the only difference being that he also often finishes it or provides the final assist himself. Maybe you haven't watched him in action as much as I have down the years, but you should have a look at the positions he has got both goals & assists from. His strength is not only in shooting & movement, it also lies in his ability & composure when he has the ball, & his sheer intelligence when it comes to his long & short range passing is part of that. You hardly ever see him surrender possession cheaply during a game - I can't say the same thing about Gerrard because he takes unnecessary risks much of the time as well as slightly more frequent misplaced balls. & it is perplexing that you believe they are both more skillful than Lampard on the ball & somehow better passers - I think you should re-educate yourself on the legend that you are talking about - - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mmYEi2jre4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4LCqNciODk - - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HBxEkY5SpQ -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfUnQkJkYoU -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z9omf4_MaM -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDULa8sSDTU & that's only a miniscule of what I would include in my own highlights reel for him. If you're comparing him under AVB's reign to RDM's/the rest of his Chelsea career then you will see the problem - it was the absolute fucking shite manager, not the player. & he was playing with Mikel in the middle not Ramires - THAT is the problem. Did you even watch the semi-final against Barca last season? Without him we would have been dead in the water with 10 men & no way back. A single word class pass changed the entire game. If that isn't skill, then I really don't know what is.

I'm sorry but in terms of passing, Mikel is good, but he is by no means brilliant in terms of technical proficiency or consistency - & truly lacks creativity in my honest opinion. He's great at playing the simple pass - but more is required than that with only two central midfielders. & in fact whenever he does actually try something slightly more audacious & ambitious - it more often than not results in us giving up possession. He is also fine with carrying the ball when there is plenty of space around him (as most players are) because many opposition players in fact allow him to have it such is his reputation for being a notriously ineffectual player offensively, but the real problem is that once he does start to venture further forward closerto the box, someone will eventually come to close him down & he simply doesn't have the ability to go past them on his own & by the time all of this has happened the other options around him that might have provided a goal scoring threat have been marked up & therefore he has no choice but to yet again play the simple, yet ultimately ineffective & arbitrary pass - all due to the simple fact that he can't shoot for his life, & he fails to spot the less obvious runs of players across the final third. It doesn't make him a bad player by any means - but when Ramires can defend equally as well as he does, it truly makes his place in the team an essentially redundant one since we lack offensive potency in the middle of the park more than ever before. & that is because it is the first time in a long time that we haven't had Frank available to resolve this issue. I would honestly rather have David Luiz in Mikel's role in this system, & in fact that's probably actually why Luiz decides to make those random runs forward so often - because Mikel is basically the 5th defender in this system & it is really not helping the likes of Mazcar when we need another goal-scorer & opportunity-creator forward due to the perpetual underperforming Torres. Ramires can't do it all himself, & the fact is that he doesn't quite have the touch or ability to pull off the world class defense splitting passes & 30 yard pile-drivers that Lampard has built an illustrious career on. It perplexes me when you say 'this kind of player is not available' - because that very player who embodies what we need has been arguably the best midfielder in the world over the last decade & is still at the club; albeit out injured at the moment. He can pull of those 'hollywood passes' just as well as Gerrard can - & he does so even more consistently too, being Lampard's main advantage over Gerrard who is slightly more reckless & does make occasionally costly mistakes a little more often than he should. Alonso would be ideal of course & so would Modric, but in an attacking sense, Lampard is more effective than both & we really do need his prowess in the final third to actually finish some of the numerous chances Mazcar create - as well as provide the service & delivery that only he can.

You're a fool if you think Roman doesn't give a fuck about what we think. He ultimately does, because he wants the same success for the club that we as fans desire - & in the end we are the ones who keep the gate receipts rolling & the merchandise from the megastore flowing, along with TV rights & all sorts of other global intiatives. As 'supporters' of this club, we are indeed quite literally supporting the club in both moral & financial aspects. Roman may be a business tycoon, but he has shown that he loves football too, else he wouldn't have invested 10 years & countless millions into the club - & in order for his business model to succeed & flourish the way that he undoubtedly wants it to - HE NEEDS US. & therefore he cannot expect us to blindly accept the choices we do not agree with. What you don't seem to understand is that this situation is not by any means the same or even remotely similar to those you have outlined above. We are talking about a man who is universally hated by the Chelsea faithful, an enitrely depolorable individual who has had the unthinkable audacity to publicly & directly insult players & legends as well as the club & it's most committed fans - & has now somehow been deemed deserving of being appointed as our manager. It is nothing to do with RDM being sacked (for me at least) because I do somewhat understand Roman's logic & appetite for progress & success & RDM had failed to cut the mustard this month - so that wasn't a big surprise. However, what I cannot fathom for the life of me is why he has chosen this overweight rambling piece of shit that he should (by now most definitely) be well aware is regarded by Chelsea fans as nothing more than bottom-of-the-barrel scum, at best. THAT is what we are pissed off about. Success is irrelevant in this situation when our pride & integrity has been shattered & defiled - & by constantly indicating that the results are what we should be supporting - you really are showing your true colours as a supposed 'fan'. Of course we want the team to do well, to succeed in every way possible - however, if that somehow translates to you as 'supporting the manager we hate' - well myself, & I would imagine the majority of others, are simply not willing to sacrifice our own beliefs & principles just for that. I think some of you are far too quick to forgive those who do not deserve it...whether that indicates that your allegiances are not what you claim them to be or if it is simply a case of being a more recent supporter who isn't quite able to comprehend this issue - I can't be sure. But suggesting that these are all enitrely hollow words that I will be 'back-tracking' on? Possibly meaning to suggest that I am the spineless 'fan' you seem to be? Well good luck with that mate... I live & breath for this club - you will never see me singing Rafa's praises no matter what he does.

Now this is where I don't understand so many of you constantly going back to the same nonsensical raptures of 'we're not supporting the team if we're not supporting Rafa' Let me ask you something... How many times have you actually gone & sat/stood in the crowd at The Bridge? Because from the evidence you have provided me with, you clearly don't understand nor appreciate the actual dynamic & experience of being at a live football fixture - pouring your heart & soul into the team you unconditionally love above all others in existence; entirely regardless of results/style/image/players/MANAGER or anything else that ultimately doesn't actually affect who you affectionately call 'your team' at the end of the day. I will never stop supporting this football club, no matter what, & I will never hold another club in the same regard, no matter what; so long as blood runs through my veins. When you have dedicated every single last drop of your passion & allegiance definitively to a single club - & that single club only - it is a contract of integrity that you take to the fucking grave my friend. An unbreakable bond. An undying vow. An eternal love. A lifelong commitment - with greater sanctity than that of marriage or any other mutual agreement of the sort. If we bought Anton Ferdinand & hired Andre Villas-Boas to work in some twisted hybrid partnership with our obese hispanic food expert, & were simultaneously relegated, whilst losing to Liverpool 6-5 in the 123rd minute of the Champions League final to a 'ghost goal' that didn't actually cross the line - & it all happened within a week - I would still 100% support the same club I do today. However, supporting the club doesn't mean blindly accepting decisions you do not agree with. It is a mutual agreement for a reason, because you have given your heart (as well as your hard earned money) to the club, consequently the club are expected to take your best interests into consideration & listen to what you want too; or at the very least they are expected to know what will cause complete & utter disrepute amongst the masses. That is why the events at Stamford Bridge unfolded, because we - as the fans who have taken up this life-long commitment & essentially allow the club to exist & function as it does - have been failed by the club; & thus the contract has been breached once again. Therefore we have a right to voice our issues with this by any means we may see fit. We are what enables the club to exist in the first place, & are the only way it will continue to expand as exponentially as it has done, so they owe you the right to at the very least consider what & how you as a fan may feel about the decisions that they make. So of course when we believe such a grave injustice has been committed, it is more than our place to make our genuine honest thoughts known. The reason we possess & voice these feelings, is because we do in fact care - & care so much that we simply refuse to sit on the sidelines & watch as the name of the club we love is being desecrated in such a manner. & how else are we supposed to make such thoughts abundantly clear to those who need to hear them - besides singing at the top of our lungs in the stands at The Bridge - the place where it matters the most. To be perfectly honest with you, in reality I'm really not that bothered about RDM being given the boot, he had a poor run of results & it comes as no surprise to me given past evidence that Roman has sacked him sooner rather than later. What does bother me however is who has been chosen to replace him. It is only in a single cataclysmically shocking action that this almost universal disrepute lies - & that is in the appointment of the one they call 'Rafa'. What so many of you don't seem to be able to grasp with all of this 'you're not getting behind the team' bullshit is that RAFA IS NOT PART OF THE FUCKING TEAM & HE NEVER WILL BE. Not in my eyes, & not in the eyes of any True Blue - as was demonstrated so valiantly yesterday. He has disgraced this football club with words that have only come from his mouth & his mouth only - how long ago it was said is completely irrelevant - because the fact is that he said it. Insulting the club that you adore & cherish is an unforgivable act of blasphemy that is NEVER forgotten, no matter what. He has shown his true colours on multiple occasions as anyone who was around in the Mourinho days can attest, & so he is a proven cunt of the highest degree; & thus deserves to be treated as such. Any Chelsea fan who respects themselves & their club would be entirely disillusioned with such an appointment, & evidently there are plenty who have made that clear to the world already. What has been said in the past, doesn't mean it doesn't apply in the present - history is forever - & Rafa's words will always be remembered by the Chelsea faithful; no matter what he achieves. & it is ridiculous that you think that this treatment will somehow affect the morale of our players, either directly or indirectly, because they fucking know that they're not the ones that we're pissed off at. Maybe Torres is the exception to that due to his sheer lack of efficacy & performance, but that is more frustration rather than unbridled animosity, & even so I'm still completely behind him in hoping he does somehow return to his former glory. The players aren't the ones we are shouting at, & I'm sure that they have managed to deduce that themselves purely from the nature of the chants. We will still cheer their names & herald their achievements as the champions that they are, because they are the ones who will actually make the difference on the pitch. But supporting them, the actual team, is vastly different to supporting the manager who has been found guilty of such disgusting discrimination directly towards THE FANS, PLAYERS, & LEGENDS OF THIS CLUB. You're kidding yourself if you think anyone in the dressing room is really going to give half a flying fuck about a manager who notoriously refuses to invest himself in a personal connection with the players on any level - I'm pretty sure they would be joining in if they were in the crowd with us. You can try to make the point that Roman's decisions are Roman's decisions & ultimately we all just have to deal with that. But he simply cannot get away with undermining our clubs very own integrity & morals by appointing the most despised Spaniard on Fulham Road as our manager. Not without being made fully aware of the consequences. & sure, we're used to the hierarchy making choices without actually consulting fans, at the end of the day you have to live with that no matter what - but it sure as hell doesn't mean you have to be quiet about it.

No, we do not need someone to stay back & just become a better passing Mikel/Busquets. We need someone who is going to be able to track back & distribute from deep whilst also being able to join the attack with late runs & put the ball in the back of the net - THAT is what Lampard is all about. He needs to play in tandem with Ramires - sit deeper to cover when the other ventures forward, & vice versa. Ramires would obviously track back a little more often than Lamps, not only because he has the fitness to do so for 90 minutes+, but also because he is even better than Mikel defensively as today's match proved yet again. That is how a 4-2-3-1 should be employed, not with a defensively strong but offensively redundant Makelele-moulded holding mid like Mikel. He is designed for a 4-5-1/4-3-3/4-1-2-2-1 that lets him just sit in the pocket behind the two more attacking central mids & sweep everything up. In this system that we play, if we are to get the very best out of Mazcar, you need to be able to contribute far more than that. You need a box-to-box playmaker & proven goal scorer to pick up the pieces & make things happen from outside the box, because our front three like to play in & around the box - which opens up so much space between the two central mids & the edge of the box it is actually unbelievable sometimes. Example: in the match today, I believe around the 53rd minute, Ramires took a long range shot on following said space being created thanks to the usual probing of Oscar & Hazard on the left side of the box; & it was a pretty good effort too, but usually he doesn't strike it that well, let alone actually put it in the back of the net. This is the exact area that Lampard thrives in, where he has picked up the ball countless times which has consequently resulted in the ball being buried into the back of the net countless times shortly thereafter - either through the power & precision of a 30 yard shot from one of the best strikers of the ball in the history of the game - or a moment of ingenious incisive creativity that plays in a teammate. This is why we have missed him so dearly, because he is what we need, in our current situation especially, more than ever. In the past he may have had more freedom to sit further up the field, but at the same time he has never abandoned his defensive duties as a central midfielder - he & Ashley Cole together used to boss the left side of the pitch both going forward & back because their positioning is just that good when we are under pressure & their will to get behind the ball once they lose it is impeccable. So he clearly has the discipline to play a deeper role - as he did for much of last season. It would be hard to argue that his performance in that position wasn't vital in overcoming the best teams in the world & ultimately obtaining the most prestigious accolade in the history of our club. & to those who just blindly declare 'he is too attacking & likes to be in the box' - do you really not realise just how many goals Frank has scored from outside the box as well as various ridiculous positions in & around it? Most of them have come from when he has decided to stay back in case we lose the ball & only when it looks as if things are opening up, makes the late dash to the edge of the area or into the box. We currently do not have anyone besides Oscar who provides that genuine known-&-feared goal-scoring threat from long range - so when everyone rushes to close him down every time it appears a shot may be on - he needs to have someone else to offload the ball to in that space he has now created. Someone who actually has the ability & accuracy to test & often beat the keeper whenever possible. Ramires just simply isn't clinical or creative enough to take up that role himself, he excels at more direct play with his pulsating dynamic runs & formidable ball-winning abilities. But of course we all know that he has the ability to score some wonderful goals & opportunities too. However, Mikel contributes nothing in this sense. Absolutely zilch. So what is the point in essentially having another defender in midfield? It is simply stagnating our play in the middle of the park & further up the pitch because he just does not influence the game enough - & in reality he never has done. He was not designed to do so admittedly, but therefore if you cannot change his attributes - then you must change the player. We need a Scweinsteiger, a Gerrard playing in the middle of the park to conceive & dictate the attack with their ability on the ball. & guess what? We have a player who exceeds those two individuals - one who is recognised as the best performing midfielder in England & Europe over the past decade - & yet here you are telling me he doesn't deserve a place in the starting line up?

It's not even the lack of movement, though Torres is generally extremely guilty of that. It's the fact that Mikel lacks the vision to see anything past the the next blue shirt along & Ramires' strength is in his physical assets rather than his passing. What we need is the playmaking partner for Ramires to complement his own abilities, the all-round distributor who can execute those world class passes to perfection & actually provide a long range threat to goal going forward. & so once again I have to found myself left with the phrase that I have said more times in this single week than any other in my life - 'We need Frank'

Exactly. I wouldn't pay 45 fucking quid to get into the Bridge every week just to sit there in silence & pretend I'm completely without any objection to such a preposterous decision as this. If I was at the game, I would've been trying to shout louder than everyone there; I'm sure most of the crowd today were doing the same.

Who do you personally know that has direct access to the commercial mass-market media - let alone the worthwhile name to actually get it published for a day? In an ideal world, if I was a well-known celebrity of some sort, then yes undoubtedly I would have used my fame to my advantage & expressed my utter disgust through any kind of reputable interviews that may have a chance of being exposed to the public. However, unfortunately I'm not quite there yet, & I don't know anyone personally who is in a similar position of influence - so I would have to say that attending a game & shouting at the top of your lungs while holding up an oversized sign is probably the only current realistic way of making our grievances known to as many others as possible; short of committing an actual crime worthy enough to be an international headline & simply saying 'it was Rafa's fault'...

As long as he hears it - & he sure as hell did with 40,000 people bursting their lungs to ensure it - then that is satisfaction enough for most fans I would imagine. & how else exactly are we, as the fans, supposed to voice our displeasure to the powers that be? By posting polite & well-reasoned arguments on an online fan forum that Roman undoubtedly doesn't even acknowledge the existence of & likely never will? The only way he is going to actually take notice & realise just how far he has crossed the line this time is if 40,000 of the fans that are vital to his own footballing/financial endeavours make sure it is ringing in his ears for 90 minutes every week. I would have to imagine the only players who are going to be even mildy discouraged by such chants would be Torres & Romeu since they probably wouldn't get a game under anyone else...

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I don't think you get it...Benitez is not part of the team - & he never will be. He simply picks the formation & the tactics for the games & that's that; he knows what his job is & I don't think he is going to change his favoured methods being the stubborn arrogant twat he is. I don't see how players are going to be affected with a manager as unflinchingly cold as he is, I guarantee you that the vast majority of them don't like him a whole lot either - & they are intelligent enough to differentiate between 'fat Spanish waiter' & their own names in the crowd's chants, as well as the obvious manner of each. This is a vastly different situation to Steve Kean, because Steve Kean was severely underperforming & hadn't done or said anything nearly as offensive as this putrid piece of shit - so I did feel sorry for him as a person, though not as a manager - because he deserved to be sacked with the pathetic run of results he was achieving. Regardless of the results, I refuse to support Rafa in any way, shape or form - I can assure you that will never change, no matter how many trophies we win.

...& his name is Frank.

I actually really enjoyed & was inspired by the fact that the essential entirety of Stamford Bridge rallied in unity to ensure their thoughts were heard loud & clear - put a smile on my face at least as some consolation to this appointment & the disenchanting week I have experienced as a Chelsea fan. Just because Benitez is the manager doesn't mean we have to like or support him??? I support the team with my entire heart - & that means the players first & foremost above all else. With someone who maintains as much of a disconnect & distance with his players as Benitez is notorious for, I don't view them as being one in the same at all. The players may listen to what he has to say - & sure it may help us tactically & from an organisational standpoint - but at the end of the day they are the ones who make the difference on the pitch; & I sure as hell know that Rafa isn't the one pouring his passion into the team whatsoever to influence that. I don't believe the team's morale will suffer from that, they definitely recognise the fans disgust for the man, & I'm pretty sure that they understand & probably relate to it too themselves. But they are professionals being paid extortionate sums of money to do what they love & excel at whilst being worshipped as demi-gods by millions of people around the world; so they know that it is their duty to us to perform to their best & therefore they will do just that - regardless of the manager. It definitely wasn't Avram Grant who took us to the CL final 5 years ago...

189 goals & 120 assists - yer he is definitely overrated as fuck mate... You are truly delusional beyond salvation if you actually somehow believe that Mikel is a better player than Lampard.

Fixed.

Gave MOTM to Cole - but Azpilicueta was just as good, & so were Luiz & Ivanovic. Thought Ramires had a decent game too defensively, but the rest were average (if that) at best. Our attack was tentative & ultimately futile for much of the game until the latter stages...which was my greatest immediate fear with Rafa's questionable tactics on the front foot. Pointless substitution bringing Romeu on for Mikel - should have brought on Marin or not bothered at all because Romeu just isn't that great a player from the evidence he has provided thus far - & it was an obviously conservative move that indicated Rafa was happy with the draw; which I wouldn't exactly say I agree with. Moses really needs to learn how to pass/cross the ball properly, because he wasted at least 5 chances to create problems for City's defense from decent positions; yet failed to deliver anything with the final ball. Overall, not a complete disaster by any means - but an extremely negative performance - lacked ambition going forward despite the obviously much improved stability at the back. You don't win games with that formula - not when you have a striker who can't get a shot on target. Once again though, quite obviously missing Lampard's presence & passing in the middle of the park...hopefully Rafa decides to integrate him once he's recovered from injury so we will be more of a threat going forward, especially in bigger games such as this where there is every chance of getting a more than vital victory that tends to decide the title race. All in all there may be hope if we can use the defensive security to our advantage in a more adventurous attacking mentality. Oh & watch Rafa's post match interview with Shreeves...made me LOL

Mate, our issue in defence is completely irrelevant to the midfield & Lampard, because we have been conceding a fuckload of goals in the last month while he's been out. In fact you could say we look even more frail without him if you do want to make it relevant to those defensive problems. But really the problem with our defence is that without JT, we have no organisation or discipline in the ranks & no one knows their places & positions; or at least adheres to them without fail. We are also simply missing his immense ability in the air as well as in making the vital blocks & tackles that prevent Cech from being peppered with shots constantly. We just seem to crumble under any kind of sustained intensive pressure from opposition, not even necessarily world class opposition as the Swansea & West Brom matches have shown. But yer, saying that Lampard only chips in with a couple of important goals is absolutely absurd. Every goal is important when you're competing for trophies - & the fact remains that having been Chelsea's top scorer last season - he still gets a lot of them for a midfielder. Oscar is awesome, no doubt about that, & possibly the potential succesor to Lampard as our goal-scoring midfield-maestro - but for now he is a young player still constantly learning & improving in the hopes of becoming the truly indisputable world class player that he has the potential to be - & his role is further up the pitch within this 4-2-3-1 system. Would I sacrifice Oscar for Lamps? No, I wouldnt - because it is simply unnecessary & counter-productive to exclude either when you can have two such incisive & dangerous players on the field at the same time working together.