Rupert

You're the clown. You want to get rid of the leading goal scorer and a manager who has won more trophies than the last five Chelsea managers. Have you ever considered hate counselling?

Then why don't you fk off - it would be simpler.

Some Chelsea supporters are unbelievably ignorant in their blind prejudice. Benayoun was sold by Rafa from LFC to Chelsea. He was the only LFC player to stab Rafa in the back publicly after he left even though Rafa had brought him to LFC and given him the best few seasons of his life. Benayon was influential and scored some important goals late in games for LFC. The fact that Rafa doesn't hold his treachery against him says a lot for Rafa. But frankly, I believe he plays him now only because he is a short of experienced players with bottle and to save the legs of the rest of the squad. Benayon will be moved on in the summer.

Chelsea won an away game in a European competition with a squad depleted by injuries and fatigue. Sack Rafa!

Idiot! Rafa has won the UEFA Cup, the CL Cup, the FA Cup, the League Cup, The World Club Cup, the Italian League Cup and has been in other finals of the UEFA ad CL and FA cups. It seems Rafa has more ambition for Chelsea than some fans who are only interested in seeing Chelsea lose so they can agitate for yet another new manager.

Your ignorance is no excuse for your prejudice against your manager. Rafa was adored at Valencia. Last year they asked him back to give him a special and very unusual medal of honour. There was a movement to try to bring him back as manager then but he refused because he wanted to stay in the UK. How could he have driven Valencia into financial meltdown? He had no say in transfers and left because - as he put it - he asked for a sofa and they gave him a lampost in the transfer market. He won them two Ligas and the UEFA cup - worth scores of millions. The young players he recruited and developed were sold after he left for huge sums of money. You're talking out of your hat. He won LFC the CL and the FA and got them to 2nd behind man Utd scoring the most goals in the clubs history and the most points in the PL. His net spend was 12 million pounds a year for the six years he was there. Compare that to the Chelsea managers during that time. The club was driven into debt by the two American owners. Most LFC supporters would have Rafa back in a heartbeat. LFC has struggled ever since he has left - they sold his best players to Real Madrid and Chelsea and others for more than 150 million pounds in total. Your'e talking out of your hat, again. InterMilan was not the best club in the world - not by a mile. It played Mourinho pragmatism. Boring to watch. Have you ever heard of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Man Utd, Bayern, Dos Santos and many others that were better? This is the kind of crap that Mourinho groupies spout. Mourinho had spent over 100 million pounds in that one year buying players at the peak of their careers to win the league and the CL cup at Inter. He had every intention of pissing off after knowing that the club could never repeat and knowing he had emptied the pockets of the owner. Rafa went there on the promise that Inter would give him money to replace some of the crocks Mourinho left behind. But he never got any money (to be exact he got 7 million). Fifteen of the squad were injured in the time he was there - exhausted and injured by Mourinho's tactics of playing them all in a record number of games the previous season. Even so Rafa won two cups with them. After he won the World Cup (Club) he announced at a press conference that he wanted to leave if Inter would not honour their promise to give him money to freshen the squad. Then he left. Many supporters asked him to stay and hoisted banners in the stadium thanking him. Many want him back now. Inter has had three other managers since then and is still trying to recover from the mess Mourinho left behind. You are typical of the hate-mongers who give Chelsea a bad name. You make up stories and invent facts to try to justify your hatred of a good man and one of the best managers in world football. Rafa will make you very unhappy with the success he will bring to Chelsea,.

If your perspective was longer than a month you would know that with a much smaller budget Rafa defeated Real Madrid and Barcelona several times to win La Liga twice when he was at Valencia, he also defeated them with 4 goals each when he was manager of LFC and also, by the way, defeated Mourinhos's Chelsea in two CL semi-finals. You hate him because he is a winner - go figure! He's too good for some of you. Sorry - saw the Moderator's comment after I posted. Please move the post.

A week ago the haters were saying they wanted Moyes and Martinez - Rafa has beaten them both recently. Why do we draw or lose when we have the lead? Where is the Terry and Lampard influence - where are the leaders in this team? Or are they cowed by the booers and don't want to be seen supporting the manager? Who was responsible for putting together a squad of youngsters and told to play pretty football? Certainly not Rafa. He knows what's wrong and he's putting it right. His Chelsea teams concedes less goals, scores more goals, plays better football than all the recent managers and gets into a winning position more often. The club and the players have to explain why they panic, and consistently fail to close the door when they are winning. It is due partly to inexperience, bad habits under the old manager, lack of discpline from the old days and fatigue. It is also, to some extent, due to lousy supporters who make the players feel very insecure. Now Rafa is getting players back and now he has started to train them you will see an improvement in results - although resulrs are pretty good and most teams would die for them. Despite the stupid haters on here - Rafa is not an unknown quantity he is a winner in Spain and in Britain.

Results disappointing!!! Chelsea is third in the league when it looked like they were going to finish mid-table before Rafa arrived. They will probably finish second. They had not won a game in seven, if I recall, when he arrived. In the games they have won and some they drew or last they have played better than at anytime in their recent history. Yes they have a fatal weakness of throwing away a lead. But this is not down to Rafa its down to (a) too many young, inexperienced attacking players, some of whom lack bottle and some of whom are adjusting to the PL, and not enougg experienced defensive midfielders and fit central defenders ( poor pre-season when they were not drilled in defending as a unit. Rafa likes zonal marking but cannot introduce it until pre-season.

Do you dream about "the fat one" or are you just naturally paranoid? By the way are you fat?

I don't discuss football with people who jeer the manager ten hours after he has got the job and before he has managed a game. Nor with people who dismiss Torres whose performance in the last game was first-class and who has played well this season - at least since Rafa arrived. None of the haters have any legitimacy as supporters. First you hate and then you try to find reasons to justify your hatred. Its called pig ignorant prejudice - very like racism. So why do you hate Rafa? Because he is "fat" or "Spanish" or because he once correctly said that the supporters of some clubs have no passion for the club and need everything handed to them on a plate. Some of you haters are "consumers" more than "supporters".

As for Rafa and Europe he has won this cup and also won the CL. DiMatteo ruined Chelsea' chances of the CL this year by his lack of tactical knowledge - the first time in history that the cup holders were kicked out in the first round. Rafa got only one chance to manage in the CL for Chelsea and won that match by a record 6-1 margin. If he had been manager from the start of the season we would be looking at a game against Real Madrid or Barcelona this week. Those on here who say he will try to do well to prove his value should take a look at themselves. He has proven his value time and again and his job is to continue proving his value - as he will. The ignorant yobos attacking him with almost racist hatred will be disappointed at his and Chelsea's success. They're praying he will fail. No wonder the supporters of other clubs have such contempt for some Chelsea supporters. I feel ashamed to be associated with the yobos by virtue of the fact that I support Chelsea. But I don't consider the Rafa and Torres haters to be genuine supporters.

Where do you get your facts? Torres was the equivalent of $75 million not $50 million - or did you mean pounds sterling? AvB was screwed by Lampard and Terry - not the board. DiMateo was lucky last year and it showed this year. He is too inexperienced. Benitez never mentioned the word "plastic" seven years ago when he made reference to "the supporters of some teams lacking passion". Yes he was manger of LFC, you got that right, and he defeated Chelsea and Mourinho in two CL semi finals as well as winning one of those finals.

Why should a club whose supporters attack their manager and one of their main players win a trophy? Some of you are delusional. The club decided to buy young starlets from other countries - lack of experience and unfamiliarity with the PL. The club decided to play "entertaining" football and ignore the normal balance between defence and attack that is needed in any competition. So why should it win trophies? Chelsea bans a talented player and sells others. So why should it win trophies? Rafa has stopped the rot and brought some rationality and experience. But the problems need time to fix.

I hope the ignorant, anti-Rafa yobos on here read this. It's very true. But more important I hope the decent Chelsea fans read it shout teh boo boys down:© Copyright Guillem Balague 2012 Webdesign David Alvira Guillem Balague Exclusive: Author Talks Pep Guardiola, Barcelona, Rafa Benitez By Nick Ackerman on January 24, 2013Friday 25-01-2013 Guillem Balague is one of the world's most recognisable football experts. The trusted Sky Sports pundit spends his time talking all things Spanish on Revista de La Liga, writing for The Times and staying ahead of the curve onTwitter. B/R: Before we part, what are you thoughts on Rafa Benitez's treatment at Chelsea? It's fascinating that Luis Felipe Scolari, Fabio Capello and Rafa Benitez are laughed at in England. Top managers who can do a lot of good for their teams. I don't know why that is, but it is a 'fact' as Rafa would say. I've been thinking of big clubs in history that have actually had such a big go at their managers. Not based on results and not based on performances. Certainly not based on the work this person puts into the team, the hours he puts into it, what his CV is, what his history is. I can only think of Van Gaal in his second time at Barcelona—not at Bayern Munich, not at Milan, not at Juve, not at Real Madrid, not really, not really. So, I'm fascinated to know where all of this comes from. I know, I heard all of the stories where he comes from. It's interesting that Chelsea fans I know of are telling me the ones with the campaign are a minority. But I think it's all based on one thing. Fans have lost power; they don't have any power anymore, anywhere. They don't have power towards their clubs, they don't have power towards the players, on the decisions, nothing. When the club is a bit weak, it is their chance to have a say, an influence. They smell the weakness and they grab a victim (Rafa in this case) and don't let go. It is their way to feel influential, powerful again. They have created almost like a celebrity fan set—we will be the ones that will get rid of a manager and impose the one we want. But, I say, you are affecting the team and its performance. Well, that minority doesn't seem to care—first it is us, what we think, what we say, me, me, me... very typical of this society. It happened at Aston Villa, it happened at Newcastle and it happened at Chelsea. Fans thought, 'No, definitely not Rafa, anyone but Rafa.' That was their decision, 'whoever, but not Rafa.' So, when they got Rafa in, it was putting to them, 'Sorry, but you don't have any power.' That's very annoying for that small group. I think that's what it is but I would love to have a forum where I can chat to them, discuss, argue, shout at each other even, with respect always present. But a minority in that minority seem to prefer to insult in a kind of bullying way. I hate bullying, I love arguing. It is a shame some behave like that because football is to be loved, discussed, enjoyed. A huge thank you to Balague for taking time out of his busy schedule to speak with me, and to the staff at Waterstones, Leeds. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1498270-guillem-balague-exclusive-author-talks-pep-guardiola-barcelona-rafa-benitez

Well your post reminds me how ignorant some Chelsea fans are about Rafa. He started his career at Real Madrid, was a player there and a coach and he helped develop their youth program. When he was a young manager he won many trophies. At Valencia he defeated Real Madrid and Barcelona to win the Liga twice. He also won the European Cup, as it then was. Why wouldn't Real Madrid want him? They wanted him when he was at Liverpool but he wanted to stay in England. Apart from the fact that he has superior skills to Mourinho, he is also a good man who is honorable and sporting. Real Madrid pride themselves on being the nobility of sportsmanship Mourinho is seen as a crude little runt who has a bad mouth and does things like trying to gouge the eye of the Barcelona Assistant Coach when Barcelona defeated Real Madrid, yet again . He is a petty, jealous man who blames the club and the players and the fans when he is losing and claims total credit for himself when his team wins. Nothing better could be said of Rafa than that Mourinho hates him. To be hated by Mourinho means (a) you are better than Mourinho and ( you are a man of honour.

Real Madrid players want Mourinho gone. http://www.marca.com/2013/01/24/en/football/real_madrid/1359018855.html

ManUtd supporters turning on their owners showed a lot of courage and passion - the American owners had sunk the club into incredible debt that could have ruined it. The supporters were not attacking the players or the manager. The supporters succeeded in getting the Americans to re-finance in part. LFC supporters attacked the Americans Hicks and Gillete and in so doing showed a lot of courage and passion - they got rid of them and saved the club from Administration. They did not attack the players and the manager. Chelsea supporters do not attack the owner - instead they attack individual players and the manager. It maybe that they lack the courage to attack the owner who is the real source of their dissatisfaction in that he sacked their two favourite managers - it is easier and more cowardly to boo an incoming manager and attack the player the owner bought for 50 million. I think Abramovich was right to sack Mourinho and DiMatteo. I also think he was right to call on Rafa again after Rafa refused his offer the previous year. I think Abramovich will want Rafa to stay and if he does and if Rafa accepts the supporters will have to stick it in the pipes and smoke it.

Whether you like it or not, Rafa has been given an 18 month contract subject to review - his review and the club's review after 6-7 months. You will be lucky if Rafa agrees to the extension. Some of the posts on here are illogical. People touting managers who Rafa has defeated with style since he was at Chelsea (and before) - managers who have never won anything let alone the long list of trophies Rafa has won. Rafa is too good for some of you. And despite all your specualtiosn noen of you knew that Rafa would be offered the post last December.

Don't expect too much. Chelsea are exhausted and don't have a deep enough squad. Swansea can play this like an away game. They just have to hang on to their lead or prevent Chelsea scoring three goals to nil. If Swansea score then its over. But its football, so you never know!

Man Utd were under pressure from LFC last week - even Ferguson said it was tense. They gave up a goal to Spurs today in the last minute of extra time. You don't hear Man Utd supporters rounding on their manager when they win or draw - its only Chelsea fans who do that.

Rafa won't get sacked in the summer. He is an interim appointment until the summer. He may or may not accept the offer to continue with Chelsea but he won't get sacked. If Rafa does go to another team of course I will continue to follow his career with interest. Meanwhile I think it would be more rational if you and some of the other Rafa-haters and Mourinho-lovers started supporting Real Madrid or whichever other team Mourinho finishes up at when he is sacked this summer or sooner. He's not wanted there by supporters or management and he's desperately politiking for another job.

If Rafa is offered the job on a long-term basis and if he accepts (he will have other offers and might be advised to take them) he will be the best manager Chelsea have ever had. He will influence transfers. He will bring in a strong central defender and an aggressive defensive midfielder and a playmaker. He will introduce zonal marking and make Chelsea as exciting a crushing machine as he made Valencia and LFC (before the LFC owners started selling his players and denying him money for replacements). He will develop young players. He won't give a toss if some so-called supporters continue to insult him childishly. He only cares about the success of the team. He is a good man with a good conscience.

What you mean is that if Chelsea lose or draw it is Rafa's fault. Even if we win it is Rafa's fault because we should have won by more.

I'm a football fan. I was delighted when Rafa came to Chelsea. It made it a more interesting team with greater potential. I've been supporting Chelsea since before you were born, I don't care how old you are.