The Benitez Thread

[didierforever 7,349]

If you look at some of the posts of the person who has requested that I do not respond to, Its all MY club, blah, blah, blah. This, I imagine, is supposed to be a Chelsea community forum, for like minded people. With that in mind, its OUR club, universally. No matter how long you have been going for, where you live, etc, etc. We are all entitled to an opinion, we may not always agree, but its there for all to see and discuss...................unless its the person who has requested that I do not respond to.

Its all pony mate, he spat his dummy out over some post I made that he thought was aimed at him. He was royally upset about it......until it was blatantly pointed out to him by another member of the forum that my target was the football club board not him or any other member on here. Anyway, I digress

could not agree more...

[Rupert 130]

There are still some yobos trying to justify their disgusting behaviour towards our manager by complaining that he has not apologized for saying he would never coach Chelsea. As Rafa told a Spanish radio station last week, he never said it. The yobos point to a statement he made years ago when he was manager of LFC when the press started rumours that he was about to go to Chelsea and several other clubs. When he was asked about the various rumours he said that LFC was the only team for him. Not only was this true but it is what you would expect from a dedicated manager. Maybe this is a bit surprising for those used to Mourinho who spends most of his time looking for his next employer.

[Henrique 9,133]

Yes, they need to be beaten, but it does not take a brilliant manager to do so.

I am not taking away the fact he is improving our team, making them fight for 90min and he is a much better coach than RDM (at least he knows what he is doing and knows how to give clear orders). However, you cant deny he has the biggest fault for what happened in Corinthians game. He did nothing when everyone saw we lost midfield in the second half, he was gorssly outclassed by Tite, not starting with a DM against a physical team is asking for trouble. Also, the way he couldnt react when West Ham entered the second half with full desire is at least questionable.

To tell me Rafa is doing a good job, I can agree. But to say he is a top2 manager and he is outstanding for our future because of some decent results are laughable. Benitez has still a lot to prove and people are wrongly jumping of his bandwagon just because we trashed pub teams...

This was the same thing they were saying about Santos when they were destroying the weaker sides like Guarani with 8-0 victories. How many teams in the world that destroy their opponents with such result?

[Rmpr 8,977]

This was the same thing they were saying about Santos when they were destroying the weaker sides like Guarani with 8-0 victories. How many teams in the world that destroy their opponents with such result?

OMG, I AM SO HAPPY!

I thought (after the CWC thing) that you would ignore me forever or only quote with offensive words...

Anyways, I didnt understand it. Are you backing my point that Benitez beating pub teams doesnt mean much or the other way around?

[Henrique 9,133]

Well, I dont believe Benitez is the best manager in the world, but when he was hired I really believe that he was better than RDM, and one of most stupid things people were saying was that RDM was the right man, not because he is a legend and gave Chelsea a UCL, but because he was really good, and Benitez was way worst than the italian.

Well, in few games we can see that the team is way more solid than in Robbie's days. People were complaining RDM was attacking minded (even if he "gave" Chelsea a UCL parking the bus in 3 games) while Benitez was a defensive coach, and then he came with a 8-0 win.

In RDM days there was a feelling that team lacked options, in fact he was always using the same formation: Mikel, Ramires (Lampard),Oscar, Hazard, Moses, Torres. Benitez introduced Moses as a really important player, he is not just a squad player that is starting games when the rest are tired, and now even Luiz is playing as mid, and sometimes we have players like Lampard, Ramires, Hazard and Oscar on the bench.

Torres used to get the blame for the lack of goals, but we scored 8 goals against Aston Villa and Torres got only one. While we still need more striker, now it seems that we dont need a huge new name like Falcao to "save" the rest of the season. During Mourinhos first 2 season, Lampard was the top scored, and Chelsea did not have a goal scorer like Nilsterooy or Henry, but we still managed to scored a lot o goals. Torres is not there to scored? OK, we still have Hazard, Mata, Moses, Luiz...

People will get angry, but I this is what I believe:

- If Benitez was hired when AVB was sacked, probably we would never get that UCL trophy. RDM was the right man for that moment.

- If Benietz was hired in the summer we probably would be in UCL knockout stage, and on pair with MU in PL race title, not with a 11 (8) pointss gap.

[Tomo 21,733]

nope no one will remember that now. we "remember" the leeds rivalry, even though i can comfortably say that more than 90% of people on here were not even born during that period (well i was not and the last match we played against leeds was in the 2003-04 season if i remember correctly), and yet we are deemed "plastics" by idiots like @the only place to be. we are expected to show hate towards leeds but when it comes to the single most hated in the roman era (rafa benitez) people so easily forget everythin. i mean i dont remember any other person who was unanimously hated by evry chelsea fan all over the world and yet we have forgotten everything.

Rafa slagged us off in the past, but atleast he did it when he was not on our payroll like some have done.

Mourinho and Ronaldo kept bitching about each other when they were at Chelsea and United, it's what you do when your rivals for trophy's, do whatever it takes to get the upper hand. Do you really think Ronaldo and Mourinho held what they said against each other when they were both at the same club? no they forgot about it and got on with delivering success for Real Madrid.

Rafa has bitched about us in the past, we gave it back to him and then some, but right now he is our manager, he wants success for this club like we do, we want the same thing so how about we pull in the same direction? He said what he said in 2007 to get under our skin and get the upper hand and it worked. If our clash at Old Trafford is a title decider he will do exactly the same back.

Jose has bitched about us since he has left, "he wants to kill us", "i have carried on winning big trophies, Chelsea have carried on winning something", then bleated afterwards (Inter's 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge) about how the Bridge is his fortress not Chelsea's. Rafa will do exactly the same with Liverpool if we ever end up in a title fight with them while Rafa is our manager.

[Rmpr 8,977]

@Henrique, I definetly agree.

I can't stand a Liverpool fan comming here and saying Benitez is the second best coach in the world and that he is showing how outstanding he is by beating Villa 8-0 and Leeds 5-1 though. I also think it is too early to give him a long contract (if we can find no one)...

Plus, I wouldnt want to imagine what the reaction would be if RDM didnt get the job!

Even with everything you said about Benitez, I still hate the guy. I know he is the best available option, but I still want him to fuck off!

[The only place to be 11,313]

nope no one will remember that now. we "remember" the leeds rivalry, even though i can comfortably say that more than 90% of people on here were not even born during that period (well i was not and the last match we played against leeds was in the 2003-04 season if i remember correctly), and yet we are deemed "plastics" by idiots like @the only place to be. we are expected to show hate towards leeds but when it comes to the single most hated in the roman era (rafa benitez) people so easily forget everythin. i mean i dont remember any other person who was unanimously hated by evry chelsea fan all over the world and yet we have forgotten everything.

And you would be the little chappy who said

@didierforever - come on leeds... 3-0 and benitez out... please... come on...

No wonder you're more comfortable with changingman - maybe you could both change allegiance to Leeds since supporting them against us comes so easily.

[Rmpr 8,977]

For me, Rafa will always be an acceptance and denial situation.

I grew up hating the man and I cant believe he is now coaching Chelsea. I will always view him as the bad guy (for the things he said and did) and the fact he did not appologise and replaced a true legend made things get even worse. I will never forget his rubbish performance at CWC and that he is a FSW.

However, I wont deny Benitez is the best our team (at the moment) and he is a much more experienced and a better manager than Robbie. Our team has vastly improved and the rotation has been interesting. I definetly feel top4 is much more secure with him.

That is me, a very contreversial person when it comes to Rafael Benitez. So, if I piss you off, just accpet it and move on!

[Manuf 1,448]

you guys really bought him after wins over fucking Leeds, Villa and Norwich? gtfo.

[Tomo 21,733]

you guys really bought him after wins over fucking Leeds, Villa and Norwich? gtfo.

the same game's we picked a whopping 1 point out of 6 last season?

[Strike 7,250]

the same game's we picked a whopping 1 point out of 6 last season?

No point grumbling about rafa. he's here for the season and going about his work professionally. i have new found respect for him in the way he has handled the situation.

still hoping that we get either Pep or Jose in the summer though

[Rupert 130]

For me, Rafa will always be an acceptance and denial situation.

I grew up hating the man and I cant believe he is now coaching Chelsea. I will always view him as the bad guy (for the things he said and did) and the fact he did not appologise and replaced a true legend made things get even worse. I will never forget his rubbish performance at CWC and that he is a FSW.

However, I wont deny Benitez is the best our team (at the moment) and he is a much more experienced and a better manager than Robbie. Our team has vastly improved and the rotation has been interesting. I definetly feel top4 is much more secure with him.

That is me, a very contreversial person when it comes to Rafael Benitez. So, if I piss you off, just accpet it and move on!

While I don't agree with you that Rafa has to apologise - he has done nothing to apologise for - I do agree with you that his rotation is "interesting". At LFC he got a lot of pressure from fans and the media for his rotation policy. But every season (except his last when the owners sold off his players) he finished much stronger in the second half because his players were fresher. In the year they came second to Manchester United (and beat them 4-1 at Old Trafford) LFC won every match but one after Christmas. He puts this down to his rotation. He tries to preserve the players for the final push. He also got slagged off by the media for zonal marking which was new to Britain. But he had one of the meanest defences in the PL. And now most of the leading teams use it. He has not insisted on it at Chelsea because, as he said, he did not want to introduce a radically new system in mid-season. But if he gets the job next year expect to see it.

[didierforever 7,349]

And you would be the little chappy who said

@didierforever - come on leeds... 3-0 and benitez out... please... come on...

No wonder you're more comfortable with changingman - maybe you could both change allegiance to Leeds since supporting them against us comes so easily.

and maybe you can become benitez's whore or is it only for him that u r supporting us. now i know the first person out of this forum when benitez gets a kick on his ass at the end of the season.

[didierforever 7,349]

Rafa slagged us off in the past, but atleast he did it when he was not on our payroll like some have done.

Mourinho and Ronaldo kept bitching about each other when they were at Chelsea and United, it's what you do when your rivals for trophy's, do whatever it takes to get the upper hand. Do you really think Ronaldo and Mourinho held what they said against each other when they were both at the same club? no they forgot about it and got on with delivering success for Real Madrid.

Rafa has bitched about us in the past, we gave it back to him and then some, but right now he is our manager, he wants success for this club like we do, we want the same thing so how about we pull in the same direction? He said what he said in 2007 to get under our skin and get the upper hand and it worked. If our clash at Old Trafford is a title decider he will do exactly the same back.

Jose has bitched about us since he has left, "he wants to kill us", "i have carried on winning big trophies, Chelsea have carried on winning something", then bleated afterwards (Inter's 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge) about how the Bridge is his fortress not Chelsea's. Rafa will do exactly the same with Liverpool if we ever end up in a title fight with them while Rafa is our manager.

the point is u expect it out of mou. he is a controversial man who does not think twice before speaking and speaks whatever he thinks is fit for the moment or sometimes just for the sake of it. plus we are not talking about mou here. we are talking about rafa. he said tjose things because he meant it at that point of time. he never said anything else about any other club whereas mou has a problem with almost every club in existence.

plus my quote was for people like @only place to be who think they are the only true supporters and every1 else is "plastic".

[Blue Roar 240]

I never liked benitez. But as soon as i heard that he was the chelsea manager. I started supporting him. Why you might ask?. Simple. He's the chelsea manager and Im a chelsea fan. I support chelsea and everyone associated with the club. Doesn't matter what their past is. Wishing him all the best

[BleedsBlue 1,549]

Roman needed Rdm to make some major mistakes so that he could sack him and bring in Pep(Roman's primary choice) as soon as the sacking but sadly Pep chose to continue his 1 year vacation.Failing to qualify for the knockout stages was the PERFECT opportunity for Roman to get rid of the manager who got him 2 trophies in a matter of months.Roman perhaps could have given Rdm time till the City game but then there was always the fear of Rdm succeeding later and winning some trophies yet again.This would have made it difficult for Roman to sack him in the future and would have blocked another attempt to lure Pep.

After getting rejected by Pep,Roman had very few options.Mind you,Benitez was also considered for the job when AVB got sacked but the fan's protests at that time made the Russian go for Rdm instead.Anyways its clear that Roman wants only Pep and well if Pep decides to manage some other club instead then Benitez might be our full time manager(if he wins us something).Personally,I think Jose should be our PLAN A but god only knows whats going on between the Special one and Roman and where Jose's intentions are(United maybe?)If things don't materialize then we must accept Rafa.He's got us playing well again and is getting the results(irrespective of the opposition).

[bushman 2,043]

Rafa has got Chelsea grinding out results by being solid in defense.

Rafa is better organized, better player rotation policy & suddenly Chelsea are defending as a team much better.

Against Norwich they were patient enough to score one goal & control the game until the end.

Next test Everton. Let´s see the result.