The Benitez Thread

[Laylabelle 9,396]

Didnt think he'd achieve anything espially after the first game where we were dire and lost to West Ham badly.Dodgy cup runs but in the in...Europa League and top 4..hopefully 3rd place finish which aint bad really...been a crazy time lol

[Jase 43,479]

his tactical record at Chelsea wasn't good till that point. That United game was probably 1 game in 50 where his substitution was early and game-changing. Don't think he deserved much credit for getting it right one time. Overall, up until April-May, his work wasn't anything special.

That is somewhat contradicting. When someone you know says make a mistake and then late correct it, don't you give at least credit them for recognizing the mistake and change it? Yes, Benitez may have been tactically dodgy during his time here but in that United game, he recognized his mistake early and then rectify it but yet hardly a credit given, regardless of whether he got it right one time or not. Credit where it's due.

Benitez's work might not have been special but he did what was necessary. He managed and rotated squad decently and ensure every player is fresh as possible especially with the limited squad depth we have. And though as said, tactically he is a bit dodgy, some of those approaches in certain games worked and helped us to get a result. And if you want to talk about the manager's work being special or not, then you would only have to look back at RDM last season. We might have won the FA Cup and Champions League under him but his work was hardly anything special as he only got us back to doing the basics after the AVB mess and yet he received so much credit for what he done then. Most people has claimed that it wasn't Benitez that got us what we have now but rather the players' will and determination and yet last season, many praised both RDM and the players, not just 1 side!

There is no middle ground on Benitez. He polarises opinions like no one else. There are the sympathisers who feel he could have worked. There are the haters who feel he should never have been hired.

I belong to the latter. I don't like him but I grudgingly accept that he has got us top 4 (and a trophy) but that was the plan all along wasn't it? He struggled early on, then made up for it and got to the same destination.

Disagree. The sympathizers are basically those from outside the club, mainly the media. None of us fans want Benitez here at all because we all hate him and it's a marriage made in hell with him coming here. However, from us fans itself, it is basically divided into two categories - haters that will just hate for the sake it and blame everything on Benitez even when it's not his fault and those still hate him but more willing to look at things objectively.

[Strike 7,272]

@,

"Credit where credit is due" - He did the right thing then and I remember thinking this could be the turning point when I was watching the game (2 days late) but I still don't think that 1 tactical change in a game should get much praise, especially when it was the exception rather than the rule at that time. Sure, it deserves a "fair play to Rafa. He got it right then" but nothing to change opinions about.

I will not go into the comparison with RDM, as it is a different issue altogether, but you have to see why the appreciation for him was overboard - It was the Champions League.

I will emphasise on the other points. Benitez has taken Chelsea into the Champions League. He proved a lot of people wrong with the late-season form Chelsea showed especially as some were calling for his head in February. But the good work at the end of the season merely corrects what went wrong earlier on.

[Yasser 63]

Thank You Rafa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuYRaQvMkEY

[yuvala 2,167]

There's not much to praise him for...

Even in the Europa League, we played like shit, in too many games. We probably didn't even deserve to win that game judjing by the way we played.

[Jase 43,479]

@,

"Credit where credit is due" - He did the right thing then and I remember thinking this could be the turning point when I was watching the game (2 days late) but I still don't think that 1 tactical change in a game should get much praise, especially when it was the exception rather than the rule at that time. Sure, it deserves a "fair play to Rafa. He got it right then" but nothing to change opinions about.

That will be a different story if it was Mourinho....

I will not go into the comparison with RDM, as it is a different issue altogether, but you have to see why the appreciation for him was overboard - It was the Champions League.

I will emphasise on the other points. Benitez has taken Chelsea into the Champions League he proved a lot of people wrong with the late-season form Chelsea showed because some were calling for his head in February. But the good work at the end of the season merely corrects what went wrong earlier on.

Yes, I know it was because RDM won the Champions League but if you look beyond that, his work was hardly anything special is it going back to your point earlier, no?

[Strike 7,272]

That will be a different story if it was Mourinho....

Yes, I know it was because RDM won the Champions League but if you look beyond that, his work was hardly anything special is it going back to your point earlier, no?

That way, there is a bias for Mourinho and di Matteo while Rafa has none of that sympathy. It is inevitable. Imagine, Mourinho comes in and starts winning a few games. People will be excited, heck people like Leif and xPetrCechx are already excited. But that is popular opinion for you. Not everyone gets treated the same way.

My point was solely about Rafa though. I am not comparing what kind of a reaction Rafa and di Matteo were getting. Just based on the work he's done, I don't think Chelsea fans should be singing songs about him this Sunday. Just accept he's got the key objective - Top 4, shake hands and move on

[Jase 43,479]

That way, there is a bias for Mourinho and di Matteo while Rafa has none of that sympathy. It is inevitable. Imagine, Mourinho comes in and starts winning a few games. People will be excited, heck people like Leif and xPetrCechx are already excited. But that is popular opinion for you. Not everyone gets treated the same way.

Basically what I said originally. Because of this bias and hatred towards, people are not judging things objectively.

My point was solely about Rafa though. I am not comparing what kind of a reaction Rafa and di Matteo were getting. Just based on the work he's done, I don't think Chelsea fans should be singing songs about him this Sunday. Just accept he's got the key objective - Top 4, shake hands and move on

Agree but my main point earlier on was basically about the double standards - When we win games, it's because of the players. When we lose games, all the blame is on Benitez.

[Henrique 9,133]

People who are still trying to dismiss Rafa Benitez's job at this points are clowns and stupid people, as simple as that.

[yuvala 2,167]

Benitez: "I think we played very good football, very attractive football during the whole season" #CFC

Yea right..

[Toli 977]

Benitez: "I think we played very good football, very attractive football during the whole season" #CFC

Yea right..

maybe he has another definition of "attractive" football. but no matter, he achiedved what he had to. and we had someo quite good games under his management, as well as really bad ones. it wasnt his fault, that our squad was to thin and we made some wrong decisions in the summer.

[Jase 43,479]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20130518/grant-wahl-rafa-benitez/

A very good interview of Benitez that. He spoke about managing the squad, the fans, tactical and training changes he made, players like Torres, Mata, Luiz, Hazard, Oscar etc and more.

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

As he prepares for his final competitive game in charge,

The team will be much better and the new manager will have an easier task because he will have more quality and experience, and he will start pre-season.'

[TrippingStep 336]

On some matches, I was not keen on some of his selections.

But I must say I'm quite pleased by what he has achieved.

The team was defending better, with Di Matteo, we were conceding too many crosses and shots on goals, whith too little pressing in the wide areas.

And with Eden, I'm very pleased of what he has done, it's like the first proper coach he has had, his overall game has so much improved.

The fact that Benitez is a "teacher" (Materazzi) was good for him, as Eden wants to enjoy the game and I think reacts better with this kind of approach than theatrics or motivationnal speech with no substance behind like the former national coach used to do (Leekens).

[coolhead23 1,146]

Benítez: If you know the circumstances, it was a transition with young players. Consider that [Didier] Drogba, [Raul] Meireles, [salomon] Kalou, [Michael] Essien and [Florent] Malouda had left,

I liked this statement .... Looks like Malouda had been hiding from him all along

[TacticalBlues 2,817]

[Jusek 2,031]

Good job Rafa. Thank you and goodbye!

[bushman 2,043]

An admirable job by Rafa, I feel. He has done everything what was asked of him & more.

Those that say otherwise are bias & full of fucking hate, that´s all.