The Benitez Thread

[Jase 43,479]

Not defending him here but as much as Benitez has his own failings and problem here, one cannot overlook the fact that the board allowed us to go into the season with such a poor squad that lack depth. Get 1-2 injuries and/or suspensions and the squad will suddenly become threadbare, similar to what is happening now. Easy to sit down here and say, on hindsight, that RDM or whichever manager would be doing a better job. Give any manager with the squad we have now and they would mostly struggle with it. As said, the squad lacks depth and is unbalanced.

[didierforever 7,349]

in all the hazard fiasco, we almost missed the grand performance of this tactical genius... i must say that i understand what all the people were saying that rdm has no know how and FSW was way better.
now i have a suggestion for all those people, please give yourself a pat on the back. you guys along with the chelsea board have ruined a potentially great team...

[Bosnian Blue 2,471]

Not defending him here but as much as Benitez has his own failings and problem here, one cannot overlook the fact that the board allowed us to go into the season with such a poor squad that lack depth. Get 1-2 injuries and/or suspensions and the squad will suddenly become threadbare, similar to what is happening now. Easy to sit down here and say, on hindsight, that RDM or whichever manager would be doing a better job. Give any manager with the squad we have now and they would mostly struggle with it. As said, squad lacks depth and is unbalanced.

He had a Champions League winning team at Inter and showed what he could do.

The board did make a few mistakes with our squad but we also have some fantastic players. I real think we could have seriously challenged the Mancs and could've won at least two trophies with Robbie this year. We probably wouldnt have won the league eventually, but let me tell you one thing we certainly wouldnt have lost it in december.

[Jase 43,479]

He had a Champions League winning team at Inter and showed what he could do.

Mourinho managed to squeeze out every ounce of peak left in an aging squad. People say Benitez messed things up at Inter andhile that is true but subsequent managers at Inter - Leonardo, Gasperini, Ranieri - didn't exactly improve their fortunes either.

The board did make a few mistakes with our squad but we also have some fantastic players. I real think we could have seriously challenged the Mancs and could've won at least two trophies with Robbie this year. We probably wouldnt have won the league eventually, but let me tell you one thing we certainly wouldnt have lost it in december.

As I said, on hindsight, it's easy to sit down here and say 'Oh we would have this', 'We would have won that' under RDM. Whether we'll achieve that, we won't know. I opposed the sacking of RDM too but let's not forget the defensive mess we were in then. We are still a mess now under Benitez, but albeit in different areas.

[Bosnian Blue 2,471]

I'm not saying Robbie was faultless, afterall we got kicked out of CL. But there are people who believed FSW could be the guy to solve problems. Thats pathetic.

Robbie tried to make team play attractive, and as a result of that we used to lose balance sometimes. It happens with young new teams, but there were matches where we showed great character, determination and passion. That was Chelsea. Remember our last 10 mins of the first half against United at the Bridge, and the first 10 minutes of the second half ? The way we played, the atmosphere, the pressure. Our club.

[Jype 6,398]

Not defending him here but as much as Benitez has his own failings and problem here, one cannot overlook the fact that the board allowed us to go into the season with such a poor squad that lack depth. Get 1-2 injuries and/or suspensions and the squad will suddenly become threadbare, similar to what is happening now. Easy to sit down here and say, on hindsight, that RDM or whichever manager would be doing a better job. Give any manager with the squad we have now and they would mostly struggle with it. As said, the squad lacks depth and is unbalanced.

Yeah, I'm sure the board are very proud of their decision to sell Meireles and loan out Essien without buying anyone to replace them. At the time everyone could see that those decisions will come back to haunt us and it didn't even take very long, did it? When Romeu got injured for the season I thought to myself that must have been the point where even the blind cunts at the board would realize that at least one new midfielder to replace those three (!!!) players would be needed but so far there haven't even been any rumours and instead they only started playing Luiz in midfield. For fucks sake, if they're worried about not buying anyone because the next manager who may or may not be coming in the summer might want someone else instead they should have at least seeked to sign someone on loan. A loan signing similar to David Pizarro to Man City last year would have been a perfect short-term solution to help us with our problems but I guess it was too much to ask for...

[chrismada9 1,948]

Yeah, I'm sure the board are very proud of their decision to sell Meireles and loan out Essien without buying anyone to replace them. At the time everyone could see that those decisions will come back to haunt us and it didn't even take very long, did it? When Romeu got injured for the season I thought to myself that must have been the point where even the blind cunts at the board would realize that at least one new midfielder to replace those three (!!!) players would be needed but so far there haven't even been any rumours and instead they only started playing Luiz in midfield. For fucks sake, if they're worried about not buying anyone because the next manager who may or may not be coming in the summer might want someone else instead they should have at least seeked to sign someone on loan. A loan signing similar to David Pizarro to Man City last year would have been a perfect short-term solution to help us with our problems but I guess it was too much to ask for...

Spot on mate! Essien shouldn't have been loaned out to Madrid in the first place! Whoever thought of that idea at the time must have been on drugs! Meireles was a strange case as well, because he had actually played his best game in a Chelsea shirt before the mugs of the board decided his time was up! I mean, Peter Kenyon did some silly things when he was Chief Executive, but if he was still at the club, he be pulling out all the stops to get a deal done with a player to replace the ones that had gone.. but what has Ron Gourlay done!? I'll leave that as an open question for someone to answer! I expect an obvious answer in the mean time!

[Blue Armour 4,317]

Yeah, I'm sure the board are very proud of their decision to sell Meireles and loan out Essien without buying anyone to replace them. At the time everyone could see that those decisions will come back to haunt us and it didn't even take very long, did it? When Romeu got injured for the season I thought to myself that must have been the point where even the blind cunts at the board would realize that at least one new midfielder to replace those three (!!!) players would be needed but so far there haven't even been any rumours and instead they only started playing Luiz in midfield. For fucks sake, if they're worried about not buying anyone because the next manager who may or may not be coming in the summer might want someone else instead they should have at least seeked to sign someone on loan. A loan signing similar to David Pizarro to Man City last year would have been a perfect short-term solution to help us with our problems but I guess it was too much to ask for...

Not to mention that both players played in the CM position. If they wanted to loan senior players out, why not Malouda+Meireles./Essien? Instead they hang onto Malouda, and let him rot in the reserves. No wonder the squad is fucking imbalanced.

Hell, each time the game reaches the 65th-70th minute I start dreading the likely substitutions. Its guaranteed Marin and Piazon (when he was there) won't play, as they're only names on a team-sheet. The most likely sub is Bertrand, who comes on to play out of position. And worse, there's no plan B. Subs are brought on, simply to fit in the lackluster

4-2-3-1 formation which has become frankly nauseating to watch at times, especially with the distorted double pivot and a front three that can barely keep possession under pressure.

[Kieran. 6,317]

Hate to say it but if you look at the bigger picture it is not his fault. The board and Abramovich fucked up badly. The supporters should make a public protest really. The clubs losing it soul.

It's already gone and it left with Robbie.

[Funkyflashman 187]

in all the hazard fiasco, we almost missed the grand performance of this tactical genius... i must say that i understand what all the people were saying that rdm has no know how and FSW was way better.

now i have a suggestion for all those people, please give yourself a pat on the back. you guys along with the chelsea board have ruined a potentially great team...

Yes. The fans. The fans with all of their seemingly limitless say over what goes on in the board room. The fans with their abundance of influence over Abramovich. It is THEY who must take the blame for the hiring of Benitez. After all they are responsible for hirings and firings so they should share the blame.

Wait.

No.

No that's just stupid.

[Rmpr 8,977]

Any speculation on the possibility of him being sacked?

I am eagerly awaiting for some good news...

[Changingman_2000 876]

If Roman is going to insist on keeping this cunt (Complete and utter) until May then I dearly hope we can cling onto top 4 as I have some serious doubts. As I said previously, if cunty bollocks is still in the chair by the time we visit Anfield then that is going to be a skin crawling day. He will be fucking lording it.

[Rmpr 8,977]

Roman must have done some New Year's resolution to sack only one manager per season, there is no other logical explanation.

He sacked all our past coaches for a lot less than that....

[termninja 5,290]

I'm happy with Rafa's work so far

Not brilliant, but no awful either. FA Cup aside, we are out of the trophy races, but we are still doing alright in the league, and out football is mostly interesting to watch. I want us to finish 3rd or 2nd and then finally bring Jose home and end all this bullshit. Sell Torres also and cut all out bloody ties with Liverpool...

Why sack him ffs!? Who would you bring? And what if he starts doing bad also? Sack him also?

[Beepu 1,714]

Has it ever happened that an interim manager got the sack in that same season??

[Rmpr 8,977]

Why sack him ffs!? Who would you bring? And what if he starts doing bad also? Sack him also?

The argument of "who would you bring" simply does not cut. If Roman was really worried with who he is gonna replace with, Robbie would still be here.

The way things are going (basically the fact the players and Rafa have no connection), we can find second tier managers that would do a better job.

Dont read too much on it though, I am just a pissed off fan. Dont know if I would have the same reaction on a professional level. You are being way more sensible than I am...

[nachikethas 1,149]

dont think he would be sacked before season finishes. but just moments before the everton game finish i want him to be sacked,him completing the deal will be a huge insult to all the coches that got fired here.

[didierforever 7,349]

Yes. The fans. The fans with all of their seemingly limitless say over what goes on in the board room. The fans with their abundance of influence over Abramovich. It is THEY who must take the blame for the hiring of Benitez. After all they are responsible for hirings and firings so they should share the blame.

Wait.

No.

No that's just stupid.

i m talking about the fans who believed in the "RAFALUTION"... who so vehemently said that rdm was a novice in the world of professionals and had no idea about anythin he was ever doin and that FSW would probably make us the ünbeatables"... defending FSW after the 0-0 draws to begin with because "he dint have much time to work with"... then defending him through the cwc fiasco or our home matches...

those our the kind of fans i was talking about... and believe we have them here in wholesale..