The Benitez Thread

[Steve 10,227]

To be fair he is somewhat right. I mean the atmosphere of most games is horrible but the worst thing is this was happening well before Rafa took over. Now that's not so much for the away support but the home support is terrible. Surely one of the worst in the league and that's because half our fans are glory hunters. No word of a lie there if you go to the stadium you will see first hand most of them don't know what they're talking about.

I remember one game when Di Santo was about to come on for us and there was this young man sitting behind me pretending like he knew everything and then before Franco came on he said... "I don't know who this is, I think it's Zhirkov." Now it doesn't so much annoy me that he didn't know who he was but it annoyed me that he was pretending to be some sort of superior fan.

The worst thing is that he probably knew more than alot of the people in the stadium and that's because the board does not care about the real supporters, they care about money and money only. They would prefer to bump up the prices of tickets and have heaps of tourists at the bridge over an amazing atmosphere.

[Kojo 4,676]

I know it's like a football fan trend or fashion to give your board stick and hate them, but in all honesty our board really does suck ass.

[bushman 2,043]

To blame those half tipsy fans & call them glory hunters, I find it " funny " to say the least.

Every club in the world have certain fans. Some are racist, some are tanked & some are knowledgeable supporters.

[MHL 47 378]

Wow MHL showing your age there mate

BFH - cant beat a bit of bully good ole Jim Bowen

No, I've just been watching the re-runs

Classic old time quiz show, and some of those prizes, seriously!

Back to TFSW, sounds like he avoided having to catch the bus. It's unbeeleebable (FSW speak there) that he believes he'll get away with this rant.. He's gotta know that this'll be the end, he may be many things but he won't be completely stupid. This was well rehearsed and according to reports this morning was repeated to the radio, TV and written media reporters on separate occasions. No matter what questions were being asked he went back to the rant.

Either he knows that he was going very soon and wanted to get-in first, which in his warped mind may make any other employer think that he's been hard done by and let him have an opportunity at a new club, or he's already got one lined up and wants to start work for them sooner rather than later, either directly or behind the current incumbant's back.

There's been rumours about that Grant has been spending time around the club again recently and it may be he's put two-and-two together?

[Slam Dunk 1,442]

Well people it has been confirmed that rafadyce is meeting w/ the CFC Board this morning Adios FSW!!!!

Grant it is then...

[The only place to be 11,313]

I liked his talk even though I am not a fan of him.

Especially when he says: 'at the end of the season I am gone, you don't have to worry about me.' Also, the focus should beon the team and sticking up for the players. They AND us want CL football next year. The way things are going now and considering how thin our player pool is, they will need every bit of cheering and atmosphere ....

As much as we may have issues with Benitez .... Sometimes it is time to suck it up and be there as a fan!

I am in.

He's got a point about people having an agenda too. You can see that in this thread where people were preparing the chants before his first game, and I criticised that at the time. I didn't want him before he got the job (like most fans) and I didn't want him to stay one second longer than he has too (like most fans), but in between those two times it served our own long-term needs to support him or at least not give him stick.

But people were already bowling out of Fulham Broadway with their little chants and their print-outs of 'Rafa Out'. Now they'll say they just care about the club, but booing the manager wasn't in the best interests of the club in my opinion. The atmosphere has been toxic, not because of Rafa but because of the reaction to Rafa.

1% of life is what happens to you - 99% is how you react to it and when you expect someone to fail then it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The thing is, I'm not sure if these fans are happy or sad that we're in the state we're in now. There are people in life who enjoy having something to moan about and they certainly have that now.

Yes you have a right to voice an opinion once you've forked over that money that you worked hard for (or didn't - no judging) but to me that isn't fun. Going to a football match with the intention of criticising the manager of the team before he's taken charge of his first game (because there is surely no doubt that's what some fans did) isn't fun to me. It isn't entertaining. It isn't what I wanted to do when my dad first took me to see Chelsea. It isn't what he had in mind has a fun day out when he went to the box office on his lunch breaks to get tickets and I simply can't fathom the logic of the fans who tried to make the atmosphere at the Bridge as toxic as they could. Yes they did it for the manager's benefit, but there are players on the pitch who DO hear it, there are fans in the stadium who DO hear it and don't like it and there are fans around the world who DO watch it and must think what the fuck are we actually trying to achieve.

Any fan with half a brain knew that Rafa wasn't going before summer unless results got so bad there'd be no other choice. They've very nearly got that now.

Where's the champagne?

[Bosnian Blue 2,471]

It's not the gloryhunters who are singing those songs, those are people who have supported this club through thick and thin, who love it more than any manager, player or owner. He's not right, where has that come from now ?

[edetarod 2,155]

i want him to get sacked in the most humiliating fashion

[The only place to be 11,313]

It's not the gloryhunters who are singing those songs, those are people who have supported this club through thick and thin, who love it more than any manager, player or owner. He's not right, where has that come from now ?

How do you know that? I've seen teenage lads singing such songs. I've also seen blokes who have supported the club for decades rolling their eyes at these songs.

[Stingray 9,441]

He's got a point about people having an agenda too. You can see that in this thread where people were preparing the chants before his first game, and I criticised that at the time. I didn't want him before he got the job (like most fans) and I didn't want him to stay one second longer than he has too (like most fans), but in between those two times it served our own long-term needs to support him or at least not give him stick.

But people were already bowling out of Fulham Broadway with their little chants and their print-outs of 'Rafa Out'. Now they'll say they just care about the club, but booing the manager wasn't in the best interests of the club in my opinion. The atmosphere has been toxic, not because of Rafa but because of the reaction to Rafa.

1% of life is what happens to you - 99% is how you react to it and when you expect someone to fail then it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The thing is, I'm not sure if these fans are happy or sad that we're in the state we're in now. There are people in life who enjoy having something to moan about and they certainly have that now.

Yes you have a right to voice an opinion once you've forked over that money that you worked hard for (or didn't - no judging) but to me that isn't fun. Going to a football match with the intention of criticising the manager of the team before he's taken charge of his first game (because there is surely no doubt that's what some fans did) isn't fun to me. It isn't entertaining. It isn't what I wanted to do when my dad first took me to see Chelsea. It isn't what he had in mind has a fun day out when he went to the box office on his lunch breaks to get tickets and I simply can't fathom the logic of the fans who tried to make the atmosphere at the Bridge as toxic as they could. Yes they did it for the manager's benefit, but there are players on the pitch who DO hear it, there are fans in the stadium who DO hear it and don't like it and there are fans around the world who DO watch it and must think what the fuck are we actually trying to achieve.

Any fan with half a brain knew that Rafa wasn't going before summer unless results got so bad there'd be no other choice. They've very nearly got that now.

Where's the champagne?

Amen to that.

[Bosnian Blue 2,471]

How do you know that? I've seen teenage lads singing such songs. I've also seen blokes who have supported the club for decades rolling their eyes at these songs.

By reading their opinions, simple.

Maybe they were too old to sing. Seriously now, that could've been the case but I assure you there are plenty of people (starting from TC) who were there for the club when we were shit and they think the same.

[MHL 47 378]

He's got a point about people having an agenda too. You can see that in this thread where people were preparing the chants before his first game, and I criticised that at the time. I didn't want him before he got the job (like most fans) and I didn't want him to stay one second longer than he has too (like most fans), but in between those two times it served our own long-term needs to support him or at least not give him stick.

But people were already bowling out of Fulham Broadway with their little chants and their print-outs of 'Rafa Out'. Now they'll say they just care about the club, but booing the manager wasn't in the best interests of the club in my opinion. The atmosphere has been toxic, not because of Rafa but because of the reaction to Rafa.

1% of life is what happens to you - 99% is how you react to it and when you expect someone to fail then it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The thing is, I'm not sure if these fans are happy or sad that we're in the state we're in now. There are people in life who enjoy having something to moan about and they certainly have that now.

Yes you have a right to voice an opinion once you've forked over that money that you worked hard for (or didn't - no judging) but to me that isn't fun. Going to a football match with the intention of criticising the manager of the team before he's taken charge of his first game (because there is surely no doubt that's what some fans did) isn't fun to me. It isn't entertaining. It isn't what I wanted to do when my dad first took me to see Chelsea. It isn't what he had in mind has a fun day out when he went to the box office on his lunch breaks to get tickets and I simply can't fathom the logic of the fans who tried to make the atmosphere at the Bridge as toxic as they could. Yes they did it for the manager's benefit, but there are players on the pitch who DO hear it, there are fans in the stadium who DO hear it and don't like it and there are fans around the world who DO watch it and must think what the fuck are we actually trying to achieve.

Any fan with half a brain knew that Rafa wasn't going before summer unless results got so bad there'd be no other choice. They've very nearly got that now.

Where's the champagne?

Perhaps he's reaping what he sowed, what he's ended up with is a result of the 'cause and effect' of his comments about the players, fans and the club when he was at Liverpool - Some won't see past that.

You'll know from our discussions that I never rated his ability, the rest of it I didn't like but could live with if he'd put us in a comfortable league position and got us looking like a solid unit again, he hasn't on either count.

He's turned out to be not as good as he thinks he is and with that diatribe last night has just proved what a manipulative and cunning individual he is, personally I wouldn't pay him in shirt buttons now.

As for my champers, it's on ice and with a bit of luck will be getting 'popped' this evening.

Heck I'd even accept Grant for the remainder of the season now. At least he has the sense to know who to rely on, he's a bit of a liability football wise, but he may be able to get good advice in that respect.

[The only place to be 11,313]

By reading their opinions, simple.

Maybe they were too old to sing. Seriously now, that could've been the case but I assure you there are plenty of people (starting from TC) who were there for the club when we were shit and they think the same.

They've not been too old to sing in the past. You making generalisations when you don't really have any clue what you're talking about isn't all that helpful.

The amazing thing to me is how completely fucking stupid the main chant against Rafa is.

We don't care about Rafa,

He don't care about us,

All we care about is Chelsea FC.

Now ignoring the fact that it's got a piss-poor tune, it makes no fucking sense to sing it. The lyrics (such that they are) imply that he may well be coach, but we don't care. All we care about is this club. But singing it and creating a shit atmosphere actively works against the club doesn't it? For those who sing it - do you feel like it drives the club forward? Does it give you the goosebumps that singing Ten Men Went To Mow or Over Land and Sea gives you?

Perhaps he's reaping what he sowed, what he's ended up with is a result of the 'cause and effect' of his comments about the players, fans and the club when he was at Liverpool - Some won't see past that.

You'll know from our discussions that I never rated his ability, the rest of it I didn't like but could live with if he'd put us in a comfortable league position and got us looking like a solid unit again, he hasn't on either count.

He's turned out to be not as good as he thinks he is and with that diatribe last night has just proved what a manipulative and cunning individual he is, personally I wouldn't pay him in shirt buttons now.

As for my champers, it's on ice and with a bit of luck will be getting 'popped' this evening.

Heck I'd even accept Grant for the remainder of the season now. At least he has the sense to know who to rely on, he's a bit of a liability football wise, but he may be able to get good advice in that respect.

And that's the same feeling I had. I didn't want him one second longer than he had to be here, but I wasn't going to boo him before he took charge of his first second of a game because that wasn't in the team's best interests in my opinion. But people turned up with their signs. They actually printed these things out to create a protest environment rather than focusing on supporting the team.

He may well be reaping what he sowed, but so are some of our fans. They wanted him gone, and there was only one way that was going to happen. I'm sure they'll now disavow any part in it.

And the opposition fans who say they're too cowardly to call for Roman's head because of his money.....it's harder and harder everyday to disprove that.

[We Hate Scouse 10,327]

How do you know that? I've seen teenage lads singing such songs. I've also seen blokes who have supported the club for decades rolling their eyes at these songs.

So all teenagers are glory hunters? Let be guess we didnt witness the hard times so we wouldn't know?

Fantastic.

I know a lot of teenagers and also people who have been going for decades that sing these songs. Many away and European regulars. Don't tend to get many glory hunters travelling 6 hours by coach to Middlesbrough on a cold Wednesday night.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Tbh, I agree with most of what he said there, but if it gets him sacked, I'm a happy man!

[The only place to be 11,313]

So all teenagers are glory hunters? Let be guess we didnt witness the hard times so we wouldn't know?

Fantastic.

I know a lot of teenagers and also people who have been going for decades that sing these songs. Many away and European regulars. Don't tend to get many glory hunters travelling 6 hours by coach to Middlesbrough on a cold Wednesday night.

Calm down. He said they were fans who supported the club through thick and thin and people of our age (although I'm slightly older than you) have had very little 'thin' in our time supporting the club. In fact in my years it's been very much Kardashian on the thickness scale.

My point is that it's not tenure of support that determines who sings these songs, but mentality. Different people react to different things in life based on their attitude.

My attitude was shitty at first, but I decided I didn't care about Rafa - all I cared about was Chelsea so I choose to sing songs which support the club and don't single specific people out for criticism or abuse. That's MY choice. Others have made different ones.

[Buffalo talks Blue 85]

What doesn't he has a problem with.. the fans, the players and now the term 'interim?'

[Bosnian Blue 2,471]

Nobody criticizes you for not chanting or having a different opinion, so why do you do that to us ?

I hate him, but above all I love this club. And 'We hate scouse' answered the other part.

You didn't care about him, then you shouldn't care at all who is the manager because results are everything. It can be FSW, it can be Roman, it can be Justin Bieber...

[Fulham Broadway 17,339]

To the 2000 last night.....If this turns out to be the tipping point for FSW I will be eternally grateful
to the 2000 who voiced their opinion last night, its a hell of a long way to go on a school night, and I salute you.

Rafa last night what a fool. By saying the club made a massive mistake making him interim manager not only alienates himself even more from the fans and the club but his lawyers, and agent when he signed the Interim Contract

PS WHS and Liquidator and someone else one here who i forget are teenagers/young and are regular attenders, know the history and forked out hard earned cash over land and sea

[English Freak 456]

Don't see anything wrong with what Benitez said in the press conference.

He's never been able to handle the English media to begin with.