The Benitez Thread

[oxfordblues 299]

jesus reading back,i don`t know why i bothered.like the headline says nicked from a facebook group.

[Hutcho 8,443]

No its not, 4 points behind is one of those cases where numbers lie. It wasn't just a 'mere' 4 points, there was an 8 point turnaround in the space of 4 games, 3 of which where against midtable teams like West brom, Liverpool and Swansea. And our very next game was against the reigning champions.

You could look at the various spells of rafa in charge, where we looked beyond terrible. Just because we had 3 games in a row where we underperformed doesn't mean that we would lose the next one. Rafa took charge and we had to 0-0's. There is no way of knowing RDM wouldn't have bettered that.

Like i said, we got there in the end, so it all ended well, and we won a trophy, but that doesn't mean that RDM couldn't have done the same thing or better. Job done, both parties can seperate and be relieved with how the season ended.

[Hesuedia 16]

At least he has some arguments.

Instead of refuting directly, ad hominem is frustrating.

[Goemaere 131]

Luiz is by no means a world class midfielder.

[1chelsea 864]

what is he lauding about this, we have a good team when he took over and how good is Torres about larmpard i can praise hazard and Mata

so let start taking credits

"But let's remember that we started to have a bad season even before he arrived."

Despite the cups before the season properly got underway and the CL exit I thought our other cups and league campaign were going just fine. true

"3rd place, Europa League title."

We're not even guaranteed 3rd place yet. true

"Made Torres look better, Made Luiz a world class midfielder AND defender (He wasn't defending well before),"

the brilliant performance form the midfield mad him look like he is good for luiz is getting is maturity

"Helped Lampard break the record."

Mata and Hazard

"Won us a very tough game. Everton and Stoke City away,"

"He's done A BRILLIANT JOB."

it what the team and some brilliant performance from some player

[Cosmin 2,484]

We could've done better this season, but Rafa's work can only be described as decent.

The man deserves our respect.

[bushman 2,043]

Yes, Rafa deserves certain respect. Required job was done & now he can walk out proudly.

[BowtiesAreCool 16]

Indeed, I respect the job he's done. He's come in, got lots of stick (some of it rightly so) and won us the Europa League. Good job, Rafa. But you still have to make way for Mourinho, I'm afraid. Goodbye, The Waiter.

[The only place to be 11,313]

When he came in, I said that if the season could end right then with us top four then that would be enough. By that criteria he has surpassed my expectations. The team that Robbie had was like an out of control train, high on power but light on direction.

Should he have been sacked? He probably shouldn't have ever got the job in the first place. I don't think he's a very good manager in all honesty. Yes he won us the CL but Avram Grant would've had that distinction too if the penalty shootout had gone a different way. It's funny to think that that's all that really separates them - in fact if Avram had as much luck as Robbie did then he might've got the job too. I know there's all this stuff about treating legends well, but people seem to forget that we gave Robbie a job when he couldn't get fucking interview at a Championship club.

But that laid the bed (alongside his comments when at Liverpool) for Rafa to come in and be hated by the support (not all, many were quite content mourning the loss of Robbie and grudgingly accepting Rafa's appointment because it was only short-term). The situation was made harder for him and the players than it needed to be and he has made more than enough mistakes on his own that I'll be glad to see the back of his tactics, but I will applaud him on Sunday.

I never wanted him here and it will be cathartic when he leaves, but he's done a half-decent job for us.....but by god he needs to shake up his tactics once in a while. I would go absolutely mental if I had to watch a team managed by him over the course of a season.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Okay the post is OTT, but the sentiment remains. Rafa deserves our respect, the biggest thing I respect him for is staying through all the protest and booing. Like it or not, he kept the dressing room on his side & like it or not he got us CL Qualification + Europa League.

[bushman 2,043]

If Rafa were to manage Chelsea for one full season & got 3-4 players as Jose will get, he could even do well enough to match anybody, I feel.

[Hutcho 8,443]

If Rafa were to manage Chelsea for one full season & got 3-4 players as Jose will get, he could even do well enough to match anybody, I feel.

Yossi would still probably be his go to sub though.

[Kojo 4,676]

Some of us don't want to admit it but Rafa was better than Robbie this season. Robbie got dominated in many games and embarrassed the team, Juventus and Attletico Madrid.

Rafa used to just drop silly points due to his subs, and even though in the middle we lacked great spirit he managed to turn it around when we needed to at Middlesbrough game.

However as a highlight of this season in general, besides the Europa it would have to be beating Arsenal twice, that was just classic!. We are not even with Wenger on a state of wins, I want to surpass it so we can just shove it in the face of all Arsenal fans.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

I hope they give him an appropriate send off, kind of like what Hiddink got. Let's be honest here, our grudges against him are personal, not against his football.

[bushman 2,043]

Yossi would still probably be his go to sub though.

Yossi´s contract is over, he must go. Chelsea can afford much better players.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

^ the Di Matteo chant will continue in the 16th minute. Even re-hiring Mourinho wouldn't properly right the wrong that was sacking him, it was a slight against the supporters who backed an idol of theirs', and a legend of the club, in the first place. His treatment was disgusting, and the chants serve as a - a "thank you" to Robbie, and b - a "fuck you" to Buck, Gourlay et al.

[Strike 7,503]

Tbf, Rafa knows how to wind up Fergie. Got his shit right for all 3 games vs United. That was immensely satisfying

[bushman 2,043]

Under Rafa the team played well against Manures, Arsenal, Spurs but dropped games against lesser teams.

Therefore, I honestly believe if Roman forks out 100m as I read, 3-4 players are bought, even Rafa could do well, much better next season. The team has been too thin, no bench, he could not rely on Marin, Yossi, Ferreira. I still think the biggest blame should be directed to Chelsea´s management.

[Rubber bullets 1,183]

I guess Rafa will be feeling proud that in just 7 months as a Chelsea manager he has won us a major European trophy, while his rival Jose never got us to a final.

[bushman 2,043]

I guess Rafa will be feeling proud that in just 7 months as a Chelsea manager he has won us a major European trophy, while his rival Jose never got us to a final.

Finally, someone compares the obvious.