The Benitez Thread

DDA · May 17, 2013

So many mixed reviews on Rafa but hate or like him you cannot take away the fact that he has handled himself in a very dignified and honorable manner. He arrived with the club burning effigies of his rotund self and the constant booing echoing around Stamford Bridge, chants calling for his head. The guy has stood strong and guided a disjointed Chelsea through a manic fixture list.

This is not to say I'm a big fan of Rafa but after the job he has done for us I am definitely not fulfilled with hate as I once was. He isn't the first manager to mug us off publicly and he won't be the last and I seriously think our fans need to get over it, nod your cap at Rafa for booking us in the CL and bringing us..... ANOTHER TROPHY.. Time to move on.

CHOULO19 · May 17, 2013

People who think we would have done better with RDM are letting their hearts rule their heads. Now i wanted RDM to work as much as anyone (check my post's last summer) but as time went on it was clear that it just wasn't going to work.
You say, well we sacked him too soon? probably yes we did, but it's better to sack someone too soon then too late. If we sacked Scolari a couple of months earlier, Hiddink could have recovered a title win out of that season, but instead we waited until it got beyond a joke under Big Phil and then on Hiddink (despite only dropping 5 points, and both those games we hit the woodwork in injury time) could only get us 3rd and even if we won all the games, still would not have won the league.
The Juventus and Athletico game's were frightening, that was the worst beggining and end performance's from a Chelsea team since we went to Old Trafford under Big Phil and lost 3-0. Even the dark days of AVB and Carlo's second season we never performed so badly from the first minute to the last like we did in Turin especially.
Under Rafa we have performed on the same level but under RDM would we have even carried on performing on the same level? our worrying erratic displays aswell as what happened at WBA (completely nosedived) suggest's the chances are we would not have. The City game especially would have been really really messy.
Yes you could say results are identical but performances are not. Even in the games we fucked up in that he gets stick for (Southampton, Swansea, Reading, QPR) we dominated the games and didn't take our chances. We weren't dominating games under RDM, even at the start of the season our only truly impressive displays was Spurs and too a lesser extent Norwich (Arsenal game was won from two set pieces). The bad side of Rafa has been his substitution's which at time's have had me banging me head against a brick wall.
He improved us defensively, we were all over the place in RDM's late tenure and looked like nothing was changing, Rafa has come in and made us into a unit at the back, ok not to the extent Jose did but better than before. Hazard's defensive work has also improved ten fold and Lampard imo has looked better under Rafa than he has any time since the Double winning season. Rafa has also treated every player by merit and has managed to do it without causing a dressing room riot (something we have been wanting for years, no?).
I love Robbie always will, but sometimes in football you have to let your head rule your heart.
Im not convinced he is a genius manager (like Ruperb or the Scousers) and if it's a choice of him or Jose then there is only one winner but i do think he has made some decent contribution's that Jose can built on and above it i think he is a very decent man who has handled this job with dignity, professionalism and class in the face of the abuse he has got, a lesser man would have walked away.
Thankyou Rafa and good luck at you're next job, i will watch with interest.

We really should have an option on this forum to "Like" something more than once..

Fulham Broadway · May 17, 2013

Main thing is the fat cunt is fucking off and @metsaj ''watch the games'' ??

Have been going to Chelsea games since 1967....

Tomo · May 17, 2013

Quick question to the fan's who hated Rafa because of his previous comments.

As Rooney stuck V sign's to our supporters during the Old Trafford title decider in 2011. will he be getting the same level of abuse if he signs for us?

Fulham Broadway · May 17, 2013

Most of the people I go with dont have a go at the fat cunt for his previous comments, it was because of his ineptitude -dont know if you go Tomo, but the groans every game at his crap substitutes were all around, and infectious. And I dont hate him, that is too passionate- hes just a fat bastard chancer. I dont think theres any at away games who rated him -just the media and people on the internet

As for Rooney, dont really want him, baggage+ excessive wage bill, and dont forget he went nearly a year at Yernited with barely a goal

Anyway 4 games top left for the fat cunt -Everton, possible play off at Villa Park, and two yank games against Citeh. Adios.

kobematabryant · May 17, 2013

I found a video done by a Liverpool fan and I thought it was quite good. He speaks about how Rafa Benitez was treated in our club. I suppose I'll share it. I have to half agree with him.

termninja · May 17, 2013

Ever since he came at the club, I've said that I would put my feelings for him aside and give him my starting support because all I want is Chelsea to get best possible results. My heart was broken to see Robbie go, but it's over.

Season is almost done and judging Rafa's work until now, I have to say he has done a rather good job considering the time he arrived at the club, the difficulty of the job he took and the support he received from the fans. Football we played under him was good while he also managed to improve Torres' form and performances. Sadly, we couldn't reach the FA Cup final, but besides that it was a decent season.

Our team is still a bit short from winning the league title, but with Fergie gone, City probably changing their manager and hopefully, with Jose and some good transfer, I would expect us to nail the league next season.

Credit where credit is due, he has done a decent job and proven some things to us.

Still, I simply can't look at him as one of our own, it's rather as if I'm looking at a foreigner, but oh well, thanks for your effort Rafael

The Skipper · May 17, 2013

And not to mention, there is an obvious double standard going on. When we win games, especially the big ones, people praised the players for getting that 3 result but don't bother to give Benitez credit, not even a tiny bit. BUT yet, when we lose or fail to win games, most of these people blame everything and solely on Benitez when the players' performances on the pitch are the one that mess it up most of the time.

That's not true, a very black and white way of looking at it. The people that criticise him alas myself have given him credit for the big games we've won. And it's not true that people blame defeats solely on Rafa, just take a look at the Mikel or Torres threads.

I'll give Rafa credit for doing a decent job overall, he's been quite professional too, and yeah sure he won us a major trophy which is fair enough even though we were the strongest team in the competition and should be beating the teams we faced regardless (but still, you have to beat what's in front of you and he deserves credit for that) but you can't honestly hold your head up and say that he's not made mistakes in a couple of games we should've won.

This image below (courtesy of robdog) also shows some are overrating the job he's done. In the end it's the points that Di Matteo won for us at the start of the season that contributed quite a bit in us finished top four.

Jase · May 17, 2013

That's not true, a very black and white way of looking at it. The people that criticise him alas myself have given him credit for the big games we've won. And it's not true that people blame defeats solely on Rafa, just take a look at the Mikel or Torres threads.

I did not specifically said 'everyone' or 'all fans', did I? Obviously meant those haters who are just blindly driven by hatred.

Yasser · May 17, 2013

I do hope his not boo'd, cheer him goodbye, we are not millwall, west ham or leeds, we are the chelsea & we are the best......let him go away happy, smiling and waving goodbye......then when he sits back & thinks about his time at chelsea, he will know he was wrong about all the bad things he said about chelsea when he was the manager of liverpool.........we are the chelsea & we are the best!

Changingman_2000 · May 18, 2013

Where will he end up?, Everton? Citeh?, who knows........................who cares??

Blue Traveler · May 18, 2013

Bravo, priorities.
Fact is, Frank is 35 this June. He himself has said that even-though he feels like he is 25, he knows that he is not the same on the pitch. Both of them struggled with injuries, especially Terry, who has been out injured majority of the time or regaining fitness giving pens away. Besides, like it or not, under your beloved Rafael Benitez he broke the scoring record while being our top EPL goalmachine.
The last sentence is trolling or what? Can't get the joke.

Yeah i know what he said after UEFA Cup final AND he clearly meant that he can not score goal like he used to because of different position he's playing under FSW not because of lack fitness blah blah. No player gonna say that i'm old i'm not going to score as same as before so plz take it easy on me!

About the fitness you mentiond, there are so many time both JT and Lampard were fit and ready to go, closest to mind is the semi final against Man City which both of them were fit & fine but FSW left them out which cost us another title!

About Lampard being on his top UNDER RAFA is one those words i can not except. Lampard breaking the record is purely down to his brilliance and individual skill and self determination not FSW genius methods and plans etc!

Strike · May 18, 2013

And not to mention, there is an obvious double standard going on. When we win games, especially the big ones, people praised the players for getting that 3 result but don't bother to give Benitez credit, not even a tiny bit. BUT yet, when we lose or fail to win games, most of these people blame everything and solely on Benitez when the players' performances on the pitch are the one that mess it up most of the time.

That is not entirely true. When Chelsea drew 2-2 at Old Trafford, there was more praise for Rafa than the team.

"Subs changed the game", "Rafa silences Man United" etc

Jase · May 18, 2013

That is not entirely true. When Chelsea drew 2-2 at Old Trafford, there was more praise for Rafa than the team.
"Subs changed the game", "Rafa silences Man United" etc

Again, I didn't say everyone praised the team and not give Benitez credit did I?

And in that scenario, there were quite a lot of people blaming him for not starting the strongest team like leaving Hazard on the bench for example. When he did change things around early, hardly anyone mention that and instead, they choose to focus on whatever negatives they can find.

Strike · May 18, 2013

Again, I didn't say everyone praised the team and not give Benitez credit did I?
And in that scenario, there were quite a lot of people blaming him for not starting the strongest team like leaving Hazard on the bench for example. When he did change things around early, hardly anyone mention that and instead, they choose to focus on whatever negatives they can find.

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.

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.

kellzfresh · May 18, 2013

Benitez was given the task which AVB failed at, which is making the new players the core of our team. There was a time we couldn't win a game without lamps and terry playing, now azpi, mata, luiz, hazard are now vital players in our team. Make no mistake about it, It was a massive success to change the core of our team from the mourinho era and still play attractive football (we scored 145 goals this season) without terry and lampard complaining.

Its not fair to compare how we were 4 points behind manutd because they have been magnificent in the league this season only chelsea 04/05 were better than this manutd side in the league in recent times, their point total agrees with me.

We should compare with mancitty before benitez came and see there wasn't that much of a shift, considering we played 10-15 more games than any other team in the league, with the smallest squad in the top 5.

Under benitez we lost the CWC, Carling cup, and FA cup. Here's what really happened:

The CWC, torres missed an open goal yes benitez made a stupid sub of bringing on a rightback but if torres put that in, we won't be talking about this.

The carling cup, IVANOVIC single handedly sent us out don't even mention benitez in this.

The FA cup, we won manutd on the way to a far stronger mancity with an extra week rest and there is no shame in that.

So in total its only the CWC I can really blame him for and at that time, the BOO guys were at their full flow.

The turning point of Benitez era is when he commented after the middlesborough game that he will leave at the end of the season. That made the boo boys stop and allowed our players (especially the new young ones who are not used to receiving boos from their fans) concentrate on the game plan and we started winning a lot more games. Had we stopped booing earlier I could have imagined our position in the league with fully focused players.

So I hope he gets a nice send off tomorow and mourinho comes in.

dumps · May 18, 2013

I am honestly still amazed to see so much hatred for Rafa.

He did exactly what we wanted. got champions league. won the Europa league (a competition we were in before he joined us, it was out of his hands) and managed to give Frank the oppurtunity to get a contract extension.

I for one would agree with those saying it wasnt the best, i believe we may be a bit fortunate to be in the top 4, we just about did it BUT we did it. Rafa did it. He has made some tactical decisions we hated, BUT he also made some great tactical decisions (see games Vs united).

I was one of those who didn't mind us getting Rafa as an interim manager. i would have hated it if he was here as a manager for 2+ years, but he was hired as an interim, and hes done exactly what was asked of him, and now he makes room for Jose.

he deserves a warm send off tomorrow from us. and those that really hated him being here, just be happy its his last game, and be thankful for what he has done. He'll never be held high by us fans, but he has earnt a decent send off and some respect. he's had to put up with some real shit at his time here thanks to the majority of our fans.

just chill out. theres only one person who would have had a tougher time managing us... Adolf Hitler... and i for one dont think he would have had the knowledge of the game to get us in to the top 10 let alone the top 4 for christ sakes, sure press conferences would have been good, but i really dont think he'd have set up the team as well as Rafa.

Hitler OUT! wait, what?

On a side note thats got me thinking, how awesome would it have been to have some big world leaders managing football teams. Hussain, Hitler, Stalin, Bush, Churchill, Hirohito, Kim Jung-Un etc. I smell a comedy TV show being born.

and that reminds me of this:

kellzfresh · May 18, 2013