The Benitez Thread

[The only place to be 11,313]

Great now the Grant rumors are starting just like the Benitez rumors started before Robbie was sacked: http://www.dailymail...el-Benitez.html

Anyone else feel we're moving from bad to worse? At this rate we'll be relegated by the end of the season!

I don't know if it's bad to worse, but it certainly seems like we're flailing a little.

This two team-talk thing seems utterly bizarre in all honesty. It's the complete opposite of what managers like Guardiola insist on when it comes to languages - how can you have a team spirit when you're doing shit like that.

In all honesty it seems as though Roman knows what he wants to happen in the summer, but he doesn't know how to get us there whilst maintaining fourth spot. Could Grant really help? He's a confidante of Roman so there may be a little more insight into the club and the players.

Fuck.

[Corner 456]

Lampard? Deep lying playmaker? Really? He may be many things but deep-lying playmaker isn't one. Specially as he always wants to be further upfield leaving Mikel exposed. I agree about Ramires though, he's not the midfield general we desperately need.

I know, which is why I said when he's not trying to be a box-to-box midfielder. He just needs to be more disciplines as he certainly has the vision and passing ability to be one, and he showed that during the second half of last season.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

If we change a manager yet again, its going to be laugh from all ends. Goodbye at least a bit of respect left...

[Rmpr 8,977]

BREAKING NEWS:

Roman Abramovich is in the hunt for a time machine, he wants to re-sign RDM after the immense flop of a certain Fat Spanish Waiter.

[robdog 2,084]

RANT

Like your namesake, that was an Supa effort in your rant

[robdog 2,084]

Just in case you were wondering, there is a is rafa sacked yet website BTW, I agree w/ Butch about Gus Poyet becoming gaffer for CFC. I don't know if this video was posted yet, but here are Ruud Gullit's POV about this whole situation.

[The Mak 4,459]

At least he looks happy...not.

http://www.dailymail...t-West-Ham.html

[Henrique 9,133]

If we change a manager yet again, its going to be laugh from all ends. Goodbye at least a bit of respect left...

Must be on drugs. Grant will be Benitez's partner.

Grant & Rafa is the way of the future.

[James 5,214]

[Tomo 21,733]

Appointing Avram Grant would just be a more complicated way of saying Steve Holland is incharge until the end of the season.

[JLC 13]

My word, what a moron.

.

I really hope that's not true...

(relating to the speaking two languages quote)

[klopfzeichen 78]

Nothing to worry about now people, Avram Grant is coming back.

Hey, at least he is (in a bizarre sort of way) a Chelsea fan. The dynamic duo of Grant and Benitez to the rescue. :blue scalf:

[Jase 43,479]

Grant back to the club?! Oh dear.

There was this 'curse' stats that once he takes over a role at a club's boardroom, the manager will be sacked just weeks later!

[henlin007 12]

Appointing Avram Grant would just be a more complicated way of saying Steve Holland is incharge until the end of the season.

Avram's pretty shitty, but yeah, he knows when to be pragmatic and hands off. He let the players who knew what they were doing better than he did virtually run the show, and they didn't do too bad. 2nd in the league and a final is alright. Unfortunately, we know longer have as many of those players, but just slightly more conservative play, a new striker, lamps and terry coming off their injury, and a hands-off attitude, I believe, will see us finish okay this season. Better than Rafa's shitty tinkering... though I guess the knowledge that we can keep a 0-0 against a title-challenging side is comforting in a really shitty, I-hate-our-current-form kind of way.

[Fulham Broadway 16,920]

Installation of Grant is the fucking death knell of any respect for the players or fans

£ £ £ £ £ £

[Jase 43,479]

Avram's pretty shitty, but yeah, he knows when to be pragmatic and hands off. He let the players who knew what they were doing better than he did virtually run the show, and they didn't do too bad. 2nd in the league and a final is alright. Unfortunately, we know longer have as many of those players, but just slightly more conservative play, a new striker, lamps and terry coming off their injury, and a hands-off attitude, I believe, will see us finish okay this season. Better than Rafa's shitty tinkering... though I guess the knowledge that we can keep a 0-0 against a title-challenging side is comforting in a really shitty, I-hate-our-current-form kind of way.

Thing is back then Grant had Steve Clarke and Henk Ten Cate with lots of senior players to 'take over' his job. Now, there are only Terry, Lampard etc around and I'm not sure how 'bright' are our backroom staffs.

[The only place to be 11,313]

You need to post the second verse where he tells us who we should appoint instead.

[henlin007 12]

Installation of Grant is the fucking death knell of any respect for the players or fans

I've been a fan for decades and the fans should always come first. But the reason behind that is because we'll be there long after all club personnel are gone, because we love the club. And a football club's primary purpose is still winning, with fan favorite players, tactics, etc. coming second (a very close second but second nonetheless). If any manager, no matter how much we hated him, brought wins, then naturally we'll find favorite players, come to accept the tactics (like in the champions league), and be optimistic about club decisions in general. I don't like grant anymore than anyone else, but at least he hasn't called us fans plastic, and at least he's had tangible success with the club (regardless of other reasons).

Thing is back then Grant had Steve Clarke and Henk Ten Cate with lots of senior players to 'take over' his job. Now, there are only Terry, Lampard etc around and I'm not sure how 'bright' are our backroom staffs.

Also Cole and Cech in the old guard are still around, though I don't know how profound their insight to the club would be. That being said, assuming Benitez's Chelsea's shitty form keeps up (a bigger if in my opinion than most seem to believe), Grant literally can't do worse. We're still terrifying on the counter attack, like we naturally always have been, and if we focus our training their, we'll probably finish our chances better than we did against Juventus. If we bring in a more physical player or two, we can still play like Mourinho. The likes in-form Malouda, Damien Duff, etc. are not replaceable, and on the training ground we have, barely, enough foundation to bring a bit of that verve back. It's not a long-term situation, but I genuinely believe that with 50-70 mill in january panic signings, and a mediocre-to-slightly-better-than-FSW manager, we can hold our ground. Manchester United looks amazing offensively, but an injury or two in their attack would cripple them at this rate, while City's stats don't reflect their performance--especially relative to last year. Those are just the other title contenders. A final four finish against an inconsistent, if sometimes brilliant, Spurs, and an absolutely awful Liverpool and Arsenal seems more than just realistic but very likely.