Rafa Watch

[RichC]

See Rafa is expecting cole and lampard to be off in the summer

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/chelsea/transfer-talk/news/benitez-predicts-cole-lampard-exits_56016.html

[Icon]

Let's see if he lasts that long too...

[Dhav]

See Rafa is expecting cole and lampard to be off in the summer

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football...its_56016.html

Why would he admit that at this stage? Surely something which is best dealt with behind closed doors.

[yamiedo]

Why would he admit that at this stage? Surely something which is best dealt with behind closed doors.

Perhaps Abramovich got him in for 6 months to be the bearer of bad news.

[MrMichael]

Can't wait to See Rafa's system and football brand again.

I think its gonna be bloody awesome Machine MARK 3

He knows how to utilise his squad and this squad of players is similar to Valencia

Hazard or Mata in the Aimar Role
Rafa awesome-ness

Personally I find this post a little over celebratory about what another club are going to do. Not having a go like, but I really can't imagine any scenario where I'd be 'ing over anything another club in the same league as us does.

Hate Chelsea. Won't be wishing them any luck whatsoever. Don't blame Rafa for going there. Thankful for what he did for us, but he is the manager of our rivals now. Will not be happy if he tries to take some of our players in January. The only game I will possibly root for Chelsea is if they are playing the scum, or if a Chelsea win would somehow benefit us, Rafa or no Rafa.

This, this and this again

Against United, hell yeah I'll support Chelsea, but I'd debate supporting a super-villan XI against those c*nts. Otherwise, great respect to Rafa but he's managing a team that competes against us now, one with far more money than they have class and history too. I hope Rafa one day gets a job managing a team in Spain so they can become a side I watch out for, but for now I wish Chelsea the same amount of ill as I always have and always will.

[RedReet]

Extraordinary decision to hire negative Rafa, Chelsea players will look at him and think: 'You're NOT the man'

By Jamie Redknapp

If I was picking the next manager of Chelsea, Rafa Benitez would be at the back of the queue.

There is history between him and the supporters, not only because he seemed to be the one man who could stop the Jose Mourinho juggernaut and break Chelsea hearts, but because of how he went about it.

He was a successful Liverpool manager, but his teams played in a negative fashion.

The new Chelsea, with Juan Mata, Oscar and Eden Hazard, are not built to stop and spoil. But Benitez did deliver a winning Liverpool team. He is tactically aware and tactically obsessed.

Chelsea fans may not be too excited with the new man, but one man who will be pleased is Brendan Rodgers.

The Liverpool manager would have been aware of his presence. Benitez still lives in the area, has some support from the fans and would have been adding to the pressure on the current manager. It will feel like a monkey has been removed from Brendan’s back. Now he can get on with his job, without worrying about Benitez shifting around in the background.

I was critical of him as Liverpool manager and perhaps harshly so. Looking back, he achieved good things. Certainly, Liverpool – with Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso in midfield – were a better team then, than now. He was probably only two or three players away from winning the title.

He got lucky at times. He won the FA Cup against West Ham, because of Steven Gerrard. He came back from 3-0 down in the Champions League against AC Milan, because the players dragged Liverpool back into it (Gerrard again).

Sure, he brought on Didier Hamman at half time in that game, but why wasn’t he playing from the start?

This is a great chance for him. As a manager and a football man, he had to get back in. But with a caretaker role, you are naked in the dressing room. The players will look at him and think: ‘You are not the man’.

He will be expected to get Fernando Torres firing, but I’m not so sure.

He doesn’t have Gerrard creating chances, as he did when Torres was last prolific. If what I hear from the training ground – and can see with my own eyes – is right, Torres has lost a yard of pace and, crucially, lost some desire. He doesn’t look as interested.

Benitez will believe he can get him back to his best, but I’m not as convinced. Chelsea have trusted Torres, released Didier Drogba, signed creative players and given him his best shot. He hasn’t delivered.

Benitez may yet get the Christmas present every manager wants – the signing of Radamel Falcao.

With money to spend and a talented squad inherited, this is a chance for him to show he is still a good manager and Chelsea will compete, briefly, for the Premier League title that he missed out on at Anfield.

I do know he has the skin of a rhino, even though he is prone to an outburst in the press.

Whatever happens next, this has been an extraordinary decision to remove Roberto di Matteo and replace him with Benitez.

****.

Someone bitter Daddy didn't get a look in?

[baitman]

It's part of his game plan. He will be there at the beginning of next season

rafa, real madrid.
pep, city.
maureen, manure.

[McDermotX]

****.

Someone bitter Daddy didn't get a look in?

****in' jaysus...............tosspot.

Personally I think Rafa's short stint at Chelsea might not be a happy one, but some of the reasoning by that clown is ridiculous.

[Jas]

The press assasination of Rafa is still ongoing. Heard that cunt Sam Matterface on Talk****e agreeing with Slur Alex how 'lucky' Rafa was comment, he said he won the La Liga with Ranieri's team, couldn't even get his facts right as I thought he took over from Hector Cuper, won the the Champions League with Houliers team and the World Championship with the greatest Inter team in history, or words to that affect, which he inherited from Jose....... I just don't think Rafa will ever get any credit for his achievements from the press in this country the only way I think that would happen would be if he took on the job say at QPR, saved them from relegation and then won the league next season and even then the press would probabaly temper their praise by saying he couldn't have achieved anything without Fernandes' money... yeah right Fergie just magiced players out of thin air and never spent a penny!

[Shaggy]

Jamie Redknapp...what an utter moron.

'Didier Hamann'

Laughable piece, but shows what Rafa is up against. Cousin Fwankie probably had a say in that.

[Pablo]

The Torres losing a yard of pace comment clearly came from Fwank anyway. All the Chelsea old boy clique at the club will be out to get him from the off, I have no doubt about that.

[Vermilion]

Awe, DADDY didn't get the big job he wanted. Boo ****in Hoo.

Jamie Redknobapp! What an utter cunt.

[Nicey]

Lives in: Liverpool

From: Liverpool

Yep some people need to wise up to that status and have a long hard look at themselves, Rafa is not the problem or his family its you

[Nicey]

Its great to have Rafa back ... even if its at Chelsea ... like his retort about Wenger being the best manager in England when he arrived ... lol ... part of me is now kind of glad he did not get the job recently because the Press just ****ing hate him for some reason which is beyond me ..

Still would love to see him back in charge some day

[RichC]

All down to daring to cross swords with Fergie and that Fergie sees him as a threat and therefore he set his pets from the press on him.