Rafa Watch

[Phoenix07]

Someone must've been briefing the press last night about Avram Grant.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20582883

Chelsea have rejected reports that former manager Avram Grant will return to help interim boss Rafael Benitez.

Benitez is without a win in three games since his controversial appointment after Roberto Di Matteo was sacked.

Several newspapers reported Grant , who guided Chelsea to the Champions League final in 2008, was being recruited in an advisory role.

"There is no truth in reports that Avram Grant will be returning to the club," said a spokesman.

Many Chelsea fans were angered by the dismissal of Di Matteo and his replacement with former Liverpool manager Benitez.

Benitez is under pressure less than two weeks into the job after Saturday's 3-1 defeat by West Ham, which followed goalless draws against Manchester City and Fulham.

Grant, 57, is well regarded by Blues owner Abramovich and is available after leaving Partizan Belgrade in May.

He managed Chelsea from September 2007 after Jose Mourinho's departure and took the club to second in the Premier League but was sacked after eight months following the Champions League penalty shoot-out defeat by Manchester United.

[Boogs]

Rafa Benitez. Probably the most unpopular caretaker since Ian Huntley......

[baitman]

Rafa Benitez. Probably the most unpopular caretaker since Ian Huntley......

ouch, but

[Norbs]

Rafa Benitez. Probably the most unpopular caretaker since Ian Huntley......

[Cormack74]

It's times like this we need a "boom, tish" smiley.

[Baracus]

Rcdnw

[danperkins]

Rafa Benitez. Probably the most unpopular caretaker since Ian Huntley......

very good

[Daniel 7]

Win the ones that don't matter Rafa. Its for the best in the long run.

Also, we could get Chelsea in the UEFA cup theoretically. Wouldn't it be weird to play against Chelsea with Rafa as the manager in a European semi-final?

[Neil Young]

I think that level of weirdness might make my head explode. Watching Chelsea last night and suddenly realising that deep down I actually wanted them to win was quite weird enough thank you very much.

[Alex]

On Talksport yesterday they had fans on saying they wanted to lose. Apparently the majority felt that way. How embarrassing for the right minded fans.

One fan was using the fact Rafa rotates as a stick to beat him. Saying that Wenger and Ferguson never rotate as much as he does. This is the same Ferguson that never puts out the same CM partnership, and the same Wenger that made 8 changes the other day.

[Neil Young]

They hate him and they're ignorant about him. The former is like us with Hodgson, the latter is what makes it different.

Any fool can see Di Matteo wasn't up to it. He's the main reason they're out of the CL. None so blind etc.

[Shaggy]

Ferguson rotates more than Benitez ever has, that's a fact.

[MrMichael]

Ferguson rotates more than Benitez ever has, that's a fact.

I completely concur that the whole rotation thing is utter nonsense and every manager with a big squad and in multiple competitions does it as a matter of course, including & especially Fergie.... but when he managed us, didn't Rafa put out a different team 99 games in a row? Has Fergie beaten that?

[Reece]

I completely concur that the whole rotation thing is utter nonsense and every manager with a big squad and in multiple competitions does it as a matter of course, including & especially Fergie.... but when he managed us, didn't Rafa put out a different team 99 games in a row? Has Fergie beaten that?

When United visited Stamford Bridge on 1 March, it was the first time in a mammoth 165 games that the team had remained unchanged. Tinkerbell’s Terrible Tombola (to coin fanzine terminology) is as unpredictable as it is baffling.

http://www.sabotagetimes.com/football-sport/manchester-united-are-hampered-by-tinkerbells-terrible-tombola/

Also found another link backing that up (150 games) but it was from the **** rag.

[Shaggy]

I completely concur that the whole rotation thing is utter nonsense and every manager with a big squad and in multiple competitions does it as a matter of course, including & especially Fergie.... but when he managed us, didn't Rafa put out a different team 99 games in a row? Has Fergie beaten that?

Yep, by a distance.

Also currently on a run of 8 successive different CM partnerships. Press haven't mentioned it once, I only know cos my United mate told me.