Rafa Watch

[Shaggy]

Haha it was comical how depressed Moyes was - that's how he is when we beat them all the time. He detests Liverpool and he detests Benitez - and he can't beat either of them

[Vermilion]

My First Letter

by LDP

[Fredo]

Shearer and Redknapp are fuming at Chelsea's supposedly unwillingness to extend Lampard's contract.

[Fredo]

Shearer founds it 'staggering' and Jamie thinks Lampard should have a statue at Stamford Bridge.

Having said that I think Rafa wants to keep him but don't think he has a say.

[Shaggy]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2254994/Rafael-Benitez-buys-ticket-conned-Chelsea-fan-Harry-Rennell.html

Benitez just the ticket for nine-year-old Chelsea fan conned by online tout

By SIMON JONES
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 30 December 2012 | UPDATED: 22:30, 30 December 2012
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The cacophony of boos that heralded the appearance of Rafa Benitez at Goodison Park would have you believe he is football’s equivalent of a pantomime villain.

Since replacing Roberto Di Matteo as manager, the Spaniard has struggled to win over a stubborn Chelsea support, unwilling to accept him or forgive and forget his days as their nemesis as Liverpool’s manager.

Yet in the eyes of Chelsea-mad nine-year-old Harry Rennell, Benitez is very much his hero this morning.


Conned: Tony Rennell (left) thought he had bought a ticket for the Boxing Day match between Norwich City and Chelsea for his nine-year-old son, Harry, only to discover he had been tricked out of £300 by a touting website


Surprise: Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez secured the Rennell's tickets for the Capital One Cup semi-final with Swansea on January 9 after reading about the story

In a story that pulled heartstrings across the country, Harry’s father Tony wrote a cautionary tale in the Daily Mail last Friday of how he had been let down after ordering two tickets from Online Ticket Express for Chelsea’s game at Norwich City as a Christmas present.

Despite paying more than £300 for the tickets, they failed to arrive in the post, leaving Tony and his son despondent.

On reading the story, Benitez, himself the doting father of two girls, contacted Sportsmail and offered Harry and his father two tickets for Chelsea’s Capital One League Cup semi-final, first-leg tie against Swansea on January 9.

Harry’s delighted father Tony said: ‘Thank you, Rafa. There has been a very sympathetic response.

‘One Chelsea fan has invited us to go as his guest to the QPR game on Wednesday, and we’ll be there to cheer them on.

Stocking filler: Mr Rennell had wanted to surprise his Chelsea-mad son for Christmas and paid website Online Ticket Express over £300 for them
‘What is great is that nine year-old Harry now knows that, although some people may let us down in life, there are always others who will step forward to do the right thing.’

Doing the right thing may soften some Chelsea supporters’ view of their interim manager, but it’s not the first example of kind-hearted Benitez showing the grander side of football.

Hearing a pensioner had been mugged on the Wirral, then Liverpool manager Benitez made sure the elderly fan and his family were guests at Anfield.

On his departure from Liverpool, the 52-year-old gave a ‘substantial five-figure sum’ to the parents of Rhys Jones, the young Everton fan who was shot dead as he returned from football training in August 2007.

At the time, Benitez said: ‘I am doing this on behalf of the people that cannot. I know that every person on Merseyside would have loved to give the fund a donation, but they are in hard times and can’t find the extra cash.’

Benitez donated £96,000 to the Hillsborough Memorial Fund and gave a further £2,800 to aid running costs through his wife Montse’s foundation.

Whatever he does from now on, Benitez may always be the villain to some, but at least his gesture is just the ticket for Harry Rennell.

[Fredo]

[Gibbo]

He's a ****ing great bloke Rafa.

[Marina]

The Chelsea fans will warm to him. How can they not? They are still humans, aren't they?

[Tee]

The Chelsea fans will warm to him. How can they not? They are still humans, aren't they?

No.

[Bender]

Queens Park Rangers boss Harry Redknapp says only "a real dope" would fail as manager of west London rivals Chelsea.

Ahead of Wednesday's game between the sides he said: "You'd have to be a real dope to mess it up with [the likes of] Eden Hazard, Juan Mata, Frank Lampard.
"He [Rafael Benitez] has walked into a squad of players there who are Champions League winners - you've got a chance, haven't you?

Since he took over, Chelsea have lost only one league game, a 3-1 setback at West Ham United on 1 December, and have won their last four.
"He's a clever guy," said Redknapp of Benitez.
BBC

[kingfunk]

In a strange way I agree with Harry. A lot of people are now saying this Rafa chap is doing well at Chelsea, we should have signed him. Well, not really. Chelsea IMO have one of the top 3 squads in the league, on par with city and united.
There is nothing to suggest he would do any better here than BR is doing, I remember Rafa's last couple of seasons, strangely, a lot of people seem to forget. We still do not have the financial power to satisfy Rafa's needs nor potential achievements, and that's where we are.

So ya, Rafa is doing ok, and so he should be.

[Bender]

if you have the right and best tools in theory yes it should be easier

[Norbs]

His success = Chelsea's success.

They would not be annoyed, that's for sure.

They would never attribute the win to Rafa anyway. I'd hate Rafa to win it elsewhere in England because it would only compound the fact that he did have the ability to do it and yet not here

[Red_Polo]

In a strange way I agree with Harry. A lot of people are now saying this Rafa chap is doing well at Chelsea, we should have signed him. Well, not really. Chelsea IMO have one of the top 3 squads in the league, on par with city and united.
There is nothing to suggest he would do any better here than BR is doing, I remember Rafa's last couple of seasons, strangely, a lot of people seem to forget. We still do not have the financial power to satisfy Rafa's needs nor potential achievements, and that's where we are.

So ya, Rafa is doing ok, and so he should be.

Sounds like you have, as we challenged for the league title in his penultimate season.

I think the idea he's only done as well as any old mug would is unfair given the huge improvement since he took over in spite of being absolutely detested by their fans.

[Neil Young]

He's a lot cleverer than Di Matteo, events have proved that.