Rafa Watch

[RichC]

They were massively under achieving and I agree with that but that squad should have been doing better, I don't want to get into a Rafa debate but he's doing ok IMO, better than his predessor since he's been there but won't last past the end of the season ( due to the fans) amd partly his stubbornness.

[Shaggy]

Course he won't last - he'll be gone at the end of the season like they always said. He'll probably fluke the Real Madrid job. Point is his record thus far isn't at all bad - he's gone into a poisonous club with a dysfunctional squad full of backstabbing egomaniacs, all of whom seemed to love the previous incumbent. Everything has been stacked against him and his record is decent - certainly hasn't harmed his rep.

[Tee]

If he had come back to us and had the record he has had so far with Chelsea, this place would be going ape **** mental.

He is history for us and a glorious period in our history at that. As much as I did want him back I am so glad we never went down that road.

[Red_Polo]

I didn't expect him to do very well given the idiotic venom from the fans, which does appear to have hurt their home record. Despite that he has actually done a pretty decent job.

[Fredo]

Yeah he's doing a good job. Chelsea have been much better since Di Matteo was replaced.

[Exiled_red]

They came 6th, that's a fact, and were doing quite badly again this season. They've been under-achieving for a long time. And Benitez hasn't bought any of those players or assembled the squad. His record is there for all to see - how people interpret those facts is up to them.

They have alot of good players on paper but they haven't been doing the business on the pitch, I think it's a similar situation to us at the end of his time here everyone thought that the team was underperforming and subsequent managers showed that that wasn't really the case. That's the way I see Chelsea at the moment, that said they are still in third place in the league.

[Lee]

Should never have been canned.

FFS. He had the rug pulled from under his feet and two years later we had new owners and the money to spoof away £55m on Downing & Carroll FFS. Ridiculous.

One poxy season and he gets binned. Cheers G&H. Cheers Purslow.

[MrMichael]

With all respect Lee, dude it was years ago now. Are we not even close to over this one yet? Managers get harshly sacked in football (though it wasn't as completely black and white as people like to make out now). Jeez. There's no guarantee if the guy had stayed on another year it wouldn't have kept going wrong and gotten even more acrimonious. Rafa is a quality manager but he is not perfect and it does go wrong for quality managers some times. Look at Mourinho at Real right now.

They came 6th, that's a fact, and were doing quite badly again this season. They've been under-achieving for a long time. And Benitez hasn't bought any of those players or assembled the squad. His record is there for all to see - how people interpret those facts is up to them.

Its also just as much a fact that they won the Champions League too and then spent **** loads improving their team further

Chelsea have a hugely talented team which has one or two odd deficits (ie up front). Personally I think Rafa's done ok with them since he took over and none of them are "his" team, but he hasn't done exceptionally well there either. He was always going to be on a hiding to nothing anything. I'm looking forward to seeing him manage in Spain again next year without all the bull****.

[Maxiedge]

Yeah he's doing a good job. Chelsea have been much better since Di Matteo was replaced.

Really? I don't think so.

[Shaggy]

As everyone is always so quick to point out, the league is the true barometer and they came 6th with 64 points and the defeats column in double figures. Their major signings, while talented, are 21 year old kids.

[MrMichael]

As everyone is always so quick to point out, the league is the true barometer and they came 6th with 64 points and the defeats column in double figures. Their major signings, while talented, are 21 year old kids.

Oh come on Shaggy, seriously dude. They had 2 very inexperienced managers and a ton of upheaval that season. Besides, if the league is the only barometer then Rafa won nothing at Anfield. Winning the CL and FA cup as we did define Rafa's time at Anfield. So why when we look at Chelsea does Di Matteo winning both of those, and as it happens having a virtually identical win ratio to Rafa so far, not count at all?

Chelsea underperformed in the league last season, massively. But they have some amazingly talented players which any manager in the world would be keen to work with. They're not perfect but they are pretty good. And Saint Rafa is only doing ok with them.

[Kenneth]

Brentford.

Brentford.

Sure, it's only half time they'll win 6-1, but Brentford

[Tee]

Oh come on Shaggy, seriously dude. They had 2 very inexperienced managers and a ton of upheaval that season. Besides, if the league is the only barometer then Rafa won nothing at Anfield. Winning the CL and FA cup as we did define Rafa's time at Anfield. So why when we look at Chelsea does Di Matteo winning both of those, and as it happens having a virtually identical win ratio to Rafa so far, not count at all?

Chelsea underperformed in the league last season, massively. But they have some amazingly talented players which any manager in the world would be keen to work with. They're not perfect but they are pretty good. And Saint Rafa is only doing ok with them.

Especially the bit in bold.

[Shaggy]

Oh come on Shaggy, seriously dude. They had 2 very inexperienced managers and a ton of upheaval that season. Besides, if the league is the only barometer then Rafa won nothing at Anfield. Winning the CL and FA cup as we did define Rafa's time at Anfield. So why when we look at Chelsea does Di Matteo winning both of those, and as it happens having a virtually identical win ratio to Rafa so far, not count at all?

Chelsea underperformed in the league last season, massively. But they have some amazingly talented players which any manager in the world would be keen to work with. They're not perfect but they are pretty good. And Saint Rafa is only doing ok with them.

Seriously what? Those are the facts. You don't seen to be applying the same rules as you do to us. It is a squad that has underachieved in the league for a while - maybe the squad just isn't that good. 64 points and 10 defeats speaks volumes. If their big money signings played for us you'd be preaching 'time', quite rightly, as they are kids - talented or not. So they've added some talented kids to a 6th placed, 64 point team. That can't be argued.

They are a pretty good squad yes. I posted the facts . His record is pretty good - that's all I ever said.

[Kenneth]

You've got to expect more from a manager in the top two or three in the world though really, eh nige?