Rafa Watch

[Craig_H]

That's true, and things can change very quickly in any league - just look at where Chelsea were a month ago, and where they are now.

I dont think he'll last the full season, though.

[Neil Young]

Suggest some other former posters of similar high standard then.

rvw? He was an imbecile.

[dww]

rvw? He was an imbecile.

I mean, what sort of person would have a seemingly meaningless string of letters as their username?

[Fredo]

Ruud Van Wilstelroy?

[Darkon]

Certainley not a good start, but with 5 months of the season left - its all to play for.

are you talking about Hodgson?

Rafa has time to turn it around, but Morratti today said that a win in the world club championship is a must if Rafa is to stay in charge beyond december.

[Fredo]

are you talking about Hodgson?

Rafa has time to turn it around, but Morratti today said that a win in the world club championship is a must if Rafa is to stay in charge beyond december.

Does must mean he will be sacked?

[Darkon]

Does must mean he will be sacked?

as I read his statement in the press, then yes he will be sacked if he is not able to bring to trophy back.

[Fredo]

as I read his statement in the press, then yes he will be sacked if he is not able to bring to trophy back.

Ah well, we'll see. I can't see him being sacked, that would highlight the incompetence of our owners.

[Craig_H]

How would it?

If ANOTHER big club also sacks him, doesnt it in fact make our previous owners' decision to sack him look less mental?

[Darkon]

Ah well, we'll see. I can't see him being sacked, that would highlight the incompetence of our owners.

how does an Inter action make our owners look better or worse?

[Fredo]

I bet Hodgson would be smiling if that happens. He's probably doing a good job at Anfield if he's given until the end of the season.

[dww]

I've deleted some posts in a vague attempt to get the thread back on course. Apologies to those who will never get to giggle at the idea of Bender in Iran or Iraq.

Harv: You really need to learn to ignore Arn's posts though. Your responses, frankly, border on bullying and certainly add very little to others enjoyment of the forum. It would be very much appreciated if you could just let things go.

[-V-]

Guardian

Rafael Benítez's hopes of staying at Internazionale into 2011 look increasingly remote after the team's owner, Massimo Moratti, suggested for the first time that even winning the Club World Cup might not be enough to save the manager's job.

Last season's treble winners have won just two of their last nine games in all competitions, but despite such poor form Moratti had said as recently as last week that he would rate the season so far as a 10/10 if they triumphed in Abu Dhabi. Successive defeats to Lazio in Serie A and Werder Bremen in the Champions League since then seem to have changed the owner's tune.

"I feel betrayed," said Moratti when asked about the defeat to Bremen. He had warned Benítez beforehand that he expected Inter to take the game seriously despite the fact they had already qualified for the knockout rounds, saying that a good performance was "obligatory" and that the team must not embarrass itself. To lose 3-0, then, was a heavy blow, especially with the manager fielding a below full-strength team.

"Now there are no alibis, the Club World Cup must be won," continued Moratti. Asked specifically about whether Benítez's position was at risk, he replied: "I don't want to create problems: neither before nor during the tournament itself." And after the tournament? "Afterwards we will see."

Inter fielded a number of inexperienced players against Bremen, including the 18-year-old Cristiano Biraghi and the 19-year-old Obiora Nwankwo, making their first-ever starts for the club. Benítez defended the decision to field such players, saying it was important to avoid any further injuries – Diego Milito, Wesley Sneijder, Júlio César, Maicon and Dejan Stankovic were among those unavailable on Wednesday – before the Club World Cup.

But while Inter have suffered 42 separate injuries already this season – the highest number in Serie A – Moratti is known to feel that Benítez is at least partly to blame, having changed the team's training methods significantly since replacing José Mourinho. He has also criticised the manager for not producing a team with sufficient "rage" to grind out results.

With two rounds of Serie A fixtures set to be completed while Inter are away in Abu Dhabi, the Nerazzurri could find themselves as many as 16 points off the lead in Serie A when they return. "Benítez needs to show character," added Moratti. At this stage even that might not be enough.

[Mattshark]

Whatever way you look at it, Rafa has turned one of the best teams in Europe into also-rans. It was a tough job to follow Mourinho, but a job he has failed miserably I'm afraid.

I think at the same time you need to look at the side he was able to put out to play Werder

Orlandoni - GK
Zanetti - RB
Cordoba - CB
Cambiasso - CB
Biraghi - LB
Motta - Mid
Obiorah - Mid
Santon - Mid
Muntari - Mid
Pandev - For
Eto'o - For

The players highlighted are either kids or in Cambiasso's case, having to play out of position (same for Biraghi who is a midfielder), the two defenders they had in have a combined age of 71 and Muntari is not a regular if they had a fully fit team. I think your analysis lacks some understanding of the situation.

[Craig_H]

Not just the Weder game though Matt.

Injuries have been awful for sure, but he's still had enough to be doing better than Inter's current points tally.