Fair point. Also think his habit of picking up fights with board members(Valencia, Inter and Liverpool) has played a big role in him not getting any jobs.
Benitez to Chelsea Discussion & Sack watch
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Fair point. Also think his habit of picking up fights with board members(Valencia, Inter and Liverpool) has played a big role in him not getting any jobs.
Roman wants Avram Grant to advise Rafa according to the Mail.
Roman wants Avram Grant to advise Rafa according to the Mail.
He should get Dean Saunders and Stephan Hunt in to really make the fans happy.
Just to correct one point, it was said that Liverpool should have won that League and that was supposed evidence to Rafa' quality as a manager.
That's wrong IMO, they probably should have won the league, but the reason they didn't is because of Rafa's terrible attempt to play mind games with SAF. That should be evidence of how bad a manager he was not the opposite.
That's wrong IMO, they probably should have won the league, but the reason they didn't is because of Rafa's terrible attempt to play mind games with SAF. That should be evidence of how bad a manager he was not the opposite.
Rafa didn't win that league, or any other league, because he is first and foremost a defensive minded manager. 'That' season we went so far ahead early on was because the team just decided to push on and score as many as it could (and why not with Gerrard, Torres, Alonso in top form). Rafa saw this was working and allowed it to happen. I remember Carra mentioning this half way through that season.
After Rafa's mind games and that Stoke match, he reverted to his defensive shell and he lost my support for good. He is a top four manager no doubt, but not a league winning manager. He is Chelsea's Mancini (but not one that can fluke a league win).
After Rafa's mind games and that Stoke match, he reverted to his defensive shell and he lost my support for good. He is a top four manager no doubt, but not a league winning manager. He is Chelsea's Mancini (but not one that can fluke a league win).
Dunno about the mind games having an effect (I think they are totally irrelevant) but Benitez' inherent defensiveness cost them. At Arsenal that season we went down to 10 with 30 mins to play at 1-1 (ludicrous sending off by Webb). Liverpool played out the draw.
I don't know the exact figures, but I remember that n the immediate aftermath of that rant Liverpool went on a poor run that last till the end of the season, and the IMO put additional scrutiny and pressure on him and the players.
Clearly it's not the only reason or even the main reason, but it's a contributing factor.
Clearly it's not the only reason or even the main reason, but it's a contributing factor.
They actually won a lot of their remaining games. They basically did what City did last season, but United didn't slip up. Although they may have dropped points immediately after his rant. I can't imagine it helped them, but I do imagine Fergie used it to our advantage in the dressing room.
Aye, quite possibly. Memories can be unreliable and mine is worse than most.
They really should have won the League that year though, and had he any decent 2nd string and as Pete said a slightly more ambitious manager they would have. Someone like Mourinho would have gone on to win it for sure.
Roman wants Avram Grant to advise Rafa according to the Mail.
Match made in heaven that is.
I think there is a doubt. Did he not take Liverpool out of the top four in the end and started this round of rot with his wasting? He also did a pretty good job of fecking up Inter which should have been such an easy job. Now he's failing already at Chelsea.
I'd say there's plenty of doubt there.
Well, they did have a poor spell after that rant, during which we created a gap that served us well when we slipped up against Liverpool and Fulham. It certainly got a bit hairy with that Villa game (Macheda) and when we went 0-2 down against Spurs because by then Liverpool were winning almost every match, which they did until the end of the season (except the 4-4 against Arsenal).
I doubt the rant in itself had much to do with it. It's what it may have symbolized - Benitez took his eye off the ball and focused on nonsense. Maybe it cost his team.
He was a very good coach, he did brilliantly with Valencia and did a good job with Liverpool. But his final year there ruined everything, for them and himself. He spent money badly and by the time he left, I doubt the squad was much better than when he inherited it from Houllier. His image isn't always fair because he was better than some give him credit, but he seems to have lost something.
I doubt the rant in itself had much to do with it. It's what it may have symbolized - Benitez took his eye off the ball and focused on nonsense. Maybe it cost his team.
He was a very good coach, he did brilliantly with Valencia and did a good job with Liverpool. But his final year there ruined everything, for them and himself. He spent money badly and by the time he left, I doubt the squad was much better than when he inherited it from Houllier. His image isn't always fair because he was better than some give him credit, but he seems to have lost something.
rafa is a spent force.
joke appointment.
I feel sorry for the man...but not sorry for the russian criminal.
joke appointment.
I feel sorry for the man...but not sorry for the russian criminal.
Going to the European and Italian champions then complaining about lack of quality when he dropped them to midtable says it all to me. In his element in spain and he did win the European cup with Liverpool (which was a huge feat to be fair), but he clearly believes he can do no wrong and it's cost him. A bit like Wenger on that front.
Roman wants Avram Grant to advise Rafa according to the Mail.
This should happen.
People gave me shit when I said that this fecking clown has a CL winners medal and it is an absolute footballing atrocity..They lost only two games that season, but the home draws didn't work in their favour. Signing Keane and selling him off in the space of six months was just bizzare.
Manchester United won the title with a very good defensive record. I guess that season and the one before when Chelsea and Arsenal challenged was the Premier League at its peak. Now teams look a shadow of their former selves.
I agree. The top teams, ourselves, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are all weaker and the others have got stronger making the league strange.
Liverpool drew three games in a row after the rant whereas we won 11 games in a row including that 3-0 win against Chelsea
Liverpool Results by round
This man is a legend, he has to be one of the most enigmatic coaches of recent decades, such a strange blend of success and failure.
At this point I'm just sitting next to Michael Jackson eating popcorn waiting for more.
At this point I'm just sitting next to Michael Jackson eating popcorn waiting for more.
This.
feckin hell, what did he do?!
They were bought over at the same time as his appointment, and they appointed their own man.
Didn't Benitez publicly criticise the team yesterday, sayin they have no character?
I thought he said they were unfit, or not fit enough, or something...
Rafa is in a unique position among the Liverpool fans. If he messes them up then he is Agent Rafa sent to feck em up but if he does well then the fans will just blame their previous board (and maybe current) for not sticking with him and they always knew he was a top class manager.
The hypocrisy of him calling anyone unfit
With Liverpool fans, he's definitely in a unique position. If it goes well, he'll be hailed as a genius. If it goes tits up, he'll be hailed as a genius. If it all goes a bit meh, he'll still be be hailed as a genius.
YAWN
YAWN
He's in a unique position with me too. If he fecks them up Ill assume it is because he is a shit manager. If he does well Ill assume he is Agent Rafa sent to feck them up, but unable to even do that right.
Sky Sports News @SkySportsNews
Chelsea say there is no truth in reports Avram Grant is returning to the club. #SSN
Shame
Chelsea say there is no truth in reports Avram Grant is returning to the club. #SSN
Shame
This has the feel of a cluster feck coming on. Amusingly.
feckin hell, what did he do?!
He didn't do anything. He was appointed manager but the club was then immediately sold to new owners, who appointed a new Chief Exec, who then promptly sacked Rosenoir and installed a new manager.
Coming on?
Your criteria for 'clusterfeck' are pretty strict, Wibble; I'd say they crossed over into clusterfeck territory the moment Benitez was appointed*. Not that I'd mind adding Grant into the mix, though.
* And like many on here, I do appreciate certain sides of Benitez as a manager. He knows his onions when it comes to tactics; he did wonders with the Scousers in Europe, it can't be denied. I simply think he's the wrong man for Chelsea in the current situation.
Better Scenario. Juve gets a win or draw vs. Shaktar thus ending Chelsea's hopes outright (Juve has the edge in the first tiebreaker which is how Chelsea and Juve did head to head vs. each other).
Or
Juve loses to Shakter but Chelsea collapse and lose or draw late vs. Nordsjaelland?
For comedic value option would be great, Chelsea look to be going through then give a late goal or two to end their title defense. But I guess I would rather see Juve and Shaktar result that really leaves them having no hope at all during the last game.
I wonder though, will they still sing the "We know what we are" song? Technically they are still the title holders until someone new gets crowned and of course even that will not change the fact that they did win last years CL. But if they do go out of the competition this early it will be rather silly of their fans to still sing that song.
Or
Juve loses to Shakter but Chelsea collapse and lose or draw late vs. Nordsjaelland?
For comedic value option would be great, Chelsea look to be going through then give a late goal or two to end their title defense. But I guess I would rather see Juve and Shaktar result that really leaves them having no hope at all during the last game.
I wonder though, will they still sing the "We know what we are" song? Technically they are still the title holders until someone new gets crowned and of course even that will not change the fact that they did win last years CL. But if they do go out of the competition this early it will be rather silly of their fans to still sing that song.
We'll be world champions in about a month so will just sing that instead.
I hate this song so much. I can't wait till they can't 'officially' sing it anymore. They'll probably sing "You know what we were" instead, though.
Yep, I hate it so much.
It was funny that they signed him, but ever since the Chavski faithful gave him such a horrific 'welcome', I cant help but look on in sadness. Its like watching an old heavyweight boxer in his late 40's making a come back for one final pay day, only to be ridiculed through psychological and physical in public.
I don't have any pity for Benitez, he fully knew the score before he accepted this job. Nor do I feel any pangs for the Chavski players - they have created this divisive culture in the club themselves.
But I do feel saddened that professional football has produced this sick and perverted microcosm of modern day life. Its like car crash reality TV fuelled by instant celebrity with no hard work and shady tones of the underworld all rolled up into one product.
Already, the entire affair is very unseemly.
I dont blame Benitez for taking the job. Its a big job and if he did not accept such a task, he would be admitting he is done.
As for the rest, Chelsea have turned the game into a joke. This is the equivalent of runners on dope....except in football it is all legal.
As for the rest, Chelsea have turned the game into a joke. This is the equivalent of runners on dope....except in football it is all legal.