Watford fan in peace. A lot of my mates are chelsea fans. In private they say they are pleaseed with what Rafa did. In public they start damning him with faint praise because they don't want to look like hypocrites! I can quite understand that - it's like when you get a new signing that you really hate and start slating him. When he turns out to be a star you end up being low key about it as you don't like to admit you were wrong.......
On paper a train driver's job is to get the train from A to B on time with all the passengers in tact. If he does this when there have been no contentious circumstances then he is not deserving of particular praise. If he does this, having fought off numerous bandits, robbers, signal failures and delays then he deserves praise. Rafa is the latter train driver. For any other manager it would have been criminal to not finish in the top 4 with your squad, the fact that Rafa was given such a hostile reception actually turns it into a commendable achievement.
Was the hostile atmosphere and reception not his own doing? By that logic we should be applauding him for being less of a twat by the end of his time with us than starting. Not for his efforts as manager!
Nail on head! You can see on this thread those who have the bigger ego's, clinging to their old opinions like a spoilt kid. Then there are those that keep changing their argument so they can't get caught out........ slippery those pesky egos.
Aye. I would add that it was a masterstroke when he came out the way he did - laid all the cards on the table and made it clear to the dumbest amongst us that all we were doing was cutting our nose to spite our face. I sense that many of us still are. Personally its thank you and farewell from me. I am more concerned as to the imminent Jose reappointment - carries many risks and potential for disappointment.
Cant honestly believe I've just read that!! You obviously haven't been a Chelsea fan for very long or you're a Wum. Either way just like Mou you have little or no class.
Danishqp. I've been a Chelsea fan all my life. You say I have no class because I refuse to praise a man who has done an average job by our usual standards and who insulted, antagonized and infuriated us when he work for Liverpool? I'm entitled to my opinion and it's as valid as anyone else's. I dont buy into what the media feed me unlike others.
I'm the same though - didn't want Zola at the start of the season as I thought he wouldn't cut it in the championship (we had that before wiv VBialli). Now I just say it was the network we had to get the players in rather than admirt I was wrong. Could be worse of course. I could support a team who had supporters that issued death threats to their first high profile black player then about 6 months later started chanting his name as he was an instrumental part of winning a title and getting to a cup final. I know which attitude I prefer.
I'm the same though - didn't want Zola at the start of the season as I thought he wouldn't cut it in the championship (we had that before wiv VBialli). Now I just say it was the network we had to get the players in rather than admirt I was wrong. Could be worse of course. I could support a team who had supporters that issued death threats to their first high profile black player then about 6 months later started chanting his name as he was an instrumental part of winning a title and getting to a cup final. I know which attitude I prefer.
Be honest, if it had been the other way round and Jose had said things about Liverpool you'd be singing his praises. Frankly, a manager sticking up for the team he manages is something I like to see. I liked it when Jose did it and wouldn't be hypocritical to then complain when another manager does it back to us.
No but I would recognise the stupidity of the action. Would Liverpool fans welcome Jose with open arms and not give him a hard time? What if Jose did and delivered nothing but Champions league and then left. Would fans be grateful for delivering what is a realistic expectation for the club and the bare minimum you expect of a manager of his standing? I expected Rafa to royally **** our season but he delivered instead the bare minimum expected by the board, fulfilling his employment mandate. Like I said, I'm not going to praise the man for doing a tough job in tough circumstances that were HIS own making.
What did he actually say? Surely what he's achieved recently hugely outweighs something he said several years ago.
Not a Rafa fan , but i admire the fact that he did not back track on what he said when he was at Liverpool how false would he have looked if he had slated the scousers and pledged his undying love to us you cant blame him for taking the job here for the amount of money he was offered he achieved the main objective qualify for the CL, Europa was a bonus and semi finals in both the domestic cups well thats not to shabby if the fans had treated him with indifference at the start rather than hatred we may has achieved more
Watford R. Nothing really in the grand scheme of things that is worh hating the man forever for but as we all know in football things like this die hard. It's the sentiment rather than the words. We've all said much worse to others whilst at a match. I'm not denying he has achieved a positive result I just don't feel we owe him anything as a club nor fan base. He has done what was asked, expected and required. Again I say thanks for not ruining our season. You did your job. As a manger I don't rate his ability or tactics, given evidence of his results and performances this season I and many others are of the same ilk. To be honest any manager should be winning trophies with this Chelsea team. It is expected. Just see what he has done to the other teams he has manged and you can see why we were all so skeptical, to say the least, to start with. My point is not that I won't say thanks because of his Liverpool previous, but because he has done nothing in terms of club expectations to warrant it. Job done, (just about) see you later.
Jesus effing Christ. He's gone now. The season wasn't a disaster. Lets look forward to his supposed replacement eh?
