There is strong rumour that the Special One could be heading back to SB in the summer! This will be dependant I assume, on us making the cut for the CL (i.e a top 4 finish). So by fielding the reserves yesterday in advance of the FA cup replay tomorrow I assume Rafa's priority is the FA Cup! In view of the fact he is on his bike in 5 weeks, is this his way of giving us a two fingered salute and scuppering the recruitment of Jose?
Absolutely. Benitez lost that game on purpose, he would have known the team he put out wasn't good enough to beat Southampton - a side that had already beaten a full strength City team + Liverpool only weeks earlier. It was as good as a forfeit, akin to Wolves at Old Trafford 3 years ago.
I'm sure he thought that his team was still strong enough to win, but there's no doubt that he plans to win the Europa and FA cups, and then stick up two fingers to Chelsea and walk away with some dignity intact.
I'd like to think you will be wrong SFF! I'm sure all Blues would trade both cups for 3rd place in the Prem!
If we want to be in the top 4, then Rafa needs to go right now. It is patently clear his priorities are not in our best interests. How many "easy" games has he lost us because he puts out a weakened team, sees us go behind, then brings the big guns on with 5 mins to go ??? He is a buffoon not fit to walk through our doors, and /or a deceitful braggart who will exact his revenge at a huge cost to us. Abramovich made a colossal mistake letting the clown anywhere near our players, and will make an even bigger mistake if he lets him stay there.
Out of interest, who are the weak players that played against Soton? Looked a strong team to me (on paper)?
It is not Rafa`s fault if your squad is poor after all the money spent on it, he has three competitions to juggle and the squad should be up to it. If you had stayed in the champions league instead of dropping into the Europa league the problem would be the same, which competition would you rather he play the strongest team in the PL or CL? he has to go for the one`s he has the most chance of winning!
OK, Torres, Bertrand and Marin are 2nd stringers, and Ivan at CB has been very poor all year. The worst though is the selection of Mikel and Lampard in midfield. I don't think we have won 1 game from the 7 odd games they have been our mids. So why pick them together?? From the moment the team was announced we knew we would not be likely to win against a team that has done extremely well recently. Another example of a weakened team, falling behind the using subs who should have started, to get us out of the ****.
If he hadn't have ****ed it up in the first place we wouldnt be in the position we are now, we would have won the stupid smaller games we lost due to his incompetence earlier in the season. So it is his fault. We need to be winning the PL now as this is our future, but what does he care as he is moving on. I see this as his ultimate middle finger up at us as he walks out of the gate at the end of the season. We should see him off now, especially after his ridiculous line up for yesterdays game.
Although as much as I despise him he was spot on today with most things other than haul off Oscar for Benyoun.
I know, I would have bought on Benayoun as he looked razor sharp against Soton and Oscar tired half way through the second half.
Oscar has had a strange old season great at times lost at others he needs time to bed in i think but he looks class when on it i genuinely think he could become a free scoring box to box midfielder in time.
Disagree. Would Moses, Marin, Torres, Bertrand have displaced any of Southampton's XI? Man for man the difference between our team and there's was minimal but the tactics were superior and the personel to suit them hence why Southampton won with ease.
Having seen the news on Cole and Cahill being sidelined for 2-3 weeks it seems to me that the choices might not be there for Rafa to make!
