This is the definitive list of the games this season in the Premier League that have been taken by either Roberto Di Matteo or Rafa Benitez, both have taken 12 games Roberto Di Matteo starts the season Wigan 0-2 Chelsea Chelsea 4-2 Reading Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle QPR 0-0 Chelsea Chelsea 1-0 Stoke Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea Chelsea 4-1 Norwich Tottenham 2-4 Chelsea Chelsea 2-3 Man United Swansea 1-1 Chelsea Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool West Brom 2-1 Chelsea Rafa Benitez takes over as boss Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City Chelsea 0-0 Fulham West Ham 3-1 Chelsea Sunderland 1-3 Chelsea Chelsea 8-0 Aston Villa Norwich 0-1 Chelsea Everton 1-2 Chelsea Chelsea 0-1 QPR Stoke 0-4 Chelsea Chelsea 2-2 Southampton Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal Reading 2-2 Chelsea Roberto Di Matteo Record Played 12 Won 7 Drew 3 Lost 2 GF 24 GA 13 PTS 24 Rafa Record Played 12 Won 6 Drawn 4 Lost 2 GF 25 GA 11 PTS 22/36 My verdict : Despite near identical records, it is obviously taken out of context with RDM having the harder tasks (going to Emirates & WHL along with United) and that it is the performances under rafa that have been the big problem, I think RDM would easily have taken 9 points instead of the 2 Rafa got against QPR, Soton and Reading, I hope that we can get a big win tomorrow and reinstill confidence in the squad, we might even get a double result if Ivory Coast beat Nigeria too, sending us back two key players
Its hard to compare because the matches are different, but the point is that morale was very high under Robbie! We had sensible team selection, intelligent subbing and we were all pulling in the same direction!
I can't compare the two really as all I see is that RDM had many balls to juggle to get us the trophies he did, and still managed to finish quite high in the League, yet all Benitez has done is lose us everything since, so for me it's not just about PL results at end of games its about who you have available when you play those games and what else is going on at the same time. Benitez has had many good players sitting on the bench while we continue to struggle to get those results, so I think we could and should have achieved much better results than we have. So ok those stats show us they may be on some sort of level par but considering the circumstances he is doing a crap job.
angel I think you're wrong to an extent. RDM had everyone available. Rafa has lost players to injury,ACoN and suspension. Todays teams we can all pick because there are no options. On that point,I just think you are wrong.
dont agree CPofL , rdm had to live with torres and had lampard injured most of the time ! I still believe had rdm still there , with ba we would have been very close to top 2
To be fair if we had Rafas away record and Robertos home record we would be on 52 points - 4 points more than what we have
Morale being low has more to do with the fans being anti the manager rather than the managers fault. Bunch of spoilt fans reaping what they have sown.
Awful post really, Would you accept a manager that had previously been slagging of the club! Whilst I'm enjoying Rafa being at Chelsea I can completely understand there dislike for him. Only chance he had was to hit the ground running, not trip at every hurdle.
Don't forget , JT and I think Ivan were suspended from CL final, and Luiz and Cahill had been crocked and both played unfit. Bertram at midfield was a revelation, the kind of bravery and vision from RDM that Rafa just doesn't have.
Unfortunately you have to blame RA. You all seem to think, given you have watched this team for so long, that you know who should play where ect, and now expect that same understanding from a manager that arrived a wet week ago, and in a hurry, after not being first choice. So.. The players don't know who'll be here in the summer. Rafa knows he won't be there in the summer RA knows Rafa won't be there in the summer. Given that everyone knows Rafa won't be there come summer and that RA has left the club in a mess management wise, how on earth will players perform because for me that has been the crux of the issue, there have been some terrible performances from individuals and some others not delivering on a lot of promise. Chelsea's problems are 3 fold Player uncertainty which has totally affected performances and as a result, Results. Crazy Ivan doing sudden 180s A totally different manager type, one not respected by fans and one not adept at pulling heads together, just being dropped in after a favourite getting sacked. Rafa is not a fire fighter, maybe Arry would come in come summer
You are talking about one game.We were discussing head to head over 12. And some think Luiz was too but Rafa was the only one to actually play him there. Make no mistake,I do not like Rafa but I won't make things up and twist things just to have a dig at him.
