I hope people (chelsea fans and dippers) can see why we got rid of whiner Rafa now when you compare our performances this season against City compared to our efforts v a weaker City last year under Rafa. Last year, we parked the bus, home, away and in the cup. Two banks of four, Mata free and Torres running channels. This time last year we had ceded the league under Rafa, going from four points behind United to 22 thanks to losing leads v saints reading Newcastle etc Rafa has taken a good Napoli side to 15 points behind Juve and out of CL to prove his credentials again. We had a brief improvement towards the end of the season in the league thanks to the players' mental strength not rafa In Europe, we were very negative, losing to Steaua away (we won 4-0 there this year) and parking the bus against an excellent Benfica side, whom we robbed in the final. How people can say they preferred football under Rafa defies belief. In the Cup, we were embarrassing v Brentford and awful v City. It was the fans fault according to Rafa. So pleased Roman did not fall for Rafa's endless self-aggrandising about what a great job he did. We have the right man now. He may not stay that long so let's enjoy him while heis here. f**k off David Moyes Wenger touches boys Mourinho We got mourinho
Rafa wasn't really given a fair crack of the whip though, being booed every game from the moment he arrived. That clearly is going to affect the players, when there own fans are booing. I think he actually did pretty well considering the circumstances he was in, even winning a trophy. Mourinho had to deal with a similar problem last year at Real and he ended the season trophieless for the first time in his managerial career, and unlike Rafa the hostility was all his own doing
Er, I think some of the hostility directed towards Rafa might have been his own doing. Just a little bit like blaming the fans for poor performances
Your take is slightly skewed on a few points: 1. He wasn't sacked - he and you saw out his contract with the inevitable bonuses for winning the EL and for getting 3rd. 2. He took over a side in decline - for that season at least - he didn't get you knocked out of CL - that was Di Matteo. 3. If Mourinho is hiding behind this year as being transitional then that must mean that an influx of players have come in - he cant have it both ways. 4. Benitez's management of the squad in the last 3rd of the Season was magnificent - it was as if you were playing cup finals every 4 days for about 2 months solid. 5. He was the first man to see that Luiz needs to play in midfield - admiitedly took him out for Mikkel again which is someone I cant fathom how consecutive managers have been fooled by him. 6. Last night Chelsea were magnificent bar Etoo and Ramires - and a masterstroke by the Boss, however, Mourinho was also managing when you lost to Newcastle, Everton and Stoke this year and presided over your last home game - you will not like to hear this but Mou and Benitez are of the same cloth - maybe that's the reason that Benitez so obviously still grates with you. I don't particularly like how Benitez comes across and can definitely see why a match with Chelsea would always be doomed - at least with 98.9% of supporters, but he wasn't sacked and he did a very decent job in the circumstances. I suspect that you already acknowledge that privately hence the need for your OP to balance your mind and sense of well being. You may be best advised to enjoy last night to the full, no need for the memories of people like Mata and Benitez to be sullied.
We don't like Rafa. He's not welcome at Chelsea. Don't understand why Liverpool fans think we needed to support him. End of discussion
Think we're a little bit harsh on Rafa. I know he wasn't liked before he came in but we should've supported the team as we would with any other manager. The reason we improved towards the end is because the attitude of us fans changed. I know there is more to it than that but that is certainly one of the reasons. I'm not for one minute saying i want Rafa back and there is nobody i'd choose as manager over Mourinho. I just think Rafa deserves a tiny little bit more credit than we gave him.
At the end of the day we qualified for the CL and won the Europa cup so although would never have wanted him as a permanent manager have to say that he did an ok job would have been interesting to see how we would have done if he had been welcomed from day 1 as the atmosphere cant have helped
He would have made some other excuses even if we had supported him. All he does is talk about how great he is so he can get another job. He did not evolve the team at all or develop it all. Hiddink took over the team as interim, won a cup and moved the side forward in preparation for the next season too. Selfish rafa did not do that. Always the victim rafa
Bit difficult to compare Rafa, Hiddinck or anyone else, they all had different jobs to do at different stages in the teams development. Rafa did better than I thought he could, and on reflection the fans abuse ( including mine) was counter productive. How good he is in different circumstances is for someone else to decide.
Rafa is a good professional manager but hated by any decent Chelsea fan for his comments when at the dippers. Quite frankly all of the animosity toward him could have been avoided had he apologised for those comments but the guy is a fat **** at heart.
This... And then blaming the fans again for poor Chelsea results. And then he wonders why he wasn't liked! He was out of work and used us to get another job, Napoli, without caring for the team at all. Hiddink developed the team as interim, Rafa tried to develop his CV. **** He built a team to suit his boyf Torres, two banks of four and counterattack but nancy boy still failed in the Prem
Results which improved after the Boro game and the ceasing of the abuse at the level it was. You don't like him, not many do but don't kid yourself that the hostile atmosphere didn't affect results because it did undoubtedly.
Except it obviously did affect the players, hence the upturn in results. I doubt many people would argue Mourinho isn't the better manager of the two but, in clearly more difficult circumstances, Benitez averaged two points a game in the league and won a European trophy in a period when you seemed to have important games twice a week.
Where did I say the hostile atmosphere did not effect results? I just don't think ranting...blaming the fans for poor results helped. He should have worded it differently if he wanted the fans support. He could have asked for a support in a positive rather than negative way... he should have done it earlier on too and not waited til after the Boro game.
Quality The atmos at Brentford away in the Wendy House was toxic! Hate Rafa, didn't even care when we won the Europa, just pleased the ****er was gone, and we could go back to the coffee shops and dream of Jose. Our performance was embarrassing too, Benfica were robbed
