Topic: Rafa Benitez, new Chelsea manager

[Kovai Red]

Good luck Rafa

[Xxavi]

Also, I see some still keep blaming the squad for shitty games and results. Look, the style of play isn't THAT dependent on players, it's fecking manager's philosophy that is the most important thing. If they get outplayed by Swansea, Shakhtar and Juventus, who don't have the same caliber of players in their teams, it means something. We see Borussia Dortmund and Malaga playing good football, we saw Arsenal playing good football with crappy players.

And I think by now everybody understand that Roman wants the style as much as the results. And I don't blame him. If I invested a billion in a team, I don't want to see some nonsense.

Here's a prediction, Di Matteo will never make a top manager.

[kaz1983]

I don't know what to say.

[pjshaun]

I don't normally post like this but..... 

 

[kaz1983]

Best of luck to him, I hope he beats everyone apart from us in every game, so they get the title, we get the cups, and that when we play them we sing his name louder than they will ever be able to do.

But we've got our manager now, and I expect our manager to be here for a long time. If we're going to be as successful as I want us to become, we might have to start fighting Rafa off for cups and titles. Odd, perhaps, but we must not let sentiment outwit us from game one.

I can't blame him for taking that job, and if he wins them the title, good for him.

He's a wonderful man, and the best of luck to him every single day.

That would be boss, I hope it happens.

[Kovai Red]

It is just 6 months. What I am happy about is, those fickle fans wont give him any time. They will boo him at every opportunity and it ultimately will affect the team performances. Dont be surprised if they drop out of CL

[Suspect Package.]

This thread is largely hysterical and embarrassing, congratulations to posters/ lurkers who managed to maintain their sanity reading this *

Reading this thread, I suddenly feel very out of step with the rest of RAWK.

I liked Rafa a lot (bit of an understatement).

I don't really care that he's managing Chelsea now, congratulations to him.

I don't feel the need to cry or have the hystrionics some of you are having.

That doesn't mean I want them to win anything now.  Or that I think Torres will suddenly start looking half competent.

Seriously doubt it mate. Rafa faces an uphill struggle here, the press are against him, the fans are against, no doubt half the dressing room won't like his leadership and then he's under pressure to get the team adjusted to his style of play and have big success in the space of seven months

This is what I think too.  Unfortunately we know the first time they lose, they'll be calling for his head. 

And if he made it to the end of the season and maybe even won something, he'd be replaced anyway.

[redandwhitestripes]

If he doesn't win his first few games he's basically screwed. I don't think i've ever heard of a club hiring a manager a large majority fans are so vehemently against, but then again i've only been supporting since the season we finished second under rafa (so feel free to hop on me for my ignorance and lack of experience) but rafa, to me, was the man who made me fall in love with football. I'm gutted to see him at Chelsea. The thing i'm struggling with is the utter contempt and disrespect being shown to the man. I know it's chelsea but this is really a new low for them. they don't deserve rafa - but maybe having a manager they despise to their very cores is exactly what they deserve for being classless soulless plastic prickheads.

[redhokie8]

Don't know if this mentioned, but I would be willing to bet that his appointment had a lot to do with chelsea believing benitez can get the best out of torres again. Which for them would be huge because A)they'd have the player they thought they were buying or B)his price will be inflated and they'll make back a larger portion of their investment

[SalifSaysShutIt]

I love Rafa, but I hope to fck we smash Chelsea next time we play them.

I wept over the Rafa portrait I have next to my bed when I heard the news. After going for a long walk I realized that Rafa is just doing what is best for him and forgave him in my heart.

However, I will shed no more tears for Rafa Benitez, he is now the enemy in spite of any deep passion I may feel for him.

[Xxavi]

I agree with people who think Rafa has almost everybody against him in England bar Liverpool fans.

His record has been pretty good all things considered, but his reputation is very bad with the press and fans. But he wants to work in England, so I think this is something he has to deal with. I say very short-sighted of Rafa not to consider other options.

[BSBW]

Good luck Rafa lad, in a non Chelsea success sort of way (contradiction in terms I know)!

You'll always be welcomed back home, you're one of us.

[Raul!]

One interesting side show will be the Rafa-Drogba relationship, if indeed Drogba joins Chelsea on loan.  Also, I wonder if we can ask Rafa to remind John Terry about his mother's fondness for a bit of scouse.

[Solomon Grundy]

Lucas would be the perfect signing. I bet come January he will come knocking with Abramovich's cash.

I bet he doesn't.

[_Lfc_]

He's only there to the messiah pep arrives in the summer... Rafa being Rafa probably thinks he can win a few things and change Romans mind...

[Georgia]

Could be that Rafa simply had to accept the offer. He has been out of managing for quite a while. He probably thinks he have things to prove and this is his chance. It is going to be tough with so much hostility towards him. It is also going to be interesting. I wish him luck.

[Groundskeeper Willie]

Good luck Rafa. Not against us though.

[Bucke]

1 they have hired him because they couldn't get Pep, their first choice

2 he was their 2nd choice because he has won major trophies in recent times

3 he has accepted because they offered a truck load of money, short term or not

I dont understand why everyone on here is so emotional about it. It's just a job

[NealFrom25Yards]

I wept over the Rafa portrait I have next to my bed when I heard the news. After going for a long walk I realized that Rafa is just doing what is best for him and forgave him in my heart.

I haven't read anywhere near the entire thread, but you're about the fifth person I've seen who's admitted to crying over this.

Why?

It's baffling.

...and even moreso, why admit it? If you must do it, at least have the courteousy to feel appropriately ashamed of yourselves.

[MidwestWool]

Just sharpening his skills for when Madrid come calling in the summer.

[Clayton Bigsby]

I didn't realise Rafa meant so much to so many people. I'm a bit taken aback to be honest.

[fosspowered]

Why so much negativity? It's a win-win for us.

If Rafa fails, Chelsea fails as well and potentially a top 4 place opening for us. At least we can see Chelsea wrecked. Would feel genuinely sorry for Rafa in that case but he knows this risk of joining a club like Chelsea.

If Rafa succeeds, it will be proven to non-LFC fans that how we are right and how good manager he was for Liverpool and how unfair was his sacking and as a lesson for supporters of not losing faith with the manager who had done such an excellent job with the club. Plus Roman wanks for Guardiola anyway and I barely see them keeping Rafa beyond the season, and with this success Rafa could get a job he deserves, Real or Bayern or something; and if it's at expense of United that would be even sweeter and their success wouldn't really affect us anyway.

[Brultus]

Finally the praising and screaming after Rafa can come to an end.

Ok. He was great for us and we have never been able to let him go.

Now we can close that long chapter and carry on. Brendan Rodgers are know rid of his worst opponent among our fans.

[MagicHat]

Might be a good move for Benetiz. If he can restore some defensive stability to the team and get results then leaves in the summer, he has put himself back on the market with his reputation enhanced.

[Ultimate Bromance]

I didn't realise Rafa meant so much to so many people. I'm a bit taken aback to be honest.

Honestly, comments like that surprise me more. While I'm not going to use terms like heart-broken, or devastated, or sit in a dark room on the back of this appointment, or any nonsense like that, I also don't find it difficult to see why he brings out these passionate emotions in some people.

This bloke truly gets us, from the moment he walked through the door, he totally embraced this club and this city, and in turn they embraced him, and his family. They understand exactly what Liverpool football club is all about, what makes it unique and special, and you only have to look at the work he did not just at the club, but for the city, for the Hillsborough families, the tears he shed at the memorial, to see exactly why people love him as much as he clearly loves the city.

As I say, I'm not as upset as some clearly are, but I'm not going to deny that the man holds a special place in my heart, not just because of the great times and the fond memories he gave us, but also just because he's fucking Rafa. And unlike those plastic no-mark fickle knobheads who he's now got to put up, we get him, and he fucking gets us.

Onwards and upwards under Rodgers and all that, but it's definitely going to be weird seeing him back at Anfield next year, in the week of the Hillsborough anniversary, managing against us.

[Brultus]

Do one, with that disrespectful shit of yours.

I mean no disrespect for Rafa. Im just sick of all the "Why didnt we talk to Rafa" , "Wow, Rodgers when we cold have had Rafa", "Rafa did this an that"

Hopefully we can move on, and stop living in the past. Rafa is a star, but he is gone, and know that he is not available, maybe we can look forward with our great manager Brendan Rodgers.

[redandwhitestripes]

this thread is screaming to be locked, eh?

[paddysour]

this thread is screaming to be locked, eh?

Noooooo, then it'll spill over into the main board and all the Rodgers threads.

[shanks hankie]

Wish the man well out of respect for everything he's done for Liverpool Football Club, but tossing and turning all night, weeping over his portrait? Jesus wept.

[Jazzmaster]

Fuck off Chelsea FC. And if Rafa is now part of that, he can fuck off too. Hate that club.

[Jazzmaster]

Wish the man well out of respect for everything he's done for Liverpool Football Club, but tossing and turning all night, weeping over his portrait? Jesus wept.

I know. It must be a wind up.

[Malaysian Kopite]

Hope he leaves at the end of the season. Well, he almost certainly will anyway.

[royhendo]

Whatever the cockerney rhyming slang is for good luck.

Also - ta for the comedy gold.

[The 5th Benitle]

How long do we have to wait until it's The 5th Brenitle?

Not long...