Chelsea Fc Thread

[StevieH]

Some of you don't half talk cobblers!

Rafa has a 50% win ratio at Chelsea - RDM was 57% - and RDM had arguably the harder fixtures. Not a very good stat for Rafa.

As for Roman being the sickness, blimey, is 12 trophies not enough? 2nd most successful in the epl since his arrival.

StevieH, what do you mean rotten to the core?

i mean the owner doesn't care about the fans if you want it in real brass tacks. it's a corrupt billionaire's plaything of a club, a small club that won the pools (copyright danny baker). everything since abramovich bought the club has been built on particularly piss-sodden sand. he walks away, chelsea's a nothing club again. john terry getting roman's ear and getting mourinho out of the club? the despicable fighting the intolerable. it's a horrible, plastic club from top to bottom. with the top being uncaring, so-rich-i-don't-give-a-shit-what-you-pay-to-watch-i've-got-three-superyachts roman and the bottom being the fans who pay through the nose, see his absurd stewardship of the club yet still hero-worship him.

roman's the right word here. chelsea throws its fans to the lions and still craves its master's thumb. that's what i mean by rotten.

Like him or loathe him, Roman has brought good times to Chelsea. And he has put a shed load of cash into them.

Stevie, if you are on the subject of being rotten to the core, how would you describe Liverpools owners over the past 10yrs?

i don't understand the question jack. are you fishing to get me to defend the moron moores, the utterly corrupt bullshitters hicks & gillett and the seemingly pretty clueless absentee landlords FSG?

[JacknDanny]

Some of you don't half talk cobblers!

Rafa has a 50% win ratio at Chelsea - RDM was 57% - and RDM had arguably the harder fixtures. Not a very good stat for Rafa.

As for Roman being the sickness, blimey, is 12 trophies not enough? 2nd most successful in the epl since his arrival.

StevieH, what do you mean rotten to the core?

i mean the owner doesn't care about the fans if you want it in real brass tacks. it's a corrupt billionaire's plaything of a club, a small club that won the pools (copyright danny baker). everything since abramovich bought the club has been built on particularly piss-sodden sand. he walks away, chelsea's a nothing club again. john terry getting roman's ear and getting mourinho out of the club? the despicable fighting the intolerable. it's a horrible, plastic club from top to bottom. with the top being uncaring, so-rich-i-don't-give-a-shit-what-you-pay-to-watch-i've-got-three-superyachts roman and the bottom being the fans who pay through the nose, see his absurd stewardship of the club yet still hero-worship him.

roman's the right word here. chelsea throws its fans to the lions and still craves its master's thumb. that's what i mean by rotten.

Like him or loathe him, Roman has brought good times to Chelsea. And he has put a shed load of cash into them.

Stevie, if you are on the subject of being rotten to the core, how would you describe Liverpools owners over the past 10yrs?

i don't understand the question jack. are you fishing to get me to defend the moron moores, the utterly corrupt bullshitters hicks & gillett and the seemingly pretty clueless absentee landlords FSG?

Fair play, Stevie. I would have been gobsmacked if you had defended them. My point was, that apart from the inept interfering from Abramovich, I think that he loves Chelsea. He is not in it for the money, only glory and his ego. Whereas those robbin gits you had as owners did and do more damage to Liverpool FC than Abramavich could ever do. It just seemed like a bit of you throwing stones whilst being sat in a greenhouse, type of scenario.

[StevieH]

i think that abramovich's 'love' for chelsea is indicated by the fact that he was interested in buying spurs first. he wanted a plaything in london and the glamour and cachet that goes with that and he got it. hicks & gillett were dangerous idiots with no real money who were allowed to buy a historic football club using leveraged buyout tactics, something that should never have been permitted. fit and proper persons test? my hole. abramovich is infinitely richer than the pair of them put together but while his questionably-gotten money has enabled chelsea to buy their way to a bunch of trophies - no denying that - i just think it's resulted in chelsea being a shallow, vacuous club with no real soul.

apologies by the way chelsea fans, wasn't really planning on invading your thread to have a pop in this way.

[rixalex]

thing is keith, he is an excellent football coach. a really top one. but he's in an impossible position and i would assume he'd regretting taking the job, aside from the fact it got him back on the telly and in the papers. he joined chelsea, was given the utterly ludicrous title 'interim manager' (does chelsea have any other kind?), had no control of signings or transfer budget, inherited a dressing room containing terry, cole, cech and the other friends of abramovich and the fanbase hated him. it's the very definition of hiding to nothing.

I don't really see Rafa's move to Chelsea as a "hiding to nothing".

Firstly, he's getting richly rewarded for these six months or so no matter how successful or unsuccessful he is. I'm sure by now his bank balance was in need of a bit of a top-up.

Secondly, if he does well (on that front admittedly not looking very good) he'll get praised and have the chance to move on somewhere else on the back of this exposure, and if he does badly, well, never mind, it never was his team of players anyway, so he can't be all to blame. Blame a good portion of it on Roman, on the managers that came before him, and on the players.

As i said when the appointment was first made, in my opinion, Rafa stands to gain from Chelsea far more than Chelsea stand to gain from Rafa.

[rixalex]

To outsiders, i think this is pretty much exactly the impression most of us have. It's as if they have sold their identity. I believe there will come a time when things will return to some sort of normality, when Roman is no longer involved, and i can imagine the surviving fans standing around the remains of their club in a daze as if just coming to from a deep drunken stupor, thinking to themselves about the last ten years or so, and wondering, what the <deleted> just happened???!!! what the <deleted> did we do???!!!

i just think it's resulted in chelsea being a shallow, vacuous club with no real soul.

[mjj]

Rix, what was Chelsea's identity pre Roman?

Shallow, vacuous, no soul. Sometimes I think you guys have more venom towards Chelsea than you have love of your own clubs.

StevieH, yes Roman was going to buy Spurs, so what? I don't think any of us think this Russian guy was supporting Chelsea as a small boy. It doesn't mean Roman has any less passion or desire for the club.

I know you are not exactly full of praise for Liverpools owners, but football is now primarily a business that just happens to play sport, so isn't it better to have an owner that is willing to give to the club rather than just take?

[keithsimmonds]

To outsiders, i think this is pretty much exactly the impression most of us have. It's as if they have sold their identity. I believe there will come a time when things will return to some sort of normality, when Roman is no longer involved, and i can imagine the surviving fans standing around the remains of their club in a daze as if just coming to from a deep drunken stupor, thinking to themselves about the last ten years or so, and wondering, what the <deleted> just happened???!!! what the <deleted> did we do???!!!

i just think it's resulted in chelsea being a shallow, vacuous club with no real soul.

Your on the wrong thread mate.....Try Man u / Barca in decline

[mrbojangles]

Shallow, vacuous, no soul. Sometimes I think you guys have more venom towards Chelsea than you have love of your own clubs.

Take no notice mjj. It is getting a tad tiresome. Both United and Liverpool are also owned by foreigners but that seems to be ok because their owners are bleeding them dry. However, if your owner is also a foreigner but happens to be rich and piles money into the club without pillaging, you become a lottery winner owned by a shallow sugar daddy. I give up trying understand the logic sometimes.

[mjj]

Jealousy and fear perhaps.

Viva the blue revolution! :-)

[smokie36]

Jealousy and fear perhaps.

Viva the blue revolution! :-)

Rafa's blood flows red.

[mrbojangles]

Jealousy and fear perhaps.

Viva the blue revolution! :-)

Rafa's blood flows red.

Only when he slits his wrists

[smokie36]

haha ouch!

[mjj]

Jealousy and fear perhaps.

Viva the blue revolution! :-)

Rafa's blood flows red.

And he's gone in May!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21611064

[uptheos]

Jealousy and fear perhaps.

Viva the blue revolution! :-)

Oops

Edited February 28, 2013 by uptheos

[StevieH]

hahaha. farce.

chelsea really should just appoint john terry manager and have done with it.

[carmine]

Can someone explain to me why the fans were so intent on underming him. Was it in a kind of staunch defense of your plastic flags?

Anyway, as already stated, just appoint John "JT" Terry, captain leader legend as your next manager and be done with it. He can then in turn appoint bosum buddy, midfield goalscoring machine and chelsea legend, Franky Lamps as his no2.

It is rather strange to me that what with all the silverware he has to his name, including a CL and two spanish leagues, your supporters chose not to support and never gave him a chance.

[StevieH]

it seems to be rooted in this mistaken belief that chelsea and liverpool are hated rivals. all benitez did was beat mourinho a few times and make a correct, accurate comment about plastic flags.

everything he's said in that press interview is on the money. chelsea's fans care so much about the team? you've booed the manager from minute one - protest to abramovich outside of the match and when you're in the stadium you support the team. interim manager? genuinely embarrassing. and it would be an idea to remember who sacked di matteo, who appointed benitez, and who is ultimately the one making all the decisions. but no, he's untouchable isn't he.

[carmine]

it seems to be rooted in this mistaken belief that chelsea and liverpool are hated rivals. all benitez did was beat mourinho a few times and make a correct, accurate comment about plastic flags.

everything he's said in that press interview is on the money. chelsea's fans care so much about the team? you've booed the manager from minute one - protest to abramovich outside of the match and when you're in the stadium you support the team. interim manager? genuinely embarrassing. and it would be an idea to remember who sacked di matteo, who appointed benitez, and who is ultimately the one making all the decisions. but no, he's untouchable isn't he.

All Spurs fans should be offering a big big thankyou to Abramovich and the self serving John Terry for our oppotunity to get AVB on board. Strange also that he can't man manage because our players seem to love the guy. I can't remember seeing such high morale and unity in the squad.

Anyways, he was clueless and not experienced enough to manage such a massive club like Chelsea!

Edited February 28, 2013 by carmine

[StevieH]

who is chelsea manager again?

[carmine]

who is chelsea manager again?

OK Roberto, you are going to stand stand in as manager now that we've got rid of DVD. Put on a nice suit, keep smiling like the nice guy you are but keep your trap shut and leave the running of the team to me and Lamps.

And then Guardiola proved that despite the cash lure its really not a very good option

[StevieH]

some interesting comments from oli kay of the times, one of the better journalists out there.

https://www.facebook.com/OliverKayTimes

Just back from Middlesbrough 0 Chelsea 2 -- a forgettable match followed by an unforgettable Rafa Benitez press conference ....
A few thoughts on an ill-advised marriage of convenience that looks beyond repair
* He knew what he was saying. He's not the type to blurt things out by accident. These are opinions he has kept bottled up for weeks and quite clearly something over the past 24 hours -- still trying to find out what -- prompted him to say them. I don't imagine it was the away fans at the Riverside; they were now more hostile than they have been all along
* He's correct in what he says about the hostility towards him being damaging to the team. The same could be said of the hostility towards McLeish at Villa, Kean at Blackburn etc. A depressed atmosphere is bad enough; a toxic atmosphere is far more damaging. Was he wrong to say it? If he wants to keep his job, yes. But he sounded to me like someone who said it while fully aware of the likely consequences, whether that means being "sacked in the morning" or attracting ever greater hostility on Saturday.
* I'm not surprised Chelsea fans made life uncomfortable him from the start. Not just because of the "history" with him -- much of which seems to be based on an imagined quote, but I accept there was more to it than that -- or because they don't rate him, but because, if a culture exists where Chelsea's fans and indeed players end up thinking they can vote with their feet, it's an extension of Abramovich's continually crass decision-making
* Benitez shouldn't have gone near Chelsea in the first place. Neither should they have gone near him. Both were totally ill-suited to each other's needs -- short-term, medium-term, long-term. Chelsea needed someone who could quickly win hearts and minds after the unpopular sacking of Di Matteo. Benitez needed -- and will soon more than ever need -- a club where he can quietly rebuild his previous reputation, somewhere calmer with room for improvement like the Valencia of 2001 or the Liverpool of 2004. And please, Liverpool fans, don't suggest the Liverpool of 2013. Too much water under the bridge.
* There shouldn't have been a vacancy for Benitez to fill in the first place. Chelsea had a very bad final month under Di Matteo, but injuries were a big factor. Also, he was effectively an interim anyway. Why replace one interim with another? As Benitez said tonight, people need to realise Chelsea are in transition. They happened to win the European Cup last season, but they finished sixth in the Premier League, which is probably a better reflection of their team -- collectively, as opposed to individually -- than what they did in the cups. Being third in the Premier League in November, four points off the top, and struggling in a tough Champions League group shouldn't have got Di Matteo the sack
* Abramovich needs someone to tell him that this really isn't working. Yes they won the Champions League last season, but that looks even more like the last triumph of a crumbling empire than it did at the time. After winning a second successive Premier League title in 2006, Chelsea were in a position to dominate English and European football if they made sensible decisions. Unfortunately for them, that's when Abramovich went very hands-on. Yes they've won a lot of FA Cups since then, but there are only two trophies that matter to Abramovich and it will soon be seven years in which they've won one Premier League title and one European Cup (in the year in which they were weakest).Yes they've won plenty, but they could and should have won more and be in a position where, on and off the pitch, they have a far clearer future than they do currently
* I'm glad Benitez has spoken his mind -- or at least get those few immediate frustrations off his chest. I'm sure he could and will say far more, but it would make a nice change for an (imminently?) outgoing Chelsea manager to reflect what a basket-case the club is, rather than allow themselves to be silenced by a confidentiality agreement.
* Who will Chelsea turn to in the short term if Benitez's position is deemed untenable? The word over the past few weeks, since the cracks began to widen, it would be phone-a-friend time again on Who'd Want To Be A Billionaire. Avram Grant? Stranger things have happened. Just not at sensible clubs ...

[carmine]

A very good piece. I really think that whilst Abramovich enjoys the support of the chelsea fanbase his crass decision making will continue to be blamed on anyone else and nothing will change.

If the atmosphere at the next home game is as bad as i think it will now be then he will quite possibly be removed and Grant would be a good bet to be another "interim" manager.

[Macclad]

It was obvious beforehand that Benitez and Chelsea was going to be a "marriage made in hell."

If the fans could see it,how come Benitez and Abramovich couldnt see it ?

Its Abramovichs impatience for instant success that is the root cause of Chelsea current woes but if he leaves with his millions you could see the club imploding,similar to Portsmouth.

And if Abramovich had never bought Chelsea they would be still another middle of the road Premiership team similar to near neighbours Fulham.....no Champions League winners,Premiership titles,FA Cup and Carling Cup trophies.

Certainly,whoever takes over as manager needs to be given time to re-build and restructure the team with no impatient interference,even if it means a couple of seasons without winning anything.

Failing that you might just as well appoint Terry as manager,Lampard as no.2,Cech as goalkeeping coach and Cole as Chief Executive !

[rixalex]

it seems to be rooted in this mistaken belief that chelsea and liverpool are hated rivals. all benitez did was beat mourinho a few times and make a correct, accurate comment about plastic flags.

everything he's said in that press interview is on the money. chelsea's fans care so much about the team? you've booed the manager from minute one - protest to abramovich outside of the match and when you're in the stadium you support the team. interim manager? genuinely embarrassing. and it would be an idea to remember who sacked di matteo, who appointed benitez, and who is ultimately the one making all the decisions. but no, he's untouchable isn't he.

Regards the interim manager thing, and Rafa's latest comments on that, don't really understand what he is getting at or why you think it is embarrassing. It was obvious that the club, or should i say, Roman, saw Rafa as a stop-gap measure, and not as a permanent solution, for whatever reasons, and as such, didn't want to appoint him with any pretensions about the nature of his position. Whilst i do question the sense in sacking DMT, having made that stupid decision, it was obviously going to be difficult to find the right man - if there is such a thing for Chelsea?! - at such short notice, and so appointing Rafa as interim manager, seemed to make some sort of sense to me... proportionally anyway to all the other decisions. Enabled Chelsea to set about finding a permanent manager without accusations of undermining the current one, and of course one presumes with the option there, if Rafa did an amazing job, to appoint him in that role. Guess you could call it, keeping all options open. Admittedly, might not be the best thing for getting the best performance from the players, but on the other hand, appointing Rafa as being the permanent manager to then sack him six months later, what with all the managers Chelsea have already sacked, might not have had a good effect on the team either.

Anyway, at the end of the day, Rafa was surely made aware of the status of his job and the conditions of it around about the time that he accepted it. That was surely the time to have a problem with it and to discuss it, not months later when things aren't going too swimmingly.

And with regards supporting the team when you're in the stadium, i've said it before and i'll say it again each time you care to bring this up, Liverpool fans treated Hodgson just as badly, and the only difference in this instance is Liverpool fans like and respect Rafa, but they didn't like or respect Roy. Of course Liverpool fans feel they had good right to not like or respect Roy, but in my mind, you either believe in supporting your team and your manager at all times when the team is playing, and stick to that, or you don't. You can't go adding caveats as to when an exception can be made about booing during playing time... and if you think you can, i don't think you have any longer a right to judge Chelsea fans for the same classless daft behavior.

[SantiSuk]

Agreed Rix. Press love this kind of outburst but in reality it was just

Interim manager reveals he is ..... er ..... an interim manger, shock horror. Nice opportunity for all the tribal warriors to take another dump on a competitor.

Id be interested to know what their handful of recently acquired class players (ok - Mata, Hazard not quite a handful) make of all this and their personal futures.

Edited February 28, 2013 by SantiSuk

[carmine]

Agreed Rix. Press love this kind of outburst but in reality it was just

Interim manager reveals he is ..... er ..... an interim manger, shock horror. Nice opportunity for all the tribal warriors to take another dump on a competitor.

Id be interested to know what their handful of recently acquired class players (ok - Mata, Hazard not quite a handful) make of all this and their personal futures.

What does that mean? Who's taking a dump? Can we not discuss the possible ramifications of a manager being let go at this crucial stage of the season. Theres a battle on for top four you know....

[StevieH]

it seems to be rooted in this mistaken belief that chelsea and liverpool are hated rivals. all benitez did was beat mourinho a few times and make a correct, accurate comment about plastic flags.

everything he's said in that press interview is on the money. chelsea's fans care so much about the team? you've booed the manager from minute one - protest to abramovich outside of the match and when you're in the stadium you support the team. interim manager? genuinely embarrassing. and it would be an idea to remember who sacked di matteo, who appointed benitez, and who is ultimately the one making all the decisions. but no, he's untouchable isn't he.

Regards the interim manager thing, and Rafa's latest comments on that, don't really understand what he is getting at or why you think it is embarrassing. It was obvious that the club, or should i say, Roman, saw Rafa as a stop-gap measure, and not as a permanent solution, for whatever reasons, and as such, didn't want to appoint him with any pretensions about the nature of his position. Whilst i do question the sense in sacking DMT, having made that stupid decision, it was obviously going to be difficult to find the right man - if there is such a thing for Chelsea?! - at such short notice, and so appointing Rafa as interim manager, seemed to make some sort of sense to me... proportionally anyway to all the other decisions. Enabled Chelsea to set about finding a permanent manager without accusations of undermining the current one, and of course one presumes with the option there, if Rafa did an amazing job, to appoint him in that role. Guess you could call it, keeping all options open. Admittedly, might not be the best thing for getting the best performance from the players, but on the other hand, appointing Rafa as being the permanent manager to then sack him six months later, what with all the managers Chelsea have already sacked, might not have had a good effect on the team either.

Anyway, at the end of the day, Rafa was surely made aware of the status of his job and the conditions of it around about the time that he accepted it. That was surely the time to have a problem with it and to discuss it, not months later when things aren't going too swimmingly.

And with regards supporting the team when you're in the stadium, i've said it before and i'll say it again each time you care to bring this up, Liverpool fans treated Hodgson just as badly, and the only difference in this instance is Liverpool fans like and respect Rafa, but they didn't like or respect Roy. Of course Liverpool fans feel they had good right to not like or respect Roy, but in my mind, you either believe in supporting your team and your manager at all times when the team is playing, and stick to that, or you don't. You can't go adding caveats as to when an exception can be made about booing during playing time... and if you think you can, i don't think you have any longer a right to judge Chelsea fans for the same classless daft behavior.

it's the fact that they went out of their way to come up with a new title for him rix, because they absolutely knew that the fans wouldn't and didn't want him. by calling him 'interim' manager it's a sop to those fans and just completely unprofessional. why not caretaker manager? why not temporary manager? 'interim'? laughable.

and you can keep saying it as many times as you like, you'll still be wrong. liverpool fans treated hodgson absolutely nothing like benitez has been treated at chelsea. not even in the same ballpark. think your liking for the current england manager is blinding you.

[SantiSuk]

Agreed Rix. Press love this kind of outburst but in reality it was just

Interim manager reveals he is ..... er ..... an interim manger, shock horror. Nice opportunity for all the tribal warriors to take another dump on a competitor.

Id be interested to know what their handful of recently acquired class players (ok - Mata, Hazard not quite a handful) make of all this and their personal futures.

What does that mean? Who's taking a dump? Can we not discuss the possible ramifications of a manager being let go at this crucial stage of the season. Theres a battle on for top four you know....

Be my guest Carmine. I don't expect anything I say would have any bearing on the matter

[carmine]

Agreed Rix. Press love this kind of outburst but in reality it was just

Interim manager reveals he is ..... er ..... an interim manger, shock horror. Nice opportunity for all the tribal warriors to take another dump on a competitor.

Id be interested to know what their handful of recently acquired class players (ok - Mata, Hazard not quite a handful) make of all this and their personal futures.

What does that mean? Who's taking a dump? Can we not discuss the possible ramifications of a manager being let go at this crucial stage of the season. Theres a battle on for top four you know....

Be my guest Carmine. I don't expect anything I say would have any bearing on the matter

Well you could have added some humour by suggesting Arsenal fans should be patient and you will qualify for the CL again.

Something like "In Wenger we trust" would have been hilarious.

[SantiSuk]

Actually I just saw the Rafa interview on Beeb. He appears to be saying that the tag interim was added after he had signed up for the job, which is a bit of a shocker.

Easy to say you resign at that point, but the guy was clearly desperate to get back into work. However, having accepted that addendum without resigning its a bit much to be complaining about it now. Summary dismissal coming up? Could be one of Abramowitches few logical decsions!