Football Focus

[Otta]

Madrid Chairman saying this morning that a certain special one will be on his way this summer...

I just really can't see Rafa taking it on, knowing that Pep or Jose will come in in the summer and boot him out. He just seems far too proud for that.

[bon3yard]

Just laughable. Did Di Matteo fail to soap Brave JTs nuts with enough enthusiasm or laugh wholehearteddly at his roster of rubbish jokes?

[Otta]

Otta Wrote:

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> Madrid Chairman saying this morning that a certain

> special one will be on his way this summer...

>

>

>

> I just really can't see Rafa taking it on, knowing

> that Pep or Jose will come in in the summer and

> boot him out. He just seems far too proud for

> that.

But perhaps I'm wrong

BBC Website

"Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez responds to Roberto Di Matteo's Chelsea exit, and tells Sport 360 website: "I have just found out (about Di Matteo). Obviously Chelsea is a top side and they can compete for trophies so it goes in this category."

The former Liverpool boss is currently in Abu Dhabi where he works as a pundit. The website says he is due to fly to the UK tonight.

Bentitez adds: "In football a lot of people are talking so we will see what happens in the next few days. I am looking for a club that can challenge for trophies and Chelsea is one of these clubs."

However, Chelsea fans are very much against it by all accounts. His old spats with Jose are still fresh in their minds.

[woodrot]

bon3yard Wrote:

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> Just laughable. Did Di Matteo fail to soap Brave

> JTs nuts with enough enthusiasm or laugh

> wholehearteddly at his roster of RACIST jokes?

Corrected for you*

*Dear Schillings ,Brave John Terry is blates not a racist - this is satire & thus outside the scope of UK defamation law

[red devil]

Otta Wrote:

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> I just really can't see Rafa taking it on, knowing

> that Pep or Jose will come in in the summer and

> boot him out. He just seems far too proud for

> that.

He hasn't worked for 2+ years, so even a 6 month spell at Chelsea would at least get him back in the shop window...

[Otta]

True, but it's a huge risk, the fans wo't take to him, and will be calling for his head after 1 loss.

[Parkdrive]

Otta Wrote:

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> True, but it's a huge risk, the fans wo't take to

> him, and will be calling for his head after 1

> loss.

Par for the course then at CSKA Fulham

[Alan Medic]

red devil Wrote:

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> Alan Medic Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > If my maths are correct any lurkers wishing to

> > play would have to start this week or they will

> > never reach the 75% participation rule.

>

> Might already have gone, 12 games played out of

> 38. Plus some weeks there will be more than one

> game played e.g. Xmas and Easter...

12 gone but only 8 weeks in here. So just about can do if you allow one round per series of games.

[Otta]

To be fair to the fans (which pains me!) they haven't really called for the head of any of RA's 8 (or is it 9 now) managers.

Saw a tweet on the BBC earlier saying Alex Ferguson would struggle to last a season at that club. It is madness.

Problem is, some clubs will at least have to weigh up whether the financial implications of letting a manager go are viable. Chelsea have no such concerns.

[Alan Medic]

Some of what I have read implies that it has been a successful tactic for Chelsea. That is, things have improved when a new man has come in...........for a while.

[woodrot]

?86M paid out in managers fees sinc RA took ovet the Chelsee vermin. yes, ?86M .

[Atticus]

Don't really know what the fuss is about. I have never been convinced by RDM. Now is as good a time as any.

[Otta]

That is a fair point, but they should have just had some backbone and not given him the contract in the first place. They took so long to give it that it was clearly not what they wanted.

Chelsea fans reeeeeally not wanting Rafa!

[Jah Lush]

What a few million to a billionaire? Peanuts. Contracts don't matter to the likes Abromovich. Cunt!

[red devil]

Otta Wrote:

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> Chelsea fans reeeeeally not wanting Rafa!

Unlucky, they've got him, at least until the end of the season...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20427966

[maxxi]

Chelsea fans sold their souls years ago and can't complain now or try and dictate who they want as manager - RA will just get rid of them and buy a new set of fans (there's a job-lot going cheap down at Loftus Rd).

[Otta]

So, City out of the CL again. This could well help them defend their league title, but will their owners be more patient than RA...

[Parkdrive]

Atticus Wrote:

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> Don't really know what the fuss is about. I have

> never been convinced by RDM. Now is as good a time

> as any.

Yes, I mean he only won the FA cup and the Champions League, not a lot really eh?

[StraferJack]

RdM brought something to the table in the short term, but it's inconceivable that tactical brilliance and managerial genius is able to do in 5 months what no manager had previously done, so it seems fair to say that other factors were also at play in that astonishing CL Victory

(the sheer pig-headedness and arrogance of an undoubtedly talented set of footballers being foremost IMO)

So beyond that, did he have enough to warrant the job? He deserved a chance for sure. But given the club he works at he will have known that it needed more than he had to survive.

Not that I'm defending Chelsea or Abramovich's actions - in the short term, averaging a manager a year might deliver the silverware required. But it's burning through managerial talent at a ferocious rate and there are only so many top top managers.

[Jah Lush]

So you could expect that Benitez's two season deal amounts to winter and spring, followed by the sack and a big fat pay cheque at the end of it. I take it wouldn't you?

[StraferJack]

I?d take it ? but if I was Guardiola? I?m not so sure? he has ideas above being a gun for hire and regardless of any Chelsea talk about a ?new project?, he will know that he won?t be given long

He doesn?t need the hassle, or the money. If RdM was allowed to see out the season to be succeeded by Guardiola, then there would be a degree of gentlemans agreement about it. But now I think he thinks ?why would I want to get bogged down in that nest of vipers?

More I think about it the more I see the CL victory as the beginning of the end for Chelsea. Abramovich will have run out of road in a few years and will depart

['bout now]

All cash, no class and a deeply unpleasant, fairweather support to boot.

Abramovich and Chelsea deserve each other.

[red devil]

CFC's name was on the CL cup, they won it inspite of RdM, not because of him. He only took on the job at the QF stage.

One interesting stat I heard was that under RA, CFC have won more silverware than MUFC, so the formula of churning out managers is successful in that respect. However, as SJ pointed out, eventually they will run out of managerial options, certainly top quality ones.

A lot of people have expressed surprise that Benitez has taken on a caretaker role. But most managers have big egos, and Benitez will have gone in there thinking if he does well he will get the job full-time. I don't think he will get a big pay off if they don't keep him on.

I can't see Guardiola fitting in at CFC either, he would be much better suited to AFC or MUFC. It could be an interesting summer..Mourinho to leave RM?..Fergie to retire?..and unless MCFC win the league Mancini will get the boot...

[Mick Mac]

I hope Rafa has found his marbles again, as he had clearly lost then towards the end of his Liverpool days.

It's a great opportunity for him, despite Chelsea's bad treatment of managers, as he has not exactly been in demand since leaving Liverpool.

Good luck to him.

[Otta]

RD, I reckon Ferguson will be carried out of old trafford in a box. Just can't imagine him retiring after his famous U-Turn after the 99 treble.