Di Matteo Sacked

Hank Scorpio

Unbelievable Jeff

Will be exciting to find out who his replacement is

Edit: So It's Rafa?

Hes well known for his poor man management skills, pretty much the opposite of Mourinho in that sense

I expect another sh1t storm

ctrl-alt-delete

Rumours they are set to announce a short term replacement, sure isn't that what most of their managers have been lately!

Hulk Hands

Rafa? Delighted.

opr

A Chelsea manager being sacked has now replaced the Coke advert in the being the first sign it's Christmas. :pac:

Opr

Trampas

surprised sven hasn't put his cv in yet

tok9

nuxxx wrote: »

Unbelievable Jeff

Will be exciting to find out who his replacement is

Edit: So It's Rafa?

Hes well known for his poor man management skills, pretty much the opposite of Mourinho in that sense

I expect another sh1t storm

What are these poor management skills you refer to? A manager who has won so much with "poor management skills" would surprise me.

Allyall

tok9 wrote: »

What are these poor management skills you refer to? A manager who has won so much with "poor management skills" would surprise me.

I think you mis-read. He said Poor Man, Management skills. Referring to not spending a fortune on players..

Xavi6

Bloody hell, some amount of drooling over Rafa in the Pool thread. Embarrassing stuff.

Good manager who would do well if given a decent run at it but he's by no means the second coming.

Duck Soup

Still doesn't make any sense to me. Rafa hasn't been confirmed for the job and last time I read him talking about the subject, he was saying he wouldn't be up for a short-term caretaker role, a la Hiddink.

But then RA can give him a 2 year contract and sack him in the summer anyway, to make way for Pep. The only difference would be the pay-off to Rafa to buy him out of his contract.

But then if that's what RA has in mind, why not just keep RDM there till the summer?

aperture_nuig

Xavi6 wrote: »

Bloody hell, some amount of drooling over Rafa in the Pool thread. Embarrassing stuff.

Good manager who would do well if given a decent run at it but he's by no means the second coming.

Never got the love for him myself, his last months at pool werent great and he was cack at Inter.

mayordenis

Xavi6 wrote: »

Bloody hell, some amount of drooling over Rafa in the Pool thread. Embarrassing stuff.

Good manager who would do well if given a decent run at it but he's by no means the second coming.

For a lot of fans he was comfortably our greatest manager during their lifetime, hardly embarrassing to idolise him. It's pretty standard stuff in sport.

Hulk Hands

aperture_nuig wrote: »

Never got the love for him myself, his last months at pool werent great and he was cack at Inter.

His whole.time at pool wasn't great imo. He won the CL with Houlliers squad and judging by where they finished in the years preceeding and after, its more likely the second place finish was a fluke rather than the building of some great title winning team. Spunked a shedload of money too and subsequently ran Inter into the ground. Delighted if Chelsea go for him

mayordenis

mayordenis wrote: »

For a lot of fans he was comfortably our greatest manager during their lifetime, hardly embarrassing to idolise him. It's pretty standard stuff in sport.

It was Xavi, massive pinch of salt required

Cantona's Collars

Chelsea Football Club would like to announce that Rafael Benitez has been appointed First Team Manager on a three-hour contract.

Chucky the tree

Hulk Hands wrote: »

His whole.time at pool wasn't great imo. He won the CL with Houlliers squad and judging by where they finished in the years preceeding and after, its more likely the second place finish was a fluke rather than the building of some great title winning team. Spunked a shedload of money too and subsequently ran Inter into the ground. Delighted if Chelsea go for him

Still as clueless as ever I see.

04/05 - 5th
05/06 - 3rd
60/07 - 3rd
07/08 - 3rd
08/09 - 2nd
09/10 - 7th


Yep, it's clear to see for everyone that second place was a fluke year. :pac:

SlickRic

you've no clue.

Hulk Hands wrote: »

He won the CL with Houlliers squad

you make that sound easy. Djimi Traoré has a CL medal, as does Milan Baros. yup, that must have been a piece of fúcking cake.

and judging by where they finished in the years preceeding and after, its more likely the second place finish was a fluke rather than the building of some great title winning team.

steady progression in the League up until that final year suggest quite strongly that it wasn't a fluke. it wasn't a "great, title winning team", but it was the best team we'd had in my time as a Liverpool fan.

Spunked a shedload of money too and subsequently ran Inter into the ground.

he spent lots of money, yes. but more of it was spent on very good players, than bad ones. and most of the money, he made back in sales. in terms of the actual players he purchased, it's just the focus gets put on the Aquilanis and Keanes of this world, rather than the likes of Agger, Lucas and Torres.

he didn't destroy Inter. this is a myth.

he struggled with an aging team that Mourinho worked wonders with. Rafa tried to change too much, too quickly, and paid a big price. he didn't do well there, but he didn't "run them into the ground". how well have Inter done since with the team Mourinho left? it's only now after big personnel changes have they started to come back a bit.

Delighted if Chelsea go for him

i don't think it's a good move for him, or necessarily the club. many Chelsea fans seem to despise him, he won't get the control he craves, and he'll just end up with a healthy compensation cheque in a year or so.

meh.

aperture_nuig

SlickRic wrote: »

you've no clue.



you make that sound easy. Djimi Traoré has a CL medal, as does Milan Baros. yup, that must have been a piece of fúcking cake.



steady progression in the League up until that final year suggest quite strongly that it wasn't a fluke. it wasn't a "great, title winning team", but it was the best team we'd had in my time as a Liverpool fan.



he spent lots of money, yes. but more of it was spent on very good players, than bad ones. and most of the money, he made back in sales. in terms of the actual players he purchased, it's just the focus gets put on the Aquilanis and Keanes of this world, rather than the likes of Agger, Lucas and Torres.

he didn't destroy Inter. this is a myth.

he struggled with an aging team that Mourinho worked wonders with. Rafa tried to change too much, too quickly, and paid a big price. he didn't do well there, but he didn't "run them into the ground". how well have Inter done since with the team Mourinho left? it's only now after big personnel changes have they started to come back a bit.



i don't think it's a good move for him, or necessarily the club. many Chelsea fans seem to despise him, he won't get the control he craves, and he'll just end up with a healthy compensation cheque in a year or so.

meh.

TBH, whoever gets the job will be the same.

Xavi6

mayordenis wrote: »

For a lot of fans he was comfortably our greatest manager during their lifetime, hardly embarrassing to idolise him. It's pretty standard stuff in sport.

He's simply the best of a largely bad lot so is lucky in that regard.

Even some of your own have said as much regarding the fawning so it must be OTT.

GavRedKing

SlickRic wrote: »

i don't think it's a good move for him, or necessarily the club. many Chelsea fans seem to despise him, he won't get the control he craves, and he'll just end up with a healthy compensation cheque in a year or so.

I'd welcome him, the guy always seems passionate and willing to put it all on the line.

Many a good UCL night was overseen with Rafa in the opposing dug-out, some good for Chelsea, some for Liverpool.

I cant see him taking a short term job but if you asked last night would RDM be sacked in a few hours I would have also said not a chance.

mayordenis

Xavi6 wrote: »

He's simply the best of a largely bad lot so is lucky in that regard.

Even some of your own have said as much regarding the fawning so it must be OTT.

Honestly, that's one of the worst arguments to put forward, 'even other liverpool fans say he's not that good'.

That doesn't make it true.

By that logic Liverpool fans who claim he's the best, are also proof of the other side of the argument.

He was the best of a bad lot, he would also be the best of pretty much any good or great lot.

Aidric

The Club is being run like a traveling circus.

I have Guardiola down as a man of dignity and class, a manager who respects tradition. Why would he associate himself with a club like Chelsea? It would hardly be for the money. He'd be a better fit for Utd.

tok9

Allyall wrote: »

I think you mis-read. He said Poor Man, Management skills. Referring to not spending a fortune on players..

Sorry I actually was talking about man management skills. I believe he is referring to not dealing with players particularly well which I find very hard to believe.

StephenHendry

gutted for RDM, seemed a good guy and he did really well in such a short time winning the CL and FA cup. a win against city would mean they're a point behind in the prem this weekend coming

its hard to know if rafa will get the chance, anyone think 'arry might be given a chance until the end of the season before they try and lure guardiola in the summer

Hank Scorpio

StephenHendry wrote: »

gutted for RDM, seemed a good guy and he did really well in such a short time winning the CL and FA cup. a win against city would mean they're a point behind in the prem this weekend coming

its hard to know if rafa will get the chance, anyone think 'arry might be given a chance until the end of the season before they try and lure guardiola in the summer

I cant see Harry even being considered, there would be uproar imo

Pj!

Roman Abramovich wishes Rafael Benitez the best of luck in his new role and has announced that he will give the new manager time to prove what he can do. Roman has promised him 2 seasons in charge. Best of luck for winter and spring.

Xavi6

mayordenis wrote: »

Honestly, that's one of the worst arguments to put forward, 'even other liverpool fans say he's not that good'.

That doesn't make it true.

By that logic Liverpool fans who claim he's the best, are also proof of the other side of the argument.

Except that's not what I said.

I said even your own fans find the fawning OTT and cringeworthy, not that they don't think he was a good manager.

Big difference.

He was the best of a bad lot, he would also be the best of pretty much any good or great lot.

He wouldn't have been the best in a different era, the love is magnified by the rubbish that served either side of him for the most part.

He is (was?) a good manager, I've never once thought or said otherwise, but a bit of realism is needed when discussing him now in relation to a job at another club.

jacool

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Man I love Next Manger betting already up 94 quid from betting exchanges.

People really do get sucked into some daft punts on these markets.

I love "next manger" bets too - I've a big win due in a month or so.
Though your Chelsea new manager bets are probably more frequent.

Lawrence1895

There we go...football is just a big business, no matter, if you won a major title the previous season, you are just a number

Leiva

is there a scheduled news conference or anything ?

Hulk Hands

Chucky the tree wrote: »

Still as clueless as ever I see.

04/05 - 5th
05/06 - 3rd
60/07 - 3rd
07/08 - 3rd
08/09 - 2nd
09/10 - 7th


Yep, it's clear to see for everyone that second place was a fluke year. :pac:

It was a fluke because Chelsea imploded that season, a side comfortably better than you along with United. If Liverpool really did have the talent to be a top 2 side then they would've finished higher than 7th and 6th in the years after regardless of what was going on at the club. You got lucky with injuries only to Torres and Gerrard all year. Your squad was wafer thin and it showed in the years after. Finishing third from 06-09 doesn't reflect how far behind United and Chelsea you were in those years. Liverpool had one title challenge throughout Rafa tenure and went back to mediocrity straight away after, so I'm still inclined to say fluke

IamtheWalrus

Seems Pep is being spoken to.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/9693087/Chelsea-in-talks-with-Pep-Guardiola-after-Roberto-Di-Matteo-sacked-as-manager.html

Leiva

Hulk Hands wrote: »

It was a fluke because Chelsea imploded that season, a side comfortably better than you along with United. If Liverpool really did have the talent to be a top 2 side then they would've finished higher than 7th and 6th in the years after regardless of what was going on at the club. You got lucky with injuries only to Torres and Gerrard all year. Your squad was wafer thin and it showed in the years after. Finishing third from 06-09 doesn't reflect how far behind United and Chelsea you were in those years. Liverpool had one title challenge throughout Rafa tenure and went back to mediocrity straight away after, so I'm still inclined to say fluke

embarrassed for ya.

put down the shovel

intellectual dosser

ft9 wrote: »

If it's Rafa, Chelsea will win the league, Torres will probably be top scorer.

Im not a Liverpool but my God Rafa has some way of talking. His tone, the way the words flow. Its like his words are angels flying out his mouth - I'd believe anything he said - except the FACHTS about Fergie.

opr

Telegraph reporting that journalists in Abu Dhabi say Benitez was due in UAE til Fri, now flying to London today.

Opr

Hulk Hands

Leiva wrote: »

embarrassed for ya.

put down the shovel

Great input. The level of delusion about the 09 Liverpool squad is quite staggering

Leiva

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Great input. The level of delusion about the 09 Liverpool squad is quite staggering

mate the only person that suffers from delusion around here is the one that thinks you can "fluke" a CL win and final in the same 3 years.

and my input was directed at you as a piece of advice-you really should take it.

MisterAnarchy

Benitez would be a very strange choice.
Abramovich wants his Chelsea team to play open attractive football similar to Barcelona .
Everyone bar Abramovich seems to know its impossible with the technically limited players at the club but he keeps sacking manager after manager .
You cant build a team that plays attractive and winning football overnight ,it takes years and years of planning .

Benitez is a defensive minded coach ,his teams have never been good footballing sides ,bar Valencia where he inherited an extremely talented side from Cuper.
He wont play the good football that Abramovich craves ,far from it .

ROCKMAN

Chucky the tree wrote: »

Still as clueless as ever I see.

04/05 - 5th
05/06 - 3rd
60/07 - 3rd
07/08 - 3rd
08/09 - 2nd
09/10 - 7th


Yep, it's clear to see for everyone that second place was a fluke year. :pac:

wow Rafa so good he can even gain a place

SlickRic

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Great input. The level of delusion about the 09 Liverpool squad is quite staggering

your insistence that everything between 06-09 was a fluke is far more deulsional in all honesty.

it was a very good team, and Rafa did very well as Liverpool manager until the funding stopped - funding that had been promised by our then toxic owners. he should've done better in his final year, but that is pretty much his only fault, and even at that, it was while we were owned by a pair of gobshítes. that doesn't absolve Rafa of all blame for that final season, it's just a bit of perspective, and that final season doesn't make him a bad manager.

Finishing third from 06-09 doesn't reflect how far behind United and Chelsea you were in those years. Liverpool had one title challenge throughout Rafa tenure and went back to mediocrity straight away after, so I'm still inclined to say fluke

i honestly haven't heard for quite a while, something as ridiculous, as a 3/4-year time period being nothing more than a fluke.

seriously, think about how stupid that statement is.

Leiva

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

Benitez would be a very strange choice.
Abramovich wants his Chelsea team to play open attractive football similar to Barcelona .
Everyone bar Abramovich seems to know its impossible with the technically limited players at the club but he keeps sacking manager after manager .
You cant build a team that plays attractive and winning football overnight ,it takes years and years of planning .

Benitez is a defensive minded coach ,his teams have never been good footballing sides ,bar Valencia where he inherited an extremely talented side from Cuper.
He wont play the good football that Abramovich craves ,far from it .

all the above is true which has me leaning towards a temp replacement.

BUT

if Rafa got it full time then he will need lots of time, and he would more than likely go straight out and hire Segura who would transform the youth set-up.
I'm hoping that RA does not afford him this time in any plan, and Rafa never gets a full time position, as quite frankly he would be a massive success with Chelsea resources which is something I never want to see them get as they have become a bit of a disgraceful joke with how they treat professionals they hire.

IvySlayer

Ray Wilkins there made me wet myself..

Stolen from GIF thread in Cools section :P

pickarooney

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

Benitez is a defensive minded coach ,his teams have never been good footballing sides ,bar Valencia where he inherited an extremely talented side from Cuper.
He wont play the good football that Abramovich craves ,far from it .

Kind of ironic, given Cuper's long-standing reputation as a defence-orientated coach.

eagle eye

They are hardly going for Benitez are they? I don't think he is what they need although I can see his relationship with Torres being something that would make him a candidate.

I'm going to the bookies to have a small bet on somebody else. I'll tell you who when I come back.

APM

any chance they'd take Trap for us?

iregk

eagle eye wrote: »

They are hardly going for Benitez are they? I don't think he is what they need although I can see his relationship with Torres being something that would make him a candidate.

From what I heard at the time Torres and Rafa were not on speaking terms by the time he left Liverpool.

GavRedKing

APM wrote: »

any chance they'd take Trap for us?

Allyall

I think Rafa is perfect, because he'd take the short contract and his relationship with Torres.
For someone like Pep, it's a poisoned chalice.
'Arry would(n't) take it?? - Dunno there, Every way i look at it i question the opposite reasons.
Can't imagine Hiddink leaving Abromavich's other club :pac: to come back to Chelsea.. Conflicting interests.
Steve Clarke, could be enticed by the money, but i don't think he'll be offered.
Michael Laudrup - Ditto
Mark Hughes.....
Didier Deschamps - Don't think he would go, or be asked.

Etc.. .

If it's only until the end of the season, then Rafa is the ideal candidate. He wants it, They want it, It may help Torres..

SlickRic

iregk wrote: »

From what I heard at the time Torres and Rafa were not on speaking terms by the time he left Liverpool.

from who?

considering that since Torres left, he's spoken very highly of Rafa's influence on his career, I find that a difficult one to believe.

Grayditch

Phoenix wrote: »

Holy fook I had a dream about this:eek:

Ha, I had an educated guess

Allyall

iregk wrote: »

From what I heard at the time Torres and Rafa were not on speaking terms by the time he left Liverpool.

Esquire Magazine. Nov 2011

"Rafa Benitez has been the most important coach in my career. It wasn’t easy for me to leave Atletico, come to England and play in a much faster game that is more dynamic and physical than La Liga. Rafa has been the only one who knew how to help me improve. His priority is the team but he adapts the conditions to make everyone fit in the team.
That’s his secret. To do it, he maintains a constant personal dialogue with each player. He taught me a lot and thanks to him I matured as a professional. Without a shadow of a doubt".

LINK