Chelsea Terrace Talk – Irish Examiner Article By Trizia
Anyone who thinks that Benitez’s rant was the result of a man snapping at the end of his tether has not really been paying attention. Everything Benitez says or does is calculated.
It was no co-incidence that this rant came less than 48 hours after Tottenham over-took Chelsea in the league. The Spaniard is very quick to point out his perceived failings of others – whether they be players, board members, supporters, authorities etc – where he does seem to have a significant blind-spot is where he himself is concerned – he will accept no blame whatsoever for the fact that this Chelsea squad, stuffed as it is with talented players, is failing on a level that we really have yet to see under Abramovich.
Even the hissy fit over the word “interim” is an exercise in smoke and mirrors – he is being disingenuous by insinuating that he was unaware of the title when he took the job – that it was somehow “lost in translation”. He knew the title – just as he knew the wages – the only thing that was important to him was the opportunity to re-launch his stuttering career.
And now that that re-launch isn’t going exactly to plan he is trying to divert attention from his often bizarre team selections and substitutions, his strained relationship with senior players, his contempt for the people who pay his wages and the very central role he has played in the failure of this team.
This refusal to accept any responsibility for the current state of affairs does him no favours on many levels. I don’t need to discuss the relationship with the supporters – that is more than well documented and obviously has reached its lowest ever level this week. His barbs aimed at the board will also have rubber-stamped his exit at the end of the season – many thought that he wouldn’t see out the week – but Benitez took a calculated gamble here – again, all in the timing – who would they get in for little over 5 weeks left at this stage? He knew that it would infuriate those that run the club but would effect him little in the long run.
But what he really needs to think about is how his little performance was viewed by those outside of the club – by potential employers. This is where I think he mis-calculated;
Thanks to his friends in the press, Benitez was enjoying his role as “poor put upon Rafa” – being picked on by all those nasty Chelsea fans; he had sympathy – he even had many arguing his case for him. But in that one interview, he once again revealed to the world the paranoid, arrogant,, difficult persona that has fallen out with figures of authority everywhere he has gone. Having witnessed his diatribe and considered his poor tenure at the Bridge, who will give him a job? Certainly not many I would imagine.
Even those Liverpool fans singing his name at Anfield on Saturday would baulk at that – not that they would admit to that of course.
Posted by Trizia
(You can see all the Terrace Talk articles here)
Rafa cannot leave the Bridge soon enough, and maybe he should jump from it and put all of us, and himself, out of this misery. He is a tactical dunce, a buffoon, and a failure. Chelsea will survive Rafa, but Rafa may not survive Chelsea.
Great piece as normal Trizia. The way i feel at the moment after Rafa’s outburst is anger. I have never thought that the position we are in, had anything to do with the booing. It has EVERYTHING to do with the Rafa’s tactics , team selection and substituitions ,which to be honest have been idiotic. (funny how his record at inter is So similar to here, except he didnt last as long) But it seems that the likes of us(supporters) are getting the blame for the teams performance and not his incompetence.
Spot on analysis.
All this Rafa out circus is NOT helping the players and most important the results. The players let themselves down, lethargic, uninspiring, uninterested, no fighting spirit, player power, just look at our central midfielders, useless bunch. As a Chelsea fan, like it or not I have to back the manager and the team, let’s hope they win and get the results and top 4. At the end of the day RDM has gone and won’t return for sure, this is the club and board’s decision, get it?
Rafa has turned it around.Three wins in a week and where playing
superb football.He’s started to leave out Ivanovic who was making
terrible mistakes and now where flying.Well done Rafa.
Same team same manager, I would be more inclined to say the players have decided to try and make 4th a priority. We only started playing well after the FSW said he would be def off at the end of the season. Co-incidence? I don’t think so.
Roman should never have employed him, but, only two months to go to put up with him so get the season over and we can start again with a proper manager not a fraud!