Chelsea Terrace Talk – Irish Examiner Article By Trizia
If Beneath-Us needed any confirmation of how the Chelsea fans felt about his appointment, he was left with no question when his name was read out just before kick off – the booing was loud and vitriolic and went on for some time; Neil Barnett tried & failed several times to stop the deafening outpouring of anger from the stands. In the end, it was only the fact that there was to be a minutes applause for the passing of Dave Sexton (a proper manager) that finally silenced the cat-calls and the jeers. Several banners too had made it past the stewards and were displayed around the ground. In almost all cases they were quickly removed by the stewards – so much for free speech.
Several elements of this whole sorry episode has angered the fans – starting with the treatment of Di Matteo. Beneath-Us claims he was contacted about the job eight days before RDM’s sacking – so that is before Juventus away, but also before the West Brom game – which means that they were looking to sack him after losing just one league game – just ludicrous!
Then there was the way it was done – allegedly at 4am at the training ground after returning from Turin – seriously? After everything he has done for the club, didn’t he deserve better? Not that I am surprised of course – sentiment is something Roman doesn’t do and his puppets simply carry out his orders to maintain their exorbitant salaraies. It has left a very bad taste in the mouth. The difference in class between Di Matteo and his former employers was only emphasised when the Italian released his own statement – it was eloquent, dignified and emotional without being mawkish and it easily demonstrated to the world how an honourable man conducts himself – what a contrast to the clowns that run our club.
Then of course there is the whole matter of Benitez….where to start? Chelsea fans would have probably accepted anyone but two individuals – Grant & Benitez…..
Abramovich showed total disregard for the supporters – in fact it was almost as if the owner took the opportunity to say a massive “F**K YOU – I RUN THIS CLUB” to the fans. We don’t expect to pick and choose the managers, but to get someone in who has previously insulted the supporters, has been out of work for two years and who effectively destroyed a Mourinho treble winning side – never mind being at the helm of Liverpool when the relationship between Chelsea and the scousers was at its most toxic, smacks of an almost childish act of spitefulness. Either that or Abramovich has actually gone insane….
Benitez’s claim that he was simply defending his incumbent club when he made those derogatory comments about Chelsea fans just doesn’t wash. The fact that he wasn’t man enough to simply put his hands up and apologise also tells you what you need to know about this busted flush. He is stubborn, aloof, self important and mentally weak. Who could forget the cringeworthy “FACT” episode? During his tenure at Anfield Ferguson & Mourinho toyed with him mentally as a cat does with a mouse before biting it’s head off – they effectively reduced him to what looked like a jibbering wreck, more on the edge than he would care to admit to.
Oh – and by the way – I know you scousers love him & are outraged by our refusal to accept the chump – spare me the moral outrage – let’s agree to differ on this one.
His post match denial of the strength of feeling against him again demonstrated his refusal to even try and understand our stance on his appointment. Perhaps if he showed a little more empathy there could be some sort of detente until the end of the season and his exit.
On this point – I personally believe this “interim” business is a bit of a Trojan horse. What happens if Guardiola doesn’t agree to come to us in the summer – which could quite easily happen – what then?
Also, as if Beneath-Us becoming our manager wasn’t bad enough we also discover that Cole & Lampard will almost certainly leave in January. If ever you wanted a demonstration of exactly how stupid the people that run our club are, then this is it. Cole continues to be the best left back in the country if not the world and Lampard could still play a part. Make him a coach – if they would have had any brains they would have perhaps offered the assistant manager’s job to him instead of Bolo Zenden – they have the same amount of experience. But then would Frank want to be associated with such a set up – I doubt it.
Whose idea was the Zenden appointment anyway? What exactly is he going to bring to the table? There are certainly more questions than answers at the moment and although the antipathy towards the current set up will naturally diminish somewhat, it won’t go away completely.
I do wonder if this episode will cause an unbridgeable rift between owner & supporters. Roman has been largely exempt from criticism throughout his tenure but the sacking of RDM & hiring of Beneath-Us was definitely one that was down to the organ grinder and not the monkeys.
We, the supporters of course have no say – there will be those that tell us we have a choice as to whether to go to games or not – well they don’t understand football fans – not this one anyway. Chelsea is my club – I have supported them all my life – I have every right to show my displeasure at a decision which I think is fundamentally wrong for MY club. It is entirely possible to support the club but not the manager.
I haven’t felt disillusionment like this since Avram Grant’s mercifully short tenure – I feel that as a club we will simply be treading water until the end of the season- which as far as I am concerned cannot come soon enough. Let’s hope that by the time that comes around he won’t have done too much damage and we can all move on.
Still one league loss and he should be out – right?
Posted by Trizia
(You can see all of Trizia’s articles here)
This article is below the usually high standard of Terrace Talk, although it probably more acccurately represnets what is being said on the terraces 😉
I was a regular at football matches in the 1970’s and 1980’s and having read this article and the responses, I’m so very pleased that I switched my support to rugby.
Before you say it, I’m no upper class twit;in fact I’m the product of a council estate.
I despair at the language on the terraces at football grounds; the aggression and incitement to violence voiced from the fans;the rabble rousing nonsense headlined on the back pages of the tabloids; the unsavoury behaviour of parents at matches involving primary school children and worst; the incredible hatred and vitriol meted out to people who you may never have met but with whom I’m sure you would get along just fine if, god forbid, you find yourself standing shoulder to shoulder to help out those less fortunate.
Be passionately supportive of your club for sure but be respectful to those who don’t share your enthusiasm.
You never know they might let the fans mix together at the bars before, during and after the games . That would be nice ! Can’t we try ?
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and normally your articles are superb, but what I find a tad disconcerting with your article is that you were the very one that only in the past few weeks openly stated that you were very concerned as to whether RDM was the man to bring us on this season, that his tactics and team selections were erractic/poor (and Im not quoting you verbatim obviously). So if RDM was to go, what should RA have done???
I agree that his treatment of RDM when sacking him was absolutely classless, but should we have held onto him, despite the poor form or fired him and if that was the case, who should we have taken on as our new manager?
And before I get lots of vitriolic abuse from other Chelsea fans, I dont want RB at my club either but I support CHELSEA and have done so for 43 years, through all those years of abslutely dross football and will never boo/whistle at my team or the manager (even when its him!)
I’m not a Chelsea fan but I can see how it rankles them, so many managers in/out and someone they don’t like running the team. Even if they won every game under Benitez it wouldn’t make a difference.
I cant see how the owners can just ignore the people who come every week to watch their team play as if they don’t matter or have any say at all.
No point riling them up, pick a manager and stick with him but make sure he is a popular choice, Pep will come in and have his stint and eventually he will go with a bad run of form. They cant even see that a bad run of form is a natural thing to happen, just ride the storm with the manager you do pick.
The article just says what a lot of Chelsea supporters feel that’s all.
What a dreadfully childish article from someone who has no understanding or respect for football. Grow up!
I have every right to my opinion as do you
Fully support you as do many other fans around me, although its fair to say some don’t support the FSW but have no wish to voice their protest.
Me thinks that if you don’t protest then the powers that be will continue to walk over you, much as a trade unionist would argue.
Guess its up to the individual to make their own minds up, but I would like my club (and RDM) back
Unfortunately Trizia, the BBC has taken your opinion as some kind of standard bearer. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20495520
I’m with those fans who found the booing embarrassing and I find your article – painted by the BBC as some kind of CFC fans’ representation appalling.
You other “90%” of Chelsea fans should do some quick calculations… Keep up the booing to the end of the season, it will affect the team, it will affect the staff, it will affect Abramovich and it will affect the opinions of prospective future managers.
Consider no European football, more players leaving at the end of the season and staff who don’t enjoy going to work. What chance do we have of getting Pep Guardiola in as a replacement with THIS kind of fan pressure being piled on him? Can we expect Roman to keep on funding the club through the UEFA Fair Play rules if we don’t show support and solidarity instead of division and derision?
Now I totally get that Benitez made some insulting remarks, but I bet there’s plenty of players at other clubs who have come on to sign for CFC – but we’ve never heard anything about it. Benitez is at Chelsea now, he is a good tactician – obviously got Liverpool punching above their weight – and if he’s at least not mistreated there are still trophies to win this season.
In the end we’re all customers of Chelsea FC, even some of us who consider ourselves die-hard fans. The Premiership is all about business and we knew that’s what it was going to be when Roman came in. We fans at Chelsea have to endure some of the most expensive ticket prices. There’s a lot worse things to deal with than Rafa Benitez at our club (he could even win us some trophies!) and I don’t see why we should pick now to go to pot.
Wise up and stop talking trash!
can’t see the logic in booing Rafa how will that help the players we owe everything to Roman. Have faith in the owners plans. The trophy cabinet suggests the owner and his advisors know what they doing…..?
Di Matteo will still be a legend and can leave with no regrets and a multi millionaire! Move on, no room for sentiment in modern day football. BBC and club rivals are loving this-laugh at CFC. Back the team!
Trizia Fiorellino – you really are a sad case
I feel sorry for you
You and a mindless few put yourself before the good of the team
With a name like Fiorellino…i question how long your roots have been true die hard London Chelsea like the most of us !
Have your petty opinion…but please KEEP IT TO YOURSELF !
People like you are constantly undermining the Club !
SHUT UP !
Support every word of Trizia’s article, roll on the middle of May and lets hope beneath-us does as little damage as possible.
Why do we waste money on Zenden, when Lampard, or Zola would be magical.
I feel sick to the core when I looked at our dug out with the waiter sat in there, it was painful enough when he turned up with Liverscum but you knew it was was for only 1 or may be 2 games a season, now he is there all the time. SICK SICK SICK.
Sean O’Driscoll !!!
Are you Torres in disguise??
Absolutely disgusting behaviour from so-called Chelsea “fans”. As a lifelong Chelsea fan I have never been so embarrassed by other Chelsea “fans” in my life.
I understand you may not agree with the Di Mateo sacking or the Benitez appointment, I didn’t agree to be honest. But showing such hatred towards Benitez before a ball has even been kicked is very damaging to the club and to the team.
You are welcome to your opinion Trizia, but do not pass it off the opinion all Chelsea fans. I certainly don’t want to be tarred with the same brush.
We’d be happy to publish an article from yourself with your view – you up for that?
Also, were you at the game? The booing was from every stand and sustained – I would say at least 90% joined in – seems the majority of the match going fans all feel the same way
selective hearing…no one in the east stand joined in. no one in the west stand joined in. a handful in matthew harding upper. as for the shed and lower matthew harding there was a fair bit…but 90% of the ground – you’re having a laugh.
i just wonder what your outcome is. maybe you like destabilising the club, the players and creating a hostile feelng in the stands.
whether we loved Roberto or not, he’ll have been sorted out for life financially with whatever payoff Abramovich gives him, as are all the managers he dismisses.
i was shocked by the sacking but when i thought about it not that suprised. Robbie was imaginative going forward but had little idea on coaching tactical defensive discipline, which we need to remain in contention in the Premier League.
Whoever pulls on a blue shirt is a blue until he leaves, especially if he gives 100%
Lets see what benitez tries to do for the club rather than creating an atmosphere of antagonism born out of petulance that you dont like the choice of manager.
I wholeheartedly agree with this comment.
Benitez should be given our support because he is now our manager…
yesterday was an
embarrassment for the club. A proud club’s so called supporters decrying their own manager because we werent happy when he beat us as opposition manager – how dare he eh ?
jesus wept
nothing to do with him beating us – he insulted us, he has been out of work for two years and he was a disaster in his last job.
unbelievable nonsense again…he was seventh in the league 13 points off the top with 2 games in hand and really popular with the fans…he also had loads of players out with injuries and only got the bullet because he asked the board to sack him or back him in the transfer market…you really dont do any research do. as for not having worked, dont you think he could have got a job if he had wanted one.
it is not YOUR club, you are a customer, if you dont like it, shop somewhere else.
spoken like a true idiot
Looking at the username, I suspect there was more than a hint of sarcasm in that comment…
I do not agree with Booing Rafa Benitez.If you and your co-horts continue in theis childish game ther will only be one winner and it won’t be mine and your club Chelsea.The Booing got to the players in nthe 1st half.So STOP booing Rafa give the bloke some credence.Dave Sexton would have turned in his grave if he swa wht unravvelled on the terraces on Sunday.Support the team even if you hate Benitez.
Classless fans, throwing their toys out of their pram. Perhaps you should be demanding Roman out.
A4 printouts are the new plastic flags.
Chelsea fans are the new Leeds fans. Utterly revolting bunch all of you.
oh dear – we’ve been infested by scousers….
What a petty, badly written and ill informed piece written by the Chair of the supporters club..
It was an embarrassment to hear the booing towards a decent manager on sunday.
Fair play, RDM didnt deserve to go. But take your vitrol out against Roman rather a manager.. every sacking and appointment has been the responsibility of RA
It’s not because he beat us a few times.
1. He slagged us off countless times as Liverpool manager.
2. He’s not THAT good a manager.
3. The way Robbie was treated was an absolute joke.
He is a great manager like him or not and he was at logger heads with mourihnio no sounder he disliked us everyone did. How can anyone defend RDM he played Hazard as our centre forward and a right back at right wing. His a nic guy but tactically clueless, charity shield, SUPER Cup and finished 6th in the league last year, thank god his gone only shame is he didn’t take Mikel with him.
and i thought liverpool were a f*cked up football club
As a Spurs supporter all I can say is keep booing and help the team finish outside the top 4 as they surely will. We didn’t like getting AVB to replace the successful Redknapp, but we are not stupid enough to do what you did to our manager, because if you do you’re just hurting your team and club, and whoever the manager is you love and support your club through thick or thin. I agree Di Matteo didn’t deserve the boot, but if Ancelotti and even Mourinho got it, why are you lot surprised.
Short memory Villardi – Remember a certain George Graham?
This name calling using play on words “Loserpool, Old Toilet, etc etc” was really not that clever in the early days of internet discussion and nowadays “Beneath-us” comes across as just sad and pathetic.
By all means vent your spleen in giving your opinion but don’t resort to name calling that most children stop using by the age of eight!
Chelsea is a fine football club but the treatment of the new manager reinforces image of their fanbase as “nouveau riche chavs” and leads false credence to opposition supporters taunting re “no history”.
On a separate issue, RDM may be a gentleman but I doubt the Clattenburg incident would have escalated if there was a Mourinho, Fergie or, let’s face it, Benitez in charge.
But it’s not YOUR club any more, it’s Roman’s. Just like Man Ure are the Glazers club and Man City are the Sheiks club. Unfortunately that appears to be the price of success nowadays.
since when did booing a manager who said crap about my club and still doesn’t show any signs of remorse for it become a crime. as a matter of fact most fans are gutted by the decision of the owner to bring in Rafa who is no better than RDM into Chelsea especially when he wholeheartedly declared that he hereby do solemnly swear that he would NEVER accept the managerial role at Chelsea and later does the opposite because he is desperate for a job!
all you scousers here talking crap should be grateful that at least we brought your “idol” back from hibernation so that you may able to see him win a premier league trophy & demonstrate to the entire world about how disgusting your club is!
heard he’s about to bid for Suarez & Skrtel maybe you’ll use that money to buy crap players o… you have a good history of buying crap players outta good money from us.
we boo at rafa because he deserves it a whole lot..if any chelsea fan thinks its disgracefull then he/she should plug in some ear-piece because the MHS is going to be louder than ever till that fat spanish waiter is gone!
Skrtel wouldn’t be a bad buy in my opinion – but not Suarez.
You really aught to check your facts. The sainted Mourhino often slated LFC and repeated such remarks since leaving Chelsea – even to the extent of telling Gerrard to leave the club. Everybody does it and its usually more about the club they are at than the club they are talking about.
Absolutely pathetic tossing the toys out of the pram stuff. Chelsea fans are behaving in an utterly classless and childish manner. BoooooooooOoooo! A4 printouts! Booooooo! Grow up!
Fair enough, you’re upset that RDM has been poorly treated and deserved better, but why not vent these feelings at the true culprit Abramovich and co? Is it possibly because while you might not like the way he’s run the club, you really, really want him to keep signing cheques so success doesn’t up and go away?
Stubborn, aloof and self-important, sorry, are you talking about Mourinho? As for mentally weak, if that was true do you think he would have taken this poisoned chalice knowing full well the vicious abuse he would receive?
Oh, and your nickname for Rafa, “Beneath-us”? Talk about cringeworthy! I suppose a man who won 2 La Ligas and a UEFA Cup with Valencia, a CL title (another final, and knocked Chelsea out in Semi-Finals twice), and an FA Cup is beneath Chelsea, but a man who wasn’t good enough for West Brom is?
Grow up Chelsea fans, your actions are making you a laughing stock. Anyone else would have been accepted other than Rafa or Avram? How about Neil Warnock, he’s exactly what you deserve.
He took the job because no one else wanted him – TWO YEARS out of work
Who cares if it was 2 years? The main thing is he can get Chelsea playing again – with the support of the fans.
The guy got Liverpool punching far above their weight with a team that had Igor Biscan and Traore in it! By the time Pep Guardiola is given a chance – and we all know that’s who Roman wants – he’ll have been out of the game for at least 2 years as well!
I’m ashamed at the scenes from yesterday. I don’t blame anyone, when I tell them I’m a Chelsea fan, for telling me Chelsea fans are disgraceful. This past year we’ve booed Anton Ferdinand for being the potential victim of racist abuse, we’ve acted like the victim of racist abuse when Clattenburg was accused of racism and now we boo our own manager. Did anyone see any of Blackburn’s matches? That is the kind of turmoil we’re headed for if we don’t stop holding pathetic grudge and start to grow up and support our club, which means the manager too. No, we didn’t like him at Liverpool. Yes, we’re hurt by Di Matteo’s sacking – no one thinks he should have been sacked other than Roman. But we have to move on and ensure we do our best to make Stamford Bridge our fortress and make home teams feel like they’re at an away game. I’m not saying agree with Roman’s decision; you can hate him all you want for this. But the team and Rafa need our support on match days, have your doubts and anger off the field. We have the potential to win the league this year lets ensure we’re all behind the team to help them get there.
I was proud of us as supporters yesterday – why should we accept a man who insulted us? Why should we stand by meekly while the owner & the board sack another good man. It’s what the board are doing that will hurt our club – they will soon ensure by their behaviour that no one but a desperate man (like Benitez) will work with us
What’s all this talk of “insulting the club”? Himself and Mourinho were constantly having digs at each other and the respective clubs. Mind games was all it was.
Ironic that some Chelsea fans get huffy about a throwaway comment re plastic flags and then turn up at Stamford Bridge waving laminated A4 sheets of paper around.
Why should there be a need to sink to these levels of abuse because as an oppo manager he didn’t like us? Which oppo manager DOES like us? Which one has one iota of respect for Chelsea fans? The outrage would be comical if it didn’t demonstrate such a total lack of basic humanity.
Abuse, as usual, dismissed as part and parcel of the game. I’m glad I didn’t take my kids yesterday.
Not just managers – I bet other players do it all the time. Let’s face up to facts that a lot of decent players talk a lot of rubbish that we don’t hear about. It doesn’t stop them coming to Chelsea for the money and the chance to win trophies. To be honest – I don’t see how Rafa is any different other than we got to hear about it.
Oh yeah – and… Source says Guardiola may snub us for Man Utd!
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11668/8280230/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
some chelsea fans are unbelievable…trying be saints after you openly uttered crap about Rafa before he was finally appointed!
Totally agree with everything in this article – its about time that the board & the owner knew that they simply can’t keep walking over everybody – whether it be players, managers or the fans. Hope they were squirming but sadly I bet they weren’t as they don’t care what we think
So obvious that a most of these “ashamed” Chelsea fans are actually Liverpool fans – now THAT’S childish….
This article is highly embarrassing. How supporters can boo a manager in his first day in charge is beyond belief. Someone who is now part of you, fighting your corner, wanting to help the team win.
This is unprecedented treatment to a new manager, and incredibly disrespectful to the owner who has bankrolled the club beyond belief.
I suspect the trophy room would look threadbare if Roman hadn’t have stepped in those years ago.
He could do with a set of supporters who were grateful.
Whilst I don’t want Benitez it is clear that our frustrations should be directed at Roman? Where the f was that yesterday? Oh sorry without him we wouldn’t have he success. Seriously no humility anymore. Stop bitching about it and TELL ROMAN!!!! Raffle will do his job regardless of the fans booing. Why did no one aim their disgust at Roman……. Because the club needs and owner and he his finance got us here (to an extent). So as far as I can see Roman needs to go not Beneath Us.
If guardiola comes and isn’t good enough? What then??? We are nearly out of managers!!!!!!
and that’s the problem – we can’t keep treating managers like this – I think we are ALREADY very close to running out of decent managers – which is why we have RB
I would be very surprised if Guardiola joins Chelsea in the summer.
Both Soriano and Beguiristain, key figures in securing and assisting Guardiola at FCB, are at Man City. Add to that the infrastructre being developed at City which they are influencing and City becomes attractive. Guardiola also had a free rein at FCB to do as he pleases. Would Roman grant him that at Chelsea?
I actually think that Benitez could do quite well at Chelsea. He will tighten up the defence and the team will be a more cohesive unit. This will come at the expense of attacking play initially.
What happens if Guardiola refuses to come and Benitez does well and is offered a contract?
More to the point – if Benitez “does well”, why would we need or want Guardiola? Answer that!
I think Benitez is a good coach and could do well.
Having said that, if you have the chance to sign Guardiola then you sign him.
Guardiola is a better coach than Benitez just as Benitez is an upgrade on Di Matteo.
What a stupid article, John above makes all teh points I would like to make so i won’t repeat them.
The sheep doing the booing yesterday need to grow and support the club, how on earth do they think the players feel with all that rubbish going on.
If you have a gripe then write to Abramovic – and he will put it where it belongs.
Oh and by the way, Grant took us to an ECL final, which, it could be argued, JT lost.
Hardly sheep – in fact sitting there quietly whilst someone overrides your wishes and does as they want is more akin to a sheeps behaviour.
as Rafa says – he doesn’t care if we boo or cheer – so there’s your licence if you need it
What if Guadiola does not come and Benitez does not do well – then what?
I would imagine that Benitez will get sacked and Chelsea will move onto their next short term Manager.
At some point the real issue has to be addressed which is Abramovich meddling in team affairs either directly or because his entourage are encouraging it.
Mourinho is under real pressure now in Madrid. 11 points behind FCB and even the Madrid press are sniping at him.
His return to Chelsea would not surprise me but I doubt he is the man for the long term either. He appears to be fine for 2 seasons max before things begin to encounter problems.
As a current season ticket holder and fan for 50 years I was extremely depressed by Trizia’s article.
I thought the booing was embarrassing.
I too was appalled by the sacking of RdM not to mention its nature and timing.
However, as a CFC fan I think the ONLY course for us is to get behind RB.
Benitez is a top coach whose mind games annoyed chelsea fans during our duels with L’pool.
He clearly has the managerial nous to improve the team and win games. And he seems a nice guy. He’s the coach now SO GET OVER IT. OK the big boss is a cross between Stalin and Ivan the Terrible but he sure delivers the goods. There are more important thing in life to worry about.
Booing is graceless, disrespectful and most of all counter productive,
So Rick – what do you suggest the fans do who arent happy with the appointment do?
Are they meant to just sit on their hands?
The ONLY thing to do is get behind RB! We are paying customers and are entitled to make our feelings know when we arent happy that the good name of the club is being tarnished again by Roman.
We are no longer a football club but one mans toy, he treats former greats with utter contempt – Tommy Langley and RDM to name just two.
If RB is such a top coach can you explain why he has been on the dole for 2 years?
He is a yes man brought in to pick Torres who has now seen off his 3rd manager.
Torres is a great finisher….of MANAGERS!
You were appalled but suggest we do not voice our anger? Coward
I absolutely support and agree with Trizia’s article. Our sheep like ST holders finally woke up to the fact that our owner cares nothing for our feelings & opinions and rebelled. Well done us. I’m sick to death of supporters of other clubs and non matchgoing sheep telling me how I should feel & think about the FSW, how I should support my club. I think Benitez is arrogant, disrespectful and far too defensive and I don’t want him.
Totally agree with Trizia. Have been a Chelsea fan for 45 years and the way RDM was treated was a disgrace. While Abramovic has poured millions into this club and giving it the success it deserves, the way he goes about sacking managers is appalling. I dont know why he does not appoint himself manager as i feel any manager has his hands tied when taking up this position.Supporters have every right to vent there anger at Benitez at his past comments about Chelsea.I will get my chance a week on Wednesday.
With Pep wanting to go to Man Utd and Cole and Lampard expect to go what chance Chelsea this year. Some people have money and class. Abramovic has money but no class….
P**s off. Rubbish. You absolute t**t
Your problem is RA not RB. Let’s see you boo him, then, maybe, you might regain a scintilla of respect from your fellow footy fans in the meantime hang your heads in shame.
Thanks Trizia, a fantastic article that describes extrememly accurately how me and many many many other Chelsea fans i have talked to, feel at this moment in time. In fact i would have to say that i have not met ANYBODY who feels different.
Defeat is acceptable, stupidity is not. The Chelsea fans have every right to vent their frustrations. Di Matteo was the best thing we had after Mourinho and did not deserve to go at all. If all the other clubs and their fans can tolerate a trophy less season, so could be but I had the belief in Di Matteo that he would hit back hard. Roman is treating Chelsea like his serfdom, he needs to sell out and go home. Chelsea was always a team with mediocre players but the biggest hearts and every victory the best saga to narrate. Bring back Di Matteo, so what if we don’t win this year?
Benitez is the one who has made himself unpopular and remember, he was the one that said that he would never take the Chelsea job under any circumstances.
Isn’t it strange that he’s done just the opposite, considering he’s been out of work for two years?
As Chelsea fans we have every right to feel annoyed with what has happened and if we choose to boo the interim manager, then that is our prerogative.
The grievance also comes from sacking a club legend after he won us the FA Cup and Champions League. Are we supposed to take that on the chin and get on with things?
If you’re passionate about your own football team, then you show it. I totally agree with what Trizia has said in her article and I know that she is very passionate about Chelsea Football Club.
The board need to realise that as fans, we cannot be walked over. We want what is best for Chelsea and because of previous comments by this interim manager, we are not getting the best in return.
Benitez is not the right man to take us forward and if he doesn’t come up to expectations, let’s hope that the fans will get an apology from the board, however, somehow, I doubt that will ever happen.
One Di Matteo!
Thanks for a great read, Trizia.
Agree totally with everything in that article. As someone unable to attend matches at this time, I was immensely proud of the supporters who showed passion in spades yesterday. The respect shown for proper Chelsea managers (RdM and Sexton) was set magnificently alongside the disdain for a thoroughly dislikeable man and one whose managerial acumen is questionable at best. ‘His’ Valencia success was based on team built by Claudio Raneiri and the rather fortuitous shall we say success at Liverpool, on the work of Gerard Houllier. After these sucesses he set about dismantling these teams and importing hundreds of his own signings, many of which were never to see the light of day.
I hate him for his classless interviews, his pragmatic football, his childish comments when under pressure. This is everything Roberto Di Matteo was not – and everything we dont want our Chelsea to become. Good luck to you Trizia – and I hope you and the match attending regulars continue to show our horror at the appointment of this man. We find ourselves in the middle of a season which promised the best brand of football since the Guillet Vialli era and now the best we can hope for is 1-0 wins and disillusioned stars like Oscar, Mata and Hazard. These guys are going to have to accept watching the ball being pinged over and back across their heads until this man is gone. What a waste.
Clever fella Mr Benitez. Waits 2 years and turns down / avoids numerous long term managerial positions whilst waiting for “the right opportunity”. And the “right opportunity” is at a club he regularly criticised and mocked, where he said he would never manage, where the supporters hate him and on only a temporary 6 month position? Really???
I support Chelsea and have done through thick and thin. I will continue to do so. I have, in the past, been very upset with the owners of the club. The Mears family almost destoyed what they had created. Bates was often a twerp who waas offensive to supporters. And once in a while Abramovich does things with which I do not agree.
While I did not like Ranieri or Grant I supported them. I never booed them. Benitez falls into a different category. Other than Stephen Hunnt, I cannot think of a person more likely to inflame and upset Chelsea supporters.
Two and a half years ago, his eevery decision was booed by Liverpool suppoorters and we sang “Rafe Benitez, we want you to stay”. He then went to Inter where he was fired within six months.
Nothing he has done in the interim changes the position from two and a half years ago.
I don’t like him, I don’t want him. I want him to go. I want him to know these things.
I hope he wins plenty of games….and then goes. May cannot come too soon.
And then I would like Mourinho back please.
Call me childish. Call me petulant. Tell me it is not my club. Tell me to take my support elsewhere. I shall ignore you. I pay my money and I can do (within the law) exactly what I want to do.
Great piece Trizia.
Reading all this and witnessing all the CFC shenanigans over the past few years I am so glad I am not a Chelsea supporter. I would be embarrassed really and believe me – as a Blue half Scouser have absolutely no love fo Beneathus – he has been the subject of some serious stick from my camp, but he’s part of your set-up now, give him a break and get yourselves some respect.
As an outsider you appear a pretty sad bunch. I live ‘darn sarff’ now so have plenty of mates who follow CFC and they seem a tad embarrassed to be honest. Put up with some difficult times and enjoy the good times with pride.
I am glad that the fans finally let the club & the owner how we feel. They cannot keep riding rough shod over managers and especially supporters. I think this article reflects the thoughts of the majority of those that actually go to games – well done for voicing them – bet the club won’t be pleased though!
Abramovich needs to realise that he is only the current custodian
Look, if RB came out and apologised and explained why he said certain things then maybe it would have muted the backlash somewhat. But no, he discarded every question that related to those comments.
He then tells us that two Chelsea legends, Frank and Ash, will be leaving. Fair enough if they are but it won’t do much to endear yourself to fans that already despise you.
And then, he hires a completely average former CFC player as his assistant, the same guy said he wanted to see Chelsea beaten in the CL last season.
These things completely sum the man up, a poor judgement of character, inept judgement of a situation and clear disregard for respect. Respect is a mutual thing, so why on earth should us CFC fans show him any when he clearly hasn’t shown us any?
And in terms of the booing – a message had to be sent out, and hopefully it will resonate with RA as much as it will with RB.
Also, although I was not at the game, it sounded to me that the fans made lots of positive noises towards the team after the booing of RB. Sounded like a proper home game for the first time in a while for me.
KTBFFH
A great article Trizia and sums up my feelings.
I watched the City game with a very heavy heart–40 years of following Chelsea and yesterday I wasnt really bothered.
Am going to Fulham game but know my feelings wont change about Rafa—this is a very sad period with my beloved Blues.
We havent even got class when sacking Managers anymore—RDM @ 0400 am and Ancelotti in the corridors of Goodison (after the Double season–unbelievable!!).
Keep up the good work
The BBC website are partially at fault here for using the opinions of one person on one website as representative if all Chelsea fans. I’m a season ticket holder, I’ve been relegated as a fan and that was the most painful thing I’ve been through with Chelsea. Romans model may not be your cup of tea but its delivered which ever way you look at it. Even when Mourinhho was sacked we were one kick away from the champions league trophy, Scolari sacked, FA cup win, AVB sacked, an utterly unpredictable double. So his methods are not entirely without merit no matter how much it can leave a sour taste. It does look like Roberto was told what would happen if he dropped Torres. He even said he expected the sack.
Without Roman, we’d not have had a decade of sustained and unprecedented success so it’s ridiculous to berate him.
I’m no Benitez fan but he’s qualified for the job. If he can get Torres scoring ill be pleased.
Booing solves nothing. It’s childish and pointless. The decisions made so get behind the team, forget the bullshit politics and do your job as supporters. Otherwise we are Blackburn.
Benitez deserves better than Chelsea and it’s miserable so-called ‘fans’. It’s a great pity that such insipid and puerile people who call themselves ‘supporters’ are giving the club such a bad name. Shame on them. If they have a complaint it should be with he who took the decision but of course they’re scared of RA and worried that he might leave.
Grow up Chelsea, you’re giving Football, Britain and mostly Chelsea itself a bad name.
Well said. It wasn’t Rafa who fired DiMatteo, but the CFC fans are far too scared to criticize RA in case he spits the dummy, takes his cash and leaves. In which case CFC would return to being the no-mark club they were before he bought them success.
Accountability. Mr A. Accountability. I really am not too concerned re the appointment of Benitez. Seeing him in the home dugout however did have a rather stultifying effect. ’67. My first CFC game. For Nob Barnett to use DS as a tool to quieten the crowd was an insult to the memory of a great CFC legend. Shame on you NB and everyone associated with that decision. Political correctness, to spare Mr A’s embarrassment and probably more importantly the blushes of Messers Buck and Gourlay and the other gravel feeders at our club. Wouldn’t it be nice, decent even, if the great man took time out of his protected environment and addressed the supporters? Shared with us his vision, his methodology, his business plan? It ain’t gonna happen. Glasnost Mr A. It worked for Russia’s most enlightened modern leader and arguably it laid the foundation for Mr A to “earn” his billions. CFC is not X-Box. It is the passion of hundreds of thousands of people. Mr A you are simply the short term custodian. We will be here when the Premier league and all the mercenary corrupt hangers on siddle off elsewhere. Those that want to boo and jeer can do so. I choose not to, but would not deny the choice to those that do. How else can we as genuine supporters of our club and the game generally voice our opinion? For one I’d be content to have the old CFC back. Take your money Mr A. Invest it in the poor people back home in Chukotka. This isn’t about CFC it’s about the decline of moral standards the world over. The Dollar/Rouble/Pound/Euro et al rule at the cost of everything we hold dear. We hold CFC dear. Time for change Mr A, oh and a wee dose of Glasnost followed by a huge portion of humble pie!
Season ticket holders near me in the East Upper, who have been pretty much comatose for the past 30 years, suddenly awoke on Sunday at around 3:58pm and rose as one to jeer the hapless Spaniard (no the manager, not the number 9).
It was like a scene out of Awakenings.
Sadly, like in the film, they are probably all asleep again now, never to awake again (unless Avram returns).
I would not boo Benitez. But I fully understand those who did. Discontent with the way the club is run, and with the ditching of Di Matteo, is entirely understandable.
When a manager wins the European Cup against all the odds that is special (particularly after delivering the FA Cup on the way). When a manager delivers a new brand of attacking football, integrating new players, and takes a side to the top of the league that is special – even if there are problems defensively at the same time.
When the same manager handles all the PR problems thrown at him with complete aplomb and also has to cope with the loss of the captain and the two other most experienced players as well, then he deserves some slack, even when results go against him.
The fact that the man concerned is also a club legend and Chelsea through and through makes true supporters doubly proud of his achievements – and doubly angry at the way he was so readily cast aside.
Anyone who doesn’t see why thousands of loyal supporters are hacked off by what has happened this week really needs to think a bit. It is bad enough that one of our own should be sacked in this way – to replace him with someone with a record of enmity towards the club simply adds insult to injury.
I believe Benitez is a decent man. During his time at Valencia he proved he was a good manager. He would have helped his cause considerably had apologised for his previous disparaging remarks about the club and its supporters. For his sake I hope he can turn it round and overcome the animosity. He has his pride too. But one thing he ought to have learned on Sunday is that Chelsea fans have as much pride and passion as anyone else. They revere their heroes, they dislike their enemies. And quite right too.
I Read the article and believe the name calling is beneath us. As Chelsea supporters, we have followed our club through the good times and the bad. Since RA took over it has been decidedly good. His decisions are harsh, we all agree on that. You don’t become a billionaire by being everyone’s friend. Your step on a lot of toes to accumulate that much wealth. Our Club is at the cut throat end of the business;we need a cut throat owner. don’t fool yourselves into thinking it is not a business. Being one of the best teams in Europe and the PL we cannot afford to go out of Europe in the group stages and we certainly cannot afford to miss out on Champions league football. Robbie is a Chelsea legend and a thoroughly decent bloke but tactically inept. As soon as teams had sussed his plan A they exposed our flaws. he was sacked because he couldn’t rectify those flaws. To think that Ra treats Chelsea as his play thing is insulting and can only be misconceptions propagated by the trashy tabloids that attack our players and club on regular occasion. It is the same media that pertains to know how each of our managers were sacked, at what time and by who. It is the same media that influences parliamentary elections to suit there own objectives. Which is to make as much money as possible by sensationalising events. I am pretty happy with the amount of trophies we have won during RA’s reign to date and wouldn’t swap him for any of the other owners in the PL. He is unorthodox ,ruthless and highly private but I believe has our best interests at heart. Is there room for sentimentality running a top european and world club, I think not. Should Ashley be moved on? I personally think he should stay, he has been fantastic when protected properly by the midfield and has been a great employee of the club since leaving Arsenal becoming the best left back in the world with us. What is wrong with players getting 1 year rolling contracts when they hit 30? This year was the first year we managed to balance the books and in the light of the FFPR we need to protect ourselves from having high wage players on the books who’s performances could decline leaving us no room financially for bringing a replacement in. We can scream to the rafters about youth coming through but we haven’t had the time Barcelona have had to develop our youngsters, we are getting there and I believe soon our team will be unbeatable, and young. If you look at our rival’s managers you could say that they have stability but Ferguson wouldn’t have lasted a year if he had come into management in this era, I doubt the Americans would have put up with his first few seasons in charge. Arsene hasn’t won anything for an eon and the only reason he is being allowed to continue is his bosses are not aiming as high as ours. Arsenal are a selling club. When was the last time we made a profit on a sale of one of our stars? if they play well we hold on to them…Torres being a different beast his regular poor performances under the three former managers were catalysts for RB being hired, he is not only with us for his tactical nous but for Roman to finally confirm that his most expensive purchase was a mistake. I fully believe Mancini will not last beyond the end of the season. I was against RB’s appointment, not because of his Inter failure, as who could have gone to a club after it won the treble with Mourihno at the helm with no new players and expect to instil a different football philosophy and keep the players hungry for success; it was because of the comments he made about our club at the time during his stewardship at Liverpool.I made some crass comments on some other sights about him when his name was being banded around but realise that Managerial banter is part and parcel of football. Now he is our manager we should get behind him because at the end of the day it’s Chelsea that matters. We need our players happy, our manager willing to fight our corner and an owner who is not always correct in his dealings but is willing to deal with any given situation to the best of his abilities. So far his policy of hiring and firing hasn’t left our trophy cabinet bare. Robbie did us proud by winning the CL and FA cup doing his job of caretaker exceptionally well. We will idolise him forever. It’s time to move on and to those fans who are talking about booing till the end of the season..think…it will have a detrimental effect on our team. If RB doesn’t produce then let him have it. However until then give the guy a chance.
As a Chelsea supporter for over 40 years,I felt sickened by the booing to RB. RA should be getting the booing, but OH…he put all the money in to make Chelsea a footballing power. Let’s not upset the owner….RDM was a great player but great ex-players should never come back to a club they where idolised, it never works out. Let’s hope Zola and Drogba don’t fall on that sword. RDM managed a CL and FA cup winning team, that night in Munich are name was on the cup, check the match over-all stat’s and Kenny was over the Pool. RDM lost the job himself,Community Shield, Super Cup hammering, got tactics wrong again against Utd., Swansea, Liverpool and especially WBA and Juventus,still picking Luiz, the three in the middle not tracking back and are they forgetting DD is not in the box any more….TRIZIA you wrote in the Examiner a few times questioning RDM….Yes or No??? Let’s not look through blue tinted glasses. Chelsea as a club have enough bad press over the years but I will still support them who ever is on the side line. No one is bigger than the CLUB………….
i think fans need to grow up about rafa benitez appointment ….He has come to do a job asked of him …Yes he may have said somethings about Drogba in the past aswell as the fans but the fact he was liverpool manager means he is not gonna be all nice and airy fairy to chelsea fans…Of course he is gonna say things ..Football is a massive mind game….Also at the time Drogba was a terrible diver and everyone could see it…
Ok i probably would have preferred we kept Di matteo but he is gone so either get over it and support the club or leave and dont return …I am a life long chelsea fana nd will give every bit to supporting the club including rafa
Trizia, you speak the truth from the true terrace.
I will sing anti Rafa songs from the shed lower as I believe he is not the man for the job, and even accepting the job after what he said about our fans shows the true character of the man.
I’m proud we boo’d him and long may it last. Fans that have spoke out about something they dont believe in.
RB brings nothing to Chelsea apart from pain and embarrassment.Why we even scraped the bottom of the barrel for somebody who insulted us. It’s a shame we didn’t get Steve Clarke back at Chelsea when the opportunity was there, look at him now, (well-done Steve Clarke wish it was our blue and white army you was managing)
I’m saddened and disappointed that our owner and the board behind him could choose such an unsuitable person to manage our team.
I will support and sing for my team and the players who actually care about and want to play 100% for Chelsea, but as far a Torres goes, my patience has run out, you can’t say we haven’t supported Torres, as there hasn’t been 1 person who wanted him to fail as Chelsea No 9, but his form had been poor along time before we was mugged for £50 million to buy him and now 2 years down the line he should be performing but his body language says it all. The toy you bought Roman is a dud, he might have sold a few shirts around the world but now is the time to put your hands up and say it hasnt worked, but instead you have just bought another useless item to the club in the waiter!!. Look at it this way, If Torres was performing the way he should for the vast wages we pay him and scoring goals would RDM still be here?? I would like to think he would be.
As someone who started supporting Chelsea as my Premier League team when The Special One took over I have loved the ride, the great manager who came and went and general expectation of trophies, big matches and great players coming in under the Abramovich era. I also remember the bitter rivalry when Benitez was in charge of Liverpool – why? Because Liverpool were an equal match and caught us out on a few occassions. Playing other teams in the Champions League was ok, but when it was Liverpool, you knew it would be nip and tuck and no quarter given. Remember Liverpool winning 4-2 (or 4-1?) at Real Madrid? Or pasting Man Utd on their own group in consecutive seasons? He spent less (net) than Chelsea and Man Utd on the squad as well, plus Liverpool were in trouble when he arrived and have returned their since he left (finishing 2nd in the premier league). So maybe he isn’t the best manager in the world – that’s Jose, Pep has to prove himself somewhere where he doesn’t have Messi etc. But to get upset because he made a few anti-Chelsea comments is childish beyond belief! Grow-up! Jose insulted just about every team in the league, why, because he was passionate about his OWN team! Look at Fergie going on about noisy neighbours etc or now saying Rafa is lucky! We should be defending him against that kind of abuse not sticking the book in before even a game was played! I don’t think Rafa sacked RDM somehow, and he certainly didn’t appoint himself, so if anyone is to be booed its to be Abramovich. But instead, lets be grown-up and support the team who have won so much in recent years. The club’s reputation is plummeting and now fans are booing a good manager before he’s even got going – its outrageous and if it continues I will be switching allegience to someone else.
Sorry about the typo’s – was typing too fast!
Chelsea fans can’t over the fact that Rafa’s mind games got under their skin more than Mouhrino’s bothered LFC fans. Also that Rafa defeated Mourinho’s CFC in two CL semi-finals as well as in other games. But the FACT is that Rafa never said he would not coach CFC. That is a lie. He said out of respect for LFC he would not coach two teams and he never named them. Everyone at LFC knows he meant Everton and Man Utd. Also he never mentioned “plastic flags”. Chelsea boo boys owe him an apology.
I agree with you everywhere there, except for the fact that Lampard can’t be a coach when he believes that he’s got at least 2 years playing career in front of him. Look at Scholes, and Lampard has been more athletic and fit than Scholes when Scholes was 33.
This is a disgraceful disloyal disjointed uninformed article
First off Rafa has never insulted us get your facts straight, that is a tabloid invention which you have fallen for, here are his exact words
“We don’t need to give away flags for our fans to wave – our supporters are always there with their hearts, and that is all we need. It’s the passion of the fans that helps to win matches – not flags.”
No mention of plastic flags or passionless Chelsea fans, seriousy anyone insulted by what he said above is a truly sad case
If you have evidence he did ‘insult us’ at least have the courtesy to print the insults, you cant because he didnt
CSG have a habit of undermining the club, you helped organise the destructive Sayno campaign, you did nothing to help Chelsea’s Battersea bid and now try and whip up discontent against our neew manager
You do NOT speak for the majority of Chelsea fans, stop implying that you do
I can’t agree with the hatred and name calling in this article.
Lets take a look at the quote in question.
“We don’t need to give away flags for our fans to wave – our supporters are always there with their hearts, and that is all we need. It’s the passion of the fans that helps to win matches – not flags.”
ANY CHELSEA FAN NOT HAPPY WITH THIS ARTICLE IS EITHER A 2009/2010 SEASON FAN OR NOT A FAN AT ALL……HERE IN REALITY,I’VE NOT SEEN ANY FAN THAT DON’T FEEL JUST EXACTLY THE WAY TRIZIA AS PRESENTED……I’M PROUD OF YOU TRIZIA!!!
MUPPET!
Trizia and co are just undermining the club. Get behind the team.
RB is the manager – show him some respect.
Get your facts straight.
There’s thousands who dont feel the way Trizia and co do and probably the majority of fans.
So stop being divisive and get behind the team, thats what the players need, not silly fans who are misinformed and misguided
Embarrassing!!
While I did not agree with the appointment myself, the choice has been made and lets stick to it. The guys that make the decisions, RA or those around him, have delivered trophies.
For the argument that RB was a disgrace in his last job, same could be said about RDM at West Brom. Much as I liked the guy he fell in the hot seat by accident and did a great job on an interim basis. But he really was not the man to take us forward, hence why they took so long to appoint him. They just felt they had no choice (they listened to the fans!!!! and look how that worked out!!).
Now we have RB lets get behind him, hopefully he can get Torres up and running again. At the end of the season we can reassess and see where we go from there.
Voicing displeasure does no good to anyone at CFC. THe people who run the club have delivered what we want, trophies, so we need to respect that and let them do their jobs. Much as i would love some stability the hire and fire policy has not exactly back fired one could argue!
We could be run by some of the idiots who run clubs like LFC and NFC so lets show some respect to those who run our club. Most fans of other clubs in this country would give an arm and a leg for the success and great games we have had over the last 10 years.
Chelsea are just hong the world what they are, classless, clueless and out of their depth. You are a bottom half of the first division side or a top o the second division.
As your ‘history’ before the criminal arrived attests.
David Marsh, being called classless is actually a compliment; however I would have to pick you up on the point that our season ticket prices are in fact quite high rendering it quite difficult for the average working man/woman to afford them during this period of austerity and household cutbacks. As reigning European Champions I would have to thoroughly disagree with your second and third points about us being “clueless and out of their depth” and on your final point bringing us to the peak of your intellect and footballing knowledge; you only have to go back as far as Bates and Harding to see a successful club with great potential. We were the perfect club for RA to buy. If you had a little bit more brain power than a dying Amoeba you could have been far more damning…but you don’t. The only reason you chose to post on a Chelsea site is you have been rejected by your own fans for being so bloody banal.
Agree with everything Trizia said. Well put, as usual.
SammyD also made my point perfectly: “Why should we stand by meekly while the owner & the board sack another good man?”
The fact is that we are almost powerless as supporters of a club 100%-owned by one very rich man. Booing and singing songs at games are some of the few things we can do to make our views known to RA and the board. The SayNoCPO campaign was another way we could say no to a man who rarely hears the word.
Although I am happy to have witnessed the success of the RA years, I was a Chelsea supporter before RA and, if I live long enough, will be one after him – win, lose or draw. Some things are more important than money and success.
RDM was sacked because Chelsea was in a free-fall situation and there was no evidence of a cure to this. RA did what I would have done. It has little to do with whom you like or not.
I didn’t like the appointment of Rafa and I find it equally odd that Zenden was appointed.
I will not protest because I want the club to move forward and winning games and trophies. RA has done so much for the club that there is no reason for me to protest. RDM was really out of ideas and yet again the club failed to stock the squad in a balanced way. We have lacked competition up front and neither forward really is a scoring machine. We just have to hope that we don’t get more injuries. Goalkeeper is a vulnerable position if Cech gets injured.
Let’s turn the leaf and give the club our full support. Ignore any ill-feeling towards Benitez for the moment.
Having just come back from West Ham I find some of the responces on here disgraceful. As a match-going fan for over 20 years and still young by most standards being only 32, I find it truly unbelievable how much what being a true Chelsea supporter has been lost post RA and all the trophies we’ve one.
This is not about winning cups, or champions league qualification etc…
It’s about our identity. What we represent. Who we are. Its about principals as people. I’m embarrassed to call myself a Chelsea Supporter and sacking Robbie was a step too far.
As far as I’m concerned if we were to be relegated at the end of this season it would be a good thing because all the JCL’s, non-singing, only sing when we’re winning & moan when we’re not would f**k off!!….Great work Triza as always.x