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Champions of Europe 2012/13 Thread


Philip Rolfe

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Did the fans do something different at last nights game to what they usually do? I have been to 4 matches since Rafa took over (and watched every one I haven't been to) and all that seems to happen is a few chants a game, clapping for Di Matteo every game and some booing. Obviously he was bound to snap at some point but I love the fact this thread has added 2 pages of oppo fans opinions when sections of the crowd have been doing this for 3 months. Now suddenly Rafa says something and they all come crawling in here :D

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I don't feel sorry for Rafa at all. He's not done well enough, either on or off the pitch. His attitude and ability in his last two jobs now will make him incredibly unlikely to get anywhere near a top job next and it's all his own doing.

The only issue I have with the fans is that it will look like their actions have had an impact, so it means fans up and down the country will continue to do similar things in the future, which I really don't agree with.

Actually meant to say last night, someone on 5Live said they went to the Bridge Kids Christmas Party and when Rafa was introduced the kids booed him :D that did make me a feel a bit sorry for the bloke, which I don't want, they shouldn't be able to make me feel bad for him.

Apparently he's meeting with club officials this morning. Come Paul Ferreira for manager!

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So was that a outburst of anger after finding out he wasn't getting it at the end of the season? Silly to tell him now tbf, let him think he could still get it. Suppose he now has to finish the season well to hope to get a new job next year.

Tbf I don't condone the chanting and I do think the fans have made their point. I personally don't boo Benitez when I go. I don't like him and I he has done a pretty awful job but I don't think booing anyone helps the team. I just hope we get in the top 4 and finish the season. I would rather get knocked out the FA cup and Europa now if we were guaranteed 4th but obviously getting 4th and winning both would be pretty :cool: Would also mean this season we would have won something.

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Without a manager it could spiral out of control and finishing 5th would be possible. Thought that will be an improvement on last season I suppose :brock:

There's a reason we finished 6th last season. It's the same reason you weren't in the CL this season...

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Actually meant to say last night, someone on 5Live said they went to the Bridge Kids Christmas Party and when Rafa was introduced the kids booed him :D that did make me a feel a bit sorry for the bloke, which I don't want, they shouldn't be able to make me feel bad for him.

Apparently he's meeting with club officials this morning. Come Paul Ferreira for manager!

That first bit is funny but does make me feel bad for him. I don't hate Rafa, he annoys me a lot and I really didn't like him at Anfield but he was always going to be the scapegoat. He could have endeared himself a lot more to the fans when he came e.g. apologising. even if he didn't think he did wrong, just say sorry and say you are 100% committed to getting the team back on track. Then maybe the fans get on your back a little less.

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Oh God, those 1900 fans that travelled last night, the ones that broke him (again) with some banners and songs are GOD DAMNED HEROES. I hope this steps up the vilification of him at home games, more banners, more songs. I hope Fergie sticks the boot in when we play them in a couple of weeks, breaks him again like he did last time, I fear FSW may top himself. What a great night, a win, lovejoy completely destroying fat geordie and FSW losing it :cool: :cool:

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That first bit is funny but does make me feel bad for him. I don't hate Rafa, he annoys me a lot and I really didn't like him at Anfield but he was always going to be the scapegoat. He could have endeared himself a lot more to the fans when he came e.g. apologising. even if he didn't think he did wrong, just say sorry and say you are 100% committed to getting the team back on track. Then maybe the fans get on your back a little less.

Yeah, agree with all of this, he's only made things worse for himself. He's done nothing at all to reach out to the fans or attempt to heal any of the old damage, just kept on piling it on.

That truly does epitomises Chelsea fans.

Right, so you ignore everyone else in the thread and just take jmr as epitomising all Chelsea fans? Nobody else represents us, but one post from jmr does. Makes total sense

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West Brom is my first game since Arsenal in January so will be interesting to see his reception. He has made it worse for himself that's for sure. I'm hoping they rearrange the Fulham away game for a weekend. I know they will end up doing it midweek but I have never been to the Cottage before, was looking forward to it :(

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Casey Stoney talking about her time at Chelsea:

And then when I played at Chelsea, despite the club's riches, it felt like the ladies' team were bottom of the pile.

One episode summed it up when John Terry stepped in to pay for our tracksuits because the club would only give us the hand-me-downs from one of the academy teams.

Seems like we treated the ladies team pretty badly (still do for all I know), but a nice thing to do from JT. Cue the jokes.

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Perhaps not, but it was extremely evident in the teams selected in the league that they took a back seat. I mean take Arsenal away; Cech, Bosingwa, Cahill, Terry, Bertrand, Essien, Romeu, Malouda, Torres, Kalou, Sturridge. That was leaving out Cole, Ivanovic, Mikel, Mata, Torres, Drogba, Lampard, Meireles (Luiz was injured, can't remember if anyone else was). A conscious decision and we even drew that game.

He also only lost three league games; away to Man City which is hardly a gimme anyway, and we were leading until a debatable penalty late on, then home to Newcastle through two Cisse worldies (when again, he left Cole, Mata, Lampard and Drogba on the bench). That defeat left us 4 points out with 2 games to go, so it was properly sacked off at that point and he played Turnbull, Ferreira, Bertrand, Essien, Romeu etc at Liverpool and lost.

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Moyes, Laudrup, Conte would all do a very good job imo if we can't get Jose. Then of course there are the ex-players that would instantly get huge fan backing. Then there's the fact that any manager coming in is going to get a big boost in support purely from not being Benitez.

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Mourinho is my number 1 obviously but there a few managers out there I would want if that doesn't happen. Moyes for example, if given the time, could do a brilliant job.

Serious question though is would he be given the time?

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Serious question though is would he be given the time?

I think Moyes would have a lot of backing from the fans simply for being British and generally well liked. Obviously he's not going to be given the time we'd all want, but I think he could make a good immediate impact and earn a decent shot at it in the eyes of Abramovich

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I honestly can't see how the club can sack him, especially since they haven't already. Bringing in another interim manager for the remaining three months of the season would just make a ridiculous situation even worse, unless we implausibly convince Real Madrid to agree to a straight manager swap right now. Might as well let Benitez stick out the season then start salvaging the wreckage in the close season. Nothing's realistically going to get any better or worse by changing things now.

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I genuinely think things would improve if we got rid. Fans don't like him, and it seems pretty clear the players don't like him, and after last night it wouldn't surprise me if the board weren't too keen either. The whole atmosphere would improve if we got in someone else until the end of the season, Avram Grant or whoever. I'm not saying it would solve all our problems, far from it, but at least the fans would properly get back onside, the atmosphere would improve and we might stand more of a chance of staying in the top 4, therefore being a bit more competitive in the transfer market for players and a manager.

Alternatively, if Jose gets knocked out by United then we should just try and bring him in right now and Real might be a bit more receptive to it.

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I genuinely think things would improve if we got rid. Fans don't like him, and it seems pretty clear the players don't like him, and after last night it wouldn't surprise me if the board weren't too keen either. The whole atmosphere would improve if we got in someone else until the end of the season, Avram Grant or whoever. I'm not saying it would solve all our problems, far from it, but at least the fans would properly get back onside, the atmosphere would improve and we might stand more of a chance of staying in the top 4, therefore being a bit more competitive in the transfer market for players and a manager.

Alternatively, if Jose gets knocked out by United then we should just try and bring him in right now and Real might be a bit more receptive to it.

I'm not sure Avram Grant would change much at all.

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We will not finish in the top 4 with him here, simple as that. Sacking him will look silly but it has to be done if we want a chance of finishing in the top 4. Just promote one of the coaches/youth coaches as caretaker.
... and if that doesn't work, will the players get the blame they deserve? It's pretty evident that quite a few of the players have been fluctuating in form and been below par for a while.
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I'm not sure Avram Grant would change much at all.

He'd change the atmosphere, nobody thinks he's ideal but if the fans are as much of a problem as some people say, he would help with that. Nobody would want him as first choice, but he'd be welcomed as a hero as just being anybody but Benitez.

... and if that doesn't work, will the players get the blame they deserve? It's pretty evident that quite a few of the players have been fluctuating in form and been below par for a while.

Nobody here is saying that the players are without blame, but who's the guy playing players who are out of form? Who's job is it to motivate those players and help them improve? Who's job is it to change things when it's not working? Ramires had been poor for some time before the City game, yet not only did he start out wide where he doesn't want to play, but he then remained on for 90 minutes despite playing dreadfully. The players haven't been good enough, but the way they've been used has just made a bad situation far worse.

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Why the **** do Madrid want Rafa anyway? Are they blind? Talk about giving the title to Barca.

I don't think they do any more, those polls of fans (though they're about 80% ********) have swung against him now. Would love him to go to Real and be proved the complete cluster**** he is, would show all those journos who kept spouting the "you'll love him in the end" ******** when he joined

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Nobody here is saying that the players are without blame, but who's the guy playing players who are out of form? Who's job is it to motivate those players and help them improve? Who's job is it to change things when it's not working? Ramires had been poor for some time before the City game, yet not only did he start out wide where he doesn't want to play, but he then remained on for 90 minutes despite playing dreadfully. The players haven't been good enough, but the way they've been used has just made a bad situation far worse.

Ramires' best performance this season came whilst playing out wide. I'm not disagreeing with the jist of your point but there's only so much you can do if the players decide not to pull their weight
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Ramires' best performance this season came whilst playing out wide. I'm not disagreeing with the jist of your point but there's only so much you can do if the players decide not to pull their weight

I remember he had one decent game out there, can't remember the others but you are probably right, I think that says more about how poor he's been overall this season than anything though tbh. My main issue is why is he still starting every game when his form hasn't been good enough? Fair enough during the AfCoN, but since then (and especially the City game which I thought seemed perfect for Moses) why hasn't he been benched for a little bit? Then you've got people like Lamps who's been giving it his all but he's not a player suited to the double Pivot, Luiz who's just...you know, and Mata who's been dying for a rest. While Marin who's never had a chance really gets sat on the bench against Boro, and Benayoun who has no future at the team starts?! It's baffling

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Ramires' best performance this season came whilst playing out wide. I'm not disagreeing with the jist of your point but there's only so much you can do if the players decide not to pull their weight

That would be fine if Rafa's subs weren't batshit mental. The players aren't playing well, but he's only exasperating that with terrible decision making.

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