by Reg » Fri May 17, 2013 4:44 am
I read a few pages.
Chelsea are a unique club. Players careers at the club average 3 times longer than their managers. Managers come knowing they'll not last and be handsomely paid off, players don't rebel against managers because they know the manager won't last anyway. Similarly, the fans don't have to gel with a manager or respect his gameplan because papa Abramovich absurdly ensures a new manager has massive funds to spend but will cut them off before they have a chance to see their plans come through to fruition unless there is an immediate improvement. So its rather like watching 30 3 minute Tom & Jerry cartoons one after the other - if you don't like the one you're watching don't worry, they'll be another one on in a minute.
The fans didn't have to support Rafa because he was immediately undermined by the club stating he was an interim manager. Round 1 to the fans. Then they turned up with their silly A4 signs saying Rafa Out and gained a lot of publicity - round 2 to the fans. The team sulked and screwed up their first few games drawing etc.. - round 3 to the fans + players etc.. Speculation that Rafa wasn't going to last more than a month - round 4 to the fans and fast moving towards a victory of getting Rafa out of the door - ALL to the detriment of the club. Fortunately the low mental age of the fans took over and they got bored booing Rafa at every game and he gelled the team into some winning performances. The fans finally realised it was better to STFU and see out the season. Rafa wins the UEFA cup and gets them into 3rd place possibly. End result, an excellent outcome after totally unreasonable behaviour by London's finest plastic fanbase. What does Rafa owe them - fkuc all, job done - as much job satisfaction as being the head of Nato forces during the Bosnia war.
And people say Maurice is heading back that way and the fans will have a 3 month wankfest. Only Maurice should be aware, it's never a good idea to go back to your first girlfriend and believe me, those fans have changed, they arrogantly build up then destroy manager after manager - Maurice needs to quickly study the fate of the interim managers that have had that job since he last walked out.
The special one will become the next figure of derision, just you wait. 2 years max.
José Mourinho June 2004 September 2007 185 games (all competitions)
Avram Grant September 2007 May 2008 54 games
Luiz Felipe Scolari July 2008 February 2009 36 games
Ray Wilkins February 2009 February 2009 1 game
Guus Hiddink February 2009 May 2009 22 games
Carlo Ancelotti June 2009 May 2011 109 games
Andre Villas-Boas June 2011 March 2012 40 games
Roberto Di Matteo March 2012 November 2012 42 games
Rafael Benítez November 2012 May 2013 47 games