RDM Out, Benitez In

Like most Chelsea fans (and football fans in general) I think everybody acknowledged RDM wasn't Roman's man, hence the reluctance to offer him the full time post in the Summer. The aforementioned therefore made the sacking of RDM inevitable. I am explicity referring to him as "RDM" because he was one of us, unlike "Benitez" (who I will come onto later). One of the first things RDM said when interviewed shortly after the Carling Cup QF draw is "Leeds & Chelsea have a bit of history".  Any Chelsea fan worth their salt knows about the history between Leeds however but in case newer fans aren't aware this is one of the oldest  inter-city rivalries in English Football, one that can be dated back to the 60s and reached a climax during the 1970 FA Cup Final. To this day Leeds still sing about Chelsea. Unlike the media constructed fallacy that is the Chelsea v QPR "rivalry", Chelsea v Leeds is genuine and RDM knew this, he was "proper" Chelsea and spent more time communicating with Chelsea fans than the likes of Gourlay and Buck ever will. RDM has class and quite frankly deserves a lot better than Chelsea, I wish him all the best and can't thank him enough for providing me with 2 of the 3 best memories I've had as a Chelsea fan.

I became a fan of the club in the 1994/95 season so haven't seen the dark days of the 2nd division, but where the memory of the 1997 FA Cup Final and RDM's goal will forever be in Chelsea folklore. I've always said that Chelsea as a club are misunderstood. Amongst all the media lies regarding our fanbase there simply isn't a better supported club in the UK given the relative lack of success the club has had (up until recently). Chelsea is a club with a traditional fanbase and mainly local or with other genuine roots or connections to the club, very much similar to Spurs, West Ham, Millwall and Crystal Palace in that aspect, a club with a proud and passionate fanbase. RDM walks out of a Chelsea a legend and with his head held high. RDM is up there with a small echelon of managers that have won the Champions League, a competition that the likes of Wenger and AVB could only dream of winning.

If the sacking of RDM didn't leave some with a sour taste in the mouth, the appointment of Rafael Benitez certainly did. It's difficult for me to talk about Benitez with any objectivity because I loathe the man with a passion, Liverpool fans say the same with Mourinho but they can't question his managerial pedigree as we can with Rafa. Fact is, they'd have him managing their club tomorrow if they could.

Many ask, "why do you hate Benitez?" "It's not that bad, he's a decent manager". It's difficult to understand why we hate him so much unless you are a Chelsea fan. The man had a borderline obsession with Chelsea Football Club and Mourinho to the point where we were accustomed to his inane ramblings about us and the constant attack on our fanbase and players. Benitez has however come out and justified this and to be fair to him I see where he is coming from. I can forgive, but sure as hell don't expect me to forget. The plastic flag jibes will remain with me forever.

Fundamentally my real hatred for Benitez is his demanour as well as the fact I think he is a fraud of a manager. But for the mass spending at Chelsea, I believe his managerial ineptitude would have been exposed long before it was. The ridiculously high turnover of players, vast amounts of money wasted on useless players to name a few. The fact is Benitez won 2 major trophies at Liverpool, both of which were through scandalous refereeing in semi finals vs Chelsea and inexplicable opposition capitulation in respective finals. I'm sure many will remember the "Ghost Goal" that was awarded to Liverpool in that Champions League Semi which was a complete guess and based on opinion, no different to what you'd see on your Strictly Come Dancing or Come Dine With Me show. Istanbul which was the biggest fluke in football and but for a mini miracle Milan could and should have been 5-0 up at half time. The people that claim Chelsea's CL was a fluke seem quick to erase that Liverpool 04/05 CL win from their memories, that win bought Benitez another 5 years by itself as the legions of Liverpool fans deluded themselves into thinking he was a messiah. That was nothing compared to the 2006 cup win though, whereby in the semi final a perfectly legit Chelsea goal was disallowed by none other than Graham Poll as well as as an inexplicable free kick awarded against Ricky Carvalho for a "foul" on a Liverpool player which led to their first goal. It was a game that besides the first 25-30 minutes Chelsea dominated throughout its entirety. The final of course against newly promoted West Ham where a hit and hope shot from Gerrard with the last kick of the game conspired to fly into the bottom corner leaving Shaka Hislop dumbfounded, then of course they go on to "win" another trophy on a penalty shoot out. Even his success in Spain was largely... sorry completely down to Real Madrid and Barcelona's collapse (financial in case of the latter).

Will I go to a Chelsea game under Benitez? No. I won't be up at 6am in that virtual waiting room and give away hard earned money to the board that mocked the fans in the first place by appointing him as manager. I was there at St Andrews midweek and it could not have been made clearer that Benitez was not wanted at the club in any capacity. For me it's a matter of principle. When I go to support Chelsea, I go to give it my all. I can't physically do that with Benitez. Perhaps I'll feel differently and regret it when we take on fierce rivals West Ham United a week tomorrow but it just wouldn't feel right going to Chelsea and having this empty feeling inside of me as I do right now. Even when Gullit, Vialli, Ranieri and Mourinho although in a state of shock/depression my passion for the club never waned, right now it has and probably will do as long as Benitez is manager. I can't say I've ever liked Liverpool but my hatred of that club intensified whilst he was manager there and plummeted as he left. Coincidence? I think not.