(This article was written a few days after he was appointed, but only posted now, so that readers would be disassociated with the logicless emotion that is accompanied with change decisions on passionate subjects.)
Few games had been played since Rafa Benitez had been appointed as the Interim Chelsea Manager. The supporters have stoked up a whole lot of noise. Using a complete logical deduction, I have to reason out that these are people that can’t differentiate a fart from Bach’s Concerto No.5 in F minor.
Rafa Benitez won the Champions League with Milan Baros playing up front. Milan Baros. You probably wouldn’t even find footage of his skills on YouTube.
In the last twelve years only one team other than Real Madrid and Barcelona has won the La Liga. Twice. Valencia managed by Rafa Benitez. A team without half the power of Real Madrid. Liverpool won record points in a season. Alas, it was a season, where Manchester United reached a grand flourish.
I even saw some dimwit comment on how Liverpool fans hated Rafa. Nah. Liverpool fans know what he did with a squad he couldn’t really overhaul. Yes, he made a few incorrect judgements about a few players. But we knew he worked with serious constraints. Pair of buffoons as owners. He still stuck it through. He overhauled the academies. When Sterling, or Shelvey, or Suso goes rollicking down and brings in a ray of hope in the hearts of Liverpool supporters, we secretly thank Rafa Benitez.
No he was never good with PR. Maybe he wasn’t even a great man manager. But he knew tactics. Maybe not the most beautiful form, but he knew football, and how to win. But he still stuck out a finger at SAF. About the partiality in fixtures that is. The ethical question of a Club exec being part of the Football governing body.
The real problem my dear Chelsea supporters is the owner. But you don’t have the balls to state it. You know who pulled the trigger, but instead of asking the Candy Man, you vent your frustration at a man who has been given the official post of an ‘interim’ manager. Yeah, great motivational skills. Sack an interim manager. You’d be looking at an ‘interim interim’ manager. We will get Inception all over again but for football fans. But of course the Blues supporters can’t do that. How can you point a finger at the Candyman who has filled your mouths with expensive exotic flavored lollipops. You still need him and his empire floating around. Let’s just find another man to blame.
So this tale will drag on. And on. And on. And on. With new characters. And new twists. While Morcheeba’s song ‘Trigger Hippie’ plays on. I’m not sure who the protagonist and the antagonist are anymore.
By Nijaz Salim
