Oh my...he is getting quite agitated on 5Live: "These Chelsea fans have an agenda. These Chelsea fans are damaging the image of the club'

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Dan Levene ‏@BluesChronicle

Benitez on CFC: "They gave me the title of 'interim manager' a big mistake." On fans: "If they carry on chanting they'll be in the Europa."

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Per Soccernet:

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I have a job to do and the players are clever enough and realise they will be here next season with long contracts.

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His comments do bring up a major issue that ticks me off about RA's manager hiring/firing policy. I understand that underperforming managers need to be released at some point. However, when a manager like AVB comes in and has already told you he's looking to drastically change the way your squad plays, it shouldn't be much of a surprise if the squad struggles because he hasn't been able to fill out "his" roster yet.

The fact that the players sign long term deals but the managers are essentially on month-to-month deals really undermines the authority of a manager, particularly one at a club with such icons as Terry and Lampard (and formerly Drogba). The manager says "you have to do this", but the players know that if they don't, the manager will just get fired and then they can go back to doing what they've always done.

I'd much rather hire an up and coming guy who has proven he can get it done with less talent in the EPL (like Liverpool did with Rodgers) and then stick with him as he guides the technical direction of the club. So what if there is a down year or two. It takes time to assemble a club. If after 3 years, you aren't competing for the title, yeah, it's time to go in a different direction, but I hardly think you can call managers "failures" after mere months when they've been undermined at every turn.

Frankly, they damn better hire Mourinho, cause he's the only ******* I can think of that could control all those egos in the clubhouse and pull out a positive result. What RDM did last year was a ****ing miracle.

Welp the fans got what they wanted. Any idea on who The Chelsea will go after next?

[This message has been edited by Gigem Trevas (edited 2/27/2013 7:07p).]

Rumors are Mourinho after he inevitably leaves Real in frustration.

I really don't see Mourinho coming back. Why the hell would he?

I wish we still had RDM. He had a fantastic start to the season. Then the slump started. Sure we got knocked out of the CL, but he deserved better. He deserved the opportunity to right the ship. He earned that right...many times over after last year's CL.

And dammit I miss Eva.

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And dammit I miss Eva.

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Who?

What a selfless play by Hazard to Moses.

Starting lineup for The Chelsea vs WBA.
Cech
Azpilicueta-Ivanovic-Luiz-Cole
Ramires-Lampard
Mata-Oscar-Hazard
Ba
Subs: Turnbull, Terry, Cahill, Bertrand, Mikel, Moses, Torres.
I really like the offense in the lineup with Oscar behind Ba. Not found of the defense with Ivanovic and Luiz.

Oscar nearly puts The Chelsea up 1-0. Good save by the keeper. Mata nearly volleys it in from outside the box. Great start for The Chelsea.

In Nola watching our game

Demba Ba off a great sequence off a corner. The Chelsea 1 WBA 0

Great job by Luiz to head that back out to Ba in the middle for the finish.

The Chelsea could be up by much more than 1 0. WBA has done well defensively to block quite a few The Chelsea shots.

Azpilicueta nearly gets an own goal but Cech with a remarkable save.

The Chelsea get a well deserved 3 points. Oscar played a great game should have gotten on the score sheet, but Foster denied him 4 times. WBA gk had a chance to equalize at the death, but the team that deserved to win did.

The way that game started I thought it was going to be an easy win. 1-0 nail biter in the end.

West Brom did play well defensively.

Luiz had a good game.

I don't think that anyone on The Chelsea played a bad game. The 3 amigos played great. Still don't know how The Chelsea didn't win by 3 or 4 goals.

The Chelsea needed all three of those points. I'll take it.

Hopefully we put up a nice thumping tomorrow before the big clash on Sunday...

We get this on Sunday:

I'm excited I actually get to watch on Sunday. I don't have any of the soccer channels, so it's entirely MBM's for me.

Watching with a Man U buddy, so it should be interesting.

Is the game on Fox this Sunday?

Fox Soccer Channel

I was supposed to go to an economics luncheon tomorrow during the game. Talked to my professor and now I don't have to. KTBFFH!

The Chelsea lineup today. Game is at 12:00.
Cech, Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry (c), Bertrand; Mikel, Lampard; Benayoun, Oscar, Hazard; Torres
Subs: Turnbull, Cole, Ferreira, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Marin, Mata
Not quite sure about the lineup, but I do like Oscar in the middle with Hazard on the wing.

Penalty against The Chelsea. Yellow on Bertrand.

1-0

Of all people Benayoun almost tied it.

Halftime. Need Mata in now.

Wow, the Chelsea are down a goal again and look like they don't care...again. What's it like to support a football club, I forgot?