Bloody Football!

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Originally Posted by robertlouis

More unsavoury moments in the Premiership over the weekend. Disgraceful antisemitic chants and worse from West Ham fans at Spurs and the constant booing - and worse again - of Benitez' first game in charge of Chelsea.

Taking the Spurs' game first, yes, it's possible that some of the people making the obscene remarks don't fully understand the seriousness of what they're saying, but the holocaust should never be trivialised like that. And of course, Spurs fans, whether Jewish or Gentile, wear the "Yid" label like a perverse badge of pride, but let's hope that the FA's recently found balls mean that they will deal as harshly as possible and through the courts with those responsible.

As for Chelsea, well, apart from those who are old enough to remember the thin and pre-Abramovich times, they've always seemed to reflect the nastiness of their club and, sadly, some of their stars - Messrs Terry and Cole stand out, but there have been others, like Jody Morris too. What was particularly sad yesterday was that their prolonged booing drowned out an attempt at decency, a minute's applause for the great Dave Sexton, the man who managed them brilliantly in the 70s.

Abramovich was there to witness it all. He fired De Matteo, he appointed Benitez, he's hired and fired nine other managers in his ten years as owner. Watching and listening to that disgrace yesterday, it would take a hard man - which he undoubtedly is - not to turn around, take his money out, see the club go to the wall and then tell those ungrateful and graceless bastards - *ahem*, I'll get to the fans in a minute - and tell them to fuck off with their nastiness and pettily short memories.

What goes on on the park can be beautiful and breathtaking, but sadly all too often what emanates from the terraces is brutish, vile, and hurtful. A reflection of Call Me Dave's "Big Society", perhaps.

Football stinks.

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Bullshit with an agenda. The boo's for Rafa were in protest at the club removing a legend and installin someone who belittled the club over and above what most managers said in battle.

Also a vent at the very same thing which everyone and his dog loves to bang on about, romans mismanagement, yet when fans do the decent thing with the only power they have left, they are ostracised.

As soon as Sextons minute was anounced the whole stadium went quiet aand gave him the respect he deserves. The speed and deliberance of the change was one of my proudest moments in the stands.

And finally to say that is worse than anti semetic chanting exposes you completely. Yea i'm sure you'd say plently to us fans and to our faces, i'm one and happy to meet for you to share your views.

Prick. The worst kind, a santinmonious, holier than tho better than all Prick.

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Originally Posted by nelly07

Bullshit with an agenda. The boo's for Rafa were in protest at the club removing a legend and installin someone who belittled the club over and above what most managers said in battle.

Also a vent at the very same thing which everyone and his dog loves to bang on about, romans mismanagement, yet when fans do the decent thing with the only power they have left, they are ostracised.

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Rafa implied drogba dived a lot, at the time he was perfectly correct. He also said we dont need to hand out plastic flags to create an atmosphere, this was prior to a champs league semi and also correct.

Mourinho also made some choice comments particualry before 2005 semi, not to mention walking down the wing at cardiff, towards the liverpool end, making sssh gestures.. . Its all tit for tat the difference being rafa is now your manager. The question is why is he? We all know the answer, and apparently the only thing you can do about it is boo. Fair enough.

I can totally appreciate why yous dont want Rafa, i would of been mortified if we ever had Mourinho or Drogba at anfield after chelsea etc. Regardless of how good they are at what they do.

Premier League titles, FA Cups, Champions league finals and a win, all down to 'Roman's mismanagement'? I am no fan of Chelsea, but credit where its due, the team comprised some of the best players we have seen -Czech must surely be one of the best goalkeepers in the world- if they are unable to beat West Ham it may be due more to a decline of the team that used to win everything through age -the days when Terry, Lampard and Cole could control a game are over and if Benitez stays long enough to hold to his job -which must be a doubt if Chelsea slip out of the top 4- he has to spend Roman's millions on new players and start all over again. But will Benitez still be there by the New Year? United can still win matches even when they go behind, scraping out results like that often wins titles. As usual, they are still the team to beat.

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Originally Posted by SammiValentine

I can totally appreciate why yous dont want Rafa, i would of been mortified if we ever had Mourinho or Drogba at anfield after chelsea etc. Regardless of how good they are at what they do.

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I totally agree. I've thought so little of Drogba over the years, that if he ever put on the red and played at Anfield, I'd boo the man every time he touched the ball until they drove him out of town.

As for Rafa, will be intersting to see the fan reaction at Anfield the next time he's there. He got us the European Cup, and I appreciate that. But Chelsea? I guess it's a job, but it's almost like going to ManU or Everton. Not sure how I'll react when I'm watching it.

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Originally Posted by Stavros

Premier League titles, FA Cups, Champions league finals and a win, all down to 'Roman's mismanagement'? I am no fan of Chelsea, but credit where its due, the team comprised some of the best players we have seen -Czech must surely be one of the best goalkeepers in the world- if they are unable to beat West Ham it may be due more to a decline of the team that used to win everything through age -the days when Terry, Lampard and Cole could control a game are over and if Benitez stays long enough to hold to his job -which must be a doubt if Chelsea slip out of the top 4- he has to spend Roman's millions on new players and start all over again. But will Benitez still be there by the New Year? United can still win matches even when they go behind, scraping out results like that often wins titles. As usual, they are still the team to beat.

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If Pep does decide to take the job, Benitez is gone. But I don't think Pep Guardiola is that stupid. I give Rafa at least two years in the job before Roman cans him.

Two YEARS? If this run of form continues more like two months! According to today's Daily Telegraph Mourinho is on the way out in Madrid, could he conceivably be lured back to London? The other problem is that like Real Madrid, the managerial position at Chelsea is so delicate, so prone to instant gratification or dismissal that it is unlikely to attract to the right kind of manager, as RA needs results NOW, not in five years time. That's no way to build a football club. It will be interesting to see is Czech considers its time to move somewhere else to end his career, with the other old boys on the verge of retirement, this club is facing a difficult season, and Benitez is not good enough to do anything about it, but as I say, by the New Year he will probably be looking for a new job. Martin O'Neill is not producing results at Sunderland, could he be the man for the Blues?

Survival chances for managers at Stamford Bridge are no better than fighter pilots on the western front. Only a cynic with an empty wallet (Rafa?) would knowingly take the job on.

I should keep my powder dry till tonight, but barring miracles it's quite likely that only Man U and Arsenal will still be in the Champions League after tonight's matches. Of course I hope that Chelsea and especially Celtic get through, but it does seem to confirm a sliding standard in the Premiership this season - it hasn't been just the titans of Europe who've given the English clubs a beating, and in the Premiership itself, West Brom, Swansea and Norwich are proving yet again that on their day they can outmatch the big names. Makes for a more uncertain and probably more interesting time, but no-one's unbeatable any more.

That may be because United, Chelsea and Arsenal are teams in transition -United's defence can no longer rely on Vidic and Ferdinand, Chelsea's tightly woven team is unravelling as their key players get old, Arsenal has shed some of its key playmakers and can't seem to gel around the new boys, and both Arsenal and United have erratic goalkeepers. West Brom may now begin their slide down the table after early season successes, the question marks are over the uneven performances of Everton, Spurs and Newcastle. It will be a pity if Bale recovers from his hamstring and leaves for Spain in the New Year, unless Ferguson can swap him for Ashley Young, and entice Reina from Liverpool where his talents are wasted. I can't work out what is going on at any one time in Manchester City, the bizarre thing is that Mancini looks like an Italian woman I used to know, its really rather unsettling...maybe he should get a hair cut...?

Never mind a' thon pish! Congratulations to Celtic! While the rest of the UK teams in the Champions League were underachieving or huffing and puffing to the next stage, Celtic's qualification is remarkable by any standard. Well done to Neil Lennon and his team.

lol at reina in a manc shirt. last transfer either way was in the 60's. Will not happen. tell us another... :)