Arq

That percentage is higher than I'd like it to be.

Welcome! I'm from PA and you'll find there's a handful of us from the US lurking on the forums.

It would be nice, but I'm not holding out much hope. While I'm talking about getting something nice, any chance of getting Carlo back? Any at all? I'm going to toss something (probably some poor unknowing remote) if this ends 0-0. And I'm going to toss whatever with some serious ferocity.

That's well said DB.

Nope it's definitely not just you, I was getting all kinds of browser redirect errors and only finally could I see people start posting again. I don't see anything from early this morning (my time) and previous.

Top man and a top manager. Guus, enjoy your next phase in life whatever that may be.

I don't know Loz, some of them still feel they may have a shot at the title (speaking of this year) and they continue to talk like they have a really good shot at 4th. I think the delusion still weighs heavily with a good bit of them... At least for the supporters. Management could be another story.

Harsh, very harsh. Can't really say I disagree though.

And the rumours start with Mario once again... ChelsTransfer Chelsea are weighing up a bid of £40m for Bayern Munich forward Mario Gomez in January #CFC (Express) 11/27/12 9:01 PM

RIP Dave Sexton, my thoughts and prayers are with your family in these difficult times. Before my time, but I'm also educated on what he gave to the club.

I didn't see much of a difference between the squad that Rafa fielded versus what Robbie would have fielded. The formation was the same. With the addition of Torres, it was basically the same lineup as what we started the season with (obviously minus the back line changes due to injury). I just don't see what was really different at all... Minus the man in the manager seat. Clear difference there. Yes, we looked better on defence. Is that really because of Rafa? I think not, at least not yesterday. How many CL matches did we play last year where our defence was vital in our winning and moving on? Point being, this squad was well up for playing defence if need be. They did it last year, they did it yesterday. I don't see how Rafa changed our defence. Maybe the lads tightened up and were more up for it due to the managerial change, that happens quite a bit. Sure, I'll give you that one. And maybe Rafa will make our defence better overall, it's quite possible. Yesterday wasn't because of Rafa making changes. Our attack? Wow. Well, to put it nicely, it wasn't there. Torres worked his socks off. Grats to him. That doesn't change that at this point he's just not going to make it as our main striker. Yes, it'll take time for Rafa's influence to be seen within the squad, but remember that's not always a good thing (nor is it a bad thing). What did we have, one total shot on target? Two? Did we sacrifice any attack so we can sit back? We had a good spell of possession at the start of the second half but I don't remember creating any real good clear cut challenges. Let me also say that Foy was allowing a lot of physical play and Citeh well took advantage of it. This is where I probably miss Ballack the most. This wasn't our finest match, that's for sure. Rafa may well get the lads moving forward again. However, maybe after a few of these type of matches RA will realise that it may not have been the manager that was completely at fault.

'Dave' for me. He did really well and has been a great addition since coming in to the squad. I think he's on his way, if he hasn't already, to securing that RB spot full time.

DB is completely correct. Rafa is not only our manager until the end of the year but he's going to be attempting to secure a long-term position either here or elsewhere. Also, for every reason someone can put forth for why a manager would want to come here, that can be rebutted with a reason why he wouldn't want to come here. While this is true with every management position, we haven't done ourselves any favours in the "pros" category as of late especially with what just happened to Robbie. I would not be surprised, if the team has a good run of form, to see Rafa here next year. Please excuse me while I go wash out my eyes, hands, and mouth for typing all of this.

I saw that live and even the commentators made mention of it but no card... There wasn't even a second look by the ref, just nothing. It's QPR and I'm glad to see them get thrashed, and that was going to happen most likely regardless, but Scholes should have been booked for that blatant illegal foul.

I have a hard time wishing Chelsea to lose for any reason whatsoever. I'll say though, the more we pull this type of stunt the harder it gets to justify standing behind the team no matter what. I really wanted to put the anger aside and suppress what he's done in the past while Rafa is in charge. I really did. I even mentioned it on here. I just can't. I will not walk away from Chelsea FC, but I sure as hell have the right to continuously be angry at the situation and despise the man that's our current manager. I will embrace this rage while I still watch what happens. As Tommy stated, he'll be long gone and just a bad memory while CFC and the fans will remain. This is just foul to the highest degree of foul. Whether or not Robbie was the man to take us forward, he didn't deserve what he got. And to replace him with Rafa Benitez? Are we serious? Finally to add insult to injury, after just a few days Rafa is making statements about some of the most beloved players to wear a Chelsea kit and what their future holds. f**k off FSW. No, I cannot accept Rafa. Not at all. I'm waiting to be pinched and realise this was all just a bad dream.

Scholes with a blatant scissors challenge and... Nothing. This after seeing the new Fergie statue. Makes me sick even if it is QPHa that's getting screwed.

It's not entirely on Benitez, but it is on him. How he just couldn't throw out a "no comment" on his own is beyond me unless he's been put under specific instructions to talk about the Cole and Lamps situations... And that would just be mental. Rafa has been around the block enough and he knows he's an interim manager. Why start more sh*t when it's been a tumultuous week already? The words "no comment" should be key in his vocabulary when talking to the press. Obviously not. He's not helping himself win over fans or players with comments like that.

Do I really see you Bluehatter adopting an avatar of Benitez and Torres from the Liverpool days or am I officially colour blind? Seeing that would naturally imho make one question where your allegiance lies.

Robbie, thanks for everything you've given us as a player and as a manager. You took a squad of players disjointed and formed us back into a team. With that team, you navigated us to another FA cup (and on my birthday no less, thanks for that) triumph. Finally you delivered, when everyone else was against us, our first CL trophy and one of our greatest nights as a club. Champions of Europe, thanks to you. 05/05/12 and 19/05/12. These dates will be etched in our history books with your name as the man who led us there. We will never forget. All the best in the future. You truly are a CFC legend. Just remember that no matter where you go and what you do... Blue is the colour.

Oh, I hope you're right. I'm not putting money on a bet where I hope I lose. I've just seen stranger things.

No... No it won't necessarily be over. You, like I, cannot predict the future. If Rafa fails, this is a LONG six months. Then what? We hire Pep or Jose? Yes, because they will absolutely want to come here after how Robbie was treated, who as you well know is adored by the fans and is a club legend. I don't see either one coming to us after this mess. If Rafa succeeds, there's a chance that RA wants to keep him especially if he gets Torres firing again. Even if RA doesn't want him to stay, the same question applies. Would we be able to convince Pep to move over or Jose to come back? I still think that plays out the same way. So do we continue on with Rafa who clearly fans have a very strong opinion about (mostly negative and for obvious good reason) or do we still let him go and hire someone else starting the process all over again? The answer imho was to give Robbie the season. That didn't happen and we're in for a long six months now because of it. We do need to support the team, I completely agree. However, this isn't necessarily over in 6 months.

Noooooooooooooooo!!! I couldn't take another piece of Chelsea-related bad news this week.

What a morning. I wake up to read what I figured was going to happen before I went to bed. Rafa is indeed our manager, and it's no April Fool's joke. Oh f**k me... Alright, I started to think about this logically for a minute, you know remove all of the bad blood that I feel for Rafa as a man because I feel he's a right prick. I was thinking while taking a shower, "Could Rafa really pull us out of this little funk and lead us to a decent season?" Never mind the fact that we're probably out of the CL. If Rafa can make a push for the Prem and a good run in the FA (basically nothing short of the finals would be a disaster) could it be considered a successful season for us? Probably not. RDM saved us from the AVB debacle and delivered two trophies in the span of three months. Yes, we sank to sixth domestically but it worked out for us. RDM did brilliantly in turning things around for us, and more importantly got the players to believe in what he was trying to do. I can't help but remember what Rafa did at Inter and I'm having a real hard time looking past it. He took a team, that was molded and led by Jose, from a World class team to a mid-table team in the matter of months. Rafa forces people to try to play his system instead of trying to adapt to the strengths of his players. And sadly that's more likely the scenario I see happening to us. I don't believe we'll be a mid-table team. I think we have too much talent for that. However, I can see the streak of not-winning continue. I can also see more unrest in the locker room from this appointment especially if Rafa comes in and tries to be more of a hard-edged manager. Remember the last manager that failed at man-management? The players just lost a legend, Rafa best do well to remember that. The good news is that the contract is built for the short term. So if the season is a disaster, he will be let go and we can move on. The "stain" of Rafa being our manager would always be there but it won't be a large looming darkness as how many of us probably feel now. Rafa might do well for us in the short-term. To wish for Chelsea to lose is just asinine. I believe the bulk of us here have too much heart and care for this club to really wish that. So I'm behind Rafa, but I'm cautiously behind him. I don't like the man, but I have to accept that he's in charge and will give him the chance to prove that he can steer us to a mildly-successful season. Otherwise, if all goes wrong, I can just add more fuel to the fire of despise that already exists but is subdued... For the moment. Rafa, I would recommend you do something to win us over as well as the players. And really that's done by winning and getting the players behind you. Prove that Robbie's sacking wasn't in vain, or it's going to be a LONG season for you, the players, and for us.

All of the eggs in the Pep basket.

It has to be. Either that or hopefully I'm about to read that Jose has suddenly departed ways with RM...