How long does Benitez have?

[Virosh]

Well into the second half of Lazio-Inter and Lazio are quite comfortably ahead 2-0. Inter are clueless and static, a wreck of the all-conquering team that won all there was to be won barely 7 months ago. Badly hit by injuries and suspensions, no doubt, but all Benitez seems capable of doing is wave imaginary cards to the ref (old habits die hard, eh, Stevie) and look insulted. And it's not like he has the excuse of bad ownership anymore.

How long until Moratti realises what the whole of the Premiership (minus one particular very past-oriented bunch) have long realised?

[Tea Bar Boy]

Is that where he is ??

I've finished my soup and was waiting for my main course ....................not a chance of tipping the fat spanish waiter now

[Virosh]

I don't think he is interested in what you can give him, because the only thing he craves is respecht.

Edited December 3, 2010 by Virosh

[Chippy]

I thought the question was to see if he had a chance in the Porn industry when he finds Managing is not really his forte :)

[TheWestwayWonder]

Sorry but TBB's comment is the winner so far.

I havent been following the news from Italy, or their fan reactions the last few days, but he must be truly on the edge now. 5-2 win and then a 2-0 loss admittedly to the surprise leaders (though i doubt that fact matters to Moratti) and there is no end to the injury crisis in sight.

He will have to be gone before the January window. They will never trust him to spend money based on the crap he has bought in past. Spalletti is the favored name to replace him, but I wouldnt at all be surprised to see Pellegrini. He is at Malaga, but he is clearly a good coach who coached Madrid to an incredible record, and that just wasnt good enough. Id like to see him get a second shot at a "big team"

[PloKoon13]

and there is no end to the injury crisis in sight.

Is it really fair to blame Benitez for this?

[TheWestwayWonder]

Is it really fair to blame Benitez for this?

You wouldnt think so, but it seems the answer is yes. First of all, the sheer number of injuries and especially hamstring and muscle pulls are so high you have to wonder whats up. Supposedly, he had a whole new fitness scheme in that was much more intense than what they had before.

It involved extra sessions, I believe, and weightlifting, which eventually the players got ballsy enough about and told him they didnt want to do it anymore because they believed it was useless.

I thought it was his penchant for random squad rotation that meant all the young players I had never heard of were starting matches. Then after reading up it seems that everyone and their granny in the squad has gone down with a strain of some kind. And it wasnt just the older players. Coutinho suffered the exact same thing and he's 18.

The injury thing might be the only reason Moratti gives him more time. But if Carlo is up against the wall, Benitez is surrounded in a cave, and down to his last round. From top of the league to 10 points adrift of Milan and sixth place.

[dkw]

Now I might be way of the mark here, but is it a co-incidence that Jose left us and we had ridiculous injury problems, then left Inter and they then have ridiculous injury problems? Maybe the style of play Jose demands (high intensity, high pressure) is too much for players to cope with season on season.

[bluegraham]

a few of my mates are inter fans and they run inter club ireland and one of them reckons if rafa dont win the world club championship he is gone without doubt

[bluegraham]

and im not joking about inter fans in ireland lol

[Zola]

He's just a fat spanish waiter!

[Tim W]

Que?

[TheWestwayWonder]

If what Graham is saying is true, then the club world cup will be interesting for sure. By going away for that, they are going to slip further down the table in Italy, and the pressure to win that trophy will be INTENSE. Where is it being held this year?

Now I might be way of the mark here, but is it a co-incidence that Jose left us and we had ridiculous injury problems, then left Inter and they then have ridiculous injury problems? Maybe the style of play Jose demands (high intensity, high pressure) is too much for players to cope with season on season.

That could very well be. Many Dippers who have remained Rafa loyalists have placed the blame squarely at Jose's door (there's a shock, blaming someone else) but that is namely for leaving mostly old players. But I dont recall any time when Jose was actually here, bar near the end of his third season, that we had some massive injury crisis and players dropping like flies.

But it could very well be that his training and rotation was designed to get the very last drop out of some veteran players. Lord knows Cordoba, Lucio, Zanetti, Motta, Stankovic or Materazzi are no spring chickens. Inter face alot of the same we do in coming years, some promising youngsters combined with alot of older pillars of the first team. Will be intersting to see how Moratti handles it.

Personally, wouldnt mind them going further down the tubes and us swooping for Sniejder and Milito in the winter.

[Hutch]

Inter president Massimo Moratti has given the clearest indication in recent days that his current manager’s position is anything but safe.

Moratti said: "Ten years ago, I would have sacked Rafa Benitez by now, but I've grown as well, we all have," followed a few days later with: "I'm not going to create problems before or during the World Club Cup, afterward, we'll see."

LINK

[TheWestwayWonder]

I have seen it speculated that he will give him through the club world cup and, win or lose that tournament, Moratti will sack him. Theyre expected to win it so anything but will be a failure too.

[TheWestwayWonder]

Reports in Corriero della Sport and other places say Benitez has been sacked. Hardly a shock, given his outburst at Moratti after beating African giants TP MAZEMBE

I wonder how much he is adding to his war chest of compensation. Maybe he can use that money for players at his next job.

[PloKoon13]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/serie-a/8214935/Rafa-Benitez-I-have-not-been-sacked-by-Inter-Milan.html

Article, with quotes, reporting that Benitez is denying that he has been sacked. Apparently he is on holiday in Liverpool...

[TheWestwayWonder]

Well, if it hasnt happened yet, I fully expect it to before the Italian season resumes. And I cant believe he went to vacation in Liverpool.

Rafa is actually brilliant in many ways. Everyone knows you dont go from being on the brink of sliding into domestic oblivion, to off the hot seat because you beat some no hopers to win a trophy everyone fully expected you to deliver. To think winning that justifiest going into a presser saying, and giving a public ultimatum to an owner and club not exactly known for stinginess is unreal. Sorry, but everyone knows Moratti is among the best owenrs in the game, and that squad is brimming with talent. There are no bad owners or hapless directors to scapegoat anymore.

Hopefully Liverpool hire him back after sacking Woy.

[dkw]

I think any question of who is the better manager between Jose and that fat Spanish waiter is now fully answered. He`s taken Jose`s treble winning team (bar 2 players, one of whom was more of a hindrance than a help) and made them into the mess they are. Plus he`s a fat sh*t.

[Scott]

Tubby sacked?

Spanish waiter looking for work ? :lol:

[CFCCAN]

Blackburn?

[mad_mac]

Facht!

[dkw]

Blackburn?

[youlots]

Apparently he's offered to pay out Hodgson's loan...

[The Brit]

me thinks Jose has a big smile on his face right now