From Liverpool, to Chelsea, via Inter Milan, writing a blog, and Revista de la Liga, Rafa Benitez is back – and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Rafa – What took you so long?
Now Mr Benitez may not be everybody’s cup of tea, and indeed its fair to say Chelsea fans are divided on his appointment, but for the neutral – It is simply great.
In short, Benitez is one of the great football personalities to grace the Premier League over the past decade, and we are in for one heck of a ride.
The Spaniard has a superb pedigree, a La Liga winner with Valencia, and an FA Cup and Champions League winner with Liverpool.
But he doesn’t always get it right; See his stint with Inter Milan, and in the transfer market, it’s fair to say he has made some very good signings, and some shockers too.
That’s precisely what makes his forthcoming challenge at Chelsea so fascinating, it could go superbly right, or it could be a car crash; the chances are there will be no middle ground.
There are certain fixtures to look forward to as well. When Chelsea travel to Anfield to face his former club, Benitez is likely to get a reception worthy of a returning king.
The trip to Old Trafford in the second half of the season promises to be a tinderbox too – We can’t wait to see him cross swords with Sir Alex Ferguson again; the pair have made no secret of their dislike for each other in the past, with Rafa’s famous ‘Fact’ rant when it reached boiling point.
Even if the managers act all cordial before the game, you know it will be simmering underneath.
Another highlight will be when Chelsea face West Ham, managed by Sam Allardyce, who has previously laid into Rafa, and who Fergie accused him of ‘disrespecting’ while Big Sam was at Blackburn.
Every press conference will be fascinating too – Rafa has a dry sense of humour, but a serious side too. He has a way with words, and when the pressure is on, who knows how he will react.
The first taste of it came yesterday, asked by a journalist how he felt about having just a 6 month interim contract. “It could be 7”, he replied.
Beneath all of this, he is also a very good manager, who deserves another shot. It will also allow us to get to the bottom of the Fernando Torres mystery once and for all. If Benitez can’t fix him, then no-one can.
Get ready Premier League, the Rafalution is back, and you will not be able to avoid it. Until he gets sacked. Welcome back Rafa.
images: © choonming/
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