Benitez blows his top

Rafa Benitez has never been one to hold back when it comes to getting his point across. Fact.

While at Liverpool, Benitez once famously reeled off a string of reasons how fierce rival at the time, Sir Alex Ferguson, influenced officials by adding “fact” at the end of each accusation.

Benitez was once again in the headlines this week after he sent a veiled threat to Chelsea fans, that if they don’t stop protesting against him personally, it may impact on the team’s  chances of qualifying for the Champions League next season.

To be fair to Benitez, it seems on this occasion he may well have a point as Chelsea’s home form since his arrival has been nothing short of dire, and he ranks just above the doomed spell of Andre Villas Boas in the win percentage stakes.  The timing of Benitez eruption isn’t a coincidence being as it was straight after they progressed through to a quarter final meeting away to Manchester United, to be played a week on Sunday.

This is realistically the only trophy Chelsea can win, and he knows that any distraction from the fans protests, may well put paid to any chance they have of going to Old Trafford and coming away with a result.  Benitez is a competitor and he has one eye on facing his arch nemesis on equal terms, not with the entire stadium against him. His rant is very definitely a last attempt to get the Chelsea supporters back on side before that game is played. If it fails and the Chelsea fans refuse to see it from Rafa’s viewpoint, he may well leave the club if they are knocked out at Old Trafford.

There have been rumours of fall outs with Chelsea legend John Terry, and this only adds to the feeling that Benitez time is coming to an abrupt end. No Manager who has tangled with Terry have come out the other side still in charge of the club, so if the rumours are true of a spat, then Rafa will already have updated his CV ready to move on in the not too distant future.

The next ten days will determine whether the club stick to their apparent promise of keeping Benitez until the end of the season, or whether he has shot himself in the foot and he is moved on sooner.