Why Rafa is not the gaffer Chelsea need

By Robbie Savage

Published 22:59 23/02/12

No anthems is a national disgrace at Carling Cup

Psycho left his mark on me... let's hope he does the same with England  

It's not surprising to see Rafa Benitez being linked with Chelsea.

Crazy in almost every single way, but not surprising.

Because that's how they seem to do things at Stamford Bridge these days.

Dressing room unrest, with the likes of Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole reportedly in open revolt?

What you need is a manager with a reputation for being aloof with his players and one who quickly fell out with the stars he inherited at Inter Milan.

Fans increasingly worried about the direction the club is going?

Who better to win them over than someone they actively dislike because of a long-running series of controversies between he and Jose Mourinho?

Team not progressing after the hiring and firing of a number of big-name managers who've won European trophies?

Sack the current bloke and bring in a big-name manager who's won a European trophy.

No disrespect to the former Liverpool manager, who has much to offer, but Chelsea need to break the mould rather than use it to pop out another gaffer like the ones who've gone before.

If they do make a change, why not go for a David Moyes or a Paul Lambert to bring in a British aspect?

Or better still, shock the world and actually stand by a manager for a change.

I've written here before that I feel sorry for AVB.

He was hired to replace ageing players and that is what he is doing - though admittedly not in a very subtle way.

Villas-Boas has been reckless this season.

Early on, he adopted a high defensive line which Chelsea weren't suited to, with disastrous results.

In Italy this week, he should not have dropped Michael Essien and Frank Lampard, who would have helped Chelsea play the same counter-attacking game which helped Napoli to beat them.

He should have trodden more carefully on the fragile egos of some players too - every player comes to the end eventually, but few of us accept it.

No footballer likes being rested - I hated it even when I was 37 at Derby - but there is a good way and a bad way to do it.

Sir Alex Ferguson is a master with the way he manages the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand.

AVB, if stories of a bust-up with Cole are to be believed, has got a lot to learn on that score.

He can still rescue the situation.

Every dressing room has unhappy players and every squad has a handful who don't like the gaffer. But managed in the right way and with respect, they can still be vital contributors to the team.

What Villas-Boas needs to do now is find a way to keep the loud voices quiet and get them producing until the end of the season, when he can ship them out.

What Abramovich needs to do is stand by his man.

Or at least, steer clear of Rafa.

**

ROBBIE'S STORY OF THE WEEK

Been struggling with a cold this week so I only managed to win five out of six Glitterballs on our Strictly Come Dancing tour.

When you've got a hooter the size of mine any attack of the sniffles is serious business, but I did cheer up when a colleague told me they'd bought me a special Sav-size hankie... and handed me a bedsheet.

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