Will the Chelsea fans ever come around to Rafa Benitez?

Interim Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez believes Chelsea’s fans are starting to come around to him

Interim Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez believes that he is starting to win Chelsea fans round.

When the Spaniard was announced as Blues boss, there was a gasp from Chelsea fans. It’s fair to say he isn’t a popular figure at Stamford Bridge.

Coming round

The interim Blues boss believes he is starting to win the Chelsea faithful over after a decent start.

Benitez told Sky Sports: “I was just 15 minutes at the party and talking with people and everybody was very, very positive,”

“I said at the beginning that we have to win together, so it will be easier always if the fans are behind the team and supporting the team and we don’t have any distraction.

“That is the way, for me, to carry on, trying to play good football and winning games, and I’m sure that they will appreciate this.”

Torres

One of the factors of Benitez’s decent start at Chelsea is the fact he seems to be getting the best out of British record signing Fernando Torres. Prior to Benitez’s arrival his compatriot struggled to score goals.

Since Benitez’s arrival Torres has found the net six times in just five appearances in all competitions. He also looks like a completely different player to the one who has struggled to perform at his best since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

Benitez was Torres’ manager Liverpool when he became one of the deadliest strikers in the Premier League. It looks like Benitez’s arrival has re-ignited the striker, whether the effect on Torres of Benitez’s arrival lasts remains to be seen.

Short-term

For most permanent Chelsea managers the job can be a short-term affair, rather than a marriage. Rafa Benitez’s time at Chelsea will probably be looked at as something of a short-lived fling.

I don’t think that Benitez will be at the club for any longer than it takes for the Blues to find a permanent replacement this summer. Benitez is acting like a man that will be at the club for the long-term, when in truth he is nothing but a caretaker.

I’m not sure what Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich wants Benitez to deliver in his short-time at the Bridge. In my humble opinion he is just there to keep things ticking over. Abramovich is a known admirer of former-Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola and the Russian oligarch is hoping to appoint Guardiola as Blues next summer.

Not wanted

Reading forums and listening to Chelsea fans Rafa Benitez is really not wanted at their club. It almost seems that no matter what the Spaniard does he would not be wanted at Chelsea. In his time at Liverpool he was famously critical of Chelsea and their fans.

He also had some heated battles with the Blues as Liverpool boss in the past and really hasn’t endeared himself to Chelsea in the past. His choice as Chelsea boss was certainly a strange one and inexplicably.

Positive

I suppose Rafa Benitez has to make the most of his opportunity and try to be positive. He really hasn’t got much to lose at Stamford Bridge. He arrived as an unemployed boss at a club that are famous for sacking bosses.

If he does well at Chelsea then he may well just get another big job in one of the big leagues. To the relief of the majority of Chelsea fans I don’t think the fans will need to come around to Rafa Benitez as their boss, as he won’t be hanging around the at the club for very long.

Are Chelsea fans coming around to Rafa Benitez as their boss?