Chelsea pay the price for Benitez's tinkering
Chelsea lost 1-0 to Queens Park Rangers at Stamford Bridge tonight, after Rafa Benitez tinkered with his starting line-up, leaving four of Chelsea’s regular stars on the bench.
Benitez opted to start the game against bottom-of-the-table QPR without Ashley Cole, Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Ramires.
Chelsea had won 7 of their previous 8 games before playing tonight’s West London derby, and had been hoping to move within 11 points of Premier League leaders Manchester United, with a game in hand.
Chelsea dominated much of the game, creating 26 shooting chances, but only managed to get 2 shots on target.
Rafa failed to make any changes until the hour mark passed (as usual), when he brought Eden Hazard on for the disappointing Marko Marin.
Fernando Torres again failed to make an impact, against two ageing centre-backs, with Oscar being kept under close guard.
This was a disappointing loss for Chelsea, with the extra kick in the teeth being an Ex-Chelsea player scoring the winning goal. Shaun Wright-Phillips scored with a drilled shot from 20 yards, after Chelsea tried to clear the in-swinging corner.
Chelsea fans will no doubt be unhappy with losing, after dominating much of the game, limiting QPR to only 1 shot from inside the box.
I cant help but blame Rafa for deciding to leave so many stars on the bench for this game. With a squad rotation your supposed to leave one player out here, and one there, but Benitez decided to drop them all at once.
Well done Rafa, knew it wouldn’t take me long for the hatred to come back. Fat Spanish waiter…
Rafa is an idiot, sack him away he knows noting…
perhaps before u shoot rafa, for the lost, ask yourself this question, if those that started the match for us cant beat QPR, tell me who else they want to?
You might not be a rafa fan, thats understandable, but to blame rafa, please give us another excuse.
The game was the absolute time to give mata, hazard and cole the deserved rest. Why not blame ivanovic and david that were wastefull and ran out of initiative when ever they were with the ball, chiefly in front of qpr’s goal or our OSCAR that is yet to come to the party, except in europe.
Rafa needs to tinker, and the best time was yesterday.
Must mata and hazard play all the time, ok now, injury had set in, pete is injured.
Any 11 in the Chelsea squad should beat QPR. This is a poor result for manager and players; there is enough guilt to go around.
Embarrassing…
they are paid to play the game so y resting 4 of them?even when he did rest,y not bring them in immediately in second half.stupid and arrogant,fat spanish waiter
Dami, your analysis shows u know a little about the game of football. What on earth is he doing droping 4 of his best players against Harry who is better than him? What a shame!
Rafa is d biggest fool I know! Evrybdy beatin qpr! Bt nt chelsea! Dead dude
Mr encyclopedia, aren’t some of us the same people clamoring to see other players, mostly those on the bench and see us with other options.
You dont have to agree with me, i still maintain my point, if the set of players failed to beat THAT TIMID QPR, THEN THEY DONT DESERVE TO BE IN CHELSEA.
Manager needs to rest some players so that they will not burn out.
We all wants to see those young lads given opportunity, betrand was some of us are complaining now, does it mean if Raheem Sterling and wisdom of Liverpool were to be our players, they will never smell first team action or cleverly?
Even fergie rotate his team.
@kofi, as a manager, you dont have to make other players doubt thier ability and you have to make every member of your squad happy, perhaps not all the time, am not a big fan of sturridge, but he left because he felt at chelsea he can no longer realise his ambition, (and no one could doubt his scoring prowess, though could be frustrating) i wish him best of luck at Lfc.
Would you be happy if you were oscar, marin that the manager can not even trust your ability against QPR(no disrespect)?
The best time to rest some players was yesterday, our boys were just too complacent and no one ask too much from them, a one-nil would have won us 3 points and we close shop, simple.
Thanks
haba some people by their comment show that they know nothing in football despite their wasteful years of watching football. If yesterday selection cannot beat qpr. U want ur regulars to always play and crash at a stage when boredom sets as it happened under De Matio. Can i hear somebody saying rednakp is better than Rafa, this is outrageous that person can go to d records of d two coaches. If u think Rafa is not good then get Pep Gadiola or pray for d return of De Matio and see d deffwrence. Rafa is steeling d team.