Rafael Benitez has already revealed that he is afraid of getting the boot just weeks into his managerial reign at Chelsea.
Benitez is yet to win a match as Chelsea manager and the side have scored only one goal so far which has led the manager to reveal that he already feels under pressure at the club.
The sacking of Roberto Di Matteo has shown that Chelsea under Roman Abramovich are capable of anything so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Benitez is asked to leave before the New Year or even before Christmas.
This could force Abramovich into a u-turn with Avram Grant already being mentioned as a possible manager to come in and do the job that Benitez is currently failing to carry out.
The long term damage that this could have on Chelsea is quite dramatic. It’s clear the club are holding out for Pep Guardiola this summer but the former Barcelona man won’t get anywhere near Chelsea according to Spanish reports.
The sole reason for this is the fact that his position at Chelsea over the long-term would not be certain and he may not also be allowed to develop the side over a number of years as he wishes.
The fans at the club have already made it perfectly clear that they don’t want Benitez as manager after the departure of Di Matteo. The chants have started, the banners are out and the next step will be protests outside Stamford Bridge.
Abramovich will be in a very difficult spot if the fans openly revolt against him and the cash he has poured into the club. He is not the sort of person who will take the managerial reigns himself so if this happens it may be time for him to leave.
However, it’s not quite cut throat just yet. Chelsea have a big Champions League fixture this week and a slim chance of qualifying. Benitez can also turn around the domestic form over Christmas with a few wins.
It’s a little bit of a lottery at the moment and no one seems quite sure what is going to happen next.
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