The Second Coming of Benitez

The appointment of Rafa Benitez sounds like a good move, albeit a shock one. A short deal for him only till the end of the season shows that Abramovich's true target is Pep Guardiola, who has proclaimed his availability at the end of the season.

Firstly, the circumstances surrounding Di Matteo's firing are curious at best. True, he did suffer successive defeats, with the 3-0 humiliation at the hands of Juventus particularly hard to stomach. Then again, his team is still third in the league and has a chance of progressing to the next round of the Champions League. He has also won the top prize that Abramovich desired, the Champions League trophy, showing that he can get the best out of the players at his disposal. Moreover, he has delivered the brand of attractive football that the owner desires, especially in the first few games of the season. With the impending acquisition of Falcao, I am sure that Di Matteo would have been able to transform the team into a true powerhouse.

With all these being said, the fact is that he has already been sacked regardless of whether it is the right or wrong decision. What should be more pressing is to investigate the plus and minus of Benitez's appointment.

Merits:

- The obvious merit is not one that is specific to Benitez. A new manager always bring a breath of fresh air to the team, new ideas and players are more motivated as they will need to fight for their places. Players bored of the usual routine will be more energized. This might not last long though, as Mick McCarthy at Ipswich can stand witness to, with his team falling 6-0 to Leicester after winning two out of his first three games in charge.

- Benitez was widely criticized for rotating his team too much but at Chelsea, this could work to their advantage. The fringe players he have available at his disposal is much stronger this time round, compared to that of Inter Milan and Liverpool. With the likes of Luiz, Moses, Lampard and Bertrand on the bench, Benitez can call upon different kinds of players for different styles he want to employ yet not compromise the quality of the team. This will provide the team with tactical variety. For example, to provide true width, Moses can be called upon and to provide more defensive cover, Bertrand can be employed on the left flank.

- The third advantage is that Benitez allows the players to all start on a fresh slate and prove themselves again. Players such as Oriol Romelu and Piazon, who have been largely ignored this season, perhaps have the chance to prove their worth and stake a place in the team. A more important aspect is perhaps the revitalisation of record signing Fernando Torres, whose best spell in England came under Benitez. Benitez might just be the man needed to light the fire in Torres and mould him back into the world class striker he was.

Demerits:

- Chelsea fans have taken a liking to Di Matteo and they are unhappy about his dismissal. That Benitez is his replacement only serves to make things worse as Chelsea had a fierce rivalry with Liverpool during his reign. As quoted from a Chelsea fan commenting on Chelsea's facebook post on Benitez, "oh no... Benitez??? R u sure Roman???"

- Roberto Di Matteo had also managed to win the players over during his time in charge. This might seem an easy thing to do at most clubs but it is an altogether different thing at Chelsea. Both Andre Villa Boas and Carlo Ancelotti were victims of dressing room unrest and Benitez seems to be the kind of manager who will not yield to player pressure. Normally, manager is bigger than the players but at Chelsea, the players have the backing of the owner and Benitez will have to make sure that the Chelsea players are handled appropriately.

- Seeing that Benitez has only been appointed as an interim manager, it is obvious that Abramovich is looking to appoint Pep Guardiola at the end of the season. However, will Abramovich's actions harm the chances for the deal? No manager will really want to go into a club that fires a manager after every bad run. Guardiola knows that he might need some time to transform the team into the tiki taka style that he prefers but at Chelsea, he cannot be sure that he will be afforded that time. Abramovich might think that his firing of Di Matteo shows resolve in getting Guardiola, but the effects could just be the opppsite.

Whether Benitez succeeds or fails this time round in England is open to debate. What I'm sure is that it will be interesting to have such a divisive figure back again.