He wasn't. We were in bad form, but there was no reason to think it would last forever. He was far from perfect, but Rafa is no upgrade.
We fail to score more often under Benitez, we concede less*, we lose just as much. There's hardly any difference between the 2, except the fact that Benitez now has a striker to work with.

*Moving Luiz to midfield and 'fixing' the defence is basically the same thing.

Well shall we have a whip round on this thread? That should probably do it!

Then we could give him to Hartlepool or someone

The club truely has gone bonkers recently, another complete mystery is still why Lampard and Cole havent been offered new contracts?? Pretty much everyone other than the club see that they should stay. I think the fact that Man Utd are ready to pounce for them says it all, they should be staying end of.

I wont blame Rafa yet, although his substitutions were definitely questionable last night. Why Torres stayed on for 80 mins is just shocking, either RA has told him Torres has to start and play, or Rafa really is blinded by his love for Torres. I think everyone can see Torres is so bad right now, quite possibly at his lowest ever in a Blue shirt. He needs to go, hes doing way more harm than he is good now. £50m or not, just cut our losses and get rid please!

The Swansea result wasnt good but it isnt a complete disaster. We should have won easily, but at the end of the day its only the league cup, and we are still in it. We could well go to Swansea and win 3-0.

The league is what matters, we need to keep winning there and ensure we finish top 4. That has to be our goal now, as a complete minimum. Any cup run would be a bonus.

I dont even care anymore, i would even consider sending him out on loan till the end of the season in Spain, to try get something out of him next season.

I must admit i don't know one single blues fan who wants to see Torres in a Chelsea shirt now. I got behind him at first, like we all did, but enough is a enough, he MUST go!

Sounds ridiculous but id rather us take Anelka back on loan for the rest of the season, than have watch another dismal Torres performance!

Unpopular as it may be to say it, Benitez may not be entirely to blame. He knows Abramovich wants wants Torres to play, he's only the interim manager, so he's not going to stick his neck out and upset his boss.
I wonder what instructions Rafa is giving to Torres. My guess is that he's telling him to play off the shoulder of the CB, to stay up front and to look for space behind the defence. That was good advice for the "old Torres", that was his game anyway. But he just isn't capable of doing that any more. Torres always relied on blistering pace, and that pace has gone. He hasn't got the upper body strength to hold the ball up, nor does he have the close control or dribbling skills of an Aguero.
Torres wasn't scoring last year, but he was contributing more. Some of the best games I saw him play were as a provider, more in the manner of Anelka in his later years. Of course, it's debatable whether we need another player like that. But he is an intelligent player, drifting across the front line, taking up wider positions and even dropping deeper, he would be another option. But his days as the deadly front man, striking terror into defences are clearly over.

I do feel sad about the Torres situation, I was so excited when he joined, like anyone would be and when he had scored for about 6 games, the press had written him off already, but we stuck by him, we have the last 2 years but there comes to a point, where you at least want to see effort and a bit of passion, he shows it in tiny glimpses once in a while, but that's not enough.

And I don't know about anyone else but I am sick to the back teeth of being tweeted by Liverpool fans telling me to respect Benitez, how amazing he is, how we should just put up with how the club is run etc etc...

I won't be told how to feel about my club and yes, I love winning stuff and I will always be eternally grateful to Roman but we are losing the heart and soul of this club. Other clubs manage to win things and be successful without all of this shit going on. Surely its not unreasonable to want a balance without being accused of being ungrateful to Roman.

According to the French press "Chelsea are expected to tie up the signing of Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini, within 72 hours, meaning that the Belgium International will be a Blues player by early next week".
Good news..if its true.

Fantastic news, if it's true.

Pics going round twitter last night of David Luiz with short hair...saying he has cut it off in protest of Fellaini joining. It was old pics of him at Benfica.

that would be a great signing

but we need to play a striker who can score - thats the only problem we have.

we should also be in for baines if cole goes

Great news that JT got through the Under 21s match last night unscathed. George Saville was captain, can you imagine how great that was for him, playing alongside JT?

"Maybe it is too soon to get back starting. The lads are doing really well, I know better than anybody I have to wait my time and be patient and try to get back in the squad first, then the team after that."

Give Torres and Ba a couple of games together, Ba up top, Torres just behind him, and Mata and Hazard out on the wings. If we can't consistently get goals after that we might as well give up!

Torres wouldn't pass to Ba if he could help it, he wouldn't want to be 'out-shone'

Interim Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez believes he could be a target for Real Madrid in the summer, if his spell at Stamford Bridge finishes at the end of the season, reports the Daily Telegraph. Asked on Spanish radio to confirm that there was interest from the Santiago Bernabeu in his services, Benitez said: "I know things but I think I shouldn't say."

If its true, why wait ? I'm sure we could get you on a flight tonight Rafa, so start packing your bags ! If that means José could be moving in the other direction...Yipee !

Hopefully he takes Torres with him and in return Ronnie accompanies Jose on the plane heading for heathrow

Rafa also thinks we did not look more like scoring a goal when Ba came on in the Swansea game then we did with Torries on for most of the game. Let's be honest Rafa thought at one point Liverpool could win the league, What he thinks and actual reailty are very different

Shakhtar Donetsk have beaten Chelsea to the signing of Brazilian attacking midfielder Taison.

The 24-year-old had looked certain to move to Stamford Bridge after Roman Abrahmovich reached an agreement with then Metalist Kharkiv owner and friend Oleksandr Yaroslavsky last month.

Not a bad thing imo, do we really need another midfielder? Fellani's the only one we should go for imo!

Fellaini would be a fantastic signing but it would also almost definitely signal the end of Lampard. But i would welcome him to the club, he has been a beast this season.

I hope Fellaini does join, him and Luiz as the two Midfielders behind the front men would be amazing - with their '70s porn baron hair.

They just need to grow a tash and they're sorted

what a major let off, the last signing we needed there. one has to question the ridiculous nature of it, please mr roman, stop wasting your hard earned cash on players we do not need our attacking mid is full of skillful but lightweights we already love.

oscar, mata, moses, marin, hazard are pleanty

No, I couldn't see the point of chasing after Taison either. He wouldn't have been more than a bench warmer with the other midfield talent we have. Might have proved a better alternative than Marin though, I haven't been impressed with him so far.

I really hope the Fellaini rumours are true. He's such a versatile player, DM, AM, or even a striker. Luiz and Fellaini playing together is an exciting prospect, both can be a bit wild though..I can see a few cards flying around. But it certainly wouldn't be dull.

marin is just trying too hard, there is talent there. could have loaned him this window.

fellaini and luiz would be fantastic and add real steel/ red cards to the midfield bite.

an excellent plan b too when in need of a goal

Marin certainly looked a great prospect a few years ago.
Then Werder Bremen tried to convert him into a central playmaker when Ozil departed...and failed. He's never been quite the same since.
I agree, he does need some games as a conventional winger. Problem is, we have so much talent how does he get a decent run of games ?