Defeat at the Bridge merely highlights the lack of options Benitez has.
Can't say it was unexpected. There has not been a huge amount of confidence about this game all week. You can't say Liverpool played badly but equally you can't say we created much in the way of clear-cut chances.
The return of Mascherano gave Gerrard the opportunity to get forward more but the unsettled Argentine gave the ball away to Lampard which ended up in Chelsea scoring their first goal.
You also have to say that once again Didier Drogba threw himself all over the pitch. He spends more time on the floor than a carpet-fitter. Built like a heavyweight boxer, he seems to have the pain-threshold of a new-born pixie.
Metropolis had Superman. Gotham City had Batman. Abidjan of the Ivory Coast was blessed with Didier Drogba: Blancmange Man.
He created both goals for Chelsea but in truth the guy is a disgrace. He should be charged with bringing the game into disrepute. He has done this year in, year out and yet nothing is done.
What a pity nobody ever catches him hard enough to warrant the rolling and writhing he indulges himself in every five minutes.
If I never have to watch this diving Muppet again it will be too soon.
The guy dives. These are not my words, they are his own: "Sometimes I dive, sometimes I step over. I don't care about this. In football you can't stay up every time. The people who are criticising me maybe should come on the pitch and we'll see if they dive or not." These were his own words in March 2006 after Chelsea defeated Man City two-nil at home.
Enough of Blancmange Man, we need to look at our own performance and how yet another league defeat impacts on our season.
Quite simply, the squad does not have enough quality in it. Not enough options.
The supporters know this. The manager knows this and it seems the squad itself is well aware of the shortcomings it has.
Our two American owners must also be aware of it. The fact that they did not invest heavily last summer merely means they don't care. Sadly, we the supporters know that too.
Man United can beat our proud record of 18 Championship wins this season and after our showing last season the opportunity existed to stop them. Instead, Alonso jumped ship for Madrid and the beneficial Spanish tax system and we bought nobody to help out Torres up front.
Will the signing of a new right back and a midfield replacement for Alonso in Aquilani take us forward?
Three league defeats already so far this season offers a resounding "no".
Aquilani has yet to kick a ball and by the time he does we could be well out of the title race.
Where we go from here is the question. I don't envy Rafa's task in trying to answer it. If we were to pick up injuries to Gerrard or Torres you wonder where the quality would come from.
There is still a long season to go, many points to play for so as supporters we tend to keep on hoping and keep positive but blind support is just that, blind.
I've said it before but the lack of support from the Americans for Rafa Benitez is putting the future of the club in jeopardy. Unless we stay in the top four and keep the Champions League revenue coming in then the debts on the club could cripple us.
Sorry, get that right, they are already crippling us.
The Americans seem to be looking to sell some or all of the club, what sort of price will they get for a club out of the Champions League, in debt and with a stadium to build to enable them to complete?
We now go into yet another international break so Benitez has no time to work with the players and has to wait and worry on player injuries while they are away.
We then face Sunderland away in the league and then two home games against Lyon in the Champions League and Man United at home in the Premiership. By the end of October we will have a much clearer picture of how our season is going to go.
The picture that is starting to take shape is not a pretty sight.
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What about your players like Mascherano in the first half diving when Essien didnt even touch him?
Funny how you miss that!
In your Liverpool slums
What a poor loser you are, i agree drogba may go down easily but we dont like it either as chelsea fans, you failed to mention essiens yellow card on mascerano who made out he had been kicked in the knee when tv replays and sky showed he wasnt even touched, you also fail to mention the countless times gerrard has dived for both england and liverpool to win penalties,every team has their moments, you pick on drogba because he is too good for carragher nearly every time they play,i thought scousers were honourable losers, you were beaten by the better team on the day who took their chances. 2-0 says it all.
(smiled)
to liverpool fans;
cheer up. i think this site were visited by other fans. it's mean that this site is worth to read. one good job, mate.
to other fans;
when we mean drogba cheat, we mean he cheat a lot. that's it. look at his acting on the pitch.
the lost is lost. chelsea win is win. we only discussing our own opinion. then maybe liverpool fc or liverpool fans will look out for something.
why some other fans feels offended about our opinion ?
why don't you put yours on your site ?
Drogba has only been found to have dived once in his 5+ years in England. He has always been fouled first - every time. He was booked for diving once, but the ref changed his mind after seeing the replay and called to apologise the day after. Which means he's never been booked at all for diving. Let's compare that to Gerrard or Torres or Mascherano or Lucas all of whom dived yesterday with the express purpose of getting other players booked. It worked once but even with the help of a compliant ref (and the refusal to give Drogba the fouls he deserved) Liverpool were still toothless. No wonder you're moaning. Diving was not the story of the day.
Benitez still has two options. Slim and none. And slim just left town.
Nice to see the plastic flag brigade up in arms.
I assume reading isn't a strong point Darn Sarf?
Drogba admitted he dived on TV a few years ago - the clown who stated "Drogba's only dived once in five years"...........
What colour is the sky in your world?
You seem so divorced from reality that you must think you've won the European Cup a few times too....