Some sample Tweets:
Benitez suggests working for Abramovich will be “easy” compared to working under Hicks and Gillett at Liverpool
— Oliver Kay (@OliverKayTimes) November 22, 2012
Benitez will have base in London away from family: “It means I can work more” – says a confirmed workaholic. #bbcfootball
— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) November 22, 2012
Rafa Benitez pressco “I don’t care about the short-term, we have 5 trophies to fight for”. He won 4 trophies in 6 years with Liverpool. #cfc
— Infostrada Sports (@InfostradaLive) November 22, 2012
Benitez asked multiple times about the Clattenburg. Does anyone that has the ability to string syllables together think its relevant???
— Rocco (@rcammisola) November 22, 2012
And then the rest about the big challenge against Man City on Sunday, and apparently John Terry will remain as captain. And la la la la la.
What are press conferences for? If you go to them, you ask standard questions about obvious things that everyone knows the answers to. If you ask an interesting question, you are returned with no answer or something incredibly dull.
If you miss the press conference, then you get an email from the club communications director with a neat summary of all the relevant quotes. Then these quotes are used as filler in match reports and op-eds, to little use or effect.
Anyway, Rafa’s back.
Managing Chelsea will be easy, ask the last 9 managers. And that’s a facht.
I pretty much agree with your assessment of press conferences; however, the first quote – if it is indeed a direct quote – is somewhat interesting.
1. The concept of coaching Chelsea being “easy,” even relatively, is pretty amusing and dubious. Is coaching one of the world’s top teams ever easy? Do you want your new head coach saying that it will be easy? Sort of suggests that he either doesn’t really understand the job, or doesn’t have the right attitude in approaching it.
2. By making the statement in direct comparison to the ownership of Liverpool, Benitez shows a willingness to slag former employers. Is that an attitude you want in a new employee?
Hm… reading it again, I realize he was speaking in the context of working with Abromovich being “easy” not necessarily managing Chelsea – so perhaps that is more along the lines of what you would expect someone to say. Still, questionable.