Rafa: Now we’re world class!

Rafa back on Merseyside

RECEPTION

IT appeared as though Rafa Benitez was looking for moral support as the first two people he shook hands with were an Everton steward and the policeman stationed in front of the Chelsea dugout.

The former Liverpool chief was greeted with a loud chorus of boos by the Toffees fans when he took a few steps on to the Goodison Park pitch.

SELECTION

JUST the three changes from the manager known as being a tinkerer during his days in charge at Anfield, all to freshen up the midfield.

The most important one was restoring Frank Lampard to the starting line-up and the England man repaid his manager’s faith by turning the game around with two crucial goals after Everton’s storming start.

TACTICS

THE decision to switch Ramires from a holding role to play on the right of the bank of three players operating just behind Fernando Torres looked like a bit of muddled thinking.

Or it did until the Brazilian ace popped up to deliver the cross for Lampard’s first goal to make it 1-1.

But Chelsea still looked disjointed at times.

MOTIVATION

IT seemed Rafa was more successful at firing up the opposition — with the “small club” insult still a sore point in these parts.

Everton clearly wanted it more than the Londoners, in the opening stages at least, but Lampard invariably offers everything to the cause and he rescued his nervous-looking manager.

VERDICT

IT could all have gone wrong for Rafa if it had not been for two brilliant first-half saves from goalkeeper Petr Cech — and the goal-poaching instincts and clinical finishing of Blues legend Lampard.

But it is now eight Premier League games without defeat for Benitez against Everton, so he has every reason to enjoy taking them on.

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