Chelsea: Why Rafa Benitez and His Quest for Silverware Has Revitalised the Blues

The dust has hardly settled on Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinal on Sunday, but while thinking of positives in the aftermath of defeat may be too much to bear for now, Blues fans should consider the benefits their respective cup runs have brought this term.

Indeed, defeats in the semifinal of the Capital One Cup and FA Cup—while also losing in the final of the Club World Cup—would have left a bitter taste, yet with all that has passed in 2012-13, those very cup campaigns have helped revitalize Chelsea's season under interim manager Rafa Benitez.

Where the Blues have been concerned, the talk in recent weeks has been one of fixture congestion and the inevitable strain on their squad. In April alone, they have already played five matches and face the prospect of a further four in 10 days before the month is out.

But rather than prove a hindrance, this period seems to have brought out the best in the Blues and also accelerated the changing of the guard at Stamford Bridge.

Benitez has seamlessly reduced Chelsea's reliance on Frank Lampard and John Terry this season, rotating his squad effectively in a way that has seen the likes of Oscar, Eden Hazard and Cesar Azpilicueta become essential—Juan Mata even more so.

It's been done against a backdrop of protest to him being in control, but very little has been aimed at his reluctance to give Chelsea's former leaders a prominent position within the push for trophies.

For the past decade or so, it's been inconceivable that a fit Terry and Lampard would not be among Chelsea's lineup. The duo have long been the proverbial first-name-on-the-teamsheet, but not anymore.

Benitez deserves all the accolades for changing that culture, and Chelsea's cup form has allowed him to exploit the change.

Whenever heroes of Terry and Lampard's ilk come to the end of their careers, it's a painful process for all involved to accept. Admittedly, it's a process that has also threatened Chelsea's prosperity in the long-term; however, Benitez has been bold enough to bring about the required change now.

Had Chelsea exited the Capital One Cup in December against Leeds United and also surrendered their grip on the FA Cup at the first time of asking against Southampton in the third round, what would have been left to play for? Very little.

With Terry returning to fitness, it would have been much more difficult a task to keep him sidelined, while calls for Lampard to start every match would have been hard to avoid given a relatively quiet fixture list.

Instead, Chelsea have excelled in other areas this season. The squad has been called upon, and from that, the result has been other heroes emerging.

It's a situation that means whoever does replace Benitez come the summer has one less issue to contend with in the dressing room. The stock of certain players has dropped, and that can only be a positive thing for the club's future prospects as the Blues continue their transition.

Sure, the Europa League remains the only possibility of silverware for 2012-13, but this season was never about what Chelsea could or could not win. It was about building on that success in Munich, which they undoubtedly have, even if the trophy cabinet and league standing say otherwise.

What we saw at Wembley on Sunday was a team full of character and being driven forward by a new generation. In times past, it was Terry and Lampard who led from the front and without the duo in tact, Chelsea more often than not crumbled.

At 2-0 down, the semifinal was gone. Chelsea clawed their way back into contention, though, and while Benitez's side went on to lose 2-1, much can be said for where they are headed.

Two days prior to their Wembley outing, the Blues' youngsters defeated Liverpool 2-0 in the first leg of the FA Cup Youth Cup semifinal at Anfield. Combine that potential with what we can see in the first team right now, and the prospect of where the club will be in the coming seasons can only be a frightening one for their rivals.