2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[Sadken]

13 points from 6 games is not a bad start to the league campaign at all

We've looked shaky more than once, but it's a results business when all is said and done, and he's getting the results in the league right now

Considering he hasn't got much of a squad to work with he's doing well thus far

Hopefully we can get some players in when January comes around and actually have some squad depth

We were equal to villa then had a dodgy ten minutes, should have beat Leeds, Rafael is doin ok with no strikers.

 

[Carloblues]

13 points from 6 games is not a bad start to the league campaign at all

We've looked shaky more than once, but it's a results business when all is said and done, and he's getting the results in the league right now

Considering he hasn't got much of a squad to work with he's doing well thus far

Hopefully we can get some players in when January comes around and actually have some squad depth

He's done alrite so far ye

The whole no squad thing is a bit OTT though, we've only had players missing for the last 3 games, two of which we have lost dissapointingly and the other against one of the worst teams in premiership history who have lost 16 games in a row.

Can judge how he's done by Xmas, so far so good but no real challenges yet imo

 

[stretford blue]

If Benitez brings stability and constantly challenges for Europe then there'll not be one blue carrying an agenda against him or calling for his head, the whole narrative of "he's only 2 bad results away from fans turning on him" is nonsense really but that doesn't mean he won't get criticism when he deserves it. If he gets us top 8 this year, given what we've spent and the poor depth in the squad, he should be commended. However he still has a long way to go to convince many that he's a long term (2 years+) solution for us.

Him keeping us "out of danger" isn't good enough quite frankly, he must compete. That is what we should expect of any manager. For god sake Big Sam got us in the top 8, that is the absolute minimum for us. If he achieves that great but what people are afraid of is if he doesn't we'd have literally tried every type of manager and failed every single time. Rafael has to bring stability like I said but I brought up Big Sam for a reason, he got top 8, Rafael should too but sometimes that simply isn't good enough, seasons like this where Spurs, Arsenal and Leicester and all on the down seemingly there's a real chance for us to break into 5th and be part of the Champions League conversation like Leicester did last season.

We always miss out on these opportunities of other teams being crap by being crap ourselves, it really isn't that hard to be a top 7 team anymore which is almost always Europe, Chelsea, City and Liverpool are guarantees for CL and United probably are now too, outside of that there's nothing special about the rest of the league at all. So like I was saying if we don't challenge for full Europa League qualification this year then it'll not only be a massive disappointment and missed opportunity but it might also be a sign of Benitez not being the best candidate for us, unless we get wrecked by injuries and get no one in January, even with that top 8 is mandatory.

I agree with a lot of the post but don't see arsenal on the down I know it was a poor spurs performance but think arteta is putting his mark on the team admittedly after spending a fortune but there a young team and seem to have a good balance about them
Even last year didn't think Leicester were that far away from us

 

[ForeverBlue92]

If Benitez brings stability and constantly challenges for Europe then there'll not be one blue carrying an agenda against him or calling for his head, the whole narrative of "he's only 2 bad results away from fans turning on him" is nonsense really but that doesn't mean he won't get criticism when he deserves it. If he gets us top 8 this year, given what we've spent and the poor depth in the squad, he should be commended. However he still has a long way to go to convince many that he's a long term (2 years+) solution for us.

Him keeping us "out of danger" isn't good enough quite frankly, he must compete. That is what we should expect of any manager. For god sake Big Sam got us in the top 8, that is the absolute minimum for us. If he achieves that great but what people are afraid of is if he doesn't we'd have literally tried every type of manager and failed every single time. Rafael has to bring stability like I said but I brought up Big Sam for a reason, he got top 8, Rafael should too but sometimes that simply isn't good enough, seasons like this where Spurs, Arsenal and Leicester and all on the down seemingly there's a real chance for us to break into 5th and be part of the Champions League conversation like Leicester did last season.

We always miss out on these opportunities of other teams being crap by being crap ourselves, it really isn't that hard to be a top 7 team anymore which is almost always Europe, Chelsea, City and Liverpool are guarantees for CL and United probably are now too, outside of that there's nothing special about the rest of the league at all. So like I was saying if we don't challenge for full Europa League qualification this year then it'll not only be a massive disappointment and missed opportunity but it might also be a sign of Benitez not being the best candidate for us, unless we get wrecked by injuries and get no one in January, even with that top 8 is mandatory.

Top 8 isn't mandatory anymore sir.

Man City
Man Utd
Liverpool
Chelsea
Spurs
Arsenal
Leicester
West Ham
Aston Villa

Thats 9 teams straight away who we have no divine right to finish above spending £1.5 million.

Of course the aim should be to get top 7 and europe every season but finishing 9th-11th isn't a sackeble offence these days as the league is so competitive.

Arsenal can have no CL revenue for years yet can go throw £50 million and £73 million on White and Pepe at the drop of a hat - regardless of how good those players are they will always have the dough to be up and around us in the table.

 

[Baggzio]

I agree with a lot of the post but don't see arsenal on the down I know it was a poor spurs performance but think arteta is putting his mark on the team admittedly after spending a fortune but there a young team and seem to have a good balance about them
Even last year didn't think Leicester were that far away from us

I suppose I meant on the down as in they're no where near top 4 but then again they haven't be near that in years I suppose. But I find them finishing something like 8th at best, Arteta is still a very poor manager, good result against Spurs aside.

 

[stretford blue]

Top 8 isn't mandatory anymore sir.

Man City
Man Utd
Liverpool
Chelsea
Spurs
Arsenal
Leicester
West Ham
Aston Villa

Thats 9 teams straight away who we have no divine right to finish above spending £1.5 million.

Of course the aim should be to get top 7 and europe every season but finishing 9th-11th isn't a sackeble offence these days as the league is so competitive.

Arsenal can have no CL revenue for years yet can go throw £50 million and £73 million on White and Pepe at the drop of a hat - regardless of how good those players are they will always have the dough to be up and around us in the table.

A full strength team should be more than able to compete with the five teams below Chelsea irrespective what they spend , history shows we don't spend big money well if the recruitment is right we should be able to get more value from 20 million spent than 50)60 million

 

[Kurt.]

Been away in work for a week…. Just checking is it Rafael in or Rafael out this week ?

 

[Baggzio]

Top 8 isn't mandatory anymore sir.

Man City
Man Utd
Liverpool
Chelsea
Spurs
Arsenal
Leicester
West Ham
Aston Villa

Thats 9 teams straight away who we have no divine right to finish above spending £1.5 million.

Of course the aim should be to get top 7 and europe every season but finishing 9th-11th isn't a sackeble offence these days as the league is so competitive.

Arsenal can have no CL revenue for years yet can go throw £50 million and £73 million on White and Pepe at the drop of a hat - regardless of how good those players are they will always have the dough to be up and around us in the table.

The first 4 in your list we're no where near that's fair enough. However that's about it in the league I think, anyone else should be easy to compete with. Our first strongest first 11 is as good or better than most of them, aside from a right back. On paper Benitez should also be competitive as a manager against Smith, Arteta and Nuno who he should be better than tactically. Also with what you're saying with Pepe and White that's we'll say £125m on 2 players in separate windows years apart that they'll have for the better part of 10 years if they wanted.

We on the other hand we spent more than that on Tosun, Walcott, Bolasie, Klaassen and Iwobi and yet those 2 Arsenal lads are much better value. Whether they spend it on 2 players or 20 is irrelevant really in relation to us considering the literal hundreds of millions that we've pissed up the wall in the last 5 years alone. We can't have our cake and eat it too by having a generally decent first 11 full of expensive signings, our 8 of our 11 against Norwich cost more than £20m, aside from the 3 lads we bought this summer. Just because we've spent poorly doesn't mean we get to make the excuse that others spent a lot just because they've better signings than us. We've spent half a billion in 4 years for god sake, we don't have a leg to stand on there. If the team can't compete for Europe with that kind of backing then what is even the point?

 

[davids]

He's done alrite so far ye

The whole no squad thing is a bit OTT though, we've only had players missing for the last 3 games, two of which we have lost dissapointingly and the other against one of the worst teams in premiership history who have lost 16 games in a row.

Can judge how he's done by Xmas, so far so good but no real challenges yet imo

I'd say being without our top two strikers is quite a challenge.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

A full strength team should be more than able to compete with the five teams below Chelsea irrespective what they spend , history shows we don't spend big money well if the recruitment is right we should be able to get more value from 20 million spent than 50)60 million

A full strength team we have out about 5 games a season as we pick up massive amounts of injuries.

Its a squad game and we dont have a good squad therefore people need to knock this deluded "europe or bust" mentality on its head.

There is a reason we have had 6 managers in 5 years and its because of short sighted lack of patience in the fanbase.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

The first 4 in your list we're no where near that's fair enough. However that's about it in the league I think, anyone else should be easy to compete with. Our first strongest first 11 is as good or better than most of them, aside from a right back. On paper Benitez should also be competitive as a manager against Smith, Arteta and Nuno who he should be better than tactically. Also with what you're saying with Pepe and White that's we'll say £125m on 2 players in separate windows years apart that they'll have for the better part of 10 years if they wanted.

We on the other hand we spent more than that on Tosun, Walcott, Bolasie, Klaassen and Iwobi and yet those 2 Arsenal lads are much better value. Whether they spend it on 2 players or 20 is irrelevant really in relation to us considering the literal hundreds of millions that we've pissed up the wall in the last 5 years alone. We can't have our cake and eat it too by having a generally decent first 11 full of expensive signings, our 8 of our 11 against Norwich cost more than £20m, aside from the 3 lads we bought this summer. Just because we've spent poorly doesn't mean we get to make the excuse that others spent a lot just because they've better signings than us. We've spent half a billion in 4 years for god sake, we don't have a leg to stand on there. If the team can't compete for Europe with that kind of backing then what is even the point?

But say we finish 7th this season then 10th next season does he get sacked then?

Leicester finished 5th twice now look like they'll struggle to get top 7/8 this season do they sack Rodgers?

We would have sacked Howard and Moyes with this deluded mentality.

Patience is needed.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

His obsession with sand dunes was the reason he moved to Caldy. Apparently, when talking to Moshiri he repeatedly stressed the importance of players being able to run around a lot and the dunes are a great environment for this. He even paraphrased saying that when he got the lads on the dunes he'd see if they run like pigs from a gun!

He seems to be grinding results out at present which I am sure is more to do with tactics than luck. Long may it continue.

 

[stretford blue]

A full strength team we have out about 5 games a season as we pick up massive amounts of injuries.

Its a squad game and we dont have a good squad therefore people need to knock this deluded "europe or bust" mentality on its head.

There is a reason we have had 6 managers in 5 years and its because of short sighted lack of patience in the fanbase.

It's a lack of patience by the owner don't remember any big demonstrations to get rid of koeman and Silva by the fan base whether he has learnt his lesson time will tell he certainly hasn't a great record in not repeating the same mistakes over and over again

 

[Carloblues]

I'd say being without our top two strikers is quite a challenge.

Yes it is and it's shown because we've lost 2 of the 3 games.

 

[LeeCarsley]

Top 8 isn't mandatory anymore sir.

Man City
Man Utd
Liverpool
Chelsea
Spurs
Arsenal
Leicester
West Ham
Aston Villa

Thats 9 teams straight away who we have no divine right to finish above spending £1.5 million.

Of course the aim should be to get top 7 and europe every season but finishing 9th-11th isn't a sackeble offence these days as the league is so competitive.

Arsenal can have no CL revenue for years yet can go throw £50 million and £73 million on White and Pepe at the drop of a hat - regardless of how good those players are they will always have the dough to be up and around us in the table.

with our wage bill there is zero reason we shouldn't be finishing above the West Hams and Villas. transfer fees is a very narrow view of finances in football, and I believe our squad is more than good enough to compete near that 6th-7th spot. 8th is the absolute minimum for me, maybe 9th if we keep having injury problems.