2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[billyblue80]

Brentford will be tough without Mina, Doucoure, Davies, Gomes, Gray, DCL and Richarlison; as for the derby, Lord help us.

If Brentford are organised they will do us I am that pessimistic

 

[billyblue80]

I said this. At least he would have seen more of the ball and not been so stropy.

He should be playing wide anyway

 

[everton1953]

Zinedine has turned down M Utd. We are floundering in top company.

 

[JammyP]

It might be a fine thing to let a manager go because we were only 7th, even though we were top of our CL group. We are so far away from that. The injuries do matter. Benitez is not a bad manager. I would not have chosen him, but we are in no position to find better. Just two losses above the relegation slots is not good enough. Can DCL and Ducs rescue us? I really hope so.

 

[windymiller]

The same Gordon who said he was fine with Rafael calling him out.

What's he going to say? Is it going to boost his chances of playing more first team minutes by publicly contradicting his manager? Of course not. He's young, he's not a moron.

 

[Efcjake]

Tbf if he had moved Richarlison wide and brought Rondon on he would have been slated either way.

He has very little options at present - people can hate the bloke and still acknowledge that...

We have done. As I said to you earlier in the week he isn't getting the best out of what is available to him.

You just refuse to see it or refuse to admit it.

 

[Carloblues]

Benitez is not a bad manager.

Eh?

What are you basing that on? What's he done in the past 7/8 years to suggest hes anything other than a very bad manager l?

 

[Efcjake]

The same Gordon who said he was fine with Rafael calling him out.

What's he going to do? Pick a fight with his manager?

How well do you think that would work for a young player??? You chat utter wham you pal.

 

[MACCA75]

What's he going to do? Pick a fight with his manager?

How well do you think that would work for a young player??? You chat utter wham you pal.

Probably remembers knocking on Carlo’s door demanding to play and then being sat on the bench at Preston North End.

 

[roy vernon]

it's never, ever his fault

Kopite innit

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Probably remembers knocking on Carlo’s door demanding to play and then being sat on the bench at Preston North End.

Still makes me laugh that

 

[ToffeeM4n]

Zinedine has turned down M Utd. We are floundering in top company.

I bet he's waiting for Benitez's job

 

[Saaby]

People forget that Carlo lost 5-0 to this lot last season with nothing to play for both sides and we had a much stronger lineup that day.

 

[Zatara]

He's dreadful.

Thats generous.

This is the same squad, bar James - which for some reason loads of people wanted to leave - King (kind of) and Olsen, switched out for Begovic, Gray, Rondon and Townsend, that got 59 points last year.

That equated to 10th place, but it should have been much more and it was on Ancelotti that it wasn't a higher finish.

But why suddenly have we gone from a team that should be competing for Europe (and was until the end last season and should have actually been in Europe had we won 2 home games!!!) to one that is now 'lucky to stay up'????

Hes removed our rudder. Theres no defensive cohesion.

The away fans have turned their back now.

Matter of time.

What time did they leave? Online just showed 10% ish left near the end.

He's probably what is actually needed for a DoF role. He demands more and wants discipline through the club.

But as a manager, he hasn't got a clue. He's stuck in 2006-09.

Yes, more of a DOF implementing a new club structure while sitting above and guiding a young progressive manager.

We were competing for Europe last season. The squad is, arguably (and based on people's reactions when James left, definitely) stronger than last season.

Last year we had all the same players out injured and lots of them at the same time.

The footy was crap for large chunks but they were largely effective. Now, the footy is crap - even with the best players fit - and it's ineffective.

Makes you wonder what hes doing, or not doing.

And should have finished much higher.

59 points this season probably gets 7/8th.

We should have been on about 68 points with ease last year and it was on Ancelotti that we weren't.

Ancelotti could well have improved us this season as well to achieve over 60 points.

He also said he would make us more attacking.

10 times the manager compared with this chump.

Oh 100%

But Ancelotti made tons of mistakes and that's the only reason we didn't get Europe in the end.

I fully agree Tim, with your point. Anyone saying this squad is suddenly relegation fodder is talking crap.

They're relegation fodder with this manager, because he's crap.

Theres not one thing hes improved.

10 odd things look worse.

 

[Tommy F]

How have we managed to spend all that money on players (and on manager compensation) and end up with one of the worst squads in the top flight. Appalling management at this club, I doubt anyone could get a tune out what we have available.