2022/23 Jordan Pickford

[joebocop]

I supported him when he was Everton manager, until it was time for him to be fired. Same as Lampard, same as the five others before him. If people really think Benitez is all that is wrong at the club, or even the root cause of it, after what’s transpired over the last 12 months then that’s a view blinkered solely on the fact he used to manage a team that happens to be our local rivals.

He was and is a mercenary manager who would obviously manage anyone (supported by the fact he destroyed his own Liverpool legacy by managing us). He’s not arsed about Liverpool, and he’s not arsed about us, he traded his labour for money for a client until the client didn’t want him and he’s off onto the next one.

For me he’s just filed under Koeman Silva Allardyce Lampard as a manager who didn’t get good enough results to stay. I’m more annoyed at Ancelotti for bailing on us. If people want to keep obsessing over Benitez though because he once managed Liverpool then have at it but it’s pretty much got little relevance to our current situation. We’ve been in PL relegation battles for our entire PL existence except for a period when Moyes has us stable in the top half. Someone needs to be asking the question ‘why’ rather than mindlessly saying ‘fat fat sack sack’ ‘we don’t forget’ Benitez worshippers‘. Very very bizarre behaviour when another manager has been and gone already.

You lose all credibility when you start comparing Benitez favourably to Ancelotti.

 

[Saint Domingo]

You lose all credibility when you start comparing Benitez favourably to Ancelotti.

So it’s more logical to favour the manager who ran out on us because he couldn’t be arsed with the challenge ahead than be indifferent to the one we chose to fire because the results weren’t good enough

People mistake far too often choosing not to criticise the manager with defending him. most people weren’t overtly pro Benitez, they just recognised that when it’s the 6th manager in as many years that there might be deeper problems at the club than who is the manager. Some people will never see it though, blinded by their emotion towards a bloke who was nothing more than a hired gun we then dispensed with. He’s not bothered about us, I don’t know why people are still frothing at the mouth over him. He didn’t get us relegated, if we do go down the Everton board take that one.

 

[joebocop]

So it’s more logical to favour the manager who ran out on us because he couldn’t be arsed with the challenge ahead than be indifferent to the one we chose to fire because the results weren’t good enough

People mistake far too often choosing not to criticise the manager with defending him. most people weren’t overtly pro Benitez, they just recognised that when it’s the 6th manager in as many years that there might be deeper problems at the club than who is the manager. Some people will never see it though, blinded by their emotion towards a bloke who was nothing more than a hired gun we then dispensed with. He’s not bothered about us, I don’t know why people are still frothing at the mouth over him. He didn’t get us relegated, if we do go down the Everton board take that one.

Gutting the team of its creativity at the time he did was one of the many determining factors in why we are in the position we are in. Ancelotti leaving us is also one of them.

The difference is, I don't blame Ancelotti for taking another chance at Madrid. He won a champions League the next season.

Benitez took a side that was already in decline that needed a rebuild, alienated 2 of the 3 match winners we had in the squad and let them leave and the relegation form followed. I wasn't a strong advocate for digne, because I thought his defensive fragilities had started to outway his attacking qualities. But it's completely senseless to gut your team of all it's creativity and that's what Benitez did. We still haven't recovered from it. Now that is also the new DOFs fault in that he's had 2 windows to sort it and hasn't. But Benitez ensured the dominos kept toppling.

 

[adi dassler]

Tell you what, some of you people would have had a field day with some of Nev’s idiosyncrasies.

I watched Nev mate and never seen him seemingly lose his head the way this fella does during a game

 

[Saint Domingo]

Gutting the team of its creativity at the time he did was one of the many determining factors in why we are in the position we are in. Ancelotti leaving us is also one of them.

The difference is, I don't blame Ancelotti for taking another chance at Madrid. He won a champions League the next season.

Benitez took a side that was already in decline that needed a rebuild, alienated 2 of the 3 match winners we had in the squad and let them leave and the relegation form followed. I wasn't a strong advocate for digne, because I thought his defensive fragilities had started to outway his attacking qualities. But it's completely senseless to gut your team of all it's creativity and that's what Benitez did. We still haven't recovered from it. Now that is also the new DOFs fault in that he's had 2 windows to sort it and hasn't. But Benitez ensured the dominos kept toppling.

Digne has been complete and utter trash for Villa. He wouldn’t have kept us up that season, he can’t defend. We got the highest price possible for him. We could never afford to keep James, Benitez may have been the executioner but he was going one way or another, his wages were ridiculous. Can’t really blame Benitez for Siggurdson not being available. Where’s Bernard now? Exactly.

As you said that team needed gutting. It was too slow, too weak, and too inconsistent. The problem was that we gutted it and then gave 1.5 mill to a rebuild. People can blame the manager all the want but the same thing keeps happening under every manager.

Martinez - saved from relegation form thanks to having one of the world best strikers upfront, but gave it a good go
Koeman - relegation form
Silva - relegation form
Allardyce - relegation level performances
Benitez - relegation form
Lampard relegation form

Can pick through whatever bits of Benitez’s reign you want and extrapolate it out as to why that bit is actually the key problem at Everton, but we’ve been in terminal decline since Moyes left with one or two mid table jaunts to interrupt it. Eventually you have to take a wider view than just blind hatred to Benitez, the pattern is clear, 6 managers and two DOFs can’t all be wrong. The problem is bigger.

 

[Egil Olsen]

Gutting the team of its creativity at the time he did was one of the many determining factors in why we are in the position we are in. Ancelotti leaving us is also one of them.

The difference is, I don't blame Ancelotti for taking another chance at Madrid. He won a champions League the next season.

Benitez took a side that was already in decline that needed a rebuild, alienated 2 of the 3 match winners we had in the squad and let them leave and the relegation form followed. I wasn't a strong advocate for digne, because I thought his defensive fragilities had started to outway his attacking qualities. But it's completely senseless to gut your team of all it's creativity and that's what Benitez did. We still haven't recovered from it. Now that is also the new DOFs fault in that he's had 2 windows to sort it and hasn't. But Benitez ensured the dominos kept toppling.

What Benitez had to deal with was a miserable financial situation, and certain players who were overpriced. JR was injured far too often compared to the price we had to pay to have him, and was a luxury player on a mediocre team.

Digne was another player who was overhyped, and who was expensive to operate in relation to the contribution he made. He can also be characterized as a luxury player, who did not want to do the job defensively. Aston Villa fans don't quite understand what they bought, and he hasn't come close to living up to expectations.

The money we got for Gordon, could have got more, is largely due to the work Benitez did with him.

What I believed then, and still believe, is that Benitez was trying to change the culture at Everton. Something that will always be met with resistance, because it often means that unpopular decisions have to be made. We saw a bit of the same in Manchester United when Ten Haag did not accept the attitude of Ronaldo. Something that was not popular with PlayStation fans, and which has most likely never been in a performance group.

As Benitez had no goodwill with the supporters, certainly within the player group with some and the club, this cultural change became impossible. To create a good performance group, everyone must pull in the same direction, egos must be put away (not more concerned with their own assists and goals, than the team), and those who are the leaders within the player group must lead as good examples.

This is certainly the message that Dyche preaches, but it is easier to get acceptance for it when you have not been the manager of the neighbor and do not have fan favorites like JR and Digne at the club.

 

[chicoazul]

I’ve seen some attempt to blame the fans on here for poisoning Everton and contributing greatly to their demise by the arrogant toxicity they infect the players with, and I‘m not sure I can agree with that, but when you see the hyenas circling one of our own good players and one who helped keep Everton in the top flight last year It does make one wonder if those who do blame the fans may have a point.

Dear fine Evertonians of GOT it is our duty to show no mercy to these posters, they truly are the real enemies of Everton, and some call them worse than kopites and a treasonous poison we must cut out if we are to move forward. A little harsh in my opinion but I’m not one to judge.

 

[DualityNSNO]

I’ve seen some attempt to blame the fans on here for poisoning Everton and contributing greatly to their demise by the arrogant toxicity they infect the players with, and I‘m not sure I can agree with that, but when you see the hyenas circling one of our own good players and one who helped keep Everton in the top flight last year It does make one wonder if those who do blame the fans may have a point.

Dear fine Evertonians of GOT it is our duty to show no mercy to these posters, they truly are the real enemies of Everton, and some call them worse than kopites and a treasonous poison we must cut out if we are to move forward. A little harsh in my opinion but I’m not one to judge.

SAY IT

 

[Moderatelywarmwater]

It will be a shame when he leaves in the summer. He’s a really good goalie and shows a hell of a lot of fight. Most of our players couldn’t fight their way out of a paper bag.
What fee will we get?

 

[joebocop]

Digne has been complete and utter trash for Villa. He wouldn’t have kept us up that season, he can’t defend. We got the highest price possible for him. We could never afford to keep James, Benitez may have been the executioner but he was going one way or another, his wages were ridiculous. Can’t really blame Benitez for Siggurdson not being available. Where’s Bernard now? Exactly.

As you said that team needed gutting. It was too slow, too weak, and too inconsistent. The problem was that we gutted it and then gave 1.5 mill to a rebuild. People can blame the manager all the want but the same thing keeps happening under every manager.

Martinez - saved from relegation form thanks to having one of the world best strikers upfront, but gave it a good go
Koeman - relegation form
Silva - relegation form
Allardyce - relegation level performances
Benitez - relegation form
Lampard relegation form

Can pick through whatever bits of Benitez’s reign you want and extrapolate it out as to why that bit is actually the key problem at Everton, but we’ve been in terminal decline since Moyes left with one or two mid table jaunts to interrupt it. Eventually you have to take a wider view than just blind hatred to Benitez, the pattern is clear, 6 managers and two DOFs can’t all be wrong. The problem is bigger.

There's only 2 managers there that were actually showing relegation form. And that all started with Benitez.

Koeman and Silva were not in relegation form, they were just severely underperforming the expectations at the time which was to challenge for Europa League places. The fact their replacements were quite easily able to get us into the top half around where we were expected to finish is evidence that none of those teams were even close to being relegation candidates.

I also think Koeman and Walsh need to shoulder a huge portion of the blame for the way the money was spent in that first window under moshiri.

 

[Hinchcliffe's Corner]

Mad that people don't think Pickford is good enough for us when we're one of the worst teams in the premier league. That's not an endorsement of Pickford btw.

 

[Moderatelywarmwater]

Mad that people don't think Pickford is good enough for us when we're one of the worst teams in the premier league. That's not an endorsement of Pickford btw.

He’s our best player… and once again we will sell our best player

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

There you go mate. Just a small collection.

He can make any kind if error, anytime. Skillz.

 

[Toffeepot]

So it’s more logical to favour the manager who ran out on us because he couldn’t be arsed with the challenge ahead than be indifferent to the one we chose to fire because the results weren’t good enough

People mistake far too often choosing not to criticise the manager with defending him. most people weren’t overtly pro Benitez, they just recognised that when it’s the 6th manager in as many years that there might be deeper problems at the club than who is the manager. Some people will never see it though, blinded by their emotion towards a bloke who was nothing more than a hired gun we then dispensed with. He’s not bothered about us, I don’t know why people are still frothing at the mouth over him. He didn’t get us relegated, if we do go down the Everton board take that one.

This would make more sense if he didn't come in like a wrecking ball, forcing people out through sacking or resignation and selling our more creative players. Then not taking any responsibility for a massive drop off in things like set piece defending which was entirely changed on his watch. He caused problems at most clubs he's managed at. As for Carlo v Benitez... one gave us a solid win at the pit(albeit empty) whereas the other was scribbling in his pad while his 2 man midfield was getting torn apart at Goodison, conveniently hiding behind the 27 sack the board protest. Other results speak for themselves but that sticks out.
Having said that, you're right, he is gone, so we should move on, but there is no doubt in my mind he set us back more than the other managers. I don't blame him for applying for the job, but he should never have got it. That too, is on the board

 

[BigDuncTributeBand]

What Benitez had to deal with was a miserable financial situation, and certain players who were overpriced. JR was injured far too often compared to the price we had to pay to have him, and was a luxury player on a mediocre team.

Digne was another player who was overhyped, and who was expensive to operate in relation to the contribution he made. He can also be characterized as a luxury player, who did not want to do the job defensively. Aston Villa fans don't quite understand what they bought, and he hasn't come close to living up to expectations.

The money we got for Gordon, could have got more, is largely due to the work Benitez did with him.

What I believed then, and still believe, is that Benitez was trying to change the culture at Everton. Something that will always be met with resistance, because it often means that unpopular decisions have to be made. We saw a bit of the same in Manchester United when Ten Haag did not accept the attitude of Ronaldo. Something that was not popular with PlayStation fans, and which has most likely never been in a performance group.

As Benitez had no goodwill with the supporters, certainly within the player group with some and the club, this cultural change became impossible. To create a good performance group, everyone must pull in the same direction, egos must be put away (not more concerned with their own assists and goals, than the team), and those who are the leaders within the player group must lead as good examples.

This is certainly the message that Dyche preaches, but it is easier to get acceptance for it when you have not been the manager of the neighbor and do not have fan favorites like JR and Digne at the club.

Not even a hint of irony.