New Everton Manager

[nikom court]

Romano is saying he turned down Italian clubs to join. Inter have Inzaghi, Roma have Mourinho, Juve have Allegri (all recent appointments) Atalanta have Gasperini (his job is safe as a house) and AC Milan have Pioli. Who have a missed? I want to know who we're competing with? Spezia?!

fiorentina

 

[Eggs]

To me it's a simple matter of respect and a clear extension of an olive branch

Benitez apologising for the comment would be a moment of contrition that showed he was committed to trying and establish a decent relationship with the fan base

I'll say this right now, if he did apologise I would consider the matter closed and I'd tell anyone else who was still bothered by it to let it go

It's nothing more than a show of good faith and an act of courtesy on his part

He should be capable of that

…it’s a very good point, Mikey. I was thinking similar. I think it’s very important he answers the inevitable question full on & doesn’t try & fudge it. He knew what he said, he said Everton was a small club. It insults intelligence to say he meant small team.

Despite some on here sadly agreeing with Benitez’s ‘small club’ descriptor, I guarantee we are not seen within the game as a small club.

Benitez needs to accept the clubs history & standing in the game, including our status as one of its founding members. He needs to say his original comments were wrong & were down to rivalry & him playing mind games.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

The same style Benitez used week in week out as Newcastle manager...

And which he'll use next season, at Anfield

 

[blueblue]

...and in 6 months I shall return if that be the case.

Until then however...

I think you had better make plans for a much longer plan than just six months Tommye.

I would suggest a slow worldwide cruise and then you can start a slow self build holiday home somewhere nice .
You will have time yourself to dig out the foundations put in the ground works build the house get first and second fixing completed as we well as furnishings and decoration and then maybe you could start checking the results again

 

[roy vernon]

I wonder if Moshiri will be interested in a large bridge I have for sale?

Is it easy to burn?

 

[Jebus_lives]

We could but we haven't so move on!

No club is letting us talk to their manager with pre season around the corner - that opportunity was weeks ago and we cant afford to get embroiled in another tapping up affair after the Watford case.

We've been looking for a manager for a month, it's only because of our glacial pace that we haven't appointed one. We nearly had Nuno, we could've negotiated with other teams regarding the availability of their manager, as we would with players - in early June. Moreover, we should've had some considered thought that Ancelotti might jump to Real, but we didn't. We have a very stubborn, narrow minded board who get excited and fixate on 'big name' experienced managers who are low risk. The issue for me, is that this represents a huge risk for the stability of the club, not for where Benitez gets us to finish, but what follows on from him, because he causes deterioration and instability wherever he goes.

But because our owner thinks it's a good idea - those not embracing it are 'wrong'.

 

[Tubey]

But this just isn't the case. What he said was 'Everton put eight or nine men behind the ball and defended deep but that's what small clubs do'. The 'but' is key here. It's clear that the inference is that we are a small club. He isn't saying we put 8 or 9 men behind the ball which is surprising for a club like us and is something he would expect from a team lower down, he's saying we put 8 or 9 men behind the ball because we're a small club.

Just to hammer the point home, a contemporary report in a national newspaper says:

'If initially it appeared that he was merely referring to Everton's current status lower down the league ladder, this was actually no slip of the tongue.

Benítez first referred to Moyes' club as being smaller in his pre-match briefing last week, then repeated it in television, radio and other interviews in the wake of Saturday's infuriating stalemate. He is canny enough to realise the weight his words carry and, when put in that context, his comments appeared nothing but inflammatory'

So the comment we all remember was actually not the first time he said it.

As I said, by all means say it's all water under the bridge and forget it or whatever, but this attempt to whitewash it and say that it never actually happened/was mistranslated/was said just as a comment on our performance in one game is ridiculous. He deliberately talked the club down, you're welcome to be OK with that of course, but let's all just be honest about the fact he did it.

'Smaller' club is different to 'small' club.

It's a fact we are a smaller club than Liverpool. If he said that to pander to the fans, so be it - "people's club" was the same thing from Moyes.

'Small' club is where the fault lies, in that post-match interview. His reasoning behind it I can accept - it was borne from frustration after our first and only impulse that game was not to lose it. I remember it vividly - we set up like San Marino, actually had a few chances because Liverpool threw the kitchen sink at us and left spaces. Tactically, it was fine, but it was 100% the tactics of a small club against a larger opposition.

 

[BainesontoastNEW]

fiorentina

The same Fiorentina that haven't been relevant since the Batistuta era? Oh, how we've fallen.

 

[Lanolin]

Oh ffs mate. Really? What's all this 'better blue' crap? Can't you have a discussion without feeling you've 'won'?

You have context, I have context. It's a bloody forum!

What are you talking about? I replied to somebody else saying that I cared about the small club comment, and gave my reasons for it. I specifically said that I don't really care if anyone else agrees with that, I'm just giving my reasons. You've then come back - twice - claiming that I said Benitez wouldn't give his all in our job. I categorically did not say that and do not believe it. It appeared to me that you wanted to 'win' an argument because you were seemingly determined to make it sound like I was making a ridiculous point by claiming I was saying something I wasn't. If that wasn't the case, and you simply didn't read either of the posts that you responded to, then I apologise for the misunderstanding.

 

[Pejic300]

Is it easy to burn?

Using dry bedsheets as kindling, yes.

 

[nikom court]

The same Fiorentina that haven't been relevant since the Batistuta era? Oh, how we've fallen.

about as relevant as everton

 

[Charles Hawtrey]

The majority of fans will just be happy to be back in the ground after 12 months mate. I've always said the Everton online fume isn't often reflective of the mood at the ground - 90% of people couldn't say a good word about Kenwright yet the bloke was getting clapped at Goodison.

If it goes tits up then yeah fans will turn faster I agree there.

the fans in the ground for sure seem to have a more sheeple mentality. A few start happy clapping and everyone joins in, a few start BOOing and before you know it we are looking for Eddie Howe by Christmas...

 

[roy vernon]

Fair play to Benitez, the lengths some people will go to, to prove themselves right. We really are a small club now that we have him as a manager.

 

[BrendanGOT]

The same Fiorentina that haven't been relevant since the Batistuta era? Oh, how we've fallen.

Mate we haven't been relevant since 95

 

[BornBlue76]

One thing is for sure, the other James is now to be gone if Benitez appointment is happening. Those two don't get along well.

Perfect! .. You've been gift wrapped a lifetime of Everton experience all in one season.. the hope, the disappointment, about to be followed by being kicked while you down and then your Mrs (Mr) leaving you cos you lost some of your hair with age. If there is one thing you have to be as an Evertonian, its resilience.