Homepage Article Rafael Benitez Appointed Everton Manager

[Bluestar]

Your first line is why he went. The huge sums of cash. The idea he wanted to be in on the ground floor of a new world class league is disingenuous, he went to enrich himself. That's fine. All I would point out is that he was already phenomenally wealthy, if he was ambitious he would have taken a job in a better league. Maybe there weren't any offers.

That may or may not be true, but in the end he is our manager and I want him to be successful here. I’m fed up with abject failure. He probably wont be though, because we have only really had two successful managers in all our history. Right now with Our squad, the task is to stop us from sinking, thoughts of silverware are years off.

 

[Kev50]

You don't like the cold, aloof, arrogant Koeman but you're sound with cold, aloof, arrogant Benitez. I'm not sure I'm following the argument.

ask any Valencia fan, they will be able to clarify.

 

[chippy1722]

If ideas aren't important then recruitment can only be based on success, Benitez managed a club with similar but lesser resources to us in Newcastle and achieved 10th and 12th placed finishes. Some people claim that was a very successful outcome, I'm not sure about that at all. We have greater resources than Newcastle so what would success look like for us? It can't be 10th or lower because this season has been roundly described as unsuccessful. Would 8th be success? Not for me. I think ideas are important but even if we put them to one side, as you implied, the idea that Benitez is currently some sort of elite manager is not supported by any recent evidence.

While 10th doesn’t exactly excite me, If he gets 10th in his first season he shouldn’t be sacked.

Ancelotti wouldn’t have been sacked even if he got 12th, and some of the football was awful.
I can see quite a bit of change in the squad over the next couple of windows.
We could end up finishing 10th with a much worse first 11.

 

[stevie blott]

I just don't see any sporting reason for any "top" manager to go and work in the Chinese league. That's why I don't buy this whole ruthless ambition angle that is being promoted. It seems to me that this is a well paid gig near his house.

It absolutely is... but how stupid would he have to be to nab our money then fail a year later, if he has any sense.. You get to reign for at least three years and take more money. I don't believe for a second he is looking for a one year pay day. He is stubborn, mad and dare I say on the spectrum of asberges for taking a role he could well be hated for from both clubs in the very same land he calls home.... The man's clearly odd, I frankly prefer odd to not giving a crap... Which the last few managers could be called. Sod it... As Bithead1000 says.... I'm in !!!

 

[Rob17896]

It's your middle sentence I worry about. Loads of posters on here keep using the word stable and stability. What does that mean in a practical sense? Our league position is already stable, we've finished between 7th and 12th for the past seven seasons, we are consistently average. We are the definition of stable in terms of outcomes if not in coaching staff. I don't see us getting in the top 6 with Benitez, personally, but who knows. He hasn't won anything in ages and his recent PL experiences were underwhelming, I am prepared to remain underwhelmed.

Always expect the best. One day we will be right

 

[rams1984]

Benitez is not arrogant, but he is ruthless with players, and expects them to give their all. If the owners don't back him as promised, he is not afraid to raise his voice. As long as he is the manager, he will fight for the club and their fans.

At Valencia, he was not allowed to bring in players he wanted where he famously quoted "I asked for Sofa and they brought me a lamp"
Moreover when you compare the PL managers, Rafael is the second most decorated in terms of trophies after Pep.
Most of the managers have not been able to keep up their consistency these days.
There is no guarantee these days, it is always a chance and money wins trophies.

But with Rafael improvement is guaranteed and it will be evident in the coming days.
TBH I see a lot of good players in Everton, but not performing to their level. These things will be sorted out under his regime.

If things goes well, he has the potential to steady the ship after Moyes and might stay longer. With the current crop of players Europe is very much possible.

 

[hippopotamus]

Benitez is not arrogant, but he is ruthless with players, and expects them to give their all. If the owners don't back him as promised, he is not afraid to raise his voice. As long as he is the manager, he will fight for the club and their fans. At Valencia, he was not allowed to bring in players he wanted where he famously quoted "I asked for Sofa and they brought me a lamp"
Moreover when you compare the PL managers, Rafael is the second most decorated in terms of trophies after Pep.
Most of the managers have not been able to keep up their consistency these days.
There is no guarantee these days, it is always a chance and money wins trophies.

But with Rafael improvement is guaranteed and it will be evident in the coming days.
TBH I see a lot of good players in Everton, but not performing to their level. These things will be sorted out under his regime.

If things goes well, he has the potential to steady the ship after Moyes and might stay longer. With the current crop of players Europe is very much possible.

Don't you feel offended by Rafael joining the local rivals mate? Is he he still a legend for you? Do you want him to succeed or wish he gets Everton relegated?

 

[windymiller]

ask any Valencia fan, they will be able to clarify.

Recent reference, my favourite friend is Monica, btw.

 

[windymiller]

It absolutely is... but how stupid would he have to be to nab our money then fail a year later, if he has any sense.. You get to reign for at least three years and take more money. I don't believe for a second he is looking for a one year pay day. He is stubborn, mad and dare I say on the spectrum of asberges for taking a role he could well be hated for from both clubs in the very same land he calls home.... The man's clearly odd, I frankly prefer odd to not giving a crap... Which the last few managers could be called. Sod it... As Bithead1000 says.... I'm in !!!

He's getting a three year pay day now whether he manages for the full three years or not. Have you seen the pay offs our last few managers have got?!

 

[windymiller]

Always expect the best. One day we will be right

It hasn't been working for the past 30 odd years!

 

[Kever10]

So, because you disagree with me it's a strawman argument? How arrogant. As is your assertion that the only reason I don't want him is because he managed the RS. I have already said I would have had Rodgers in charge. I could say that the only reason you want him is because he managed the RS. That would be a stupid thing to say as I have no clue as to your motivations, just as you have no clue about mine. You don't agree with my argument that he is past it. That's fine. I don't agree with your arguments that he is an elite manager. We'll find out soon enough who is right.

It's not arrogant at all. And it's not because I disagree with it that it becomes a strawman argument. It's a strawman argument when people say he's too old, out of touch, the game has past him by, etc, when he has been involved in the game practically the entire time, and several of his peers are older than him. It's perfectly fine if people don't like him, but it's the dinosaur argument, that he's somehow too old to do the job when Ancelotti, Rangnick, Favre, etc, his predecessor who has taken over at Real Madrid and 2 of the fan favourites to replace him, are all older, as well as Ranieri and Low who were also mentioned. Meanwhile, there's some of the same people arguing against the likes of Ferguson, Arteta, etc, because they don't have enough experience.

It's either important or its not. It doesn't become less important the more you have.

The crux of the matter is, even people who don't think he's good enough, despite building a reasonably successful career by most people's standards, they are prejudiced against him for his association with Liverpool. Which again, is fair enough. But be honest about it.

Bringing up Newcastle and China as examples of failures are unfair, because what those teams were hoping of achieving at that time, he may well have delivered. There is a difference between fans expectations of success and the targets that are assigned by owners, and they can be and often will be vastly different.

So yes, time will tell if he's successful here. And if he is, a large majority still won't be happy about it.

 

[rams1984]

Don't you feel offended by Rafael joining the local rivals mate? Is he he still a legend for you? Do you want him to succeed or wish he gets Everton relegated?

I have been following Rafael Benitez since 2005, not a fan of any particular club, fan of Rafael, moreover I'm from India. So I'm not inclined to any club as such. I appreciate his dedication & hard work, I'm against money winning trophies, for the same I am not happy with top clubs buying trophies. If any manager can work against it and still succeed, it is him.

 

[catcherintherye]

I have been following Rafael Benitez since 2005, not a fan of any particular club, fan of Rafael, moreover I'm from India. So I'm not inclined to any club as such. I appreciate his dedication & hard work, I'm against money winning trophies, for the same I am not happy with top clubs buying trophies. If any manager can work against it and still succeed, it is him.

You're against money winning trophies? What do you think Benitez used to by all the players to win the few trophies he managed too? Clue it wasnt magic beans

 

[rams1984]

You're against money winning trophies? What do you think Benitez used to by all the players to win the few trophies he managed too? Clue it wasnt magic beans

You have to buy I don't say no. But buying readymade players for every position, like spending 50mn or more on each and every player , Roman started it at Chelsea, same can be said for Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, Man City..ManU & Chelsea. Even Klopp getting Van dijk & Alisson.. they bought it. Anyway, it is what it is, the manager of top clubs have less influence nowadays, but if you achieve success, you demand high salary and huge war chest.

 

[catcherintherye]

You have to buy I don't say no. But buying readymade players for every position, like spending 50mn or more on each and every player , Roman started it at Chelsea, same can be said for Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern, Man City..ManU & Chelsea. Even Klopp getting Van dijk & Alisson.. they bought it. Anyway, it is what it is, the manager of top clubs have less influence nowadays, but if you achieve success, you demand high salary and huge war chest.

Nobody spent more than him at Napoli. He spent the 4th most in England while at Liverpool. In between that he managed Real Madrid, Inter and Chelsea who are also huge spenders.