Homepage Article Rafael Benitez Appointed Everton Manager

[Blues Harp]

Maybe not but he is ,Evertons manager and as such deserves your support if you are an Evertonian

He has to earn that accolade first. He needs to punt the likes of Iwobi, et al and inject some pace and creativity into the midfield, preferably with younger and more committed players, not other club's rejects, out for a last cushy payday
Be interesting to see who he appoints as captain. Wouldn't rule out Siggy.....unfortunately

 

[zzr45]

If you think Rafael has much to do with the intensity of a session, you might be in for a bit of a shock..

A lot of ‘intensity’will be directed by the medical/sports science staff. I’m presuming with a lighter than usual preseason there’s more opportunity to push players more. Using last year, which was the weirdest preseason ever is a pretty bad comparison for obvious reasons.

 

[rams1984]

I'm surprised to see some change of opinion with those training videos. I'm glad.

But for some of the concerns regarding his commitment, unless otherwise it goes really bad between the board and him, which I don't see it happening. Moreover being close to his home which he was always looking at, one of the reasons why he was reluctant to take charge of London clubs.

Few excerpts ...(Rafael's obssession)
“Pretty much the first thing Rafael ever said to me was: ‘Get yourself to the gym’,” Torres reveals. “However strong you think you are, the centre-back here is going to be stronger. They’re 1.90m, 90 kilos. The stronger you are, the better chance you have of getting to the ball first.”

“When I’ve scored two goals or three goals, he tells me I’ve played badly, that I didn’t help out at the back…”

“Rafael talks to me a lot about the position of my body. If you’re turned fractionally more to the right or left you might get a millisecond’s advantage; if when you receive the ball you shift you weight you can get away easier. The way you position yourself against the centre-backs, focus on their position and judge their movements as well as your own is vital. One of the most important things I’ve learnt with Rafael is how to play closer to the opposition’s penalty area – how to get in behind the defenders as a solo striker. I don’t have to come back and look for the ball; I fix my position by the centre-backs more than by the ball or the build up.

“Rafael always analyses the centre backs I’m facing and the goalkeeping coach tells me about the goalkeepers. In a game it’s a matter of tenths of a second and that information can help.

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/feature...liverpool-retires-chelsea-best-strikers-world (If interested in the full article)


Word of caution, the start could be slow, irrespective of the opponents, but I expect somewhat better considering the fact the squad is better in terms of the players at disposal, apart from one or two positions.
The 2nd half of the season we will be better. He needs one full season to be judged. The first half, requires some patience as it will take time for players to get used ot his methods. It will be difficult 6 months initially.

 

[Dad watched Dixie]

Who let you out of your Tax Evasion/Human Trafficking thread?

My post was answering those raving wildly about the 'intensity'of training' based on a few minutes of PR footage, who are convinced the burst Spanich knacker is already doing a much better job than Carlo in a desperate bid to justify their cheering on an unrepentant Kopite manager.

I will be more than happy to eat these words after Eight straight wins at the beginning of the season.

And I will be happier with a higher than 10th place final position together with a team that put a shift in week in, week out

 

[Lord Buckethead]

James seemed to be relaxed and training well as did Moise Kean. I thought Iwobi was putting in huge effort

This alone should tell you the video was made in PR made-believe land.

 

[Lord Buckethead]

And I will be happier with a higher than 10th place final position together with a team that put a shift in week in, week out

As I have already said, the Away performances last season showed what this squad can do. If Carlo were to have not been poached by the biggest Cloob in the world, I would have expected him to sort out our consistency and bring out Home form up to the same levels.

 

[heatmeiser]

I suspect the players looking "knackered" and "goosed" is perhaps more to do with it being their first session back after stuffing their faces with Greggs and sat on their arses playing FIFA than any huge change in training regime

 

[blueblue]

Yes, but preseason is all about setting you up to hit the ground running for those first games.
The Carlos preseason last year can not be seen as anything but an unmitigated success.

The narrative that when a manager leaves, he and everything he did becomes terrible, is absolute nonsense.

The pity about last season is that the final half dozen games or so ruined what had been generally a decent season.
I think if Carlo had stayed and improved the squad then next season could have been better again.

We were not unfit under Carlo , or did not seem to be and I am sure that some of the training sessions while he was there were as intense as anything we are currently seeing.

However, what we are currently seeing in my opinion is quite impressive at this early stage and having the manager with such a hands on approach is welcome.

Whereas last season was generally decent apart from falling off a cliff at the end the overall feeling has to be of an opportunity lost. We were within striking distance of top six or even top four all season and failed not because we couldn't match the better teams but because repeatedly we couldn't match the poorer ones.... while we were at home.

The players of course take responsibility for this but even moreso the manager who allowed the same thing to happen repeatedly.

None of us know if things will be better or worse under the current manager and certainly until proven otherwise he has my support.

Everybody is entitled to their opinion but mine will be based on what he does for Everton rather than who he is or who he managed previously.

I loved Carlo as much as anybody but I thought his departure was unseemly and rushed and I don't think it reflected well on him.

 

[Lord Buckethead]

I suspect the players looking "knackered" and "goosed" is perhaps more to do with it being their first session back after stuffing their faces with Greggs and sat on their arses playing FIFA than any huge change in training regime

No mate, we should all build a happy clappy house of cards upon based it and wilfully suck the out-of-date sweaty Spanish sausage the Club are trying to feed us.

Apparently..

 

[blueblue]

I suspect the players looking "knackered" and "goosed" is perhaps more to do with it being their first session back after stuffing their faces with Greggs and sat on their arses playing FIFA than any huge change in training regime

The days of players coming back to training having to lose weight and fitness are long gone.
The players generally maintain a level of fitness and certainly are on very controlled diets , even during the close season.

Of course they do have to bring up their level of fitness and also regain their match fitness but in general they are coming back with a decent level of fitness already.

 

[Death]

Gets the team putting a shift in and a few good early results and everyone will be on board. But of course they'll flip soon as. This Benitez reign will bring out the worst element of our fanbase. It will magnify our fickleness. We have developed a rep for being counter productive. Carlo brang out a good proportion of trumpets within us 15-20% by polls. Benitez, ironically for people hating him for being a former kopite, will make kopites out of many blues.

When all he'll be trying to do is everything he can to get us results.

 

[Bluestar]

When Benitez states frequenty that he'll fight for Everton, I think what he's doing is drawing a distinction between his style of management and the come day-go day couldn't be arsed management of Ancelotti's.

I think you are right. The training looks more intense already.

 

[matty1878]

You can pipe down as well

you son can kiss ones rear

 

[windymiller]

I'm in the same place now with Everton as I was when Moyes came in back in 2002 after years of drift: I want to see organisation, hard work and team spirit again.

The Kendall Mk III and Smith years nearly finished me. The Last few years under Koeman / Allardyce / Silva / Ancelotti have had the same effect.

I just want commitment and some coherent plan. And we are in a better position now than we were under Moyes' early period to consolidate on any fruit from such a successfully implemented back-to-basics plan.

You hated Moyes' football, you were constantly banging on about it in here and now you want it replicated?!

 

[windymiller]

Who cares how we started when you look at how we finished, ran off the park by relegated sheff utd.

I'd rather us a slower start and finish strong than the drivel we were served up second half of last season

A bad start to the season is as useless as a bad end to the season. Is it really too much to ask that a team of millionaires play consistently throughout a season?