2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[Zatara]

Ancelotti was here 18 months and was taken us backwards - we had no style of play or any attacking intent other than to nick a goal and defend 90 minutes for a 1-0.

Even those who worshipped Carlo said last season was some of the most boring football they had watched in years and all of a sudden fans want to go back to that just because we might concede less from set pieces?

Surely it makes more sense to just bring in better defenders & players?

Because with this current squad you have two options:

1. Play like Ancelotti did 2nd half of the season which has a glass ceiling of around 9th/10th

2. Play more expansive football which leads to anywhere from top half to bottom 3.

Anyone without an agenda against the manager can see the crux comes down to the players / recruitment and the board/Chiarman share the blame for that.

When the answer is "throw Delph or Davies on" then I honestly dont want to know what the question is as neither would get in another PL sides starting 11.

So why didnt Benitez sell players in the summer and use the money?

 

[Zatara]

We have 14, 40 max to stay up.

I think this season will be more than 40.

For me, we need more like 30pts+

 

[Neiler]

I think this season will be more than 40.

For me, we need more like 30pts+

Be a funny year if you needed over 40, not impossible mind.

 

[Pat Butcher]

Im yet to receive the answer to a question i keep asking...

...if Benitez had watched our games last season and knew the players then why didnt he try and sell some of them in the summer?

The fact is that he could have moved some of them on and used the funds for new players.

He didnt.

To be fair I don't think it's his job to sell players, that's Brands & not many of our players we want rid of have a big value

 

[Terrarian]

I would not offer any of the current playing staff a new contract under any circumstances, time to clear the crap uncaring biffs out.

Not practical like but none of them deserve to wear that shirt the amount of abject performances they put in each season.

Not sure how we fix it, getting rid of Benitez will help the fan base but will it sort out the mentality of the players?

Face it, our strategy is wrong and has been wrong because the DoF isn't allowed to do his job so we end up with a mish mash of players. We need more character assessments in future.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

So why didnt Benitez sell players in the summer and use the money?

Because unfortunately most PL DOF's haven't recently undergone a lobotomy mate lol

Who in the right mind would cough up £15-20 million for Iwobi or Delph or Davies?

Only we/Brands are stupid enough to do that!

 

[Neiler]

Anyone else really envious at seeing Conte at Spurs.

Who are we?

"Long suffering Evertoinans"

 

[MisterJ]

So why didnt Benitez sell players in the summer and use the money?

This again?

To sell them, somebody would have to want to buy them and for the majority of the squad, no other team is actually stupid enough to pay real money for them

 

[Earwigjoe]

Everyone knew how this idiotic appointment would end up. He needs booted now before the derby. Hopefully the payoff and another failed appointment will be enough for the crazy Iranian to admit he knows nothing about football and force him to take a backseat and concentrate on the build and the financial side of the club-before he destroys us, get rid of his yes men throughout the club and hire footballing men to make footballing decisions.

 

[Marius57]

Ancelotti was here 18 months and was taking us backwards (and it wasn't solely his fault in fairness) but we had no style of play or any attacking intent other than to nick a goal and defend 90 minutes for a 1-0.

Even those who worshipped Carlo said last season was some of the most boring football they had watched in years and all of a sudden fans want to go back to that just because we might concede less from set pieces?

Surely it makes more sense to just bring in better defenders & players?

Because with this current squad you have two options:

1. Play like Ancelotti did 2nd half of the season which has a glass ceiling of around 9th/10th

2. Play more expansive football which leads to anywhere from top half to bottom 3.

Anyone without an agenda against the manager can see the crux comes down to the players / recruitment and the board/Chairman share the blame for that.

When the answer is "throw Delph or Davies on" then I honestly dont want to know what the question is as neither would get in another PL sides starting 11.

Again, he had a massive injury crisis in the 2nd half of last season. You know, the same excuse you give to benitez.

 

[Calvin Aldi]

Outside of the board/Brands/players another key problem is our fans lack any patience whatsoever.

Outside of the big clubs that win stuff its only really us, Spurs, WHU and Newcastle that have fans who demand results regardless of the quality of squad.

Graham Potter said he struggles with the pressure from Brighton fans - imagine him here winning 1 in 5 for example. We turned El Loco bald, Koeman aged 15 years and Silva had suitcases under his eyes never mind bags.

Its all a perfect storm and for me its one we have to ride out as no easy answers or solutions.

Benitez has 18 months left on his contract - let him see it out and get the wage bill trimmed with the usual dossers out the door over the next 3 transfer windows / contracts expiring whilst spending responsibly on players that suit the system i.e a CB to partner Mina who is aggressive and can attack the ball / play zonal, a proper RB that can get up and down the pitch, another Doucoure monster in the middle of the park.

If results / performances pick up from that with key players back from injury then fans are happy he gets his 3rd year extension activated if not and we remain stagnant then we wish him on his way and have the finances to bring in a decent manager and actually back them in the transfer market.

It's more the frustration that the club just seems to mess up any opportunities to progress. We aren't helped by some of our fan base getting carried away when we have a few good results because we crash back down to earth faster than Felix Baumgartner.

I'm tired of hearing about the stadium after the previous couple of failed ventures. I just want it built but I'm under no illusion that it will suddenly turn us into a footballing superpower as soon as we move there, not when we have to fund it year after year after we've already fallen behind teams outside the top 6. By now we should be regularly competing for the top 4 and looking to cement it once we move to the new stadium.

Even when we had serious financial backing we overpaid for average players who weren't good enough to get in CL teams (Kean, Mina, Rodriguez) or punts on players like Bolasie who I've only ever seen play well against Everton. The geniuses that are Brands and Steve Walsh never unearthed a Raphinha, Kante, Mahrez or Tielemans.

 

[Marius57]

It's more the frustration that the club just seems to mess up any opportunities to progress. We aren't helped by some of our fan base getting carried away when we have a few good results because we crash back down to earth faster than Felix Baumgartner.

I'm tired of hearing about the stadium after the previous couple of failed ventures. I just want it built but I'm under no illusion that it will suddenly turn us into a footballing superpower as soon as we move there, not when we have to fund it year after year after we've already fallen behind teams outside the top 6. By now we should be regularly competing for the top 4 and looking to cement it once we move to the new stadium.

Even when we had serious financial backing we overpaid for average players who weren't good enough to get in CL teams (Kean, Mina, Rodriguez) or punts on players like Bolasie who I've only ever seen play well against Everton. The geniuses that are Brands and Steve Walsh never unearthed a Raphinha, Kante, Mahrez or Tielemans.

I think Walsh did unearth kante and mahrez didn't he?

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Again, he had a massive injury crisis in the 2nd half of last season. You know, the same excuse you give to benitez.

But he changed system after the Southampton mauling away when they beat us 2-0 and could have had 5-6. Digne also saw Red that game.

Not saying he didn't have injuries but he changed from a 433 to a 343, 442 etc on the back off our attacking style getting quickly found out as our defence isn't good enough and neither is the midfield.

Throw Gana alongside Doucoure and a proper CB pairing like prime Jags + Lescott/Distin with a Coleman/Baines at their peak and you can be more expansive.

I wouldn't actually mind Potter here as whilst I think he's over rated he's the best of an average bunch but he would probably turn us down which means we go to plan B, Plan C etc which is likely your Nuno's, Howe's, Lampard's of the world - none of them would do anything with this squad if Ancelotti couldn't.

Calm and sensible heads need to prevail - no point paying off Benitez to bring in someone who isn't going to do much better. Unless the squad is good enough for top 6/7 im not arsed if we finish 8th or 11th means little to me.

 

[Saint Domingo]

I'm sorry your messiah isn't working out for you.

Messiah? For wanting not to fire a new manager who has a massive rebuilding job on his hands?

 

[4737carlin]

I would not offer any of the current playing staff a new contract under any circumstances, time to clear the crap uncaring biffs out.

Not practical like but none of them deserve to wear that shirt the amount of abject performances they put in each season.

Not sure how we fix it, getting rid of Benitez will help the fan base but will it sort out the mentality of the players?

Face it, our strategy is wrong and has been wrong because the DoF isn't allowed to do his job so we end up with a mish mash of players. We need more character assessments in future.

Vital Mina gets one, even if just to protect his value