2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[Tubey]

The ride downhill will be a rollercoaster.

Whether its fun to watch a rollercoaster going off the rails isnt debateable.

it isnt going to be fun or pretty to watch.



Did we stand off City in that game 3-5 yards in all areas of the pitch?

We looked like we were on the beach in that game...whats the reason to look like weve downed tools in our 12th game ?

I mean has the Fulham and Sheffield United games from last season been erased from your memory or something? Josh Maja ring a bell? Jebbison? Or the Southampton game last October where we were two down inside half an hour and had about one shot from there on in?

It's just fascinating how you lot continue to pretend all this is unique to Benitez. It obviously isn't.

 

[Efcjake]

I can't see that squad getting three points before the Burnley game, but unlike most on here I don't think the manager is the reason why. I think with injuries/suspensions he's going into the Brentford game with one of the all-time worst ever Premier League teams to pick. Even without injuries I'd only expect what Ancelotti managed to do, it's all the squad is possibly capable of.

I just don't get the blame Benitez logic here, at all. There was one game where he was largely at fault for the result because of a baffling team selection and somehow even worse subs, but that's it. Everything else that has happened is pretty much to be expected, because it's happened over and over again with largely the same players for years on end, before Benitez is here.

At some point you should be able to recognise the pattern here.

At some point when we're on a run of 1 win in 9 and not won a game for 2 months surely we should be allowed to question if the manager is part of the issue.

 

[Zatara]

I mean has the Fulham and Sheffield United games from last season been erased from your memory or something? Josh Maja ring a bell? Jebbison? Or the Southampton game last October where we were two down inside half an hour and had about one shot from there on in?

It's just fascinating how you lot continue to pretend all this is unique to Benitez. It obviously isn't.

Did you feel during those games that the team was beaten before kick off ?

Were the players heads down and they chose to stand off at least 3 yards all game?

Did every player forget how to make a tackle? Were all the set pieces of a pathetic disjointed nature?

Lets be honest here, if that was any other team against City you would say that the players had downed tools.

You would say the manager has lost the dressing room.

Forget the score or defeat. The performance was not one of any effort, heart or desire.

 

[Tubey]

Did you feel during those games that the team was beaten before kick off ?

Were the players heads down and they chose to stand off at least 3 yards all game?

Did every player forget how to make a tackle? Were all the set pieces of a pathetic disjointed nature?

Lets be honest here, if that was any other team against City you would say that the players had downed tools.

You would say the manager has lost the dressing room.

Forget the score or defeat. The performance was not one of any effort, heart or desire.

No because we didn't have 4-5 of our best players constantly injured or suspended.

Pretty big bloody difference. The difference between a side that can nick a win with a moment of individual quality and a side that has no individual quality.

Hell, Ancelotti won games where we were absolutely shocking last season, a fair few of them. There's no difference beyond the playing staff on the pitch, and just as I didn't blame Ancelotti for the bunch of tossers on the field I'm not blaming Benitez because it is as plain as the nose on my face that he's not the issue at Everton. No manager would be.

 

[Tubey]

At some point when we're on a run of 1 win in 9 and not won a game for 2 months surely we should be allowed to question if the manager is part of the issue.

Part? Sure.

But to the extent of the hatred and blame levelled on him on here? Nah, sorry, not even close.

You can think another manager would make a difference if you like - I'm 99.9% certain you're wrong, but whatever.

But at some point we're going to have to stop the managerial merry-go-round and stick with a plan instead of doing the same insanity over and over again. Because if we got rid of Benitez now we'd simply have the plan ripped up again, another manager with more new ideas, the same DoF with no overarching plan of his own so he just does what he's told, the same moron Chairman, and we get to December next year in the same position and we're screaming for another manager again.

If Benitez has us under 20 points at the start of January, he's probably gone. Until then, is it really too much to ask to just give the bloke a chance instead of the constant venom?

 

[tommye]

I mean has the Fulham and Sheffield United games from last season been erased from your memory or something? Josh Maja ring a bell? Jebbison? Or the Southampton game last October where we were two down inside half an hour and had about one shot from there on in?

It's just fascinating how you lot continue to pretend all this is unique to Benitez. It obviously isn't.

I've yet to see anybody say it is.

 

[windymiller]

My evidence would be years of management at Everton that couldn't do a thing with actual better options available to them.

As an example, this result against City you're all irate about - 3-0 away yeah?

'Carlo Magnifico' got drubbed 5-0 in May in the same fixture. With this team.

View attachment 146442

There's nothing whatsoever to suggest Graham Potter or any other flavour of the month would be able to do anything with the current squad. It is what it is; a turd that can only be polished so much, and if you took away the blind hatred of Benitez you'd be able to see it.

Just to be clear, where do you think we will finish this season? It seems to me from the tone and fervour of your posts that you thing we are consigned to relegation regardless of management, is that correct? Our squad is a "turd" as far as you are concerned yet finished on 59 points in 10th place last season. I assume the squad was a "turd" then too, what has changed?

 

[davek]

He hasn`t managed us since 2013 and yet even in 2021, some eight years later, you`re still banging on about him.

And those are just a selection of your posts from the last 6 weeks or so.

Like I said before, visceral, meet hatred lol

But he's not OUR manager is he?

Unreal.

 

[davek]

Dave, the writing is on the wall right now.

1 win in 9 and nothing that is indicating it is going to go better. You yourself are downplaying expectations for getting anything out of Brentford ffs.

We can revisit this in a month when we aren't midtable anymore. We haven't won a match in months. I can see us going another month before we finally do. It isn't good enough.

You're kidding yourself and you know it.

 

[Efcjake]

Part? Sure.

But to the extent of the hatred and blame levelled on him on here? Nah, sorry, not even close.

You can think another manager would make a difference if you like - I'm 99.9% certain you're wrong, but whatever.

But at some point we're going to have to stop the managerial merry-go-round and stick with a plan instead of doing the same insanity over and over again. Because if we got rid of Benitez now we'd simply have the plan ripped up again, another manager with more new ideas, the same DoF with no overarching plan of his own so he just does what he's told, the same moron Chairman, and we get to December next year in the same position and we're screaming for another manager again.

If Benitez has us under 20 points at the start of January, he's probably gone. Until then, is it really too much to ask to just give the bloke a chance instead of the constant venom?

What exactly is the plan offered under Benitez though?

The best people can say is he is offering us midtable stability. It is very hard to get passionate about that plan.

He's not a long term plan is he? We should have got someone in who was.

Add in that the results are not lining up with the promises of stability and defensive solidity and there is no reason anyone can actually come up with to justify keeping him other than advocating the fear of the unknown over who comes and replaces him.

 

[Gilbert..]

I mean has the Fulham and Sheffield United games from last season been erased from your memory or something? Josh Maja ring a bell? Jebbison? Or the Southampton game last October where we were two down inside half an hour and had about one shot from there on in?

It's just fascinating how you lot continue to pretend all this is unique to Benitez. It obviously isn't.

Is there an element of nothing belongs to benitez like he had a newcastle?
Is rondon not 100% all benitez? Ok it could be claimed he wasnt brought in to go straight into the team but even as a back up option that is totaly benitez decision it has to be one of the worst in recent history.
The wolves game was the first alarm bell for me. Absolutely newcastle united under him. We've come for a point. He literally told wolves we are here for the taking. Do your worst.

 

[windymiller]

If Benitez has us under 20 points at the start of January, he's probably gone. Until then, is it really too much to ask to just give the bloke a chance instead of the constant venom?

If he has less than 20 points in January surely that would be justified? That would mean, at best, one win in three and a half months of football, no premier league manager can survive that.

 

[Efcjake]

You're kidding yourself and you know it.

Kidding myself how dave?

Which matches are we winning out of Brentford, Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester, Palace, and Chelsea?

By my count he needs at least 2 wins out of those to get us over 20 points halfway through the season. He's gone by Christmas if this form continues as we all expect it to do so.

 

[Tubey]

Just to be clear, where do you think we will finish this season? It seems to me from the tone and fervour of your posts that you thing we are consigned to relegation regardless of management, is that correct? Our squad is a "turd" as far as you are concerned yet finished on 59 points in 10th place last season. I assume the squad was a "turd" then too, what has changed?

No, I think injuries will stop being so calamitous and we'll end up around 12th-14th. The lower half of the Prem is proper tosh and is the only reason we're still in the league. Consider everything that's going wrong now and we're still 11th.

I think any manager would be overachieving with this squad if they got near 8th-10th. I think Ancelotti did a decent job and as far as I'm concerned had a job here as long as he wanted it; it's a massive shame he didn't want the project once Madrid waved their arse at him. But Benitez was simply the best of a bad bunch of options at the time.

Do I think Benitez is a great manager? No, not really. Do I think there's anyone else that'd do any better at Everton? No, not really. So I'm prepared to see what happens, let the bloke actual enact a plan and as long as we're not relegation threatened in a horrible way in January then play it out.

 

[Tubey]

If he has less than 20 points in January surely that would be justified? That would mean, at best, one win in three and a half months of football, no premier league manager can survive that.

Agreed.