2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[Zatara]

Why would calling out hypocrisy make me a Kopite?

The phrase Blue Geordie is coined from a section of Evertonians doing the exact same thing with Ancelotti and Benitez that Newcastle fans did with Benitez & Bruce.

Worshipped one and hated the other despite there being little difference in the two in terms of achievements at the club / league position etc.

You dont see a difference between Ancelotti and Benitez ?

lol

 

[NorthernBlue]

I’m dreading playing Brentford.


Not City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Bayern Munich… but dreading getting legged everywhere by Brentford, a team who I can only name one of their players.

Ridiculous situation to be in.

This Brentford game has been on my radar for weeks now. Sticks out like a sore thumb. Genuinely fear for us if we get beat. Given where we are and what’s needed, Injury crisis or not, if we get blasted by a championship standard team there’s gonna be bedlam.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

What has happened to Death? Permanently banned?

Yes you are, mate!






Joke


Sadly for good old Death he sucked to much of Benitez bowel gas out of the fart balloon and it led to his sad demise. It is another thing to throw at the manager!

 

[Egil Olsen]

His tactics ( like previous managers ) rely on reaction instead of being proactive .

Well, I agree. I think we too often are too reactive. So I totally agree. But we have to keep in mind that we have only played 12 games, and many of them we have had key players out with injuries. So I will wait to conclude before I see the development. Changes take time, especially when you do not have very much quality to work from.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

Does that make you a blue Kopite?

It's views generally align perfectly with those mutants from RAWK ?

 

[COYBL25]

Of course he does lol

 

[Efcjake]

Well, then maybe you should reconsider your expectations. I think most people expect Everton to end up somewhere between 8 - 11th place. The last two seasons we have ended up at 12 and 10. But of course, if you expect Everton to seriously fight for the top 4 or top 6, then it will be a long season, but it is not the manager's fault.

If he wants to stay around 11th he better start picking up some points because we won't stay there long without them

 

[Zatara]

Ok, people want to fire Benitez because:

- Former manager of LFC, and said something about us being a small club.
- He is an outdated manager with old ideas.
- He is currently performing marginally below what is expected.

Yes, the Liverpool connection is unfortunate, and especially for those who live in the area. For us other plastic supporters, it means very little.

Outdated ideas? Well, do not have an overview of the training methods of Benitez, but the focus on fast transitions is something that is very central in the thinking of the Ragnick school. They basically do not care so much about ball possession. Zone defense has also not fallen out of fashion, and it is mostly only clubs like Atalanta, Leeds + some outliers that mostly use man marking. Now I understand this is controversial when it comes to dead balls, but Guerdiola, Ragnick and many top managers have used this repeatedly.

I'm a little worried that in recent games we've given the opponent too much space and time on our half of the pitch, and we're starting to approach the Ancelotti era where we mostly defended ourselves within the penalty area. But right now we are performing as expected, maybe a little below what is expected, and the latest trend is not positive. At the same time, key players have been out with injuries, which makes us far less competitive.

But all in all, I see no reason to fire Benitez. The only good reason had to be that they had a top manager ready to take over, or some model like Leipzig. Something I doubt. What the club needs now is stability. It is quite obvious that we are in a period of transition. We have to get rid of players before we get anything new, and we have to professionalize the club. Here I have confidence in Benitez, or it entails considerably lower risk, than any other possible candidates.

I have to laugh even though your points are well structured.

Heres some counter comments:

1: He claimed to have a computer software 'dossier' on players. Had been 'in touch' with Gray since he went to Leverkusen apparently...lets not forget we were scouting Leverkusen for the past 3 seasons lol

This magical dossier enabled us to bring in Gray, Townsend, Begovic, Lonergan and Rondon. Rondon of course he waited all window for...hardly unknowns.


2: He signed Rondon and has continued to play him.

3: He started Gbamin instead of easing him in after a long term injury. Not seen again.

4: Hes taken off Gordon in games where hes been decent and mentioned fitness. This is bizarre when starting Rondon and keeping him on for 90mins.

5: Very eager to move James on but no one else for any type of fee? Surely he could have moved on at least one or two players to generate funds.

6: Not given Simms or Dobbin more of a chance and instead played a lamp post up front.

7: Sent Nkounkou, our only backup left back on loan.

8: Didnt sign a right back.

9: Ripped up Davide Ancelotti's defensive set piece setup which was excellent and instead implemented a mess of set piece 'structure' at both ends of the pitch

10: Appears to make pre-planned substitutions

11: Plays Iwobi.

12: Makes tactical changes far too late. When we are being over run in centre midfield he keeps 2 in there or adds a body after weve conceded one or two goals.

13: Players sitting off and not playing a high energy 'in your face' style while claiming "i know what Evertonians want".

14: Attacking tactics are long balls with barely any link up play.

15: Holding back our left back assist maker and telling him to be more defensive which isnt his strength.

16: Clean sheets are extremely rare due to any defensive system where the back 4 arent in sync at all.

17: 2pts off 16th having yet to endure a nightmare run of games

18: 1 win in 9.

19: Destroyed by Watford and didnt try against City.

20: Out of the cup against a lower league side


I can probably think of a few more...

 

[Marius57]

I have to laugh even though your points are well structured.

Heres some counter comments:

1: He claimed to have a computer software 'dossier' on players. Had been 'in touch' with Gray since he went to Leverkusen apparently...lets not forget we were scouting Leverkusen for the past 3 seasons lol

This magical dossier enabled us to bring in Gray, Townsend, Begovic, Lonergan and Rondon. Rondon of course he waited all window for...hardly unknowns.


2: He signed Rondon and has continued to play him.

3: He started Gbamin instead of easing him in after a long term injury. Not seen again.

4: Hes taken off Gordon in games where hes been decent and mentioned fitness. This is bizarre when starting Rondon and keeping him on for 90mins.

5: Very eager to move James on but no one else for any type of fee? Surely he could have moved on at least one or two players to generate funds.

6: Not given Simms or Dobbin more of a chance and instead played a lamp post up front.

7: Sent Nkounkou, our only backup left back on loan.

8: Didnt sign a right back.

9: Ripped up Davide Ancelotti's defensive set piece setup which was excellent and instead implemented a mess of set piece 'structure' at both ends of the pitch

10: Appears to make pre-planned substitutions

11: Plays Iwobi.

12: Makes tactical changes far too late. When we are being over run in centre midfield he keeps 2 in there or adds a body after weve conceded one or two goals.

13: Players sitting off and not playing a high energy 'in your face' style while claiming "i know what Evertonians want".

14: Attacking tactics are long balls with barely any link up play.

15: Holding back our left back assist maker and telling him to be more defensive which isnt his strength.

16: Clean sheets are extremely rare due to any defensive system where the back 4 arent in sync at all.

17: 2pts off 16th having yet to endure a nightmare run of games

18: 1 win in 9.

19: Destroyed by Watford and didnt try against City.

20: Out of the cup against a lower league side


I can probably think of a few more...

Yeah but Zat, 1.7m......

 

[Zatara]

Yeah but Zat, 1.7m......

21: Shipped out James and replaced him with 5 players. Of which, 2 of them seem to be successful so far and 3 are diabolical.

 

[MikeH72]

21: Shipped out James and replaced him with 5 players. Of which, 2 of them seem to be successful so far and 3 are diabolical.

Hahahahahaha chuckling at the thought of Andy Lonergan being signed as a replacement for James. What the hell Zat.

 

[COYBL25]

I have to laugh even though your points are well structured.

Heres some counter comments:

1: He claimed to have a computer software 'dossier' on players. Had been 'in touch' with Gray since he went to Leverkusen apparently...lets not forget we were scouting Leverkusen for the past 3 seasons lol

This magical dossier enabled us to bring in Gray, Townsend, Begovic, Lonergan and Rondon. Rondon of course he waited all window for...hardly unknowns.


2: He signed Rondon and has continued to play him.

3: He started Gbamin instead of easing him in after a long term injury. Not seen again.

4: Hes taken off Gordon in games where hes been decent and mentioned fitness. This is bizarre when starting Rondon and keeping him on for 90mins.

5: Very eager to move James on but no one else for any type of fee? Surely he could have moved on at least one or two players to generate funds.

6: Not given Simms or Dobbin more of a chance and instead played a lamp post up front.

7: Sent Nkounkou, our only backup left back on loan.

8: Didnt sign a right back.

9: Ripped up Davide Ancelotti's defensive set piece setup which was excellent and instead implemented a mess of set piece 'structure' at both ends of the pitch

10: Appears to make pre-planned substitutions

11: Plays Iwobi.

12: Makes tactical changes far too late. When we are being over run in centre midfield he keeps 2 in there or adds a body after weve conceded one or two goals.

13: Players sitting off and not playing a high energy 'in your face' style while claiming "i know what Evertonians want".

14: Attacking tactics are long balls with barely any link up play.

15: Holding back our left back assist maker and telling him to be more defensive which isnt his strength.

16: Clean sheets are extremely rare due to any defensive system where the back 4 arent in sync at all.

17: 2pts off 16th having yet to endure a nightmare run of games

18: 1 win in 9.

19: Destroyed by Watford and didnt try against City.

20: Out of the cup against a lower league side


I can probably think of a few more...

You sir, are the epitome of a Blue Geordie and until you realise that Benitez quite simply has no faults and is above all criticism, you shall remain one.

Oink, oink.

 

[EFCccc]

Sacking him is just ridiculous. We have to give him time. He took this job without any funds to improve us even tho we desperately needed key positions sorting out. And then to top it of, we have been crippled with injuries and bad luck. I don’t think their is a manager in the world who could get anything out of this disgrace of a team. The board have led us to we’re we are at now, with ridiculous decisions for the past 5/6 years.

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

He's loving, absolutely loving the attention, I doubt he believes half the crap her writes

I think you are absolutely spot on here.

 

[DanEFC92]

It's like Pep's head patting before we get soundly pumped.

Brentford 2-0 Everton