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2021/22 Rafael Benitez

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Theoneandonly said:
You simply don't know what his remit is.

For all we know he might have been told money is tight, we need to get rid of several players in order to rebuild, don't worry about this season as long as we stay in the division and get a respectable place.

The fact that last week Rafael was ordering reviews on all background staff suggests he's going to be here a while. In a recent interview he was talking about the next 6 months and his tactics usually take a few months to get going, but we will finish strongly

The minutes have just come out and it states that Brands said Rafael was the strongest candidate out there for the job, suggests they know they won't get anyone better.
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We finished over 30 points above the relegation zone last season, and brought in under 10m in sales. So if the objective is anything to do with avoiding relegation, it would be an utterly ridiculous one. We finished within 8 points of the CL places. That should be where the objective lies, if we had anything resembling a competent manager.

Unfortunately weve got the Spanish Steve Bruce.
 
Rafael got Gray for that price and Townsend on a free, who one could argue has been our best player this season in general, let alone pound sterling for pound sterling.

Then all these injuries. To very key players. With a squad full of dross that Rafael had nothing to do with.

I'm not ready to write Rafael off yet. Based on who we actually have on the pitch available to us right now, we are a bottom 8 side. Possibly bottom 5.

Once we get our best players back, we will be comfortably mid-table.

To put this at Rafael's feet is curious, to say the least.
 

Pittsburgh Footy said:
Rafael got Gray for that price and Townsend on a free, who one could argue has been our best player this season in general, let alone pound sterling for pound sterling.

Then all these injuries. To very key players. With a squad full of dross that Rafael had nothing to do with.

I'm not ready to write Rafael off yet. Based on who we actually have on the pitch available to us right now, we are a bottom 8 side. Possibly bottom 5.

Once we get our best players back, we will be comfortably mid-table.

To put this at Rafael's feet is curious, to say the least.
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We replaced James Rodriguez with Andros Townsend.

That sums it up.

I know why that had to happen, and I think Townsend has been alright. But that's just it, he's just 'alright'.

Benitez's style of play, all season, has been as drab as Ancelotti's was in the back half of last season (which was brought on by injuries, btw). Unfortunately it hasn't been as effective. Our defence, as a collective and individually, looks far worse/less organised. Our attack just isn't an attack because we can't keep the ball long enough to build attacks, whether we're playing Watford or Man City, and that's not just due to the injuries btw. We were bad at it when we had them all fit, we just had moments of quality to shine through.

We had all the same players out injured at different stages last season and were 4th in March.
 
BlueToff said:
We replaced James Rodriguez with Andros Townsend.

That sums it up.

I know why that had to happen, and I think Townsend has been alright. But that's just it, he's just 'alright'.

Benitez's style of play, all season, has been as drab as Ancelotti's was in the back half of last season (which was brought on by injuries, btw). Unfortunately it hasn't been as effective. Our defence, as a collective and individually, looks far worse/less organised. Our attack just isn't an attack because we can't keep the ball long enough to build attacks, whether we're playing Watford or Man City, and that's not just due to the injuries btw. We were bad at it when we had them all fit, we just had moments of quality to shine through.

We had all the same players out injured at different stages last season and were 4th in March.
Click to expand...
While I want RB out ( a lot ) if I had the chance to have either Andros or Rodriguez knowing what I know now I'd pick the ex palace player .
For one , you can count on him wanting to play and with this season's injuries that a big plus with the likes of Delph just waiting for his doctor to write his next sicknote .
Also the professionalism he brings . Another thing lacking .His never say die attitude and his leadership ( instead of the tired pointing and boring uninspiring " we must do better we get from Seamus ) has been a tiny but noticeable plus .
My god , if I wrote this back in July I'd be calling my self a bell . Strange and horrible times .
 
BlueToff said:
We replaced James Rodriguez with Andros Townsend.

That sums it up.

I know why that had to happen, and I think Townsend has been alright. But that's just it, he's just 'alright'.

Benitez's style of play, all season, has been as drab as Ancelotti's was in the back half of last season (which was brought on by injuries, btw). Unfortunately it hasn't been as effective. Our defence, as a collective and individually, looks far worse/less organised. Our attack just isn't an attack because we can't keep the ball long enough to build attacks, whether we're playing Watford or Man City, and that's not just due to the injuries btw. We were bad at it when we had them all fit, we just had moments of quality to shine through.

We had all the same players out injured at different stages last season and were 4th in March.
Click to expand...

This has been a problem under every manager since Koeman.

Our defence was keystone cops at times last season and under Koeman/Silva we were in the bottom 3 shipping goals for fun.

The only thing thats remained constant is our shambolic recruitment yet some think a new manager will have this lot defending like lions whilst playing attractive scintillating attacking football.

Its nonsense mate and its actually scary how so many believe it when we've gone through managers like bog roll yet nothings changed.

Look at how well Silva has Fulham currently playing then compare it to the dross we saw in most of his time at the club outside of a hand full of games.

The saying Fool me once shame on you,
Fool me twice shame on me comes to mind with this fanbase.
 

Noble Savage said:
While I want RB out ( a lot ) if I had the chance to have either Andros or Rodriguez knowing what I know now I'd pick the ex palace player .
For one , you can count on him wanting to play and with this season's injuries that a big plus with the likes of Delph just waiting for his doctor to write his next sicknote .
Also the professionalism he brings . Another thing lacking .His never say die attitude and his leadership ( instead of the tired pointing and boring uninspiring " we must do better we get from Seamus ) has been a tiny but noticeable plus .
My god , if I wrote this back in July I'd be calling my self a bell . Strange and horrible times .
Click to expand...
But ultimately then - and I understand all of your reasons btw, and actually agree with some of them before certain posters jump down my throat – you have to accept where we're at now. That's the standard, that's the drop off in quality.
 
ForeverBlue92 said:
This has been a problem under every manager since Koeman.

Our defence was keystone cops at times last season and under Koeman/Silva we were in the bottom 3 shipping goals for fun.

The only thing thats remained constant is our shambolic recruitment yet some think a new manager will have this lot defending like lions whilst playing attractive scintillating attacking football.

Its nonsense mate and its actually scary how so many believe it when we've gone through managers like bog roll yet nothings changed.

Look at how well Silva has Fulham currently playing then compare it to the dross we saw in most of his time at the club outside of a hand full of games.

The saying Fool me once shame on you,
Fool me twice shame on me comes to mind with this fanbase.
Click to expand...
It was for a few games around this time last year, certainly, so Ancelotti went to that flat four (Coleman and Digne both out) and just had us organsied, specifically from set-pieces.

Issue was getting out of that way of playing once we got through the winter and Ancelotti didn't know how, cause he hadn't worked with the level of some of the poorer players we have and have to rely on.

You always do this though - you go to this extreme that everybody thinks we'd be playing like Brazil 1970 or Man City or Liverpool. That's not what we're wanting, we're just wanting some signs and there haven't been, it's been crap since day one, one or two flashes and one performance v Brighton aside.

You say defending like lions and playing attractive football. We literally don't come close to either.

It seems our defence is entirely dependent on Mina. Well Mina missed plenty of games last season and we didn't fall apart every time he played - look at that Anfield derby. Yet now if he doesn't play we can't defend at all. Why? Why is Godfrey looking so God awful? Why is Pickford's kicking dropping off? Why are we so unable to build any moves? Why is our left-back - one of the best in Europe going forward when it comes to numbers and even an eye test really, he is very a good at attacking - being told not to cross the halfway line? Why is he currently playing our best winger in an ill-suited second striker role instead of just actually having nous and realising in 2021 you need three midfielders as a platform to build from, especially when Doucoure - who does the job of two players - is out?
 
BlueToff said:
But ultimately then - and I understand all of your reasons btw, and actually agree with some of them before certain posters jump down my throat – you have to accept where we're at now. That's the standard, that's the drop off in quality.
Click to expand...
Absolutely. I'm appalled at the club and myself trust me .
 
BlueToff said:
It was for a few games around this time last year, certainly, so Ancelotti went to that flat four (Coleman and Digne both out) and just had us organsied, specifically from set-pieces.

Issue was getting out of that way of playing once we got through the winter and Ancelotti didn't know how, cause he hadn't worked with the level of some of the poorer players we have and have to rely on.

You always do this though - you go to this extreme that everybody thinks we'd be playing like Brazil 1970 or Man City or Liverpool. That's not what we're wanting, we're just wanting some signs and there haven't been, it's been crap since day one, one or two flashes and one performance v Brighton aside.

You say defending like lions and playing attractive football. We literally don't come close to either.

It seems our defence is entirely dependent on Mina. Well Mina missed plenty of games last season and we didn't fall apart every time he played - look at that Anfield derby. Yet now if he doesn't play we can't defend at all. Why? Why is Godfrey looking so God awful? Why is Pickford's kicking dropping off? Why are we so unable to build any moves? Why is our left-back - one of the best in Europe going forward when it comes to numbers and even an eye test really, he is very a good at attacking - being told not to cross the halfway line? Why is he currently playing our best winger in an ill-suited second striker role instead of just actually having nous and realising in 2021 you need three midfielders as a platform to build from, especially when Doucoure - who does the job of two players - is out?
Click to expand...
Because 1.7m mate. That's why.
 

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