2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[roy vernon]

How's Iwobi teachers pet mate?

He's started 5 games in the League this season (out of 12).

I'm also not impressed by Gordon. Every single player says the most gifted player in training is Iwobi, he's garbage, and I don't know how he can make it translate positively in training, but he must justify his pick, somehow.

Iwobi has come on as a sub in most games he hasn't started, he is teachers pet because he should never start and he is constantly first choice as a sub, even if it means a reshuffle to accommodate him.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Liverpool and Arsenal failed to beat Brentford away from home and both are miles ahead of us.

I keep saying it but our fans are still stuck in the time of Moyes when we were comfortably 7th (best of the rest) and anyone below us we would give a good slap to 9 times out of 10.

The league is totally different now and mindsets have to start changing otherwise our fans are never going to be level headed.

Man City beat Chelsea then lost at home to Palace.

Utd beat Spurs 3-0 then lost 4-1 to Watford.

Thats the PL now like it or not! We have no divine right to go away from home to Brentford with players like Iwobi, Rondon, Delph, Coleman, Allan, Townie & Keane & Gordon and expect 3 points.

And they have no divine right to beat us either.

We need to go out there and perform, and find a way to get something from the game. It doesn't have to be pretty. It's a must not lose game.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

And they have no divine right to beat us either.

We need to go out there and perform, and find a way to get something from the game. It doesn't have to be pretty. It's a must not lose game.

Exactly - but they dont have 8 players missing we do so they have an advantage and are at home!

 

[Papa Shango]

Liverpool and Arsenal failed to beat Brentford away from home and both are miles ahead of us.

I keep saying it but our fans are still stuck in the time of Moyes when we were comfortably 7th (best of the rest) and anyone below us we would give a good slap to 9 times out of 10.

The league is totally different now and mindsets have to start changing otherwise our fans are never going to be level headed.

Man City beat Chelsea then lost at home to Palace.

Utd beat Spurs 3-0 then lost 4-1 to Watford.

Thats the PL now like it or not! We have no divine right to go away from home to Brentford with players like Iwobi, Rondon, Delph, Coleman, Allan, Townie & Keane & Gordon and expect 3 points.

Brentford are by and large a Championship team.

Who the hell said anything about expecting 3 points? We NEED three points.

You literally said Allan was one of the non championship players in the last post. What are you on about? Make up your mind!

 

[Simon Buttle]

Exactly - but they dont have 8 players missing we do so they have an advantage and are at home!

Actually mate, they do, they have more injuries than we do. 2 of ours are only suspensions whereas they actually have 8 long term injuries.

 

[kenada_blue]

Quick point to illustrate your example. When Conte took over at Chelsea he pushed his players to sprint more and then used the reaction of the crowd to drill his point home at training. Paraphrasing, but something like "you heard how the crowd wanted you to play, so that's how you play."

It's a shame Conte isn't here because he could use the crowd telling Iwobi to F-off to illustrate the same point.

The crowd will never get behind the manager and that was why this appointment was such a strange one. If you're the chairman, director of football and there is a chance that the money isn't going to be there to back your new guy then you go with someone who will at least have some goodwill from the crowd.

Moshiri, Brands, Benitez they can all do one.

We've booed every manager apart from Carlo...cos there was no crowd but we would've if we could.

Conte would get booed. Nailed on.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Brentford are by and large a Championship team.

Who the hell said anything about expecting 3 points? We NEED three points.

You literally said Allan was one of the non championship players in the last post. What are you on about? Make up your mind!

Allan is decent with pace next to him - without Doucoure he is limited for me..

Him and Delph are a shocking partnership - no pace or creativity whatsoever.

 

[Bohemian Toffee]

We've booed every manager apart from Carlo...cos there was no crowd but we would've if we could.

Conte would get booed. Nailed on.

This quickly into his tenure, not so sure. He's in a different tier to, say Nuno Espirito Santo who looked nailed on to be manager at one point.

The crowd would be on Espirito Santo's case with these results given his reputation for dire, defensive football. I think Conte would be getting the benefit of the doubt.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Actually mate, they do, they have more injuries than we do. 2 of ours are only suspensions whereas they actually have 8 long term injuries.

Transfermarkt only has them with 2 injuries mate?

They certainly dont have more starting players out since the start of the season.

 

[Zatara]

For a start we would actually have depth in the squad.

We had depth when Benitez was appointed which was further increased during the window and by the u23s stepping up.

Right OK. Not going to even bother answering you sorry - instead, I'll ask you this.

*ahem*

If Delia had given Farke £500mil last summer what would be different now?

Same tactics?
Same subs?
Same lack of shape or defensive structure?

What actually would be different?

He's an attack minded manager and so would have signed a higher level of player to continue playing the high line positive style theyve been playing under him.

That steamrolls in the championship but gets caught out in the premier league.

Benitez? How would his tactics and the style and structure improve if he was given £100mil.

He sold Kean.

We have no sellable assets really, do we? Sure I've discussed this with you before actually, i think? We've got a side of players people don't want.

Unless we sell a Richarlison, we're not getting anything bacl.

Can we all stop including Andy Lonergan as a reason to beat Benitez too. Christ almighty.

Kean is out on an idiotic 2 year loan deal - not sold

Yes, loan deal...James on a free.

No sales made by someone who claimed to watch us last season.

No sellable assets WTF

Davies,Kenny, Holgate, Keane,Iwobi, Gomes etc are all players who could be sold...perhaps not at inflated fees but we could sell them all.

Lonergan is 3rd choice ahead of Tyrer. Begovic is ahead of Virginia whose been sent on loan with a buyout despite being better.

Again as pointed...under 23 players. Total of about 4 senior games at a push. That's not part of a squad. When all the players are fit, they don't make the bench.

Everything else is transfer related which is a complicated issue for us and hindsight is a beautiful thing.

Whats wrong with u23 players being used?

Before Moyes we regularly had several u21 players coming into the team and starting games at the same time.

Why should today be different?

Hindsight is nonsense if he watched the team last season he can see who he wants and who he doesnt and then firm his opinion during pre season.

That's why we need an actual plan with a consistent manager. Because Brands doesn't have one, he just does whatever the currently basically interim manager wants.

And that's obviously the answer to the question Zatara asked - £100m means the manager can actually bring in players he wants and, crucially, gives him the ability to get rid of the ones he doesn't. So Ancelotti gets James/Allan/Doucoure, Benitez gets... Rondon. Bit of a difference.

Yes, we've wasted it in the past, but you have to have it in the first place to waste it; Benitez hasn't.

Again, how does this change Benitez' tactics? Lack of shape? Lack of front foot aggressive football?

Or you are telling me we will play kick and rush under Benitez with 2 midfielders and no defensive shape no matter what?

 

[barneygumble]

Iwobi has come on as a sub in most games he hasn't started, he is teachers pet because he should never start and he is constantly first choice as a sub, even if it means a reshuffle to accommodate him.

I think it's worth looking at the options we have had available when he's came on.

I'm not being an apologist, but equally... I'm also seeing it for what it is. We're down to the bare bones.

 

[windymiller]

The big question is; compared to what? Of course, if you compare with Brazil in the 1986 World Cup, most people will agree with that conclusion. It is quite subjective what one thinks is good football, and here there are many different opinions.

Personally, I have been quite happy with the start of the season. We have been far more aggressive, and often won back the ball from the opponent. In addition, we have been far more direct, and created many chances after quick transitions. At the same time, we have been effective, by that I mean that we have many shots on goal based on ball possession. All this is confirmed by the statistics.

However, I agree that the development has not been positive, but it is quite clear that the negative trend correlates with injuries to key players. So I'm not very worried. On the contrary, when you see that the manager's philosophy is slowly but surely starting to be implemented on the field, it indicates that the manager is doing a good job in the training field. The players' qualities become a more relevant question here.

Are we seeing this? You highlight the shots per possession stat but isn't that artificially bolstered by the fact that we have so little possession? The only team I can think of that are happy to cede so much possession and be successful is Atletico Madrid and we definitely don't have their level of personnel.

 

[Simon Buttle]

Transfermarkt only has them with 2 injuries mate?

They certainly dont have more starting players out since the start of the season.

Fresh from this morning: https://www.premierinjuries.com/injury-table.php

 

[windymiller]

Van Dijke got crocked and their season crumbled. 1 major player.

We have:
Docues
Gomes
Davies
Dom
Gray
Mina
Gylfi (MIA).

25 man squad is now a 17 man squad - 4 are under 23 players, 1 is a back up keeper so that's 12 senior players for a match.

Zero excuses apparently

Their season crumbled? They went from 1st to 3rd. I would snap your hand off for 12th (a two position drop) right now, that is what Everton and Benitez have done to me.

 

[Zatara]

How can you make this comment?

Unless it actually happens, how do you know what tactics Benitez would play with? What players he'd sign? What Formation?

Give him a chance to build a squad, implement his tactics, otherwise are we not just stuck in the same endless cycle?

Im asking what team you would expect him to put out:

E.g formation, style of play, tactics etc

what type of players would he spend £100mil on?

where would he be expected to finish this season had he spent £100mil?

i think thats quite reasonable.

And how much is that loan worth to us? The obligation to buy (which you obviously excluded), means that we probably have the £32m available to us.

We know exactly how it will work.

He's signed a 2 year loan worth £6m, and then Juventus have an obligation to buy for £26m at the conclusion of the 2 years.

Its a £6mil loan.

If Juventus make champions league (and possibly other clauses) then it becomes an obligation.

If they dont he returns to us with 1 year on his contract.

He could have kept him --not signed Rondon. Also sold someone for £6mil instead.