2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[davek]

He went into the season knowing DCL was injured and a few others. He is at fault for not addressing that.

He had a toe injury. That's why he played. The thigh injury was later on England duty.

 

[Tubey]

He had a toe injury. That's why he played. The thigh injury was later on England duty.

Not only that, he did address it. He gambled on Rondon; had to as we had one centre-forward at the club.

Clearly, that hasn't worked and should never have been done, but am I going to blame Benitez for that, when he's told we have no money? Nope.

 

[StuBarlow]

We're as far off Newcastle as we are 4th.

He wasn't in charge of transfer policy. We had no room to move due to FFP. Even late loan request like for Van De Beek were reliant on Moise Kean sodding off.

This will shock you. With fees and loan fees they don't just smash it out in one go. They have a team of accountants who could easily offset Kean and James wages towards loan signings.

He knew the squad needed depth, he didn't address it.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

It does and it doesn’t

Leicester had a rapid, brilliant counter attack and Kante and a player in Drinkwater to play the playmaker role from deep

Even with our front four fit, Townsend isn’t quite Mahrez, DCL isn’t peak Vardy and we severely lack the passing player from deep

So you need to be able to keep the ball at times to control the tempo for 5, 10 min spells. We cannot do it at all. A lot of that is players making bad decisions but Jesus Christ this should also be worked on in training; simple stuff

Which is why we have to give him time to build his own side.

If Klopp came in tomorrow would we demand he change his system to suit this mish mash group of players signed under numerous managers of different styles and systems OR do we persist with him, give him support and time to bring in his players to suit his system?

We've done the former for too long now - give this fella chance to bring in another 5-6 of his own players and with Gray out wide, Townie whipping balls into DCL we'll be up there.

 

[StuBarlow]

He had a toe injury. That's why he played. The thigh injury was later on England duty.

Oh well having a single striker for a 40 game + season is absolutely fine then.

 

[Tubey]

This will shock you. With fees and loan fees they don't just smash it out in one go. They have a team of accountants who could easily offset Kean and James wages towards loan signings.

He knew the squad needed depth, he didn't address it.

It would shock me yeah as it's bollocks. We have a Director of Football.... allegedly. Transfers are on him.

Do you really think Benitez chose to go into this season with one striker, no playmaker and no backup fullbacks?

 

[StuBarlow]

If Klopp came in tomorrow

You and your weird love of kopite managers. Shall we dig Houllier up for you too?

 

[BlueToff]

Do you think if he could help it he'd be putting square pegs in round holes?

He's playing the terrible hand dealt him and Everton by Brands, Koeman, Silva and Ancelotti. Because when 4/5/6 of the best players are unavailable it's like plaiting sawdust tring to get a shape and a performance from the remainder.

But he can help it?

Gray went off the other day and instead of putting Gordon left and Townsend right (their preferred positions) and bringing on a midfielder to play in a three-man midfield, to tighten up and have a platform to build from, then perhaps we’d have had a better chance of doing the whole ‘sit back and try not to lose 5-0’ thing? Maybe we wouldn’t, but he just put Iwobi on but kept the same shape so the system was never ever going to work.

Why did he try and replace Doucoure with Davies v Watford? They aren’t anywhere near the same type of player - and a player of Doucoure’s style in our team is the only reason we were able to play a 2-man midfield; yet he hasn’t changed it once, in any game, since Doucoure got injured. Why?

 

[StuBarlow]

Do you really think Benitez chose to go into this season with one striker, no playmaker and no backup fullbacks?

Absolutely. He's inept across the board.

 

[BlueToff]

It would shock me yeah as it's bollocks. We have a Director of Football.... allegedly. Transfers are on him.

Do you really think Benitez chose to go into this season with one striker, no playmaker and no backup fullbacks?

He did turn down Dumfries initially though I don’t think we’d have had the money once Inter came in. He did also say only AMN on loan.

Btw I’m not saying the recruitment faults are on him, because bar Rondon I don’t think they are at all. It’s years of mismanagement that is clearly not on Benitez. But right now he has the final say over any signing the club make - Brands is basically a glorified scout in that regard, if that (And needs binning off)

 

[Marius57]

No, we include games where he didn't start as he wasn't fit.

Gbamin and Tosun are technically fit for the same reason but if you include them as actually fit you have a screw loose.

But he was available and played. He was there. Hell, he scored man. If that had won us the game would you be saying "hang on, he wasn't fully fit, so classed as unavailable so we won't count that goal".

What a ridiculous argument you are making.

 

[Tubey]

But he can help it?

Gray went off the other day and instead of putting Gordon left and Townsend right (their preferred positions) and bringing on a midfielder to play in a three-man midfield, to tighten up and have a platform to build from, then perhaps we’d have had a better chance of doing the whole ‘sit back and try not to lose 5-0’ thing? Maybe we wouldn’t, but he just put Iwobi on but kept the same shape so the system was never ever going to work.

Why did he try and replace Doucoure with Davies v Watford? They aren’t anywhere near the same type of player - and a player of Doucoure’s style in our team is the only reason we were able to play a 2-man midfield; yet he hasn’t changed it once, in any game, since Doucoure got injured. Why?

You seriously think we can field a three man midfield?

Here's why we can't. And just to remind you, Delph has only just come back and can only do an hour.

 

[Carlito]

He did turn down Dumfries initially though I don’t think we’d have had the money once Inter came in. He did also say only AMN on loan.

Btw I’m not saying the recruitment faults are on him, because bar Rondon I don’t think they are at all. It’s years of mismanagement that is clearly not on Benitez. But right now he has the final say over any signing the club make - Brands is basically a glorified scout in that regard, if that (And needs binning off)

Hasn't he been a dud at Inter?

Seems to be Darmian playing right-back whenever I see them.

 

[Steve EFC]

It’s pointless this. He’s not going anywhere, yet…
IF we are looking at relegation positions by new year then I’ll join in with the calls for a new manager.
Honestly don’t think it’ll be the case though which is why it’s too early for those calls now.

 

[Tubey]

But he was available and played. He was there. Hell, he scored man. If that had won us the game would you be saying "hang on, he wasn't fully fit, so classed as unavailable so we won't count that goal".

What a ridiculous argument you are making.

Remember when Gbamin played? He was fit him, deffo.

Behave. There's fit and then there's actually fit in the modern game. There's countless examples of half-fit players being on the bench to be given 20 minutes to ease themselves back in when possible.