2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[BlueToff]

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.

But this is what I worry about. Benitez doesn’t do pressing, so we aren’t gonna be a pressing team. He doesn’t want the team to have the ball, so he tries to get them to keep their shape. They do that, but as we’ve seen time and again this season there’s no pressure on the ball. I can buy that it’s the players but it’s been pretty much every game bar 1/2 moments. I’m not talking about Klopp’s press, but there’s not even any basic semblance of a plan. They just sit off 5 yards away and teams now are more than capable of playing through that.

I’m not demanding Benitez change his system to suit these players. I’m saying his system is awful

 

[Tubey]

Absolutely. He's inept across the board.

lol

 

[Simon Buttle]

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.

This really, if things were that bad then given that we are talking about the future of the team/club here, a DCL or Richarlison should have been sacrificed to bring some money in. As many pundits and journos have said he knew the FFP situation when he came here so why the Red Benny Brigade keep going on about money I have no idea. As you say mate it could have addressed but was'nt.

 

[BlueToff]

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.

View attachment 146683

We had two central midfielders on the bench on Sunday

If the plan was to sit back and spring on the break, which it was, then you have to have a platform. Gbamin or Onyango simply have to be trusted right now because as you rightly say we have no other alternatives. That’s what brave management is about, surely?

 

[StuBarlow]

lol

Don't worry sausage... Happy to vault you in Jan x

 

[BlueToff]

Hasn't he been a dud at Inter?

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

He’s been in and out - he’s never been great defensively and that was Benitez’s concern. Plus we just didn’t have the cash once Inter came in

I’d say someone who can’t get into this Inter team would probably still walk into our team, though mate. They’d batter us

My general point was, whether we have £1.7m or £170m to spend in a window, Benitez is getting the final say

 

[Tubey]

This really, if things were that bad then given that we are talking about the future of the team/club here, a DCL or Richarlison should have been sacrificed to bring some money in. As many pundits and journos have said he knew the FFP situation when he came here so why the Red Benny Brigade keep going on about money I have no idea. As you say mate it could have addressed but was'nt.

It's a rich club buyers market because of COVID. Loads of teams want to sell, but the fees have gone down. The super rich were concentrating on Messi/Ronaldo/Grealish/Lukaku, making one off signings - everyone else was hoarding the assets they had as they'd depracated in the short term.

This summer there were five transfers over £50m - two years ago there were seventeen.

If we'd have sold those two, we'd have done so under market value, and in the case of Richarlison his likely destination of Barca/Real were cutting back substantially. So it wasn't on the cards. We'd have sold them cheap, and then got rinsed as we'd be one of the few clubs looking to buy.

And, again, we have a Director of Football. This is on him, not Benitez. It's literally the reason you have a Director of Football.

 

[Marius57]

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.

Honestly, I thought this was a decent debate until you came in with this. It really is remarkable. None of our players are fully fit, as benitez fitness coach doesn't like them being at peak fitness. So we have been playing 11 unavailable players every game.

 

[Tubey]

We had two central midfielders on the bench on Sunday

If the plan was to sit back and spring on the break, which it was, then you have to have a platform. Gbamin or Onyango simply have to be trusted right now because as you rightly say we have no other alternatives. That’s what brave management is about, surely?

Gbamin and Onyango.








Seriously?

 

[AndyC]

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.

You're assuming that we're no longer paying anything towards their wages since leaving.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

But this is what I worry about. Benitez doesn’t do pressing, so we aren’t gonna be a pressing team. He doesn’t want the team to have the ball, so he tries to get them to keep their shape. They do that, but as we’ve seen time and again this season there’s no pressure on the ball. I can buy that it’s the players but it’s been pretty much every game bar 1/2 moments. I’m not talking about Klopp’s press, but there’s not even any basic semblance of a plan. They just sit off 5 yards away and teams now are more than capable of playing through that.

I’m not demanding Benitez change his system to suit these players. I’m saying his system is awful

But if it goes wrong at least we have a squad suited to a recognised way of playing rather than a mish mash bunch of signings under 4-5 different managers.

 

[zukai12_]

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.

I'd give Klopp or Guardiola or Simeone or Conte plenty of time because they are actually good, relevant managers


Our guy..

Not so much

 

[Tubey]

Honestly, I thought this was a decent debate until you came in with this. It really is remarkable. None of our players are fully fit, as benitez fitness coach doesn't like them being at peak fitness. So we have been playing 11 unavailable players every game.

If he was fit to start the game, he'd have started the game. He didn't start the game, because he wasn't fit enough to start the game.

It's that simple. Gordon started that game because Richarlison wasn't deemed fit enough to do so after being out injured for 39 days.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

I'd give Klopp or Guardiola or Simeone or Conte plenty of time because they are actually good, relevant managers


Our guy..

Not so much

I hate to break it to you but we won't be appointing anyone with a better CV than Benitez mate.

Hence why talk of replacing him is futile.

 

[Carlito]

He’s been in and out - he’s never been great defensively and that was Benitez’s concern. Plus we just didn’t have the cash once Inter came in

I’d say someone who can’t get into this Inter team would probably still walk into our team, though mate. They’d batter us

My general point was, whether we have £1.7m or £170m to spend in a window, Benitez is getting the final say

I was just curious really. I don't often catch Inter live, and I'd noticed that I see Darmian playing a lot in the highlights.