2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[Cork Evertonian]

Whilst i wouldn't necessarily be the biggest fan of Richard Keyes, he's mostly bang on though with the following comments. I don't think we should make Dunc the permanent manager.

And Keys believes the Spaniard should never have been given the job in the first place, and it is a case of the wrong man at the wrong club, and has called on Moshiri to give the gig to Duncan Ferguson.

“Benitez should never have been given the Everton job. Wrong man. Wrong club. It was always going to end in tears,” he wrote in his blog.

“What I wrote when he was appointed didn’t go down well with everybody. I get that. Benitez has got a small army of ‘friends’ in the press (and the odd former player) who he’s managed to con for years and they quickly got to work to support the appointment - rubbishing me and others of the same view. I didn’t mind because I knew time would be his greatest enemy.

“I also understood that Evertonians would swallow their guff and get behind Benitez, because whatever else, we all want to see our team do well.

The Rafael-lites also told me I knew nothing about what Evertonians really wanted. Wrong. During my four years in Liverpool I got it to know the club inside out. Many of my closest footballing friends are Evertonians. It’s a club closer to my heart than any other after Coventry.”

Before he continued: “Evertonians bought into Rafael because they were drip fed the appointment over weeks - in order that their anger about it would subside - and because they wanted someone to bring back the glory days. Moshiri promised a safe pair of hands - someone with pedigree. He delivered Benitez, whose hands were covered in Liverpool red. Let’s just say ‘red’.

“It was a shameful appointment. Of course, the Rafael-lites were making plenty of noise as they swept to home wins over Southampton, Burnley and Norwich and for a while were almost replicating the start Ancelotti had delivered the previous season. But, inevitably, the wheels came off. It’s now two points from 21.

Benitez is starting to do what he does best - try to blame everybody else. It’s not his fault that he can’t sign players. It’s FFP. He blamed the restrictions for slipping Andros Townsend into Goodison. This guy couldn’t get into an average Crystal Palace team. There’s a reason Damarai Gray was in exile - and then there’s Salomon Rondon. I wonder why he follows Benitez everywhere? It’s certainly nothing to do with talent.”

He then concluded, saying: “There isn’t any money, but what I’m not having is his latest excuse to try and disguise the capitulation at Brentford. He reckons the fans should be more understanding of the ‘intensity’ and ‘mentality’ of the players, adding that there was a disconnect between fans and players last season, which he wasn’t responsible for. He claims he’s now working at repairing the relationship. No there wasn’t a disconnect . Most of last season passed without fans in the ground. Any ground. So how can he talk of a ‘disconnect’? How does he judge that?

“If Everton lose the derby this week Moshiri should sack Benitez the very same evening - and apologise to Evertonians for his error. And it was his error. Bill Kenwright didn’t want Benitez - nor did anyone else at Goodison. Give it to big Dunc. And give Benitez what he really wants - an early conclusion to Agent Rafael’s master-plan.”

 

[Terrarian]

What do we really except raffa to do when the club have failed to back him ,still has the last 2-3 managers squad
give him money 3. Transfer windows to buy & sell then judge him it’s the owner and the board that are the problem .

I expect him to coach and motivate the players available and get the best out of them, I expect him to have in game management to use subs when chasing a game, I expect him to take Rondon off when stinking the gaff out.

I expect him to do better than he is for the money he is being paid.

 

[COYBL25]

If he had a pair of bollocks he'd be linking that to Brands explicitly.

Nothing in the press though

The end is nigh David.

 

[Thomasc]

Whilst i wouldn't necessarily be the biggest fan of Richard Keyes, he's mostly bang on though with the following comments. I don't think we should make Dunc the permanent manager.

Interesting the comment around Rondon. Wonder how much of a back hand he might be getting prolonging the career of this 2021 version of Brett Angell in the PL.

 

[COYBL25]

Whilst i wouldn't necessarily be the biggest fan of Richard Keyes, he's mostly bang on though with the following comments. I don't think we should make Dunc the permanent manager.

His comments on Townsend and Gray are wide of the mark too, but everything else is pretty much spot on, including the way he uses his pet journos, to insulate himself and blame everyone else.

 

[Cork Evertonian]

What do we really except raffa to do when the club have failed to back him ,still has the last 2-3 managers squad
give him money 3. Transfer windows to buy & sell then judge him it’s the owner and the board that are the problem .

I expect more than two points, out of a possible twenty one from our last couple of fixtures. Benitez out out out!

 

[COYBL25]

What do we really except raffa to do when the club have failed to back him ,still has the last 2-3 managers squad
give him money 3. Transfer windows to buy & sell then judge him it’s the owner and the board that are the problem .

I expect not to continue playing one of the worst centre forwards that’s ever been seen at the club.

I expect to see more of a game plan, than just webbing the ball up to an immobile lump.

I expect to see a defence that knows what it’s doing.

I expect to see a midfield that’s not getting over run every game.

I expect to see a manager taking some responsibility for the failings of the team, rather than blaming everyone and everything.

 

[ToffeeTim]

You make some great points but I’m afraid you’re wrong if you think our fans are like a twelfth man these days.

This season I’ve seen a lot of our supporters turn against our own players. The support is not the same as it was under Kendall.

I actually agree that our players are giving their all.

If you really believe that is the case, then we are in a world of trouble

 

[MikeH72]

Whilst i wouldn't necessarily be the biggest fan of Richard Keyes, he's mostly bang on though with the following comments. I don't think we should make Dunc the permanent manager.

About time the media started calling out Moshiri. Hopefully this opens people’s eyes to the situation at our club.

 

[ToffeeTim]

About time the media started calling out Moshiri. Hopefully this opens people’s eyes to the situation at our club.

Everyone should be getting their share of criticism. It annoys me when you criticise the manager and people say " Oh but what about Brands or Moshiri?"

It's EVERYONE'S fault. They are all to blame. I can think Benitez was a terrible choice for manager and still think Brands is doing a bad job as well. I can think Moshiri has no clue about football, and also think the players are letting the club down far too often.

Literally nothing is working well at the club at the minute. The first person to blame is the person who hires our decision makers and that is the owner.

 

[Gilbert..]

Big night for benitez tonight. Leeds(4th bottom) go level with Everton with a win. Norwich within 1 game of Everton. Norwich have been showing real fight under dean smith.
Looking at other clubs games round us.
Watford have city and chelsea next two.
Southampton have two home games. Leicester and brighton.
Leeds both at home. Palace and brentford.
Burnley. Both away. Wolves and newcastle.

Could be a big few weeks for benitez. I think we'll be sitting 1 or 2 places above the relegation spots. Wouldnt even rule out being in it.
Depressing post but i think its reality now.
That loss to brentford was absolutely disastrous on quite a few levels.

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

I expect not to continue playing one of the worst centre forwards that’s ever been seen at the club.

I expect to see more of a game plan, than just webbing the ball up to an immobile lump.

I expect to see a defence that knows what it’s doing.

I expect to see a midfield that’s not getting over run every game.

I expect to see a manager taking some responsibility for the failings of the team, rather than blaming everyone and everything.

Spot on mate. ?

Although I thought he made a big mistake in doing a job on James when we could not replace him I 'hoped' that he would have enough knowledge to be able to build upon last year. Sadly the fella seems clueless and the stubbornness that kopites refer to is now a feature of our team.

He had promised individual incremental improvement through his teaching but if anything he has made the players worse. He has adopted a style of play that is not fit for purpose and we are suffering because of this, not injuries. Injuries have not helped but he consistently sets us up in a way that as you say gets overrun and even invites pressure.

Personally speaking I hope that he can stop the rot starting tomorrow. I he is aggressive in his attitude and in setting the team up even a hard fought draw would give him a smidgen of the benefit of doubt but he would have to continue with this on the run to Christmas. My gut feeling is that fella thinks that he is infallible and we will see more of the same.

 

[MikeH72]

Everyone should be getting their share of criticism. It annoys me when you criticise the manager and people say " Oh but what about Brands or Moshiri?"

It's EVERYONE'S fault. They are all to blame. I can think Benitez was a terrible choice for manager and still think Brands is doing a bad job as well.

Literally nothing is working well at the club at the minute. The first person to blame is the person who hires our decision makers and that is the owner.

Every single thing wrong with the club can be traced back to Moshiri. Brands is doing a bad job? Moshiri appointed him and then extended his contract. Benitez is a crap manager and a fat kopite? Moshiri appointed him against the wishes of the fans and fellow board members. Academy failing and haemorrhaging money? Staff littered with Kenwright’s mates who aren’t fit for purpose as he’s been inexplicably kept around by Moshiri 6 years after he bought him out.

 

[matty1878]

Every single thing wrong with the club can be traced back to Moshiri. Brands is doing a bad job? Moshiri appointed him and then extended his contract. Benitez is a crap manager and a fat kopite? Moshiri appointed him against the wishes of the fans and fellow board members. Academy failing and haemorrhaging money? Staff littered with Kenwright’s mates who aren’t fit for purpose as he’s been inexplicably kept around by Moshiri 6 years after he bought him out.

moshiri didn’t buy half of the crap players tho mate

 

[MikeH72]

moshiri didn’t buy half of the crap players tho mate

But he’s handed money over to Marcel Brands and Steve Walsh who he appointed, and the various crap managers he’s appointed to buy the crap players. And he’s also butted in and bought the odd crap player himself like Tosun and Iwobi. The man is a danger to this club.