2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[Billy Dean]

Benitez's people doing their bit in the media.

We scouted Leverkusen all of last season. We wanted a player who carried the ball well. Gray ticked both boxes.

No links then to confirm?

 

[catcherintherye]

Whataboutism. You’ve no evidence to actually suggest he’s lying about speaking to Gray.

All managers chat rubbish in press conferences, the evidence is on here for all to see in the Silva/Allardyce/Martinez threads.

I'm not sure it is whataboutism.

What evidence would you like? We were scouting Leverkusen and Gray last summer and Brands spoke to the player. It cant be much clearer than that.

 

[Brennan]

In the first 14 games of last season DCL played the full 90 in all but two games, and scored 11 goals.

But yeah, crazy to suggest that’s not had a big impact on our performance.

 

[catcherintherye]

No links then to confirm?

I have no idea mate. Given 99% of media links are untrue, I'm not sure what a link to the Daily Mail or whatever would prove.

 

[Tubey]

Erm, he scored 16 goals and our nearest top scorer had 7. So yeah, one player does make a difference.

Where did we finish last season ?

It's not just that - people ignore Sigurdsson. He was crap but ultimately he played 44 games last season; obviously that's going to be missed.

And Benitez obviously has had our best players missing at various points, often at the same time.

So when people refer to 'this squad', they're not talking about the same exact one Ancelotti had, because Benitez has had a much, much worse one at his disposal.

 

[Theoneandonly]

Brands signed Gray, having scouted Leverkusen. Benitez signed Townsend and the duds.

I'm going over old ground, but Rafael was in regular contact with Grays agent since his Newcastle days, he clearly stated in an interview that he messaged Gray directly to check on him in Germany and has said that wherever he ended up this Summer, Gray would have been his signing.

Brands did scout Leverkusen you're right, but I guarantee if Rafael wasn't here, neither would Gray.

 

[billyblue80]

In the first 14 games of last season DCL played the full 90 in all but two games, and scored 11 goals.

But yeah, crazy to suggest that’s not had a big impact on our performance.

It's not crazy injuries have been a big factor but you have to admit tactically Benitez has us set up badly we got tonked by Watford and were a shambles against Wolves and Brentford, that has nothing to do with DCL.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

The sooner people accept he's going nowhere this season the better it'll be for their sake.

 

[billyblue80]

It's not just that - people ignore Sigurdsson. He was crap but ultimately he played 44 games last season; obviously that's going to be missed.

And Benitez obviously has had our best players missing at various points, often at the same time.

So when people refer to 'this squad', they're not talking about the same exact one Ancelotti had, because Benitez has had a much, much worse one at his disposal.

Yes agreed we lack the creativity and Sig and James are big misses too but the latter Benitez chased.

Look of course there are many mitigating factors most of us would accept but he isn't giving us the best chance to get results out of games regardless of the issues. When you are on a horrific run you make yourself hard to beat, instead we are wide open and very easy to beat ask Brentford ask Watford... What's more we don't look like scoring goals you could have DCL back but if you aren't making chances it's not going to make this dramatic difference people think.

 

[Theoneandonly]

Thing is, we don't know. We know that Brands has scouted Leverkusen extensively for last couple of seasons as he was deciding on Leon Bailey. So he has been there and will have seen Gray and been aware of his low release clause.

Benitez has also, weirdly in my opinion, apparently been texting Gray despite not having a job after meeting him once when he played against Newcastle.

Gray has come out and said both of them convinced him to join.

Both of them could have wanted him at the same time.

Simple really Rafael messages him asking him if he would be interested. Rafael tells Brands I want Gray. Brands gets him.

 

[maccavennie]

I'm going over old ground, but Rafael was in regular contact with Grays agent since his Newcastle days, he clearly stated in an interview that he messaged Gray directly to check on him in Germany and has said that wherever he ended up this Summer, Gray would have been his signing.

Brands did scout Leverkusen you're right, but I guarantee if Rafael wasn't here, neither would Gray.

You can't guarantee whether he would or wouldn't be here.

It's just your opinion (which of course you are entitled to)

 

[Theoneandonly]

Well your completely misguided on a number of levels.

Go and read back what I wrote about Gray mate. I was in favour of him, and openly said it was a Brands signing. I disagreed with @Zatara Amongst others on this.

So I have always been consistent that Gray was signed by Brands, even when the signing was criticised, because it was.

Benitez has made 1 ok signing and 3 duds. It's a terrible hit rate, and I'd be very wary of giving the fraud anymore money when he cant organise a team.

3 duds?

Gray - Excellent
Townsend - brought in to be backup - good
Lonergan - brought in to be 3rd choice - n/a
Rondon

Begovic was Brands signing.

 

[Brennan]

It's not crazy injuries have been a big factor but you have to admit tactically Benitez has us set up badly we got tonked by Watford and were a shambles against Wolves and Brentford, that has nothing to do with DCL.

Performances have been poor, absolutely.

But we have been sacking managers after a bad run for years and it has never fixed the issue. Even Ancelotti couldn’t get us higher than 10th in the table last season, but I was fully behind him as we needed to stick with a manager long term.

DCL in the side and no other disastrous injuries and we’ll finish mid table just like we have for the last two seasons.

 

[nsno-chris]

Simple really Rafael messages him asking him if he would be interested. Rafael tells Brands I want Gray. Brands gets him.

Like you actually know this you bad Geordie

 

[Tubey]

It's not crazy injuries have been a big factor but you have to admit tactically Benitez has us set up badly we got tonked by Watford and were a shambles against Wolves and Brentford, that has nothing to do with DCL.

Of course it does.

Take Watford. We had DCL, Richarlison, Doucoure AND Mina not starting that game. Our outright four best players.

Wolves you had Ben Godfrey left back as Digne was injured and we have absolutely no one else, and again no DCL, Mina and Doucoure.

You can point at tactics all you like, and yes, Benitez hasn't been infallable in that regard, but it really is a case of a spine being ripped out of an already mediocre squad.