2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[blueblue]

It’s all well and good talking to young players but would rather see him actually use them.

Not a great morning to use that point of view.

 

[blueloon]

He should have used them earlier. He waited until he had no other choice.

If he goes back to Rondon next week then he's learned nothing

Yep , I agree with that , Simms particularly should have featured earlier, even allowing for him coming back from injury he should have played some minutes before starting. I don’t think Benitez is perfect , I was picking out what I like.

 

[Kev The Rat]

Dont kid yourself we're in the minority.

You are

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

Not a great morning to use that point of view.

Benitez can have credit for using youngsters when it's not absolutely forced on him by injuries.

 

[Gwladysstreetlad]

Now that we have a ten day respite to get more players back and prepare its worth looking ahead to our next fixtures. With Burnley and Norwich away and Newcastle and Brighton at home along with a trip to Hull in the cup there has to be some standards and targets. Anything less then eight points and progression to the next round would be totally unacceptable. Basically these next five games will either be the tuning point that Benitez needs or the end of the road.

 

[hallamblue]

• Large core of players backing the manager all the way - some senior pros, others breaking through
• Chance in 2 weeks to get players out the door who dont want to be here
• Three or four lined up to come in during January
• Games to come: Burnley, Newcastle, Brighton, Norwich

Tell me we aren't on our way back up the table...

I'm not going to say we're on our way back up the table. What I will say is, now Moshiri hasn't sacked Benitez, providing he doesn't get rid of anyone he shouldn't (Pickford, Doucoure,DCL, Richarlison, Godfrey) give him a chance to so a bit of horse trading in January and get through the next 5 or 6 games. If we're still in trouble and lose to Burnley and Newcastle then get rid. If not, let's get through the season and see if there are signs of progress. If there's a style of play developing that looks like it might work with a few additions, great. If not, get rid. It's the same criteria I applied to Allardyce. He showed no signs of being able to do anything other than defend deep and hope to nick a goal so he had to go. I suspect the same may be true of Benitez, but let's wait and see.

 

[Mosh Pit]

• Large core of players backing the manager all the way - some senior pros, others breaking through
• Chance in 2 weeks to get players out the door who dont want to be here
• Three or four lined up to come in during January
• Games to come: Burnley, Newcastle, Brighton, Norwich

Tell me we aren't on our way back up the table...

You think Rafael isn't going to make a complete mess out of that fixture list? ?

Sure, on paper that should be four straight wins.

It won't be because he'll set us up to fail and then blame the players.

Oh and he'll persist with Godfrey at LB and we'll leak more goals down that side after being too stubborn to play Digne

 

[Kev The Rat]

Cheers for that, most people are a bit thick and don’t realise that in the dialect in my part of the world the word “ loon “ means a young male person e.g “ There‘s Kev and his loon off to the match”. I’m impressed that you obviously know that.

No I’m taking it for it’s generally accepted meaning which means insane person

 

[Nymzee]

Not a great morning to use that point of view.

Maybe you should have a coffee first before you realise what I’m talking about.

 

[blueloon]

It’s all well and good talking to young players but would rather see him actually use them.

As my above post , agree he should have used Simms earlier.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Yep , I agree with that , Simms particularly should have featured earlier, even allowing for him coming back from injury he should have played some minutes before starting. I don’t think Benitez is perfect , I was picking out what I like.

I'm not going to lie, I haven't seen either of Simms or Dobbin a whole lot. But I did think that Dobbin was the more impressive. I think he has something to work with and is that modern type of forward with decent pace and dribbling ability.

 

[Dixieslaces]

It's the old case of twisting stats to suit. Looks damning and it is but why 13 games why not 5 games. It is agenda ridden. Like the fact that we have lost more PL games than anyone else in history. Stats are a manipulation to suit. Regardless, for the last 20 odd years we have been crap

tell you what, lets just take 2 games as a sample

lets see first Chelsea and Arsenal to start 4 points from 6, pretty Good yeah

then lets look at Watford and Crystal Palace, say! oh, 0 Points from 6, Ouch!

Its not necessarily manipulation of stats, if you take a sample of 10 or 15 or 38 at some point the stats work themselves out, the original poster using a 10 match sample was actually what would be just under a 3rd of the season so a reasonable sample i would say and actually "current" so pretty much on point!

If we take 15 , we are still 15th

If we take 17 its still only 14th and 8 off bottom 3 and 8 off 7th, which is were i would like to be personally!

if we take a comparable of last season to this its a chasm and yes we ended up 10th but did we ever dally with the bottom of the table, No!

This has been done to death in here

We, as a collective group are never gonna agree on Rafael but what it is proving is how divisive the appointment has been and that as a Club and fanbase is not where we should be.

So 100% for me he is done, it WILL Never stop me supporting the Team, after all its what im here for, not the Manager EVER!

Kendall and Catterick aside that is!

But even they suffered at points in their respective careers as custodians of our Club.

And that is ultimately what they are, Custodians, we are the real reason THIS Club is here!

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

I'm not going to say we're on our way back up the table. What I will say is, now Moshiri hasn't sacked Benitez, providing he doesn't get rid of anyone he shouldn't (Pickford, Doucoure,DCL, Richarlison, Godfrey) give him a chance to so a bit of horse trading in January and get through the next 5 or 6 games. If we're still in trouble and lose to Burnley and Newcastle then get rid. If not, let's get through the season and see if there are signs of progress. If there's a style of play developing that looks like it might work with a few additions, great. If not, get rid. It's the same criteria I applied to Allardyce. He showed no signs of being able to do anything other than defend deep and hope to nick a goal so he had to go. I suspect the same may be true of Benitez, but let's wait and see.

The thought of Benitez actually being handed money to spend terrifies me. Have you seen his list of transfers at Newcastle?

Sadly it's probably going to happen.

 

[Marius57]

So for all those claiming its not that bad.

Do you consider Burnley on boxing day, a must win game? Because losing to them would put us only 5 points clear of relegation half way through the season.

 

[ToffeeTim]

So for all those claiming its not that bad.

Do you consider Burnley on boxing day, a must win game? Because losing to them would put us only 5 points clear of relegation half way through the season.

Must not lose