2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[Legend78]

I think for a club like us it makes it even more important to use one though mate. We cant go and sign the best players, so we need to think strategically and over a longer term.

In honesty, we have had DOF but never adopted the model.

It needs a lot more detail, but honestly the club should have a DOF who's job it is to spot cheap players, who can be trained and polished and sold on. We should target, big, powerful, quick players who are under 25, often from unfancied leagues/clubs.

You're then up front with any coach to say- this is the plan. If you want to work here, you get on board with it. We want to play front foot football and press the opponents.

I don't think as a club we can keep giving 60 something managers full autonomy to keep changing the squad around. It hasnt worked, and I cant see it working moving forward.

And maybe people would turn it down. They wouldnt be the right people for the club anyway. If you cant work to a wider plan, you're not the right fit.

Yep I listen to what you say and you make genuine points... just don’t get this D.O.F thing tho.. you mention a certain type of player that you think should suit the Club.. my point is that would be your opinion.. I bet if you asked another three posters they would give you three different criteria’s.. you mention big strong powerful forwards.. that’s great but a manager like Pep would struggle to coach those because they are not the strenghth of his teams.. look at City.. DeBruyne.. Grealish.. Mahrez.. Silva and Phil Fodden.. which of those fits in with your criteria of big,, strong and powerful... none... this is my point a manager should always choose the players he’s going to train and work with each day not some suit who has nothing to do with them once they have signed a five year contract and put them on 100k a week wages..

 

[FrenchDarrenBent]

From 25 percent to almost 45 now.
It's a Christmas miracle

 

[Drico]

Senor Benitez's luck has turned. A promising start stymied largely by injuries has now been prevented from descending into a full-blown existential crisis by the Covidian break that has allowed him time to get bodies back and inculcate in these congenital losers a modicum of organisation. With any kind of a fair wind now, he will do enough to ensure his rafalucion can continue apace not only in January but over the summer. Let the enema work.

 

[COYBL25]

From 25 percent to almost 45 now.
It's a Christmas miracle

That’s because we’ve had two games called off and everyone is currently pissed

 

[paultheblue]

Senor Benitez's luck has turned. A promising start stymied largely by injuries has now been prevented from descending into a full-blown existential crisis by the Covidian break that has allowed him time to get bodies back and inculcate in these congenital losers a modicum of organisation. With any kind of a fair wind now, he will do enough to ensure his rafalucion can continue apace not only in January but over the summer. Let the enema work.

Or they will remain to be crap and he will be out on his fat one

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

Yep I listen to what you say and you make genuine points... just don’t get this D.O.F thing tho.. you mention a certain type of player that you think should suit the Club.. my point is that would be your opinion.. I bet if you asked another three posters they would give you three different criteria’s.. you mention big strong powerful forwards.. that’s great but a manager like Pep would struggle to coach those because they are not the strenghth of his teams.. look at City.. DeBruyne.. Grealish.. Mahrez.. Silva and Phil Fodden.. which of those fits in with your criteria of big,, strong and powerful... none... this is my point a manager should always choose the players he’s going to train and work with each day not some suit who has nothing to do with them once they have signed a five year contract and put them on 100k a week wages..

Conversely City were lining up Guardiola for a long time. So perhaps, strategically, they decided he was the man?

Equally, he's not averse to powerful but versatile forwards. Wanted Kane from Spurs and had Lewandowski at Bayern for example.

What catcher is saying is that we appear to have employed a man to set a blueprint, but then brought in managers of completely different outlooks and standing, thus rubbishing the blueprint.

 

[Armaghtoffee]

Really really hope he burned his turkey, his gravy is lumpy, his stuffing dry and his sprouts like bullets.

 

[catcherintherye]

Yep I listen to what you say and you make genuine points... just don’t get this D.O.F thing tho.. you mention a certain type of player that you think should suit the Club.. my point is that would be your opinion.. I bet if you asked another three posters they would give you three different criteria’s.. you mention big strong powerful forwards.. that’s great but a manager like Pep would struggle to coach those because they are not the strenghth of his teams.. look at City.. DeBruyne.. Grealish.. Mahrez.. Silva and Phil Fodden.. which of those fits in with your criteria of big,, strong and powerful... none... this is my point a manager should always choose the players he’s going to train and work with each day not some suit who has nothing to do with them once they have signed a five year contract and put them on 100k a week wages..

Yes some great points there mate.

Of course there would be different opinions. I think you sort of need 1 opinion in the club though. It doesnt really matter what that opinion is, as long as it was logical and practical, but to me consistency is important.

I'm not sure we have had that for a long time have we? I mean weve gone from Townsend and Rondon, last summer was James and Doucoure, then we had Kean and Gomes/Bernard, then we had like Tosun and Walcott. Just no consistency at all. I think if you keep jumping around stylistically, you just end up wasting loads of money

 

[catcherintherye]

Conversely City were lining up Guardiola for a long time. So perhaps, strategically, they decided he was the man?

Equally, he's not averse to power but versatile forwards. Wanted Kane at Spurs and had Lewandowski at Bayern for example.

What catcher is saying is that we appear to have employed a man to set a blueprint, but then brought in managers of completely different outlooks and standing, thus rubbishing the blueprint.

Yes great summary mate. And I'm not sure we have ever really let either DOF do that job. Some blame has to be put onto them, but for 5 years now, managers have overridden what the DOF have tried to do, and I think that's at least partially what's caused this mess.

 

[davek]

I read a pretty long piece on the Echo website earlier about 13 players who fell out with him at Liverpool and how he got them down the road.

The word 'totalitarian' was used.

Aftre reading it I feel even more convinced that he's the right man here at the right time. The swamp needs draining and this feller will take no time nor prisoners in doing it.

 

[Ray Purchase]

I read a pretty long piece on the Echo website earlier about 13 players who fell out with him at Liverpool and how he got them down the road.

The word 'totalitarian' was used.

Aftre reading it I feel even more convinced that he's the right man here at the right time. The swamp needs draining and this feller will take no time nor prisoners in doing it.

I am usually against dictators, but you could have a point here.

Having a manager making the bulk of all major decisions could be our answer.

It will take time, and will not be pretty, so will the EFC hierarchy give him the time required?

 

[Legend78]

Yes some great points there mate.

Of course there would be different opinions. I think you sort of (need 1 opinion in the club though. It doesnt really matter what that opinion is, as long as it was logical and practical, but to me consistency is important.

I'm not sure we have had that for a long time have we? I mean weve gone from Townsend and Rondon, last summer was James and Doucoure, then we had Kean and Gomes/Bernard, then we had like Tosun and Walcott. Just no consistency at all. I think if you keep jumping around stylistically, you just end up wasting loads of money

To be honest I really don’t think Rondon is the type of player Benitez would bring to a club if his hands were tied.. I don’t mean somebody else bought him I just think he needed somebody on a free.. he looked around and brought somebody he knew and trusted previously.. don’t forget the man bought Torres when he had sufficient funds..

I know what you are saying as regards a one voice one blueprint type of things but don’t you think that’s just looking for a perfect unobtainable utopia type thing.. what Club in the world has had a blueprint D.O.F. that has worked or evolved more than five years or so not even Barca or City have had one of those.. the other thing you have to consider is with these D.O.F people there would be no Busby.. Shanks.. Cloughie.. Paisley.. Stein.. Kendall,, Bobby Robson or Ferguson’s all footballing men of this world you would probably end up with good number twos who just train the players.. Colin Harvey.. Brian Kidd.. Roy Evans.. or dare I say it Steve McClaren.....

Good posting tho...

 

[blueblue]

Conversely City were lining up Guardiola for a long time. So perhaps, strategically, they decided he was the man?

Equally, he's not averse to powerful but versatile forwards. Wanted Kane from Spurs and had Lewandowski at Bayern for example.

What catcher is saying is that we appear to have employed a man to set a blueprint, but then brought in managers of completely different outlooks and standing, thus rubbishing the blueprint.

The blueprint is success.
Once that is ingrained in the fabric of the club then everything else flows from that.

When CA first came he spoke about changing the mentality at the lub, that doesn't happen quickly or easily.

 

[Saint Domingo]

I read a pretty long piece on the Echo website earlier about 13 players who fell out with him at Liverpool and how he got them down the road.

The word 'totalitarian' was used.

Aftre reading it I feel even more convinced that he's the right man here at the right time. The swamp needs draining and this feller will take no time nor prisoners in doing it.

Tbh as soon as I read that bit about him punting that balloon Danny Murphy I didn’t need any more convincing.

Seems to be quite simple for him. If you can contribute to the squad he’ll use you, if you can’t he wants nothing to do with you. That will be the majority of this lot out at the first opportunity he has.

 

[Toffeelover]

I read a pretty long piece on the Echo website earlier about 13 players who fell out with him at Liverpool and how he got them down the road.

The word 'totalitarian' was used.

Aftre reading it I feel even more convinced that he's the right man here at the right time. The swamp needs draining and this feller will take no time nor prisoners in doing it.

I can understand that Dave buit how much drainage and what to fill the hole with. Not more ol;d guys like hinted on the transfer rumours