2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[kenada_blue]

Trying to get a balanced view on it but can't get past the appalling form and baffling tactics.

We had 5 defenders across the back in a line yesterday and conceded 3 goals.

He keeps on surrendering midfield which seemingly is just there to relay passes to the wings - not to retain the ball at all.

The wing-backs barely get forward and the centre-backs don't seem co-ordinated.

Nobody seems to be able to man-mark - I assume this is 'zonal'.

The players look lost and badly coached - if coached at all.

The only credit I can give him is that we do have more width and sometimes that works with Gordon and Gray - and Townsend when he was on better form.

The only balanced way I can look at it is that, yes, the players aren't world-beaters, but a good coach should be able to do better.

His idea is to have 6 players (4 defenders, 2 midfielders), soak pressure and win the ball to spring counters to the attackers. Problem is the attackers get sucked back. We're overran in midfield hence why we can't win the ball or keep it.

There's no link up player in midfield (a ball winner and a box to box is what we play with). Our fullbacks don't get forward enough and the wingers are generally on top of them, or far away from them.

Defensively we have a mixture of inexperience, poor, and scared center backs. No left back and a right back who's legs have gone.

Set piece wise is a Bentiez special...zonal marking. Only works with aggressive players in the air. We don't have that apart from Mina who is never fit.

Bottom line is he's getting players to play a way that doesn't suit them but he's also not helping them.

 

[S of S]

Same , I didn’t want him but wanted him to succeed but I feel like this is appointment targeted at annoying me personally!

I am holding on to the hope that Moshman will buckle this month and see the potential of his £500m “investment“ disappear down the Mersey if he continues with this clown in charge!

The stadium will be mothballed for years/ever if we go down and his ££££ will be gone for ever too.

If he is a serious businessman he should see this already….. No serious businessman would allow circa 20% of his worth disappear without a fight. Pride versus losing £500m…….

Here’s to hoping anyway!

 

[Nymzee]

 

[Gwladysstreetlad]

First 18 games under Mike Walker = 20 points
First 18 games under the kopite pig = 19 points

Don't try and tell me that the moron has even the slightest clue what he's doing!

 

[ChiefWiggum]

The guy who Dave constantly mocks? Hosting Twitter streams with journos and ex footballers, whilst obnoxious @davek sits on here sneering and laughing at him?

I listened to that, was quite good to be fair. Said it for a while, like or loath the bobble, he knows his stuff and clearly gets a lot of inside information. If he was a complete blagger, do we think Jamie Carragher, Lee Carsley, Yannick Bolasie and a host of top journo’s would be tuning in to him? I’m sure the club won’t be impressed mind you ?

 

[coollino]

Ha ha ha

 

[Thomasc]

I listened to that, was quite good to be fair. Said it for a while, like or loath the bobble, he knows his stuff and clearly gets a lot of inside information. If he was a complete blagger, do we think Jamie Carragher, Lee Carsley, Yannick Bolasie and a host of top journo’s would be tuning in to him? I’m sure the club won’t be impressed mind you ?

Yeah but Davek from GOT sits there sneering at him from his hovel and laughing at his credibility.
You actually couldn’t make this up.

 

[efcforever]

He's a myth of a manager, we're seeing it with our own eyes now beyond all reasonable doubt.

Fluked two cup wins with Liverpool (in both finals they had players put in their career best peformances) but he was brought in to win the league. He got nowhere close to winning that and actually left them further away they'd been under Houllier. In 04-05 they even finished behind us FFS. 7th in his final year. It's just fashionable amongst that lot to blame everything from the latter years on Hicks and Gillett. It was them was it signing crap like Aqualani, Crouch, Morientes, Pennant?

Inter Milan, let's not even touch that one.

Won the EL with Chelsea with a squad that was even stronger than it had been 12 months before when they'd won the CL. Winning the Europa with them was the equivalent of us winning that Florida tournament in the summer.

He failed at Napoli, it's crazy how people try to spin it otherwise. They'd finished 2nd under his predcessor (Matterazzi). The squad he had was capable of being a strong runners' up in the league again and having a good European run. He achieved neither. And even the cup win wasn't anything special, Matterazzi had likewise won them one also. They didn't care a jolt when he left for Real.

His Madrid spell is considered their worst period of the past 40 odd years. First-teamers (Ronaldo included) were demanding his sacking otherwise they'd leave, even under Lopetegui or Solari it never got that toxic.

Newcastle, got shown up by Steve Bruce who achieved the exact same as him (a mid-table finish).

He's not elite and never has been, he's leaned on a few very special talents (Gerrard, Alonso, Cech, Lampard, Hazard, Cavani, Hamsik) to win big games and in doing so make him look good. When he has to build something he's useless and I can't think of one stand out example of a player he's had in the past 15 years who he made tangibly better. He's a money and credit-chasing bumhole of a man, with an ego the size of mainland China. Please get him out of this club and let us forget this ever happened.

Well said. The last sentence in particular actually cheered me up a bit.

 

[witchdoc187]

I think he's going to give him the transfer window isn't he. Not much point letting him buy players then sack him so I wouldn't get too excited about him leaving anytime soon

 

[BlueToff]

I think he's going to give him the transfer window isn't he. Not much point letting him buy players then sack him so I wouldn't get too excited about him leaving anytime soon

He's giving him the season. Doesn't mean we have to accept it.

Benitez needs punting and Moshiri needs to get gone too. He's up there with the worst things that have happened to this club.

 

[FrenchDarrenBent]

So it was OK last week?

You're another horror!

You saved that comment to score some cheap points later on, preferably after an Everton loss.
That's what being a horror is all about. You're a sad man.

 

[Nymzee]

I think he's going to give him the transfer window isn't he. Not much point letting him buy players then sack him so I wouldn't get too excited about him leaving anytime soon

Thankfully they’re not players in positions that matters all that much who the manager is. By all accounts modern attacking full-backs which all managers want. Won’t be like post-Koeman when the next manager is saddled with 8 number 10’s.

 

[witchdoc187]

Thankfully they’re not players in positions that matters all that much who the manager is. By all accounts modern attacking full-backs which all managers want. Won’t be like post-Koeman when the next manager is saddled with 8 number 10’s.

All average or below average number 10s too. Only us

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Ha ha ha

He is right in fairness.

1. Moshiri is backing him to the hilt

2. Certain fans like Kev The Rat cant wait to moan after every dropped point (and moan even when we win).

Thats not me defending Benitez either.

 

[Stephenlloyd]

He's giving him the season. Doesn't mean we have to accept it.

Benitez needs punting and Moshiri needs to get gone too. He's up there with the worst things that have happened to this club.

But who found Moshiri and thought he was the right man. Apparently this person was looking 24/7 for the right man.

Moshiri has made mistakes and will probably make more, but as long as we get the ground built I don’t really care. The ground is the only thing that can help us move forward as a club.