2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[dublinbluenose]

That was an embarrassment of a press conference. The man is a child.

 

[toffeeblue9]

He is responsible for the results on the pitch. Everything else is neither here nor there. The results need to pick up this month or the position becomes even more dire than it already is. I have no faith that this will ever improve, and I have been certain it would end up like this from the start. But results are what matters and what will determine the future. There are lots of things we can point to that help explain why results are so poor, but the actual results are the only important factor.

I tend to agree with almost all of that. The only thing I think I'd add would be that I think things would eventually improve, even by the law of averages if nothing else. I have no idea what level things would improve to and whether that level would be enough to satisfy us, but I don't think it's likely we'd continue to be this bad forever.

Regardless, I hold him to account for our performances and results. The rest of it is never black and white because you only have part of the whole story.

And on that, performances and results have not been good enough and need to improve. I'd rather focus on that than who may be to blame in an argument none of us were there to witness

 

[Toffeelover]

He had a handful of games to save a doomed Newcastle and then got them back up the following season and then stabilised them in the PL.

Do not think I would like to take that risk.

 

[nikom court]

Does he think he will have us higher than 10th?

dunno he said 10th isnt good enough,
maybe it is for you!

 

[Egil Olsen]

So if this proposed attitude problem existed before Benitez and we did better before he was here then I'm inclined to believe Benitez is the reason we are crap and not some supposed attitude problem with the players.

Yes, of course you can achieve 10-12 places by keeping this group of players happy. Just repeat the process year after year. But if we are to develop, then someone must break this circle.

 

[COYBL25]

Is that your beloved John Aldridge again ?

 

[Toffeelover]

dunno he said 10th isnt good enough,
maybe it is for you!

Me?? No way. But I would love us to start winning some games, heres hoping.

 

[Kev The Rat]

Completely gone now. A man just swinging punches whereever to see if he can get any kind of reaction.

100% guaranteed all the players are laughing at him behind his back, even the ones who are actually doing him a favour and pointing out his flaws to him, like Digne

 

[Toffeelover]

I do hope he does not bring in Barkley or Longstaff.

 

[MikeH72]

So if this proposed attitude problem existed before Benitez and we did better before he was here then I'm inclined to believe Benitez is the reason we are crap and not some supposed attitude problem with the players.

I mean we’ve seen clear attitude problems from this group over the years, let’s not rewrite history. Benitez is a massive problem that needs resolving and should never have happened in the first place, but he is definitely not the sole reason we are crap. I don’t doubt the attitude of these players is appalling, we’ve seen it for years and years now. The way they downed tools in the last third of last season was the most recent example.

 

[COYBL25]

The fan reaction will be great as we record a win.

Just like the pasting you said we’d give Brighton last weekend lol

 

[davek]

He won't have many excuses if we don't

That's great news.

 

[Wat Tyler]

Does he think he will have us higher than 10th?

You can’t expect us to compete with giant clubs like Palace, Brighton, Wolves and West Ham for the tenth place trophy. We won’t compete until Rafael is DOF, Chairman, Manager and Right Back. Rafaton

 

[JimmyK]

I meant Dave's point where he said:

"At last what we've been calling for is happening: the utter cowards in that dressing room being held to account for their unprofessionalism, but because it's Benitez doing it the people who want him out have suddenly conveniently 'forgotten' that demand."

I don't think the Digne thing is really what we are holding against Benitez, we are just in the mindset where he can do no right.

It's difficult when it reaches this point sometimes because people are so angry that the blinkers come down. I've seen lots of people refuse to give Benitez any credit over the two full backs, for example, even though they're both the sort of profile we've all wanted.

I'm as disillusioned with what I'm seeing on the pitch from Benitez as the next man, but I think we've reached the point where he can do nothing right and given the fact that Moshiri doesn't want him gone, we'd all be better focusing on the stuff he really is to blame for rather than the more tenuous stuff

It's Benitez's MO thats the problem you can't separate this from the rest because it all comes as one package. People are upset and angry about the results and performances and a lot of people are embarrassed that he's our manager anyway considering his past so then when he turns things like this into a pantomime like he has everywhere he's ever been it just rubs people up the wrong way even more. I don't know if he's to blame for the fallout or if Digne is or if nobody is and its just an inevitable parting of the ways but the way Benitez has handled it today is absolutely awful and it just heightens the sense of panic about the club being in disarray.

 

[ToffeeTim]

I tend to agree with almost all of that. The only thing I think I'd add would be that I think things would eventually improve, even by the law of averages if nothing else. I have no idea what level things would improve to and whether that level would be enough to satisfy us, but I don't think it's likely we'd continue to be this bad forever.

Regardless, I hold him to account for our performances and results. The rest of it is never black and white because you only have part of the whole story.

And on that, performances and results have not been good enough and need to improve. I'd rather focus on that than who may be to blame in an argument none of us were there to witness

I think things will pick up to the extent that we survive relegation. But I don't expect anything more than that and a tally in the low 40 points range. I don't see any example in football history (or anywhere in sport) of such a divisive manager starting so poorly, and then somehow turning it around against the odds.

I hope you are right and I am wrong, but I have no confidence in seeing improvement which is why I think we needed a change weeks ago. All the off field politics and childish interviews from Benitez are annoying me, but ultimately results are what matters and a record worse than Mike Walker is worse than what I saw as a worse case scenario.