2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[MikeH72]

Remember when relegation shouts were getting laughed off because we were 11th?

 

[PM123]

Pretty scary from an Everton perspective when you look at that. There was still 10 games left to play and he got just 13 points out of the possible 30. He has just got us something like 6 points out of a possible 36 and there are zero positive signs that anything is going to change. Quite the opposite in fact.

For perspective, that 13 points in the final 10 games averages out at 1.3 points per game, whereas Newcastle were averaging 0.86 per game for the first 28 games.

 

[BlueToff]

Think the key difference was that Newcastle had had a pretty horrendous season and were already second bottom when Benitez took over. He had very little time to drag them out of the rut they were in.

At least we've hovered pretty safely above the bottom 3 so far.

Oh great

 

[BlueToff]

Remember when relegation shouts were getting laughed off because we were 11th?

I’ll be honest, I didn’t think we’d be in danger - I changed my tact on that after the Watford-wolves games

 

[Harryflashman]

For perspective, that 13 points in the final 10 games averages out at 1.3 points per game, whereas Newcastle were averaging 0.86 per game for the first 28 games.

Fantastic achievement that

 

[Colonel Getafe]

Does he fire himself at the end of the season then?

Rewards himself with a Nandos for keeping a championship-level side in the Prem with a dizzying 15th place finish whilst barely having a pot to piddle in all season.

 

[davek]

You stay up beating the teams around you, not from a few decent results against better teams.

But the point being made to me is that the run in has those teams and we'll struggle...but if we need points then we can get them if past performances against them are a guide.

 

[davek]

6 points in 6 games is hardly anything to shout about when we play the majority of games against the other 14.

A point per game this season will easily be enough to get clear.

 

[Colonel Getafe]

No way we score twice tomorrow

We'll definitely score two tomorrow. No doubt about that.

I can't say for certain they'll both be in the right net like, but I'm pretty sure we'll score two.

 

[Colonel Getafe]

A point per game this season will easily be enough to get clear.

If that's not worth a supposed £8m per year managerial salary, I don't know what is...

 

[Jebus_lives]

A point per game this season will easily be enough to get clear.

Our current run of form suggests that's not possible.

 

[jcschu]

just got some observations and opinions on Benitez... don't know if it's right though... sorry about not fluent English...

Won't be slick and sly about anything. When he sees a problem, he confronted it even though it means continuous struggles and sometimes chaos during the process. Every player gets his own ego and comfort zone, nobody wants to be pushed consistently without soothing. All his stubbornness on "improvements" with owners and players (esp. established stars) mostly end up with tension and disputes. Sometimes, it did make fans fell in love with him like the time at Newcastle.

If a player complied with his demand on attitude, efforts, belief, then there are dedicated Gray, Gordon, Townsend and Coleman.. If a player was never going to endure and treat it as a job, then end up playing the mind game of outlasting each other. But the fact some players get heart but no longer good with football like Rondon versus those didn't fit with the "attitude" profile but got huge talents like James and Digne made it like a cronyism. He would rather pick someone who's motivated, trained hard and followed his instructions, then putting someone who actually got more talent to grind out results. It may explain placing Coleman on LB then choosing other suitable options. That's the decisions (mistakes?) he has made over the years. No one can fill a full team of dedicated AND talented footballers. Not even Man City or Chelsea...

When Carlo and Coleman discovered something wrong with "attitude" (link), they can talk and express and move on. But not Benitez. His obsession to get things right made him the source of the problem or turmoil.

He is always in the race to assemble a glorified team that is loyal to his "philosophy" before the players who's "doing an above average job" decided to turn against him. In this case, I don't think he will have enough time. Unless Gray, DCL, Richarlison, Doucoure or even Patterson and Mykolenko decided to put in a heroic performance like "Gordon vs Brighton". Not to mention if most of them can stay healthy and contribute on the pitch.

Sorry, just hurting my eyes by watching those performances while somehow touched by several individuals' passion and fighting spirit. Make me wonder if there's ever one day with that 11 on the pitch.

 

[roydo]

But the point being made to me is that the run in has those teams and we'll struggle...but if we need points then we can get them if past performances against them are a guide.

Quite the survival plan that.

 

[Blues Harp]

Authoritarian murderer...Digne would be dispatched to the gulag by that piece of crap.
Your hero is he?

 

[billyblue80]

A press conference where we didn't find out who was available and how he was hoping to arrest the slide. Instead dominated by his ego and a spat with a player. The journalists are useless and he is a ego destroying us