2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[Ghost Rider]

Regarding the "Attitude"

"Everton are comfortably beaten 3-0 by Wolves.

Who started with such an unacceptable attitude that day?

Pickford. Keane. Mina. Digne. Walcott. Davies. Sigurdsson. Gordon. Baines. Richarlison. Calvert-Lewin."

Carlo Ancelotti: “We didn’t show good spirit. More than the technical and tactical aspect, which was not good enough, the spirit of the team was unacceptable. We have to prepare for the game [against Villa] and work differently and have a different attitude. I said to the players, ‘This attitude is not acceptable to me”

It's a bit harsh on Carlo for the failed attempt of the last minute's push on European football last season. Talent, technical and tactical wise, the team was good enough to claim the spot. But he took the blame for not able to motivate or pressurize till the season end. For a coach as glorious and prestigious as he always does, he can't instill the extra little faith or winning mentality for a stacked team to fight for the ultimate European glories that every footballer could ever dream of.

And then, how many players you can trust that will leave everything on the pitch come next two games. Talent wise, it's just a no-brainer comfortable 4-0 or 5-0 win on Sat.

Benitez will be mostly gone in a fortnight.
Maybe all his faults.
Maybe due to the talent or injuries (wrong positioning, have no spine, whatever the current CBs contributing).
Maybe it's the attitude (the training is so hard, instructions so many, I want a job and a life, not a battle or a war. Winning and glory is nice to have, but wouldn't hurt if failed. who can save us before he show us the door..)
Doesn't matter anymore.

Sometimes it's good to be hostile, you put your manager and players under microscope and you see all these years.... what kind of soldiers you cheered for on and off the pitch.

Being soft and nice get you mid-table at best, but being hard? It's mostly end up either with glory or relegation fight. Depends what's the team's core is about. Next manager? Root for a harder one.

The problem we have had for years now is the culture at the club bleeding through to new players , combined with signings that were simply not good enough.

When you look at the likes of Chelsea , their senior players are winners. So when backs against the wall, they can drag newer players through and continue to win, iregardless of the manager. That then breeds that winning mentality into the younger players coming through and gets them in the right mindset.

Look at the likes of Burnley and their long standing players are drilled into the culture of the club. So when their backs against the wall, you have the senior players there to grind out results when they need them, until this season at least. They know the philosophy and will run through walls for dyche.

Then you look at us. Our senior players have never been winners nor have they had a mentality drilled into them. Whether it was Martinez lack of coaching , koeman giving up , Silva just refusing to change his tactics or benitez managing like he is trying to relegate a club. There is no reprecussions for not playing well, no desire to win things or to fight. Many players over the years have their place in the team no matter what, look at Coleman as a good example of this. Never been replaced until now so no matter how well he played or not, guaranteed place in the team.

We could have had a culture change here in 2017 with the mass recruitment but instead we chose to get rid of most of those players , leaving the same faces still here to retire/wind down doing the same motions, with no risk to their place here.

I'd argue that this digne / new fullbacks deal is both the right thing to do and the wrong way about it. Shunting one of better players in such a manner is bad for the team but changing a long standing player for two fairly new can help change the dynamic , bit by bit. Just need the manager to go with them now.

 

[barneygumble]

Genuinely feel for him with the El Ghazi situation, why on earth this is happening is beyond me.

But since what, maybe the Brighton away game, where we played some fluid football, and 3 in the middle, bringing the best out of Doucoure…

He’s reverted to some mental decisions, including playing Coleman at leftback and centre half whilst leaving respective positions on the bench and his insistence on playing Rondón.
He’s not arsed, if he gets sacked (and he knows he can’t be sacked) he’s getting a huge pay off, so why be bothered.

Lowest I’ve felt about the club ever, and that’s 29 years of following now.

 

[Ghost Rider]

I am 58 years old and been watching Everton for many years and he is the worst manager I have ever seen managing the blues. Its not so much the abysmal results. its his gameplans , stubbornness to admit we have issues and mainly to blame everything else apart from himself. Absolutely hateful person who will seriously damage this club big style if he stays on much longer.

As I've seen others say about him, if he was trying to relegate us , then this is largely what it would look like. Coleman at left back, 5 at the back but leaking goals , no midfield , poor subs/gameplan as you say.

 

[BigDuncTributeBand]

But that all depends on who is in charge of finding the players. And if its benitez, then that is worrying.

As we potentially just end up with a load of his dross that only suit his system so the next manager is then hamstrung by it.

Bingo. Why let him sign players that will suit the way he wants to play only to replace him with someone who will want to do things differently and might not rate a player? It doesn’t make any sense.

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

I'm not sure it's arrogance, I genuinely believe Benitez is on the spectrum of Autism. He rarely shows emotion, well, except that frankly odd smile he flicks when awkward questions are asked.
Nothing necessarily wrong with having a manager with emotional issues except they can be taken the wrong way, not fully understood and its been said that even the players don't know when they have done well as that emotion isn't in his skillset yet.....well either that or he's a bellwhiff with a massive ego that just isn't likeable to anyone other than his mother....and even she ain't that arsed he left his homeland at a young age ...Who knows ?

Or aspergers. It's actually not a bad shout. It would explain his complete lack of awareness.

Can I suggest caution in reaching for stuff like this to explain away someone being a prick?

There’ll be a good number of people on here who legitimately ARE on the spectrum (either diagnosed or otherwise, or who at very least have family members/loved ones who are) without you ever knowing or suspecting it, and it’s probably not much fun to have their condition hauled out to explain away (generally unpleasant/unlikeable) people’s character flaws

 

[BigDuncTributeBand]

I'm not sure it's arrogance, I genuinely believe Benitez is on the spectrum of Autism. He rarely shows emotion, well, except that frankly odd smile he flicks when awkward questions are asked.
Nothing necessarily wrong with having a manager with emotional issues except they can be taken the wrong way, not fully understood and its been said that even the players don't know when they have done well as that emotion isn't in his skillset yet.....well either that or he's a bellwhiff with a massive ego that just isn't likeable to anyone other than his mother....and even she ain't that arsed he left his homeland at a young age ...Who knows ?

He has little emotional intelligence, that’s for sure. Why that is, who knows.

Re arrogance. He’s handled this situation terribly. He won’t be reflecting on how he handled the situation and asking himself whether he could have approached it differently. Will be convinced he was right and that’s it. It’s why the same thing happens everywhere he goes. Sounds pretty arrogant to me.

 

[Swagger]

Can I suggest caution in reaching for stuff like this to explain away someone being a prick?

There’ll be a good number of people on here who legitimately ARE on the spectrum (either diagnosed or otherwise, or who at very least have family members/loved ones who are) without you ever knowing or suspecting it, and it’s probably not much fun to have their condition hauled out to explain away (generally unpleasant/unlikeable) people’s character flaws

Fair enough. One of my friends has aspergers so I'm fully aware of the personality traits. I appreciate that it's no laughing matter. Apologies for any offense caused to anyone.

 

[stevie blott]

Can I suggest caution in reaching for stuff like this to explain away someone being a prick?

There’ll be a good number of people on here who legitimately ARE on the spectrum (either diagnosed or otherwise, or who at very least have family members/loved ones who are) without you ever knowing or suspecting it, and it’s probably not much fun to have their condition hauled out to explain away (generally unpleasant/unlikeable) people’s character flaws

It's a fair point mate. Sorry guys.
If it ever comes out that he does actually suffer from mental health issues however, there are many....many more than just me that will have to apologise.
I was attempting to make the point that before we slam in head first to condemn a man for his failings, there could be a legitimate reason for it...s'all.
Again, sorry for any offence taken.

 

[hallamblue]

I'm not sure about his mental state. He just believes players are employed to do a job and he wants them to do it. Not question his tactics, not be moody. Just go on the pitch and do the job he's asked them to do. I'm not sure you can manage like that in the modern game. Look at Keane and Souness. His attitude is similar to theirs and they are pundits these days who are out of touch.

 

[kenada_blue]

Fat prick

 

[kenada_blue]

I’m starting to think with these transfers that he isn’t here long term. Bar the cheap signings or freebies he hasn’t spent a penny really on ‘his’ players, they all seem old targets or Moshiri specials.

Any ‘shake ups’ at the club may have already been on the cards such as Brands or the Medical team (poor performance would have been highlighted already). and Digne going was a good business move for the club.

I’m personally starting to think Moshiri brought him in to steady the ship for a season (which hasn’t worked) so they can have 12 months to re-assess. Moshiris thinking has always been from a business point of view rather than a football club.

Just my Theory. ?‍

Spent all our money on 2 young fullbacks, ousted the DOF. In control of all the transfers (don't agree with the El Ghazi Mosh links)

He's here long term

 

[Saint Domingo]

The rot stops this weekend




I hope

 

[sageyefc]

The rot stops this weekend




I hope

It stops when he’s kicked out the club, he’s cancer

 

[ToffeeTim]

The rot stops this weekend




I hope

If we lose we are in big trouble, and it will be untenable for the manager

 

[Bungle]

Fat prick

Whether you're for or against Benitez you can't help but appreciate this directness.