2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[Twinkletoes123]

But he wasn’t sacked. We didn’t pay him to join Real Madrid.

He didn’t say he was sacked he was quoting and replying to another poster.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

When you factor in we could only spend £1.5m this summer mate sacking + paying Ancelotti off to the tune of over £25 million was never happening.

People dont want to accept it but the board want stability whilst BMD is built.

Mid table security with the odd fight for Europe and its job safe for Benitez. I think he'll have us better than that and have us top half comfortably but even if we finished say 11th I think those expecting him to be given the bullet in his first 2 years will be in for dissapointment.

I think he'll do here what Moyes did IF given time and resources.

Ancelotti asked to leave and despite us trying to convince him to stay we agreed to let him go and it was all done amicably. There is no way mate that you pay a manager up on their wages when it is the manager who has asked to leave, if we sacked him then yeah, we would have had to pay him off.

 

[Simon Buttle]

I’ll be quite open about my feelings, I can’t stand him, I find him an incredibly dislikable person, smug, sneering and with a huge chip on his shoulder. He also has lots of form for blaming the board, the players or anybody else he can think of as soon as things start going wrong.

That being said, while I can see improvement on the pitch I can tolerate him. You don’t have to like the manager to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Harry Catterick was never popular with a sizable section of the fans, I was one of them, but, it didn’t stop me adoring the finest team I ever saw at club level in the late 60’s. He was difficult to like personally but you had to admire him. Whether or not I will come to admire Benitez in time depends on what he achieves on the pitch.

For the record though, it is possible that I will come to admire him, but, I will never like him, not just because he is a redskin icon, more because he seems quite an unsavory individual. I know, I know, something something charity, something something, honorary scouser, something, something.

Great post mate. I'm of the view that I will always support the club and I will always support the team but that does'nt mean I have to like the manager. At the moment I can accept things have started well for him, he seems to have a bit of a plan and has some idea of how to get the best out of our ragtag bunch of misfits, but it's only 4 PL games and 1 Cup game into the season and far too early to judge anything good or bad imo. My issue with him is nothing to do with any time spent at Castle Grayskull or his "comments" Much like you I just find him a highly dislikeable individual, he is very stubborn, seems to like confrontation, likes to moan and has that Mourinho like ability of blaming everybody else when things start going wrong. Again like you my views may change in the future but I know what they are at the moment.

 

[windymiller]

He didn’t say he was sacked he was quoting and replying to another poster.

He did, however, make out that we were shelling out £25m to Ancelotti and this is why Benitez cannot be judged on this season's performances.

 

[Twinkletoes123]

He did, however, make out that we were shelling out £25m to Ancelotti and this is why Benitez cannot be judged on this season's performances.

He was quoting and replying to another poster as I said above.
The £25 million is what he thought it would cost to buy out his contract as the other poster said there was lots of talk amongst local journalists that Moshiri wanting to sack Ancelotti at the end of last season but he walked anyway so it’s moot.

 

[everton1953]

His appointment was a surprise to everyone but in a short space of time I have come to really like Rafael and will never call him the FSW again. He has won me over. Onwards and upwards with this ragtag bunch of players, maybe to just short of European football? 8th would be well done and then bye bye to a load of bad buys, then rebuild for 22/33.

 

[Charles Hawtrey]

Did he do the presser?

 

[Jimishorts]

I have zero emotional attachment to him.

If he makes us better and the players actually try harder that’s all I will judge him by.

As a person, I honestly couldn’t give a toss about him. We don’t know him personally, I can’t let the fact he managed Liverpool 15 years ago bother me that much, I did at first, but CBA anymore.

To each their own.

 

[Encoder]

The boss pre Villa P/C

Benitez on Everton's start to the season
I will not say it was perfect because we drew against Leeds, but pretty close to perfection... The connection between players, fans is so good. We are really pleased with everything & hopefully can continue in this way

Benitez on Everton's comeback trait
The other day in the first half, we were not playing well & the fans were expecting a reaction. They were patient... I think, thanks to that belief & the connection with the players, we could do it

Benitez on James Rodriguez/DCL
He's training & these kind of weeks when you train after having a day off is not easy. We will have to see how he trains in the next days
Benitez says DCL "we have to wait some weeks"

Benitez on Keane
Benitez says he was pleased for Michael Keane's confidence after the centre-back's goal against Burnley and that he feels the same for Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray after their strikes on Monday


Benitez on Villa
I think they proved the other day against Chelsea that, for a while, they were very dangerous. It's a team investing money in good players. The manager's doing a good job. It will be a tough game

Benitez on Eveton's unbeaten start
It's a lot of things. The first is to have good players, motivated & committed, to have good staff & people around you to make the right decisions; the support of the fans - all these things together makes you do things well

Benitez on Everton's areas for improvement
I don't like to concede first so we have to improve that... We have had some games where we can still improve in the transition & attacking play. But I'm pleased because we're moving forward, in the right direction

On EFC'S direct style this season
Benitez says he watched games from last season and thought the sides needed more crosses for the Blues forwards. He says football has to be a mix of keeping the ball and "going quickly forward."

Benitez on players
It is important to praise the players when they do well but, at the same time, you have to demand something more - because they can do it

Boss on improving Players
Benitez says managers have to adapt depending on the players they have. He adds that as a manager and a coach, it's his role to also improve the players at the club as well and that a lot of players "have tried to do their best" since his arrival


On winning over Everton fans
Benitez says he will try and do well "until the end." He says that he cannot changes emotions of those who "do not want to change" but think the majority of Blues fans will be pleased with his work so far

Benitez On guarding against inconsistency
Benitez says it's important to praise players who are doing well but also ensure that you are demanding more and keep pushing players in the right way

Rafael Benitez on Demarai Gray
I will not say he is desperate to do well but the fans can be pleased because he will try every day to improve, to score goals. He knows that he has to be consistent. I am supporting him but demanding from him every game

@Charles Hawtrey

Courtesy of @Ring master

 

[Charles Hawtrey]

@Charles Hawtrey

Courtesy of @Ring master

thanks!!!

 

[Timbucktoo]

Great post mate. I'm of the view that I will always support the club and I will always support the team but that does'nt mean I have to like the manager. At the moment I can accept things have started well for him, he seems to have a bit of a plan and has some idea of how to get the best out of our ragtag bunch of misfits, but it's only 4 PL games and 1 Cup game into the season and far too early to judge anything good or bad imo. My issue with him is nothing to do with any time spent at Castle Grayskull or his "comments" Much like you I just find him a highly dislikeable individual, he is very stubborn, seems to like confrontation, likes to moan and has that Mourinho like ability of blaming everybody else when things start going wrong. Again like you my views may change in the future but I know what they are at the moment.

That's the main issue I have against Benitez, and why I never liked Mourinho. All our managers since Moyes have taken over when we've been on a downward track, got us moving up the table only for things to unravel and have us back at square one again. It will be towards the end of next season when we will see if its more of the same or if he has been able to move us back toward the top six.

 

[windymiller]

When you factor in we could only spend £1.5m this summer mate sacking + paying Ancelotti off to the tune of over £25 million was never happening.

People dont want to accept it but the board want stability whilst BMD is built.

Mid table security with the odd fight for Europe and its job safe for Benitez. I think he'll have us better than that and have us top half comfortably but even if we finished say 11th I think those expecting him to be given the bullet in his first 2 years will be in for dissapointment.

I think he'll do here what Moyes did IF given time and resources.

He was quoting and replying to another poster as I said above.
The £25 million is what he thought it would cost to buy out his contract as the other poster said there was lots of talk amongst local journalists that Moshiri wanting to sack Ancelotti at the end of last season but he walked anyway so it’s moot.

Look at what he wrote in the third and fourth paragraph. He clearly is remarking that we were fiscally limited, at least in part, because of the financial restrictions resulting from Ancelotti leaving. Which didn't cost us a penny. You are right that he is responding to a prior comment but he then goes on to misrepresent that comment. As usual.

 

[windymiller]

His appointment was a surprise to everyone but in a short space of time I have come to really like Rafael and will never call him the FSW again. He has won me over. Onwards and upwards with this ragtag bunch of players, maybe to just short of European football? 8th would be well done and then bye bye to a load of bad buys, then rebuild for 22/33.

Let's not pretend that you were ever against him, eh? This is what you said before he rocked up here (it's almost a cut and paste job).

I have forgiven him for his massive slight against Everton. He was much younger then and had fallen under the evil influence which pervades Analfield. I no longer call him the F S Waiter.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Look at what he wrote in the third and fourth paragraph. He clearly is remarking that we were fiscally limited, at least in part, because of the financial restrictions resulting from Ancelotti leaving. Which didn't cost us a penny. You are right that he is responding to a prior comment but he then goes on to misrepresent that comment. As usual.

Should have gone to specsavers Windy.

I was clearly saying if we only spent £1.5m in the summer we surely couldn't have afforded to pay off Ancelotti to the tune of £25 million+ which the other poster was stating was a possibility according to local media - but why let fachts get in the way of a good ole moan.

@Twinkletoes123 Benitez has some of the natives RESTLESS

 

[Kris75]

Goals galore too!

View attachment 139280

James got injured by VD in the Liverpool game but soldiered on, was laid up for the week prior to the Southampton game but tried to play through the injury, which was clearly a mistake on Ancelottis part and James for trying as it resulted in him being out for a couple of weeks after the Southamptin game. This injury coincided with our our three defeats.

Wasn't richarlison banned as well?