2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[Saint Domingo]

@kenada_blue

and there it is, right on cue

He has spent less money though. That’s a fact. What his critics are doing is making out he’s spent a lot of money so should be doing better when the facts are that the majority of that spend came in the last two weeks, and even then the spend is nowhere near what his predecessors have had. When this is pointed out, even though no excuse has been offered, people whinge that it’s an excuse. It’s not, it’s just a fact, we spent some money in the last couple of weeks on a few players. Ancelotti spent a lot of money at the beginning of the season on completely different types of players. You can’t argue with this.

 

[BlueRoo]

I cannot understand the inconsistency of our playing - great game against Chelsea, the players must be up for it next match. What do we get? Lacklustre start, allow other side to score first (is this a new byelaw?) Rafael inherited some second rate players and explains the reason we have acquired just 6 points out of 33 is tactics not formation. Can I suggest a tactic to be dropped by Rafael is singing lullabies to the team, or possibly hypnotising them, before they go onto the pitch for the first half. Use the youngsters and allow Big Dunc to motivate the team before and during the match.

 

[JimmyK]

Benitez has signed 7 players now - not including Lonergan. That’s more than Carlo did, so he’s running out of excuses.

Thats10 players who've joined since the start of last season then and there's Gordon and usually a couple of other youngsters regularly in the squad and yet we still have to hear people everyday saying "these players have got 7 managers sacked".

 

[kenada_blue]

Carlo got about 65 mill didn’t he, with massive wages afforded to James Doucoure Allan Godfrey, and then the loan signing of King. He didn’t have to let anyone go for that.

Benitez has had 30 mill more or less (with the majority of that arriving in the last week), with Digne’s 25 mill having to go out the door. He’s also had to shift James, Kean, Bernard, Walcott, Digne, Olsen, Virginia off the wage bill for that to occur.

So yes, whilst on paper the number of signings now align. The context behind them is dramatically different isn’t it. I’m not using that as an excuse either. It’s time to start picking up wins, but some of the rhetoric on here is a bit tiring. The moment Benitez spent some money people couldn’t wait to then starts saying he’s spent 30 million, as though signings who haven’t even played for us yet and have been here a week or so suddenly should have impacted our form in the first half of the season.

Benitez does have more of his own players now, and will have to live or die by his Digne decision, but the context of Carlo’s spending and Benitez’s just are not the same.

Isn't more down to quality rather the spending now though?

Been pulled up that we've spend loads on rubbish.

Carlo's 5 weren't rubbish (arguably).

 

[Saint Domingo]

Isn't more down to quality rather the spending now though?

Been pulled up that we've spend loads on rubbish.

Carlo's 5 weren't rubbish (arguably).

We’ve got no idea of the quality of Patterson or Mykolenko until we see them play consistently. Gray and Townsend have not been rubbish.

 

[kenada_blue]

We’ve got no idea of the quality of Patterson or Mykolenko until we see them play consistently. Gray and Townsend have not been rubbish.

Which is correct. But the point was he's signed 7 players to get results so he running out of excuses if he doesn't. Thats not relevant to spending.

His last excuse will be spending. Which gets thrown out the window IMO if you're bringing in 7-8 players and not getting results.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Which is correct. But the point was he's signed 7 players to get results so he running out of excuses if he doesn't. Thats not relevant to spending.

His last excuse will be spending. Which gets thrown out the window IMO if you're bringing in 7-8 players and not getting results.

Results should improve yes, he’s said so himself. If they don’t, then criticism is deserved. A lot of this just seems like pre-criticism and negativity for no reason

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Which is correct. But the point was he's signed 7 players to get results so he running out of excuses if he doesn't. Thats not relevant to spending.

His last excuse will be spending. Which gets thrown out the window IMO if you're bringing in 7-8 players and not getting results.

Regardless of the feelings towards the manager I look at the progression of both Arsenal and WHU in which both fanbases wanted Moyes/Arteta sacked in the early stages.

This season has been a tough one for many reasons - lack of investment in the summer, many injuries, poor tactics from the manager, Siggurdsson being suspended, players coming and going.

I think you cant not give him the full season to make a judgement providing we aint in the bottom 3.

The fanbase simply doesn't have patience anymore - thats not defending Benitez either but I keep saying it that if we had someone "young and progressive" like Potter and he finished 16th like he did last season at Brighton he would have been hounded by a good 70% of the fanbase.

There has to come a point where we give any manager who comes in 2 seasons mimimum to try turn things around/build their own team.

 

[Dixieslaces]

He has spent less money though. That’s a fact. What his critics are doing is making out he’s spent a lot of money so should be doing better when the facts are that the majority of that spend came in the last two weeks, and even then the spend is nowhere near what his predecessors have had. When this is pointed out, even though no excuse has been offered, people whinge that it’s an excuse. It’s not, it’s just a fact, we spent some money in the last couple of weeks on a few players. Ancelotti spent a lot of money at the beginning of the season on completely different types of players. You can’t argue with this.

You are right, we cant argue, but the point was and it was immediately after the post, any minute now people will say he has spent less, and Boom there it is!

thats it really

but he is still not fit for this club

Rafael Out

 

[Colonel Getafe]

Regardless of the feelings towards the manager I look at the progression of both Arsenal and WHU in which both fanbases wanted Moyes/Arteta sacked in the early stages.

I think you cant not give him the full season to make a judgement providing we aint in the bottom 3.

There has to come a point where we give any manager who comes in 2 seasons mimimum to try turn things around/build their own team.

Is that really how low the bar has been set at this club? So long as a team that collapsed to 10th last year remains better than 18th we just need to grin n bare it for a couple of years?!

If WHU were in our position the fans would be knocking seven bells out of each other all over the London Stadium every week. If it was Arsenal, half the goons on FanTV would have dragged legohead across the city and drowned him in the Thames.

 

[Dixieslaces]

Results should improve yes, he’s said so himself. If they don’t, then criticism is deserved. A lot of this just seems like pre-criticism and negativity for no reason

Ok, so sorry fella but its clearly not for "No Reason"

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Potter has a clear goal as to how he wants his teams to play and would have been a progressive appointment

Heaven's knows what Benitez's long term tactical plan is

If we were struggling like this under him then there would be cries of disgruntlement, but I don't for a second think we would have been this bad under him, and even if we weren't great he wouldn't have had the baggage that Benitez brings with him and he would have likely been giving the likes of Gordon, Dobbin and Simms lots of chances to play and stake a claim

The people complaining most about someone like Potter would probably be the ones who love Benitez so much. The ones that demand every young player be culled if they aren't amazing every time out and don't have the patience for a manager with a clear stylistic plan who needs time to implement it

 

[Toffe3m4n]

He's just pretty much confirmed that he's looking to set up the team without a traditional no.10 'link' player. He's looking to use wingers/width to dictate our attacking play.

Also seems pretty clear that he sees Richarlison as a 'false 9' as opposed to a wide forward.

Having now seen the transcript from the presser I may have actually misunderstood what he said. Being reported now that he's actively looking for a no.10 and that it's only for now that we're relying on the wide players to create. I guess we'll see..

 

[formerly manx toffee]

I flick between thinking he is a lunatic who arrived to destroy us and a magician that is taking big strides on a complete top to bottom overhaul.

#itsthehopethatgetsyou

 

[kenada_blue]

Regardless of the feelings towards the manager I look at the progression of both Arsenal and WHU in which both fanbases wanted Moyes/Arteta sacked in the early stages.

This season has been a tough one for many reasons - lack of investment in the summer, many injuries, poor tactics from the manager, Siggurdsson being suspended, players coming and going.

I think you cant not give him the full season to make a judgement providing we aint in the bottom 3.

The fanbase simply doesn't have patience anymore - thats not defending Benitez either but I keep saying it that if we had someone "young and progressive" like Potter and he finished 16th like he did last season at Brighton he would have been hounded by a good 70% of the fanbase.

There has to come a point where we give any manager who comes in 2 seasons mimimum to try turn things around/build their own team.

Arteta won a cup so got more time. Also had a way of playing that clicked quicker (4 games in).

Moyes wasn't a glamour name for West Ham. He kept them up, wasn't extended, then brought back in as he was seen as a safer bet.

Additionally they both had solid midtable sides. That hasn't gone away, they've got a little bit better.

We have a solid midtable side. Benitez is making it look like a relegation side.

Additionally, for all the issues, there's nothing to hang on to for hope that even if we do improve (it will be marginally, and in comparison to previous years backwards)...what's the plan going forward?