2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[davek]

We have a run of eight games before Christmas where we could foreseeably lose around six of them. Spurs, City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Leicester included in that run.

Benitez needs a buffer to survive any such run. Progress in the League Cup would have been it.

If we go into the new year around 12th-14th, which is very plausible, then things could get very, very nasty.

In my view, he needed cup progression as a safety net, and that's now gone.

You make it sound like our whole attack being out will continue for months.

It wont.

And we wont be losing all those games you highlight. Not with a full team out on the pitch.

I understand the need for the insurgent supporters of FC Everton to make hay here while the sun shines for them, but it's utter bollocks at the end of the day.

Three points on Saturday the sun comes out again and those people go back to moping around as per usual.

 

[BlueToff]

Utterly predictable that his good record in shoot outs deserted him tonight

Well I mean the refs spotted a GK was a yard off his line this time, at least

 

[Bungle]

Jeremy Goss hatrick nailed on then.

That's the dream

 

[ToffeeTim]

We lost a game of football

SACK THE MANAGER!!!

Didnt know we were Real Madrid.

Some of you need to give your heads a wobble so much self entitlement.

I am absolutely not entitled. You were calling out Ancelotti every week last year so pipe right down.

I dont believe the manager is the right man. He just embarrassed the club by losing to lower league opposition. This is his fault and its unacceptable.

Anyone who picks weakened sides in cups fundamentally misunderstands what thos club needs and craves. We need a trophy not to come 8th rather than 9th. Its short sighted rubbish from yet another manager.

 

[BlueToff]

Yeah and I think this was a more important game to win than Norwich, as mad as that sounds.

I think Benitez could have got away with a 2-0 win tonight and a 2-2 draw against Norwich, more than the other way around.

I think that's a hefty blow for him. Another embarrassment for a fan base sick of embarrassment, and one which he 100% owns the responsibility for. Tonight was avoidable; he decided not to avoid it. And a club that hasn't won anything since 1995 once again gives up the ghost in the League Cup in September under one of the most divisive managers we've ever had.

Fair enough. I still think that team should beat Norwich.

I'm more concerned that we just don't really have anything about us other than a bit of grit and blitz spirit mate, tbh

 

[davek]

After a decent start in the league, what are the players being rested for? I can understand why the teams in Europe do it. I can understand why the teams fighting relegation do it. Everyone else should be trying to win a cup.

We have an injury crisis.

It's that simple.

 

[gazzaa2]

We have a run of eight games before Christmas where we could foreseeably lose around six of them. Spurs, City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Leicester included in that run.

Benitez needs a buffer to survive any such run. Progress in the League Cup would have been it.

If we go into the new year around 12th-14th, which is very plausible, then things could get very, very nasty.

In my view, he needed cup progression as a safety net, and that's now gone.

He needed a good start in the league which he's produced. Lose to Norwich and that's gone but win it and it's maintained.

 

[Milkman]

Even with a weaker lineup you should still be putting sides a divison below away.

With Tom Davies in midfield and Jonjoe Kenny at right back? Are you sure about that? Have you been watching Everton for the last 6 or 7 years?

We have become a fanbase of total Geordies, it's killing me.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

But thing is after 3 games this season there were people saying Iwobi was looking reborn etc and wasn't Benitez doing a wonderful job of that

We've been effective in most of our games in very short bursts. But that isn't sustainable.

The Brighton game – we defended deep and Brighton like to have loads of the ball but we restricted them to very little. It was a very good performance.

The rest have all been about the same level bar 10-15 minute bursts of intensity and, in some small cases (Townsend's strike v Burnley, Richarlison cross for DCL v S'ton, Gray goal v Brighton) a bit of quality on top.

But thats this squads limit mate what dont people understand about that?

We've not won a trophy in 26 years, not qualified for europe in 5 years, finished 10th and 12th the last two seasons - we bring in 4x players for a combined £1.5m and people expect us to suddenly start dominating teams 3-0 every weekend.

 

[BlueToff]

We have an injury crisis.

It's that simple.

Dave.

As you have just said this, can you please tell me who is starting instead of Iwobi, Gordon, Rondon and one of Kenny, Holgate or Godfrey (at right-back) as you claimed earlier, please mate?

Thank you.

 

[davek]

We're exactly the team you want to play if you haven't got a point or your striker hasn't scored for 640 matches, it's what we do.

Let's see.

At the end of the day it's 'kin Norwich!

 

[BlueToff]

But thats this squads limit mate what dont people understand about that?

We've not won a trophy in 26 years, not qualified for europe in 5 years, finished 10th and 12th the last two seasons - we bring in 4x players for a combined £1.5m and people expect us to suddenly start dominating teams 3-0 every weekend.

Is it?

Okay

 

[Rollo Tomassi]

Well I mean the refs spotted a GK was a yard off his line this time, at least

Haha and we still blew it after that reprieve

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Not really blaming that on him tonight

If our defenders had actually done what they were supposed to and we didn’t have a crap back up goalie that he probably didn’t even want then we win that easy even with the side selected

I personally think we should have had the guts to go for Potter over Benitez as he’s getting more out of that Brighton squad than seemingly possible and he would have been a far less divisive appointment, but Benitez is what we have

 

[tommye]

Embarassing post.

Our fans are worse than Geordies these days.

The Benitez adulation is defo on a par