2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[brieverton]

It seems almost universally accepted here that we have a squad capable of no better than about 8th at best. Some think it's a bottom-half squad.

European qualification would be almost miraculous in these circumstances.

What I can't fathom about football fans is when they then complain that results/performances don't magically out-strip the benchmark set.

I was disappointed last night but it wasn't that much of a shock, despite the media loving that term and their need to use it.

This middling, mid-table PL side with a host of injuries losing away, on penalties, to a Championship side.

I'm not for Benitez, I'm not anti-Benitez either.

It does strike me though that the hand of cards he has been dealt here represents an absolute pile of turd.

So whilst wanting more, and I think a good manager must push the envelope a bit, I can't expect that much more.

For me, we still have to improve on last seasons placing, and I would be disappointed and hold Benitez accountable if we fail to improve on 10th. I hope he can push it to 7th or 8th, but that's just me.

Still though, even if we finish 8th, it doesn't amount to anything and it means we can expect quite a lot of disappointing results and performances. Just like Villa, just like QPR. This is where we are at with this squad.

 

[mahermi1]

Godfrey isn’t that small, he just doesn’t like jumping or heading the ball.

If he wants to be a Centre half then he's going to have to learn.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Disagree mate. Said as much prior to the result last night.

That starting 11 last night would struggle in the Championship.

He doesn't fancy the league cup at all and picked a weakened side last night, as he did when we got lucky at Huddersfield. Simple as that.

We'll be laughing and cringing at this team sheet in a few years. Absolute kip of it.

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Never the managers fault with that logic.

What an indictment on Brands btw

But anyone who thinks the manager was taking the game seriously with that selection is either on a wind up or seriously misunderstands football.

 

[Milkman]

No, I support Everton Football Club not the manager.

I think I might see a flaw in your usually flawless logic there.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

That is the 11th time we have exited that cup at that stage, so It's not just RB as a manager who sees it as a burden - our squad is not big enough to be in it .....

Absolute nonsense.

What's the point then?

We're not winning the league.

We're not getting relegated.

Of course we have a squad that can play on a Tuesday, and then on Saturday. After that we've got another full week.

We will have played 4 football games in September.

We've only got 3 football games in the month of October.

 

[PaddyJames]

Absolutely I would not. I have never ever done that once in my life.

Players can get injured in any match or any training session.

The only agendas are from those defending an overrated manager who just lost to a lower league side. And weirdly enough lots of those shouting at us all to back the manager refused to back the manager last year. I won't be taking lectures on people claiming agendas whenever they are defending an unacceptable defeat.

How am I defending a defeat? The agenda is being driven by two bob fans who can't wait to throw digs at benitez instead of looking at reality and accepting the job he has to do. He's won more silverware in the last 20 years than our whole club. "over-rated" what chance has he got with 'fans' like that? can you see my point?

 

[davids]

All clubs have improved to the tune of us losing 19 points??? Hahaha give over

Did you not watch some of last season's games? We rode our luck far too often. Couple of long term injuries to this squad and the wheels can easily come off.

 

[Nymzee]

What games did you watch mate?

Barnsley & Bournemouth

 

[Johnnytotal]

It seems almost universally accepted here that we have a squad capable of no better than about 8th at best. Some think it's a bottom-half squad.

European qualification would be almost miraculous in these circumstances.

What I can't fathom about football fans is when they then complain that results/performances don't magically out-strip the benchmark set.

I was disappointed last night but it wasn't that much of a shock, despite the media loving that term and their need to use it.

This middling, mid-table PL side with a host of injuries losing away, on penalties to a Championship side.

I'm not for Benitez, I'm not anti-Benitez either.

It does strike me though that the hand of cards he has been dealt here represents an absolute pile of turd.

So whilst wanting more, and I think a good manager must push the envelope a bit, I can't expect that much more.

For me, we still have to improve on last seasons placing, and I would be disappointed and hold Benitez accountable if we fail to improve on 10th. I hope he can push it to 7th or 8th, but that's just me.

Still though, even if we finish 8th, it doesn't amount to anything and it means we can expect quite a lot of disappointing results and performances. Just like Villa, just like QPR. This is where we are at with this squad.

"For me, we still have to improve on last seasons placing, and I would be disappointed and hold Benitez accountable if we fail to improve on 10th. I hope he can push it to 7th or 8th, but that's just me."

Why has he been given more money and been able to sign players we haven't heard about?

 

[PaddyJames]

Barnsley & Bournemouth

What channels mate? How did they finish?

 

[FrenchDarrenBent]

A section of our fans are the problem and I used to be first on here to stick up for them whenever people trotted out the "its the fans fault our players feel too under pressure to perform".

But some of the stuff over the last few months has been beyond the pale. We still have a majority that are sensible in fairness but the minority who revel in defeats, fly abusive banners, singing about Ancelotti dying etc. are dragging our name through the mud and are turning us into a banter fanbase on the same level as Newcastle and Millwall.

I dunno, I get the feeling lately we're the minority.

 

[Nymzee]

The league is our bread and butter. The league cup is a luxury, our squad is, currently, not big enough to be in it. I

Brentford won 7-0 yesterday with a similar sized squad to us.

 

[FrenchDarrenBent]

We will have played 4 football games in September.

We've only got 3 football games in the month of October.

Most of our players will have to play internationals though. so it's (mostly) +4 games for our best players.

 

[davids]

Absolute nonsense.

What's the point then?

We're not winning the league.

We're not getting relegated.

Of course we have a squad that can play on a Tuesday, and then on Saturday. After that we've got another full week.

We will have played 4 football games in September.

We've only got 3 football games in the month of October.

Don't know if Benítez has previous for this,but just maybe he's seen enough of this squad to be cautious.

 

[nsno-chris]

Did you not watch some of last season's games? We rode our luck far too often. Couple of long term injuries to this squad and the wheels can easily come off.

Yes I watched all of them. We setup with a solid defensive unit with the clear plan of getting a goal and defending as a unit. It worked very well away from home. It’s called a game plan