2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[toffeeblue9]

Same squad, same expectations placed on this manager as last.

10th or below = utter failure

10th would be an utter failure? Only if the people who say that wanted Ancelotti out at the end of last season too

FWIW - I almost agree, if you're bringing in someone as contentious as Benitez, there has to be a payoff. Finishing below what Ancelotti did last season would not be OK

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

I'm sure he will. Ancelotti did the same last season away at better teams than ourselves with a fair degree of success.

Wonder if he has subsequently learned a bit of humility on the subject

Well he's made a rod for his back now if we go there and grind out a respectable 0-0, especially as so many on here are of the opinion that his comments were correct when he said them

He'll be damming himself with his own words

 

[Nymzee]

10th would be an utter failure? Only if the people who say that wanted Ancelotti out at the end of last season too

FWIW - I almost agree, if you're bringing in someone as contentious as Benitez, there has to be a payoff. Finishing below what Ancelotti did last season would not be OK

10th and 12th under Carlo were failure seasons.

 

[toffeeblue9]

10th and 12th under Carlo were failure seasons.

I actually agree, but I don't think anyone was really calling for his head? That being the case, I wouldn't do that to Benitez either if we finished 10th, but I'd also see it as an underperformance (he does have the mitigating factor of a summer of austerity vs the money and wages Ancelotti was allowed to oversee spending though I guess).

 

[toffeeblue9]

Well he's made a rod for his back now if we go there and grind out a respectable 0-0, especially as so many on here are of the opinion that his comments were correct when he said them

He'll be damming himself with his own words

Tbf it isn't like he hasn't already done this with Newcastle

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

Saturday will be a useful barometer to see how we've improved since pre-season

I think he'll set us up to be super defensive in an effort to try and snatch something

Doubt he'll think we're a small club for trying that this time though now that he's in the manager seat of course...

Starts a run fixtures that will test the appointment of manager. Injuries will be offered as an excuse if we start falling away, always be part of football for me. Also being out of a cup should be a bennyfit, to our player fitness levels. If we end up still in and around Europe places by December, something to believe in then.

 

[Nymzee]

I actually agree, but I don't think anyone was really calling for his head? That being the case, I wouldn't do that to Benitez either if we finished 10th, but I'd also see it as an underperformance (he does have the mitigating factor of a summer of austerity vs the money and wages Ancelotti was allowed to oversee spending though I guess).

I never said Benitez would get sacked.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

10th and 12th under Carlo were failure seasons.

Context is important of course

I would say we're either a worse team this season or at best have stood still whilst a lot of other squads have improved

Finishing top half with this team is probably par at worst

I'm not especially thrilled about that, but I think we have to be fair about stuff like this sometimes

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Tbf it isn't like he hasn't already done this with Newcastle

Of course, but no one said anything when he did that because he had no history of making snide comments about them playing like that when against the top teams

He's already set the bar that Everton going to the top teams and playing defensively is a bad thing deserving of scorn, so if he now has Everton playing away at a top team in a defensive manner it's going to reflect back on him

It's why he should have just been honest when he got the job and said that he made the original comments in frustration at being held by a great defensive performance by Everton and fully retracted them

It would have not only smoothed things over with a segment of the fan base but it also would have taken that particular aspect off the table

Instead he chose to hold firm, and make the aforementioned rod

 

[phil_t98]

What rot.
How can you tell? because of the PR Puff the has been dropping on social media?
At the start of thew season we had numpties telling us Bigtitez was "working the Squad harder with more intense training" based on 3 min of heavily edited video in a Club Tweet.

And even if he is out on the training pitch more, perhaps Carlo was doing better things with his time like reviewing video and working on tactics? Perhaps Carlo trusted his Coaches to carry out his orders more? Surely Rafalafel should have better things to do that micro-manage the squad and his coaches?

Who knows? perhaps he is working them harder? it would certainly explain the many more injuries we are suffering at the moment compared with this time last year.

More injuries because he is working them harder? You mean the euros and the cops America weren’t a thing and we haven’t had a fair few internationals as well.

I see what I see on. The pitch and he is doing more on the sidelines and speaking to the players more than Carlo did. Like somebody else said if we beat UTD on sat he will of equaled the points tally of Carlos first 9 game swith a few games to spare

 

[Brennan]

As if I care what I look like on the Internet.
Grow up mate, we all have different ways of interfacing with the Club we love, and I'm certainly not going to be bullied into following yours.

The hypocrisy here is a little bit rich considering every time you talk about Benitez you refer to him like a child on a playground would.

 

[Nymzee]

Context is important of course

I would say we're either a worse team this season or at best have stood still whilst a lot of other squads have improved

Finishing top half with this team is probably par at worst

I'm not especially thrilled about that, but I think we have to be fair about stuff like this sometimes

This squad is possibly better than last with Gray and Townsend playing more games over a season than Rodriguez.

Whatever was a success and failure for Ancelotti is the same for Benitez.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

This squad is possibly better than last with Gray and Townsend playing more games over a season than Rodriguez.

Whatever was a success and failure for Ancelotti is the same for Benitez.

I really don't think it's better

Townsend and Gray have been good signings, but the squad is still woefully threadbare and we've gotten rid of our most creative player

At best we've stood still whilst others have kicked on

 

[Nymzee]

I really don't think it's better

Townsend and Gray have been good signings, but the squad is still woefully threadbare and we've gotten rid of our most creative player

At best we've stood still whilst others have kicked on

Well so far this season Townsend and Gray have combined for 7 goals / 4 assists after 8 games. Whilst neither is anywhere near as good as Rodriguez they will play nearly every game so you'd say will contribute maybe double what Rodriguez did.

I'm not saying it's mile better but I'd say marginally better. Others have strengthened but we also underachieved last year. 9th minimum.

 

[Kev50]

Of course, but no one said anything when he did that because he had no history of making snide comments about them playing like that when against the top teams

He's already set the bar that Everton going to the top teams and playing defensively is a bad thing deserving of scorn, so if he now has Everton playing away at a top team in a defensive manner it's going to reflect back on him

It's why he should have just been honest when he got the job and said that he made the original comments in frustration at being held by a great defensive performance by Everton and fully retracted them

It would have not only smoothed things over with a segment of the fan base but it also would have taken that particular aspect off the table

Instead he chose to hold firm, and make the aforementioned rod

when did he say Everton going to top teams and playing defensively was a bad thing deserving of scorn?