2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[MikeH72]

Big lowering of expectation now, very close to getting into top 4 last season, pretty sure we would have done with Goodison full that and awful home record would have not materialised as it did.

No, we finished 10th. 5 teams were closer to the top 4 than we were. One was newly promoted Leeds United.

 

[zukai12_]

Injuries aren't helping at all but we have quietly fell to 1 win in 5

Watford should be a win but a win agaisnt Wolves would be really nice

 

[Pat Butcher]

Oink

 

[blueblue]

This Everton project is more marathon than sprint. The manager has really spent nothing yet and will have had half a season of competitive football before the next window opens.

By January he should have a far better idea of the players that he would like to play a role and those he would like to leave. We will also see in January but more likely in the summer if Richarlison , Mina and maybe others are sold which would generate a lot of spending capacity.

In addition we may see some departures as well to further free up space and wages for new signings.
I think this summer finally sees the last of the players leave that have come to Everton and really contributed nothing as well as a couple that although available they are not getting games.
Sigurdsson, Delph,Tosun and Kenny will probably free up another 250k a week in salaries on top of probably another 30m saved during the summer net of new signings.

 

[Terrarian]

Leicester won the league with a average of 39%. They were far from boring to watch, personally I prefer to see us creating chances and moving up the pitch quickly. Last few seasons have been so boring to watch us pass it around for the sake of passing. I have enjoyed most of our games this season, yesterday wasn't great and after the villa game was probably the least enjoyable but we still at least created some chances oppose to some of the games towards the end of last season.

Yes of course, i hate tika taka crap as well, in possession we are more direct and have more pace. I just wish we did it more and not just waiting for a counter attack

 

[Stephenlloyd]

Yes of course, i hate tika taka crap as well, in possession we are more direct and have more pace. I just wish we did it more and not just waiting for a counter attack

I think Rafael knows what he’s doing. The problem with sitting back and trying to counter. Is when a team comes to goodison and sits in. I’d imagine Watford, will probably do that the first 25mins. I think the way we’ve seem to counter that this season is to play high up the pitch in them games, unlike last season. 5 at the back v Sheffield Utd.

Without a number of great technical players we have to try and play at 100mph against these teams. Which should also get the crowd going. I think Rafael yesterday, tried to not concede and at worst take a point, with the players missing I don’t think he was comfortable going toe to toe with West Ham.

We need more possession IMO and that will only come with better players, hopefully that will happen over the next few windows.

Looking at this season as a whole. 4 victories we deserved IMO. Yes Burnley and Southampton we weren’t great first half, but deserved to win in the end. The other 4. Leeds we should have won. Missed 2 great chances at 2-1. Utd again a missed opportunity at the end. Villa nothing in that game up to their goal and of course the gray/ konsa incident couid have been a huge turning point. And then yesterday, while West Ham bossed possession we still missed the to best chances up to their goal, I don’t think we lose if we score first. And with 3 of our best players missing

So a good start, but we easily couid be on more points. And this is what separates the top sides. Every year I feel we’re on here saying the same thing, missed opportunities. Missed chances, injuries, poor refereeing decisions. We need to change that ourselves. And hopefully Rafael can moving forward

 

[RB4EV]

You also completely ignored the second part of my post. Very convenient

There is no point in discussing him since James in no longer here. Lack of options is more to do with injuries

 

[deipnosophist]

Getting a tune out of the current Everton squad is waaaay beyond the ability of any manager (with the possible exception of Vitor Pereira)

 

[MACCA75]

This Everton project is more marathon than sprint. The manager has really spent nothing yet and will have had half a season of competitive football before the next window opens.

By January he should have a far better idea of the players that he would like to play a role and those he would like to leave. We will also see in January but more likely in the summer if Richarlison , Mina and maybe others are sold which would generate a lot of spending capacity.

In addition we may see some departures as well to further free up space and wages for new signings.
I think this summer finally sees the last of the players leave that have come to Everton and really contributed nothing as well as a couple that although available they are not getting games.
Sigurdsson, Delph,Tosun and Kenny will probably free up another 250k a week in salaries on top of probably another 30m saved during the summer net of new signings.

There really is no project. We are as far away from the top clubs as ever, probably further given Leicester and West Ham have got their act together and Newcastle now have billions.
We’ll never get rid of the dead wood when every single window we bring in more.

 

[MikeH72]

There really is no project. We are as far away from the top clubs as ever, probably further given Leicester and West Ham have got their act together and Newcastle now have billions.
We’ll never get rid of the dead wood when every single window we bring in more.

The project is stay in the Premier League until the stadium is built and Moshiri can sell up. People don’t want to acknowledge the reality so will deny this.

 

[Stephenlloyd]

There really is no project. We are as far away from the top clubs as ever, probably further given Leicester and West Ham have got their act together and Newcastle now have billions.
We’ll never get rid of the dead wood when every single window we bring in more.

Rubbish IMO. Will all come down to money. And the owners will back Rafael. Leicester had a good result at the weekend. But haven’t been great this season so far.
both them and West Ham have got a bit more stability than us. But I don’t think we will be that far away from both of them and if we get are strongest team on the pitch ASAP and keep it that way, we could easily finish above them both.

 

[Stephenlloyd]

The project is stay in the Premier League until the stadium is built and Moshiri can sell up. People don’t want to acknowledge the reality so will deny this.

Who says he will sell up. If he’s only interested in that and we are a team that’s finishing 10tg to 15th then he will be getting a lot of flack, another 2/3 managers wouid have come through the door and our value wouldn’t be that high even with the stadium.

 

[davids]

Ay? Not sure what relevance that had to my post mate? I'm just saying we can't pass not that we should be playing iwobi or rondon haha

I think it needs to be balanced like, I think the reason we play so direct through gray and townsend is because he knows we can't retain the ball, we literally are never in control of a game ever because we cannot keep the ball.

I don't think you NEED all of the ball to control a game but you certainly need to be able to string a few passes together, something our players cannot do

Think he's being pragmatic,if you don't have the players with the ball skills,get rid before the teams that press high embarrass you.

 

[Runub]

The project is stay in the Premier League until the stadium is built and Moshiri can sell up. People don’t want to acknowledge the reality so will deny this.

I have seen this theory a few times on here. Forgive my ignorance and I have not really had time to think it through but could you in a sentence, if possible, explain why Moshiri would do that i.e. what would be in it for him?

 

[MisterJ]

Sooner we get our forwards fit again and Rondon / Iwobi are rightly punted back to the bench or the stands, the better.

Rafael can be as tactical as he likes; with those two in the side it's always going to be an uphill battle.

I am a little disappointed in Rondon though. He was ok last time he was in the premier league; thought he could be an impact sub to come on and rough up defenders where needed. Turns out he's come back to the premier league with lead boots