2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[Neiler]

With 15 mins to go and 2-1 up against Watford we should be able to see it out regardless of injuries we just needed sensible subs Surely ?
I agree the level of injuries is ridiculous

Definitley to ship 4 goals from a winning position at home is a collective meltdown. To be honest this squad of players have proved for almost five seasons now they don’t have the mentality to compete when questions are asked, they melt, season in, season out.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

You want the manager to persist with a set piece method that has conceded the same number of goals in 9 games than 38 games last year? You'd rather we change away from what worked brilliantly to something that is failing disastrously? You think we should persist with it even though it doesn't suit our personel?

You are properly tedious. Your agenda is bizarre.

Benitez plays zonal

If Pep Guardiola came to the club and wanted to play zonal would you tell him to change his style to suit Michael Keane and Mason Holgate?

Dont be so kin daft lad.

This manager is here long term he isn't changing for anyone - same way Graham Potter wouldn't suddenly start playing hoof ball he would actually try have Tom Davies trying to ping it around the park as that's his style.

The problem this summer was we couldn't effectively back him with his own players.

If Keane / Godfrey continue to not improve then they'll end up out the door with a partner for Mina brought in once funds are available.

 

[Neiler]

Tbf the injuries are nothing new. Our medical department is crap and that's why he's got somebody else in this last week. It needs sorting because they are useless.

The training intensity has been upped, definitely. Now, I think that's good as the squad look fitter. However, we've seen that it has also had an adverse impact in some cases but again that is down to the medical department. The rehab and player care simply is not up to scratch, so there's a more intense training regime, without the care to go alongside it. Hopefully that changes now Fernandez is in.

I'm just much more worried that they can hardly string any passes together.

It’s quite amazing at one point we had so many no 10s here and now we have almost none, bar arguably Iwobi.

Is that the word from inside the club mate, we have a poor player medical dept? Hadn’t heard that before.

 

[billyblue80]

Definitley to ship 4 goals from a winning position at home is a collective meltdown. To be honest this squad of players have proved for almost five seasons now they don’t have the mentality to compete when questions are asked, they melt, season in, season out.

Agree mentality is frail, no leaders, no winners. An acceptance of defeat.

 

[Marius57]

Go on then...provide a 6 week sequence when we had no recognised starting striker to put on the pitch.....

Oh, I didn't realise we conceded 5 today because we didn't have DCL starting.

But also, rondon is benitez' favoured striker for several years. He is a recognised striker. And we pay him handsomely as a recognised striker. Has he not been starting? If he isn't good enough to be playing for us, then that is on Benitez for signing him anyway.

But your claim about not having an injury crisis last season, is now about not having a striker after you have been proved that we did have an injury crisis last season. Just admit you are wrong for once and drop your agenda.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Benitez plays zonal

If Pep Guardiola came to the club and wanted to play zonal would you tell him to change his style to suit Michael Keane and Mason Holgate?

Dont be so kin daft lad.

This manager is here long term he isn't changing for anyone - same way Graham Potter wouldn't suddenly start playing hoof ball he would actually try have Tom Davies trying to ping it around the park as that's his style.

The problem this summer was we couldn't effectively back him with his own players.

If Keane / Godfrey continue to not improve then they'll end up out the door with a partner for Mina brought in once funds are available.

Yes

I would expect him to do what is most likely to be successful with our players. Guardiola would do that though so it's an irrelevant point. He's never had serious issues defending set pieces.

Set pieces are pivotal and not like other aspects of the game. You need to take responsibility and get to the ball before your opponent. It's about organisation and desire. Benitez has never been able to find the right method in his whole career and his stubborn attitude is hurting us. Do what works best for your players. Football is not about ideology it's about pragmatism.

 

[Nymzee]

I still say he's got no pace.

Of course you have never got anything wrong on here.

You tell us all the time you’re never wrong.

 

[BlueToff]

It’s quite amazing at one point we had so many no 10s here and now we have almost none, bar arguable Iwobi.

Is that the word from inside the club mate, we have a poor player medical dept? Hadn’t heard that before.

It's not from inside the club mate, it's been my opinion for some time backed up from bits I know but also just generally our woeful injury record. These aren't freak ACL injuries etc (well, not all of them), or impact injuries or all about bad tackles, most of them are strains, muscular injuries and those can be - not avoided - but they can be mitigated by better treatment.

And now, Benitez - and he even said this yesterday in his presser - has seen that too. He hasn't been happy and has gone out and got a rehab specialist in.

That's good. What isn't good, is Benitez's archaic football and lack of defensive organisation.

 

[Matthew mcdonnell]

Benitez plays zonal

If Pep Guardiola came to the club and wanted to play zonal would you tell him to change his style to suit Michael Keane and Mason Holgate?

Dont be so kin daft lad.

This manager is here long term he isn't changing for anyone - same way Graham Potter wouldn't suddenly start playing hoof ball he would actually try have Tom Davies trying to ping it around the park as that's his style.

The problem this summer was we couldn't effectively back him with his own players.

If Keane / Godfrey continue to not improve then they'll end up out the door with a partner for Mina brought in once funds are available.

But Mina will only play 25 games a season, he's solid but it just doesnt work, we need to buy a cb who will play week in week out and sell mina imo

 

[nsno-chris]

Benitez plays zonal

If Pep Guardiola came to the club and wanted to play zonal would you tell him to change his style to suit Michael Keane and Mason Holgate?

Dont be so kin daft lad.

This manager is here long term he isn't changing for anyone - same way Graham Potter wouldn't suddenly start playing hoof ball he would actually try have Tom Davies trying to ping it around the park as that's his style.

The problem this summer was we couldn't effectively back him with his own players.

If Keane / Godfrey continue to not improve then they'll end up out the door with a partner for Mina brought in once funds are available.

We played a form of zonal last year, what don’t you get about this. No matter what person came in, whether it was holgate, Keane, Mina or Godfrey that defensive unit was solid because players knew what to do. It’s called organisation

We had one of the tightest defences to now one of the worst, it’s utter shambles.

But yeah, mention something about Howe or Potterball because that’s an easy out for you.

And utter bollocks on the long term; he gets more games like today and those fans who were happy to let us appointment slide will turn goodison into an absolute caldron of vengeance for his head

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Yes

I would expect him to do what is most likely to be successful with our players. Guardiola would do that though so it's an irrelevant point. He's never had serious issues defending set pieces.

Set pieces are pivotal and not like other aspects of the game. You need to take responsibility and get to the ball before your opponent. It's about organisation and desire. Benitez has never been able to find the right method in his whole career and his stubborn attitude is hurting us. Do what works best for your players. Football is not about ideology it's about pragmatism.

Zonal is no less effective than man to man its the defenders that make a system effective or not.

If Keane cant then someone else will next summer its that simple.

And btw zonal marking doesn't result in Watford scoring 3 goals from open play in 15 minutes - our players are bottle merchants and have been for years.

So maybe throw them under the bus for a change instead of blaming the manager who's been here 9 games for the last 7 years of mediocrity.

 

[Neiler]

Agree mentality is frail, no leaders, no winners. An acceptance of defeat.

It’s these type of games we loose consistently, games that need a bit of fight, will and bottle. Watford did it to us at home a couple of seasons ago, Southampton last year sticks out, I remember we were beating Newcastle and they got two in the last few mins to win, because we melted mentally, Newcastle at home last year to, we were out fought. We have better players then these teams, but they have better characters. A lot of our squad don’t have a competeive streak or will or want to compete when it get tough.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

We played a form of zonal last year, what don’t you get about this. No matter what person came in, whether it was holgate, Keane, Mina or Godfrey that defensive unit was solid because players knew what to do. It’s called organisation

We had one of the tightest defences to now one of the worst, it’s utter shambles.

But yeah, mention something about Howe or Potterball because that’s an easy out for you.

And utter bollocks on the long term; he gets more games like today and those fans who were happy to let us appointment slide will turn goodison into an absolute caldron of vengeance for his head

I hope they do as reality will bite them on the arse when we are still crap under **insert next managers name here**

Until the squad is rebuilt we'll have days like today.

 

[Nymzee]

Zonal is no less effective than man to man its the defenders that make a system effective or not.

If Keane cant then someone else will next summer its that simple.

And btw zonal marking doesn't result in Watford scoring 3 goals from open play in 15 minutes - our players are bottle merchants and have been for years.

So maybe throw them under the bus for a change instead of blaming the manager who's been here 9 games for the last 7 years of mediocrity.

You defend set pieces the way that suits the defenders you have not what you want to use. The stats are there for all to see that coming in and enforcing zonal on these players has been a disaster. Just negligent arrogant management.

 

[nsno-chris]

Zonal is no less effective than man to man its the defenders that make a system effective or not.

If Keane cant then someone else will next summer its that simple.

And btw zonal marking doesn't result in Watford scoring 3 goals from open play in 15 minutes - our players are bottle merchants and have been for years.

So maybe throw them under the bus for a change instead of blaming the manager who's been here 9 games for the last 7 years of mediocrity.

You’re right, it’s poor tactics from the tactical genius.

Getting over run in midfield with an inept striker on; let’s carry on and hope for the best