2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[Neiler]

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.

It’s an interesting observation mate, it does seem in terms of scale, frequency etc we always seem to be hit deep, with unlucky outcomes, or maybe it’s bad decisions. One thing that seems very frequent to me, is lads out a while and not needing surgery, then in a months time, they might actually need surgery after all. Our injuries never seem like someone is a doubt they always seem out for long weeks or longer.

Id imagine nothing in the football dept is coherent given the turnover and scale of managers we’ve had in terms of putting place robust systems.

 

[ToffeeTim]

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.

I have never ever backed this squad of players. They are the worst, and most unlikeable bunch of players we've had in my lifetime. I want the squad absolutely overhauled from top to bottom.

The manager is also failing though. Any manager who loses 5-2 at homes to a promoted side, who just lost 5 nil at home the week before, should be under immense pressure. I've made my position very clear. We've picked an inept and overrated manager who is extremely divisive and doesn't understand our club. This is the wrong path and every week he remains in position, the harder it will be for us to recover.

He got to sign the back up striker he wanted, and the performances have been some of the worst I've ever seen. He repeatedly hooks our better players in matches because he clearly premeditates his subs. The team is extremely poor, but his selections and game management are equally poor. How anyone can support this manager is truly beyond me. I can't take them seriously and they are deluded.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

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.

Benitez is the boss its that simple. If Usmanov has told him he's here 2-3 seasons outside of a relegation scrap he'll persist with it until he has cash to bring in better CB's to play it like Mina.

Ancelotti was the only truly pragmatic manager we had and he finished 10th and 12th so I dont really see the clamour for "pragmatism".

 

[Nymzee]

Benitez is the boss its that simple. If Usmanov has told him he's here 2-3 seasons outside of a relegation scrap he'll persist with it until he has cash to bring in better CB's to play it like Mina.

Ancelotti was the only truly pragmatic manager we had and he finished 19th and 12th so I dont really see the clamour for "pragmatism".

But if he was a decent manager wouldn’t he park zonal marking till he had players in that could do it? Are you happy with him carrying on using it in the face of woeful statistics?

 

[nsno-chris]

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.

How come we had one of the best defensive units last year?? Is it
a) injuries this year innit
b) the players are a year older

nope you’ve gone for c); it needs a complete rebuild

So what worked well last year, which has been torn up this year, is not the managers fault. It’s somehow bypassed him because in your eyes he’s faultless.

Shameless

 

[Brennan]

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.

Ancelotti used zonal marking on set pieces.

 

[maccavennie]

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.

Just checking, can you confirm you haven't chucked any manager under a bus the last 7 years?

That's Benitez, Ancelotti, Ferguson, Silva , Allardyce, Koeman and Martinez who you haven't personally thrown under a bus but blame the players?

 

[ForeverBlue92]

I have never ever backed this squad of players. They are the worst, and most unlikeable bunch of players they've had in my lifetime. I want the squad absolutely overhauled from top to bottom.

The manager is also failing though. Any manager who loses 5-2 at homes to a promoted side, who just lost 5 nil at home the week before, should be under immense pressure. I've made my position very clear. We've picked an inept and overrated manager who is extremely divisive and doesn't understand our club. This is the wrong path and every week he remains in position, the harder it will be for us to recover.

He got to sign the back up striker he wanted, and the performances have been some of the worst I've ever seen. He repeatedly hooks our better players in matches because he clearly premeditates his subs. The team is extremely poor, but his selections and game management are equally poor. How anyone can support this manager is truly beyond me. I can't take them seriously and they are deluded.

Well his game management was spot on against Burnley and Southampton and his sub today in Richarlison paid off within minutes.

You could argue he could have put on Dobbin over Rondon or Gbamin over Iwobi but lets be honest thats like saying I would rather be drowned than electrocuted - its two bald blokes fighting over a comb.

You say you want the squad rebuilt yet you wont give a manager time to do it. If we sack him tomorrow and get someone else in and we lose the first few games does that manager go as well?

 

[ForeverBlue92]

But if he was a decent manager wouldn’t he park zonal marking till he had players in that could do it? Are you happy with him carrying on using it in the face of woeful statistics?

No because Klopp/Pep/Poch etc wouldn't change their style for anyone same as Potter who many want to come here - LOL imagine seeing our squad try play Potterball that would be fun.

 

[Zezti]

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.

Started actually replying to this then just thought "what's the point, he'll just pull some more made up guff out of his rear".

The theme throughout your posts are "what else could he do?", well, it may not be apparent to you but Benny boy is paid £12m per year to figure out that very thing. And when it results in a 5-2 home loss to a promoted team, he earns the blame, too.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Ancelotti used zonal marking on set pieces.

A totally different method though. We used a kind of hybrid method from corners with some zonal and man marking on a couple of opponents threats.

From free kicks we defended with the two banks system. Commentators always went on about how weird it was but it was extremely effective.

The pure zonal system of marking is shambolic so far this season. We also carry no threat at the other end. What is he doing in training and why is he not reverting back to what is successful? I see it as pure arrogance.

 

[Nymzee]

No because Klopp/Pep/Poch etc wouldn't change their style for anyone same as Potter who many want to come here - LOL imagine seeing our squad try play Potterball that would be fun.

What on Earth has Graham Potter got to do with what I asked you? Your head isn’t screwed on properly is it.

 

[Nymzee]

Ancelotti used zonal marking on set pieces.

Not fully. It was half and half.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Well his game management was spot on against Burnley and Southampton and his sub today in Richarlison paid off within minutes.

You could argue he could have put on Dobbin over Rondon or Gbamin over Iwobi but lets be honest thats like saying I would rather be drowned than electrocuted - its two bald blokes fighting over a comb.

You say you want the squad rebuilt yet you wont give a manager time to do it. If we sack him tomorrow and get someone else in and we lose the first few games does that manager go as well?

He could have tried keeping Gray and Gordon on the pitch and took off the hopeless Rondon and not sent on Iwobi.

He could have also tried matching them in midfield. The subs he made were almost certainly premeditated. It was like a kid on championship manager. I've never seen such poor decision making since the Martinez days.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Not fully. It was half and half.

I liked it a lot. And the 2 banks for defending free kicks.