2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[Ghost Rider]

I'd just have played Gordon AM yesterday. It's his actual position.

They're all crap, I know.

It'll be Richarlison there unless he switches to a midfield three though which is what he really needs to do, because we aren't good enough to just think Doucoure doesn't plug about 7 gaps at once

Who is the third midfielder to play on the three? We only have 2 fit

 

[chrissyjack]

Because the fans are carrying on like Benitez has some experienced player on the bench who he is just refusing to play out of spite when he doesnt.

Ancelotti had an international player in Josh King sat on the bench who scored a hat trick yesterday and nearly joined Man Utd 2 years ago.

We've got an 18 year old or whatever kid with 5 minutes of professional football under his belt - its not the same thing and its the managers job to protect young players and make sure their confidence isn't shattered by feeding them to the wolves too soon if they are not yet ready.

Rondons an experienced old head coming to the end of his career - he can take abuse on social media and twitter and in the ground if he's crap - putting Dobbin in that situation isn't the same and anyone with sense can understand that.

The only way to find out if a player is ready is to put him on the bloody pitch . He might be a new Graeme Sharp , or a Rod Belfitt ( one for us oldies , there ) . You don’t want him on as you think he isn’t good enough . Let’s give him the chance to show us , eh . And put Rondon in the nearest skip

 

[BlueToff]

Who is the third midfielder to play on the three? We only have 2 fit

We have three CMs who were fit yesterday. If Gbamin can't do 15 mins then it's not because he isn't fit, it's because Benitez doesn't trust him. But why is he even on the bench then? Put Onyango on, if the point is just to have a player who's not going to play anyway.

He has to use what he has, he has to. All we needed yesterday was Gbamin to come on and sit in the middle for 15 minutes and let Richarlison play up top and get that useless carthorse off.

If it had all gone wrong from there, we can hold our hands up and say well at least he tried. But Ranieri made a change and Benitez had no idea how to counteract it.

 

[LeeCarsley]

if the alternative to Benitez is Duncan Ferguson id much prefer Benitez. The fact these are likely the two options says it all though

 

[BlueToff]

No manager could have this squad and have us performing better. That's not a support for benitez but generally speaking , sack him tomorrow and another man would have us even worse. Even if you think subs don't work, look at what he has to choose from. Iwobi is the best player we have off the bench, that speaks volumes.

It was always going to be a long season for us after the summer. I had no expectations of glory this year and just put it down to one of them, even an ancelotti season was terrible in the end. I just think fans forget that we really are scraping the barrel now and those few good players we do have who are injured are the only thing that will keep us ticking until may.

this squad was thinner last season (in terms of numbers) and we were 2nd at Christmas.

I was very critical of Carlo in the second half of the season because I think he should have been working harder to get the team out of the defensive shape we had to go into over the winter.

But we were 4th in March. Had we won 2 or 3 of the home games we'd lost, we'd have been 5th probably.

So don't pedal that. Don't pedal the 'who could do better though'.

The footy is atrocious to watch. Absolutely abysmal. Carlo rightly got stick for it and has done since, but Benitez's footy has been just as bad. Burnley and Newcastle the only teams to see less of the ball than us so far this season? And we've played one 'big six' team so far...

 

[bring the ghost on]

Must be great being an Everton player. You can be crap for years and the fans will just slate whatever manager is currently in charge.

Have you read any of the player threads? They’re hardly swerving the criticism.

 

[roy vernon]

Not sure mate.

Take this conversation we are having now.

Benitez thread must of had 10 replies to every 1 elsewhere.

Benitez is red to a bull.

I think that inevitably takes some of the heat away from this inept Everton board.

Pretty much what I said when he was appointed. He was brought in to keep us mid table whilst the new stadium was being built and to be the boards scapegoat as they tightened the purse strings and balanced the books. I’m sure Benitez was well aware of this fact and made sure that he got a great contract and that he would get the full benefit of this whether or not he completed the 3 years.

Everyone was a winner, apart from the fans.

 

[Zatara]

On a budget of 1.7 million. Behave.

The great Carlo Ancelotti only managed 10th and spent 10 times as much.

The team didnt cost £1.7mil. The wages and signing on fees didnt cost £1.7mil either.

If you claim hes improved the squad with 5 new players then how can you also claim hes not spent money?

Donnarumma, Ramos, Messi, Wijnaldum + Mendes on loan at PSG.

So Pocchetino spent ZERO did he?

Your argument has so many holes in it its not even worth a more brutal response.

Yet had the same squad as Carlo and improved it with pace according to everyone.

Same players mert, the argument is pathetic

5 new players hes brought in.

Could have sold players but elected not to.

Compare the teams. Carlo had more depth, he had more players available.

Ranieri is an elite level manager. We're not talking about a Sam Allardyce here.

Serious question, are you related to Benitez, one of his friends or just someone who seems to be in some way entranced by him?

Because your posts are extrememly partisan.

 

[Ruairi77]

Noticed a weird thing yesterday. Stupidly went on Twitter after, the amount of people absolving Benitez on any responsibility for that loss was high.
I don’t want another managerial change and I get that he wasnt dealt the best hand but Christ, he’s clearly responsible for repeated defensive screwpsandpersisting with Rondon
the way we folded to villa and watford is shocking.

 

[nsno-chris]

Not the same players though are they. At this point last season Carlo had Doucoure, Mina and Dominic Calvert-Lewin available. He also had Sigurdsson.

We had no Digne or Richarlison.

Against Newcastle we had Kenny at right back, Niels at left back, a midfield consisting of Delph and Gomes and Siggy behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin

So yeah, we had just a poor starting 11

 

[bring the ghost on]

Carlo after 9 games last season -

5 Wins, 3 Losses, 1Draw

After 9 games with Rafael -

4 Wins, 3 Losses, 2 Draws.

There is very little difference.

A 9 game record comparison is pretty meaningless when you’ve just been absolutely humiliated at home to Watford.

There are some performances which are just unforgivable.

 

[d34noj]

Not the same players though are they. At this point last season Carlo had Doucoure, Mina and Dominic Calvert-Lewin available. He also had Sigurdsson.

Doucoure was garbage last season, as was Sigurdsson.

He also had James Rodriguez - whom we could have had available yesterday if your arrogant boyfriend hadnt chased him out.

 

[roy vernon]

We have played 9 games, there are still 29 games to play, plus the FA Cup. Behave yourself.

God help us you’re right, another 29 games of this, probably 30 if you include the cup. I can’t wait, lucky old us.

 

[Zatara]

he'd have cost an absolute fortune however. Sporting themselves paid an outrageous fee to pry him away from Braga. Benitez was likely picked as he was cheap, knows how to churn out average results during a forced austerity, and has an outside chance of getting the club into Europe or some silverware.

They paid about £10mil or €10mil for him. Their chairman didnt mess about and went and got him.

As i said, i think we'll have Benitez until were below 15th in the league for a while.

If he gets top 6 he would get an extended stay but between 6th-15th i imagine he'll be gone once our finances are in check.

 

[Thomasc]

@matty1878
Feel free to apologise and bow down to my superior knowledge any time you feel free x