Rafael Benitez

[StevO]

11 hours ago, Cornish Steve said:

What I expect of a new manager is to do better than the previous manager. Martinez achieved more with the players he inherited than Moyes did. So far, Benitez hasn't come close to doing better than Ancelotti - and injuries/lack of spending, as I've said throughout, is not an excuse. Every manager faces injuries. Honestly, I just don't see any improvement this year whatsoever.

You’ve been watching football for too long to be this naive Steve. 

[johnh]

3 hours ago, Romey 1878 said:

He's just a figurehead though and has no authority... apparently.

Who, Kenwright or the manager?

[dunlopp9987]

West Ham about to win, putting 3 past Chelsea. 

Should've hired Moyes a few years back when we had the chance

[Wiggytop]

19 minutes ago, dunlopp9987 said:

West Ham about to win, putting 3 past Chelsea. 

Should've hired Moyes a few years back when we had the chance

Many West Ham fans wanted him out early last season, they didn’t, if he had come back we would have sacked him no doubt, so it’s academic

[Bailey]

Does anyone else find the comments from Benitez about the players running further than Liverpool's very Sam Allardyce like?

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

If all these people shouting to play the kids are basing that on having watched them regularly in the U23 and deciding they are ready then fair enough but I just get the impression that the only criteria is that they are kids

Just throwing them in at the deep end for the sake of it won’t do us or them any good 

[Quinn31]

15 hours ago, Cornish Steve said:

What I expect of a new manager is to do better than the previous manager. Martinez achieved more with the players he inherited than Moyes did. So far, Benitez hasn't come close to doing better than Ancelotti - and injuries/lack of spending, as I've said throughout, is not an excuse. Every manager faces injuries. Honestly, I just don't see any improvement this year whatsoever.

And then after one magical season took the squad to 11th two seasons in a row on 47 points... That was after he got to shape the squad with more of his signings, many of which were diabolical. Martinez briefly tapped magic but then things went completely south and we were performing well below the standard set under Moyes. By the end, were couldn't defend or create going forward. He's a lovely man and we had some great moments, but 2/3rd of Martinez's time here was mediocre at best.

[Cornish Steve]

8 hours ago, RPG said:

If we put youngsters on, the game goes badly and the crowd turn against the team we will destroy the youngsters. There may come a time when we have no choice but I don't think we are quite there yet. It's time to hold our nerve.

Do we honestly think youngsters can't take that? They're adults. To be successful players, they must be tough not fragile nymphs. I'll guarantee that the likes of Simms, Dobbin, Whitaker, and Welch would throw all their energy into playing. It would be their chance to make it, so why wouldn't they?

[Cornish Steve]

6 hours ago, RuffRob said:

Ridiculous - the Everton team Ancelotti left behind was diabolical, the play and in the end the results since January has been as bad as anything we have seen.

Benitez start of this season in the first 6 or 7 game was actually better than the start of last season for Ancettoti - So I call Bullshit on your statement about Benitez not coming close to Ancelloti. With a fit squad of player the team looked considerably better under Benitez in the first 7 games than it looked in the second half of last year. 

Result have gone to shit since what is an injury crisis, so actually injuries is a perfectly valid excuse. Do you really think our middle of the league squad should be just as strong when a considerable proportion of our best players are not available? 

Fact remains no matter who the manager is with a a fit squad we are basically a 7th to 11th place premier league team, you have a prolonged injury crisis to two or three of our better players and this squad is a 12th 17th place team. This is the harsh reality - at best a we have an ordinary squad of players by Premier league standards.  That's out main problem and not that we have a ex Liverpool manager at he club.

 

Ancelotti won his his opening game away to Spurs in impressive style. He went on to beat most of the top teams. The problem was our abysmal form at home, especially against lower teams. The beginning of this season was deceptive because we played only the poorer teams - and even then we struggled. I can't think of a game this season where we dominated. I can think of plenty of games where our opponents dominated.

I'm not a fan of Ancelotti, and what he did was a stab in the back. But let's be objective. When comparing apples with apples, our form this year is worse than last year.

[Shukes]

1 hour ago, duncanmckenzieismagic said:

If all these people shouting to play the kids are basing that on having watched them regularly in the U23 and deciding they are ready then fair enough but I just get the impression that the only criteria is that they are kids

Just throwing them in at the deep end for the sake of it won’t do us or them any good 

Saw Simms a decent few times for U23s and Blackpool. Other than a few good moments, he looks nowhere near premier league. 
 

Can’t comment on Dobbin as haven’t saw much of him.

[Cornish Steve]

2 minutes ago, Shukes said:

Saw Simms a decent few times for U23s and Blackpool. Other than a few good moments, he looks nowhere near premier league. 
 

Can’t comment on Dobbin as haven’t saw much of him.

"a few good moments" ahead of Rondon then.

[Shukes]

27 minutes ago, Cornish Steve said:

"a few good moments" ahead of Rondon then.

Only by a mile though!

[Palfy]

17 minutes ago, Cornish Steve said:

Do we honestly think youngsters can't take that? They're adults. To be successful players, they must be tough not fragile nymphs. I'll guarantee that the likes of Simms, Dobbin, Whitaker, and Welch would throw all their energy into playing. It would be their chance to make it, so why wouldn't they?

They would but that doesn’t mean they have the ability to play on the big stage, playing with heart is indeed very important but if you don’t have the ability required that counts for very little. 
When a team is fighting for survival you don’t throw on 2 or 3 unproven players you use your most experienced players, that isn’t just Benitez who operates that way 99% of managers would be the even Ancelotti who you bigged up in a previous post did the same last season, there’s a right time to blood inexperienced players and this isn’t it. 

[Cornish Steve]

Just now, Palfy said:

They would but that doesn’t mean they have the ability to play on the big stage, playing with heart is indeed very important but if you don’t have the ability required that counts for very little. 
When a team is fighting for survival you don’t throw on 2 or 3 unproven players you use your most experienced players, that isn’t just Benitez who operates that way 99% of managers would be the even Ancelotti who you bigged up in a previous post did the same last season, there’s a right time to blood inexperienced players and this isn’t it. 

Not to be funny, but if now isn't the right time, when is?

[Palfy]

14 minutes ago, Cornish Steve said:

Not to be funny, but if now isn't the right time, when is?

When a team is in control of a game 2 or 3 up with 15-10 minutes to go, and if as the manager you believe they possess the ability start giving them ago and slowly start giving them more game time if they have shown they can handle it, but don’t possibly destroy them by starting them or throwing them on against Liverpool on Wednesday. There are players of a very young age who have possessed the heart and ability to play in the first team from the off, but they are very very rare in the premier league, yet you believe we have 3 or 4 now ready and waiting. 

[Cornish Steve]

31 minutes ago, Palfy said:

When a team is in control of a game 2 or 3 up with 15-10 minutes to go, and if as the manager you believe they possess the ability start giving them ago and slowly start giving them more game time if they have shown they can handle it, but don’t possibly destroy them by starting them or throwing them on against Liverpool on Wednesday. There are players of a very young age who have possessed the heart and ability to play in the first team from the off, but they are very very rare in the premier league, yet you believe we have 3 or 4 now ready and waiting. 

It never used to be this way. We've become so cautious, and I'm not sure why. To get a real chance, youngsters need to play a full 90 minutes. You can't prove yourself in 10-15 pointless minutes.

[Palfy]

14 minutes ago, Cornish Steve said:

It never used to be this way. We've become so cautious, and I'm not sure why. To get a real chance, youngsters need to play a full 90 minutes. You can't prove yourself in 10-15 pointless minutes.

Read what I said, now tell me the names of all youngsters you know who’s first first team game started from the off even if they didn’t play the full 90 minutes, I can’t think of one but I’m sure you are going to tell me plenty?

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

48 minutes ago, Shukes said:

Saw Simms a decent few times for U23s and Blackpool. Other than a few good moments, he looks nowhere near premier league. 
 

Can’t comment on Dobbin as haven’t saw much of him.

I’ve only watched a handful of games that were shown live on YouTube but I concur that Simms didn’t look ready when he was at the peak of his powers so certainly isn’t ready now considering he’s had a long term injury and only played a handful of games since then 

45 minutes ago, Cornish Steve said:

"a few good moments" ahead of Rondon then.

Rondon has proven himself in the Premier League and done it under this manager, granted he’s been woeful but I honestly think his last 2 performances have offered a glimmer of hope that playing him into fitness might just be working

If the kids are good enough then great get them in but you can’t just play them because they are kids, they have to be good enough and they have to be ready

Ive seen nothing to think the current crop are any better or even as good as  than the likes of Dowell, JJK and Connor Gallagher 

[Cornish Steve]

10 minutes ago, duncanmckenzieismagic said:

I’ve only watched a handful of games that were shown live on YouTube but I concur that Simms didn’t look ready when he was at the peak of his powers so certainly isn’t ready now considering he’s had a long term injury and only played a handful of games since then 

Rondon has proven himself in the Premier League and done it under this manager, granted he’s been woeful but I honestly think his last 2 performances have offered a glimmer of hope that playing him into fitness might just be working

If the kids are good enough then great get them in but you can’t just play them because they are kids, they have to be good enough and they have to be ready

Ive seen nothing to think the current crop are any better or even as good as  than the likes of Dowell, JJK and Connor Gallagher 

We'll never know if they never play, will we?

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

17 minutes ago, Cornish Steve said:

We'll never know if they never play, will we?

My 12 year old daughter is a season ticket holder who goes home an away  and loves Everton and loves playing football , should we throw her in just in case she turns out to be the next Wayne Rooney ?

 

[Romey 1878]

38 minutes ago, duncanmckenzieismagic said:

I’ve only watched a handful of games that were shown live on YouTube but I concur that Simms didn’t look ready when he was at the peak of his powers so certainly isn’t ready now considering he’s had a long term injury and only played a handful of games since then 

Rondon has proven himself in the Premier League and done it under this manager, granted he’s been woeful but I honestly think his last 2 performances have offered a glimmer of hope that playing him into fitness might just be working

If the kids are good enough then great get them in but you can’t just play them because they are kids, they have to be good enough and they have to be ready

Ive seen nothing to think the current crop are any better or even as good as  than the likes of Dowell, JJK and Connor Gallagher 

Gallagher?

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

20 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

Gallagher?

Sorry wishful thinking on my part ! I was thinking of Callum Connolly , all World Cup winners at that level but none have made it in the Prem 

 

 

 

[Gwlad]

1 hour ago, duncanmckenzieismagic said:

My 12 year old daughter is a season ticket holder who goes home an away  and loves Everton and loves playing football , should we throw her in just in case she turns out to be the next Wayne Rooney ?

 

Tell her to keep the faith. I have a 9 year old granddaughetr who loves Crystal Palace. 

[StevO]

4 hours ago, Cornish Steve said:

It never used to be this way. We've become so cautious, and I'm not sure why. To get a real chance, youngsters need to play a full 90 minutes. You can't prove yourself in 10-15 pointless minutes.

They get the chance to prove themselves on the training pitch every single day.

We can only assume they aren’t matching up to the senior pros in training. 
Id love to see the kids get a chance, but a manager under pressure to keep his job just isn’t going to take that risk. 

[Cornish Steve]

2 hours ago, StevO said:

They get the chance to prove themselves on the training pitch every single day.

We can only assume they aren’t matching up to the senior pros in training. 
Id love to see the kids get a chance, but a manager under pressure to keep his job just isn’t going to take that risk. 

How often do those earning a 3rd at university really excel when it comes to real life, while plenty with a 1st struggle? It's the same with training versus playing in front of a full stadium. The adrenalin kicks in and makes a huge difference.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. How will we know if we don't give them the opportunity? What is there to lose? Rondon or Iwobi or Delph not playing for 90 minutes? Tosun not coming on as a sub? Big whoop.

[c1982]

Sack Benitez to replace him with Mourinho… modern day Everton.

[Matt]

24 minutes ago, c1982 said:

Sack Benitez to replace him with Mourinho… modern day Everton.

Seems to be the rumour. Think FFP would actually save us from this

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

1 hour ago, Matt said:

Seems to be the rumour. Think FFP would actually save us from this

It’s come for on the Mirror

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/jose-mourinho-next-everton-manager-25617271

[Matt]

31 minutes ago, duncanmckenzieismagic said:

It’s come for on the Mirror

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/jose-mourinho-next-everton-manager-25617271

Yeah, I saw. But if we don't have money for players, we won't have money for severance packages and JM

[Romey 1878]

2 hours ago, c1982 said:

Sack Benitez to replace him with Mourinho… modern day Everton.

I can well believe we'd be that stupid.