Rafael Benitez

[Zoo 2.0]

TalkSport saying that he could be gone as early as tonight, I'd normally take that with a pinch of salt but of course this will have come from Moshiri himself in communication with his best mate, Jim White.

[Bailey]

On 13/01/2022 at 09:31, Aidan said:

I'm quite conflicted with the situation at the minute and the way Rafa is running things. On one hand, I feel many aspects of his methods are something we've needed for a long time. He wants the team to be just that, a team, and wants to achieve this with discipline and hard work. He isn't interested in individuals.

On the other hand, it's difficult to get on board with it. From the outset many fans didn't want Rafa at the club, which makes any negative situation seem worse, because he isn't very well liked. It feels like Digne was being driven out for whatever reason and I'm not sure we will ever know the details of it or who was in the right. If Digne wasn't willing to adapt his game to suit the team, then he's not really a player I want at the club. On the flip side of that, it is disappointing to think Rafa was incapable of finding a way of using Digne to his strengths - but then again where has that ever got previous managers?

So far there seems to be a lack of a plan on the field, but there does finally seem to be a vision off it. I've never seen the board work so fast in a transfer window to seal targets. I would guess this could only be influenced by Rafa. Whether these players are good enough or not is yet to be seen.

One thing I'd like to mention is that the signings he has made so far have influenced the team really well. Gray looks like he could be a really good player for us and Townsend has his flaws but is a useful squad player, better than most we have brought in in recent years. He has also brought Gordon's game on heaps and bounds and he is also looking like he will be a good little player for us.

At this point it pains me to say it, but the sensible thing to do would be to give Rafa the summer window and see where we are at around Christmas time before we call for his head. I know that is very difficult though as every loss breeds hatred.

I see that you have now changed your opinion after today but I will still respond to some of this because I do agree in parts.

The one main thing I don't agree with is this motion that we are a team. On the pitch we are all over the place and we have seen with the Digne situation that there are some cracks in the dressing room as well. We look more like a team of individuals than at any other time I can remember after say the Koeman era. There is no evidence that this group of players are playing like a collective unit. 

I am also a little unsure about the transfer strategy. If Digne wasn't going to be sold, would we have made any of the signings we have? I am sceptical. 

Gray has certainly worked out really well, Townsend is still a bit of a nothing player for all that I think he is a good character for the squad and I agree that Gordon has come on a lot this season. The caveats are that Rondon has been dreadful and almost every other player has gone backwards.

I think we need to seriously start seeing the seeds of progress on the pitch for him to be given much more time at the club. I am really struggling to see anything to give me hope. 

[Romey 1878]

5 minutes ago, Zoo 2.0 said:

TalkSport saying that he could be gone as early as tonight, I'd normally take that with a pinch of salt but of course this will have come from Moshiri himself in communication with his best mate, Jim White.

Please let it be so.

He never should have been hired in the first place, him not lasting was inevitable (even if no one quite envisioned it being like this).

Amazing that we've ripped up the medical department, the DoF system, let him alienate and then sell Digne, spend around £40m in the January window, and then it looks like we're going to get shut of him. Everton (under Moshiri), that.

[MikeO]

On 30/06/2021 at 16:00, MikeO said:

Well I guess we need a new thread then. Now he's here wish him all the best, be right behind him unless/until he gives me reason to not be.

That was my opening post in this thread and I've pretty much stayed out of it since then; but really, enough is enough now.

Can see no possible argument for keeping him on, give it to Dunc for a couple of games and see if we get the dead cat bounce we got from him last time before getting someone else in. Who? Kasper Hjulmand (who I know fuck all about) is marginally the bookie's favourite ahead of Rooney and Lampard, but just now I really don't care. Just A N Other please (Allardyce excepted).

[Cornish Steve]

2 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

Please let it be so.

He never should have been hired in the first place, him not lasting was inevitable (even if no one quite envisioned it being like this).

Amazing that we've ripped up the medical department, the DoF system, let him alienate and then sell Digne, spend around £40m in the January window, and then it looks like we're going to get shut of him. Everton (under Moshiri), that.

Sorry for being a smart-ass, but I did. I've pointed out time and again his three consistent faults, boring others to death, no doubt. I don't want to be right, and I hate to be right about this, but for me it's always been as clear as day.

[Romey 1878]

2 minutes ago, Cornish Steve said:

Sorry for being a smart-ass, but I did. I've pointed out time and again his three consistent faults, boring others to death, no doubt. I don't want to be right, and I hate to be right about this, but for me it's always been as clear as day.

I didn't mean the issues surrounding his personality when I spoke about it not being this bad, I meant that I don't think anyone was thinking we'd be right in a relegation fight.

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

8 minutes ago, MikeO said:

That was my opening post in this thread and I've pretty much stayed out of it since then; but really, enough is enough now.

Can see no possible argument for keeping him on, give it to Dunc for a couple of games and see if we get the dead cat bounce we got from him last time before getting someone else in. Who? Kasper Hjulmand (who I know fuck all about) is marginally the bookie's favourite ahead of Rooney and Lampard, but just now I really don't care. Just A N Other please (Allardyce excepted).

As much as I would love to take it I’ve just signed a new contract with my current employer on greatly improved terms

[Sibdane]

I’m really hoping he opens his mouth about Moshiri when he’s gone. I want to hear what he has to say about him. 

[Romey 1878]

3 minutes ago, Sibdane said:

I’m really hoping he opens his mouth about Moshiri when he’s gone. I want to hear what he has to say about him. 

"He's great at rimming and let me do what the fuck I wanted to the football club while he did it."

[MC11]

10 hours ago, duncanmckenzieismagic said:

That’s all very true but that’s now 6 manager who’ve failed with what we’ve got so just maybe what we’ve got is simply not good enough?

As I’ve said previously it’s impossible to judge the manager one way or the other under the circumstance For me the next few weeks is the time to judge Rafa. We now have a fully fit squad bar Davies , who wouldn’t get near the staring XI anyway, and he has had a chance to bring some of his own players in. Albeit he hasn’t been afforded the financial backing his predecessors have

Im fully expecting results to change in the second half of the season and for us to start climbing the table, which to be fair is what Rafa said would happen all along

If they don’t then I will be wanting him out in the summer

Hi Dunc,

You’re wrong very wrong and I’m sick of you and the other “Evertonians” sticking up for this melt. 
 

Norwich concede 37 goals all season. They hadn’t scored since November. 
 

Benitez Everton WILL go down. Hope you’ve had your shirt signed Dunc 

[badaids]

The odds on Rafa being fired have drastically shortened tonight after that defeat. Saw 1/3 on some betting places.
 

If he does end up going, who would come in. Probably be Dunc as interim or we’d go for someone like Lamps. Changing the manager would make no difference when most of the players don’t give a toss.

[Cornish Steve]

On 30/06/2021 at 13:42, Cornish Steve said:

Very disappointed, I must confess... My prediction is six months before we're going through this cycle once again.

 

On 08/08/2021 at 14:10, Cornish Steve said:

I hope we play in such a way that I positively look forward to each match, but I suspect "survive" might be more appropriate than "enjoy".

 

On 21/11/2021 at 16:31, Cornish Steve said:

If we start looking now, we won't have to panic when we're in the bottom third by the end of the year.

 

On 01/12/2021 at 17:16, Cornish Steve said:

While I've been against Benitez from the start, the last thing we need to do right now is panic. Instead, take a little time to bring in the right manager. Don't rush the process.

 

On 02/12/2021 at 18:08, Cornish Steve said:

I don't believe we should remove Benitez until we have a solid replacement lined up. There's no need to panic, but it is the time to start the search behind the scenes.

 

On 04/12/2021 at 12:57, Cornish Steve said:

I can't think of a game this season where we dominated. I can think of plenty of games where our opponents dominated.

Plenty of us saw this coming. Both Romey and MC realized we were in a relegation battle weeks ago. Why can't the owners see this?

[Cornish Steve]

3 minutes ago, badaids said:

The odds on Rafa being fired have drastically shortened tonight after that defeat. Saw 1/3 on some betting places.
 

If he does end up going, who would come in. Probably be Dunc as interim or we’d go for someone like Lamps. Changing the manager would make no difference when most of the players don’t give a toss.

Changing the manager will make a big difference - trust me.

[BedfordBlue]

1 minute ago, Cornish Steve said:

Changing the manager will make a big difference - trust me.

Of cause it will we have never been this bad and its basically the same players this squad is not a relegation squad 

[Shukes]

7 minutes ago, Cornish Steve said:

 

 

 

 

 

Plenty of us saw this coming. Both Romey and MC realized we were in a relegation battle weeks ago. Why can't the owners see this?

Prove it!!!

[Shukes]

We’ve changed manager four times so far, and it’s made no difference. 
I’m fine with changing the manager… as long as half the team go with him.

Players make a team. If you don’t have players who will knuckle down…. Then your in trouble.

[MC11]

3 minutes ago, Shukes said:

We’ve changed manager four times so far, and it’s made no difference. 
I’m fine with changing the manager… as long as half the team go with him.

Players make a team. If you don’t have players who will knuckle down…. Then your in trouble.

Hi Shukes,

 

stop sitting on the fence trying to be a neutral poster. The guys toast pal 

[badaids]

Would be mental made if they let him sign three plays and sell one of our best ones and then sack him a few days later.  Mental, and totally in keeping with the style of the club.

[Shukes]

Just now, MC11 said:

Hi Shukes,

 

stop sitting on the fence trying to be a neutral poster. The guys toast pal 

Haha your right, I am trying to pull some optimism from somewhere…. It’s just not working though is it.

But I do stand by the point of certain players need to go as well. Keane, Gomes, hate to say it but Coleman, then the obvious Rondon ect. They don’t have the bottle for a fight.

[MC11]

Anybody and I mean anybody who still backs this man is a 100% Kopite. 

[Shukes]

I honestly think 4th is gone now. 

[MC11]

Rumours now that he’s been sacked…. Thank fuck 

[Wall Writer]

I've been for giving him a chance, but there has been absolutely no improvement in performances. Yes, players are making mistakes, but so often we shoot ourselves in the foot by starting so badly - the manager at least has to take responsibility for getting the players fired up and ready for the game - but it seems that we consistently start so badly, that we have to wait untl the 2nd half to actually get going. 

The question is though - what do we do now. We've got rid of the DoF, given Rafa free reign and laid out the money to bring in who he wants, and now we bring someone else in who is gonna have a completely different idea of who he wants. On top of that, there is apparently a full review in progress, so it seems that the only option would be to bring someone in till the end of the season (a Sam Allardyce type figure to save us from relegation). 

The shit we are in is too mindblowing to even contemplate.

The results and (even more so the performances) are not up to par - by a long shot.  In any other situation, he'd have been gone before Xmas. 

I believe there are only two choices:

1 - give him till the end of the month/mid february, to bring in another 1-2 players (as it seems that is what he wants), and see if results start to turn around. (The risk being, it may well be too late by then to salvage relegation)

2 - get rid, and bring in/put someone in charge someone till the end of the season.

At this moment in time, I actually think option 2 is the only option left.

The sad thing is, it's more new players in (and good players moved out) all for nothing.

What a shambles!

[Aidan]

1 hour ago, Bailey said:

I see that you have now changed your opinion after today but I will still respond to some of this because I do agree in parts.

The one main thing I don't agree with is this motion that we are a team. On the pitch we are all over the place and we have seen with the Digne situation that there are some cracks in the dressing room as well. We look more like a team of individuals than at any other time I can remember after say the Koeman era. There is no evidence that this group of players are playing like a collective unit. 

I am also a little unsure about the transfer strategy. If Digne wasn't going to be sold, would we have made any of the signings we have? I am sceptical. 

Gray has certainly worked out really well, Townsend is still a bit of a nothing player for all that I think he is a good character for the squad and I agree that Gordon has come on a lot this season. The caveats are that Rondon has been dreadful and almost every other player has gone backwards.

I think we need to seriously start seeing the seeds of progress on the pitch for him to be given much more time at the club. I am really struggling to see anything to give me hope. 

I tried my best to think rationally about it but the results speak for themselves. I'm genuinely fearful for what will happen to us this season and after we play like that against Norwich, a team who struggle every single game, I can't justify it.

I don't think we look like a team either, just merely giving my opinion of what Rafas mindset might be. Nothing seems to be working and once again we seem to be going backwards.

I don't see how we bounce back after tonight. The players are being abused after almost every game by the fans, their confidence just be shattered.

[Hafnia]

10 minutes ago, MC11 said:

Anybody and I mean anybody who still backs this man is a 100% Kopite. 

The reason some people will back him is that the same group of players have got a few managers sacked and made the best manager in recent years look like Mike walker. 
 

let’s not pretend a new manager sorts this mess out. This team is full of disgraceful charlatans. They could get Pep sacked. 

[MC11]

2 minutes ago, Hafnia said:

The reason some people will back him is that the same group of players have got a few managers sacked and made the best manager in recent years look like Mike walker. 
 

let’s not pretend a new manager sorts this mess out. This team is full of disgraceful charlatans. They could get Pep sacked. 

Kopite, his records worse than Walkers Goodnight.

[MikeO]

36 minutes ago, badaids said:

The odds on Rafa being fired have drastically shortened tonight after that defeat. Saw 1/3 on some betting places

1/20 on Skybet now.

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

33 minutes ago, MC11 said:

Hi Dunc,

You’re wrong very wrong and I’m sick of you and the other “Evertonians” sticking up for this melt. 
 

Norwich concede 37 goals all season. They hadn’t scored since November. 
 

Benitez Everton WILL go down. Hope you’ve had your shirt signed Dunc 

 

5 minutes ago, MC11 said:

Anybody and I mean anybody who still backs this man is a 100% Kopite. 

Don’t be a tit just because I have a different opinion to you

I go home and away and have done for years so I think I am entitled to an opinion and I can sleep well at night safe in the knowledge that I am most definitely not a Kopite

it was woeful today , especially in the first half , but I still don’t think giving Benitez one game with a full squad constitutes a fair crack of the whip  especially since half of them are just coming back from prolonged periods out with injury so are not match fit

Questions are rightly being asked but I’m still of the same opinion I was this morning in that he needs to be given the next few weeks with a fully fit squad before he can be judged fairly 

Thats my opinion and I may well be wrong but that doesn’t mean I want Rafas autograph and it definitely doesn’t make me a Kopite

[badaids]

2 minutes ago, MikeO said:

1/20 on Skybet now.

Well then he’s as good as gone. What a mess. Rooney of Lamps in I reckon, that’s not what I want, that’s who it’ll be.

[MC11]

2 minutes ago, duncanmckenzieismagic said:

 

Don’t be a tit just because I have a different opinion to you

I go home and away and have done for years so I think I am entitled to an opinion and I can sleep well at night safe in the knowledge that I am most definitely not a Kopite

it was woeful today , especially in the first half , but I still don’t think giving Benitez one game with a full squad constitutes a fair crack of the whip  especially since half of them are just coming back from prolonged periods out with injury so are not match fit

Questions are rightly being asked but I’m still of the same opinion I was this morning in that he needs to be given the next few weeks with a fully fit squad before he can be judged fairly 

Thats my opinion and I may well be wrong but that doesn’t mean I want Rafas autograph and it definitely doesn’t make me a Kopite

Lad I’m on the train home now with my son asleep next to me 5h journey and I’ll have my opinion too. If you still back him you’re surely on the wind up or a kopite.