Norwich (Away) 15th January

[plaidharper]

Not seeing how we get out of this.  Our squad is not up for this fight.  Especially the defense.

[memmaclub2]

Can't wait to see the post match

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

2 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

I don't mean it that way because that's logical, but you've got plenty of fans saying we're not in a relegation fight and that there's no chance we're going down and that is fucking lunacy.

Fair enough mate in that case I 100% agree

[plaidharper]

2 minutes ago, plaidharper said:

Not seeing how we get out of this.  Our squad is not up for this fight.  Especially the defense.

I mean do sell another asset to in order to bring in some loans at CB and DM? And even if we did do we trust the board and Rafa to pick them.  Good grief.  Sick to my stomach.

[memmaclub2]

Has he gone yet?

 

[Matt]

9 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

I don't mean it that way because that's logical, but you've got plenty of fans saying we're not in a relegation fight and that there's no chance we're going down and that is fucking lunacy.

If I'm not arguing against it this time you know we're in the shit. 

[Romey 1878]

Just now, Matt said:

If I'm not arguing against it this time you know we're in the shit. 

Like I said not that long ago, you and Mike are the barometer for if some of us are overreacting when it comes to stuff like this. If you two aren't telling us to calm down then it must be really bad.

[Matt]

4 minutes ago, Romey 1878 said:

Like I said not that long ago, you and Mike are the barometer for if some of us are overreacting when it comes to stuff like this. If you two aren't telling us to calm down then it must be really bad.

It's gone past calm down, I'm actively agreeing with you. Those who are saying there's worse teams than us before today: we no longer have that safety net because we lost to the worst team. Comfortably too by the sounds of things. Rafa either hasn't got a clue or can't lift the players (which has been my concern for months). This would be the time for a relegation expert like the fat twat. That's how bad we are. 

[Cornish Steve]

This was a must-win game we had to dominate. Key players are back. New players brought in by the manager are available. We're playing by far the worst team in the league. And we never looked like winning.

It's no good blaming the players. Read any book on management: Capable managers know how to get the best from their team. If one or two players get in the way, you move them out. Usually, it happens quickly because a great manager, coming from the outside, knows instinctively what to do. What we face is NOT a player problem; it's a manager problem. I'm not sure why some can't see that.

Asking who can replace him mid-season is a valid question, which is why I urged us to start looking back in early November. I really hope that, behind the scenes, this is happening - but I doubt it. Brands should not have been fired: We don't need scapegoats to justify a terrible manager. So, who can replace Benitez? I've thought long and hard over this, and the only option at this point, I think, is appointing Lampard but just for the remainder of the season. Make him hungry, and give him every reason to succeed.

Long-term, I would return to Roberto, but he will want Belgium to win the World Cup under his watch.

[memmaclub2]

i genuinely can't see what they are seeing that makes them want to keep him around

 

[Matt]

2 minutes ago, Cornish Steve said:

This was a must-win game we had to dominate. Key players are back. New players brought in by the manager are available. We're playing by far the worst team in the league. And we never looked like winning.

It's no good blaming the players. Read any book on management: Capable managers know how to get the best from their team. If one or two players get in the way, you move them out. Usually, it happens quickly because a great manager, coming from the outside, knows instinctively what to do. What we face is NOT a player problem; it's a manager problem. I'm not sure why some can't see that.

Asking who can replace him mid-season is a valid question, which is why I urged us to start looking back in early November. I really hope that, behind the scenes, this is happening - but I doubt it. Brands should not have been fired: We don't need scapegoats to justify a terrible manager. So, who can replace Benitez? I've thought long and hard over this, and the only option at this point, I think, is appointing Lampard but just for the remainder of the season. Make him hungry, and give him every reason to succeed.

Long-term, I would return to Roberto, but he will want Belgium to win the World Cup under his watch.

I'd love Roberto back. I'm predicting Duncan will be asked to take over before end of Feb and rely on a blood and thunder approach out of desperation. Then get someone competent and not actively despised by the fan base and parts of the squad.

[Ghoat]

Personally I have not been in the "Rafa Out" camp, because I think the turmoil of another manager change was the greater evil. That changed today, I am firmly in the "Rafa Out Now" camp.

 

I am not sure if you Brits use this expression, or it's a Yank thing only, but Rafa can eat a bag of dicks.

[Palfy]

I’ve played football at decent standard been in and around training at a professional club, and what I’m seeing here with a few of the players is fear whether they have the ability or not doesn’t really matter at this particular moment in time some are rigid with fear and have no confidence in themselves, and unfortunately our defence has the worst culprits and your defence has to be the foundation you build your team on. Keane and Coleman should definitely be dropped for the forceable future their mistakes have and will keep on costing us games, Godfrey hasn’t proved to be much better this season nor Holgate, these 2 young full backs are going to struggle in this team, there’s no one on the pitch to guide them and settle them in, we need a CB of note who can lead and read the game or the game could be up. 

[Shukes]

22 minutes ago, memmaclub2 said:

Sarcasm?

Frustration ignore me. Life of an Everton fan.

[Cornish Steve]

4 minutes ago, Cornish Steve said:

This was a must-win game we had to dominate. Key players are back. New players brought in by the manager are available. We're playing by far the worst team in the league. And we never looked like winning.

It's no good blaming the players. Read any book on management: Capable managers know how to get the best from their team. If one or two players get in the way, you move them out. Usually, it happens quickly because a great manager, coming from the outside, knows instinctively what to do. What we face is NOT a player problem; it's a manager problem. I'm not sure why some can't see that.

Asking who can replace him mid-season is a valid question, which is why I urged us to start looking back in early November. I really hope that, behind the scenes, this is happening - but I doubt it. Brands should not have been fired: We don't need scapegoats to justify a terrible manager. So, who can replace Benitez? I've thought long and hard over this, and the only option at this point, I think, is appointing Lampard but just for the remainder of the season. Make him hungry, and give him every reason to succeed.

Long-term, I would return to Roberto, but he will want Belgium to win the World Cup under his watch.

And for the record, just watching attitude on the pitch, I would have moved out Digne (so I have no issue there), Gomes, and (sadly) Coleman. Keane is suffering from poor confidence, a result of poor planning and tactics from the manager. IMO, he could do worse than stand up to the manager and take charge himself of the defence. He has it in him, and has every incentive to do so. When things go wrong, Benitez always blames others, and Michael Keane may increasingly be his target.

[Bailey]

I just don't see what Rafa is trying to achieve with every game. 

There isn't anything in our performances that I recognise in a good footballing side apart from that when we do attack properly, we do attack with numbers.

Everything else is just all over the place. I am not sure how there can be many people backing the manager when that is the case. You don't need good players to be organised. 

A couple of posts have also mentioned about the players not caring but I don't see that either. I don't think the players aren't playing for the club or the manager. I just think that what they are being asked to do isn't working. 

[Cornish Steve]

12 minutes ago, Palfy said:

I’ve played football at decent standard been in and around training at a professional club, and what I’m seeing here with a few of the players is fear whether they have the ability or not doesn’t really matter at this particular moment in time some are rigid with fear and have no confidence in themselves, and unfortunately our defence has the worst culprits and your defence has to be the foundation you build your team on. Keane and Coleman should definitely be dropped for the forceable future their mistakes have and will keep on costing us games, Godfrey hasn’t proved to be much better this season nor Holgate, these 2 young full backs are going to struggle in this team, there’s no one on the pitch to guide them and settle them in, we need a CB of note who can lead and read the game or the game could be up. 

You do speak a lot of sense at times (although you're wrong on Keane), which is why I'm mystified why you continue to side with the manager. Can't you see that players are suffering from a lack of leadership, strategy, and vision from the manager? Top managers inspire, creating an environment in which players want to succeed and are proud to be a part of something. That, more than anything, is the crux of the problem. They know this manager won't succeed; you can read it in their approach to every game. Loud support from the fans can help (see Chelsea game), but we're past that phase now. We're going to hear much more booing from this point on.

[Haiku]

Ok, I think it's about time to panic.

 

[RuffRob]

Not picking up at least one win against Brighton or Norwich today has really tightened the screw. Now we have most players available, I think we are needing to be looking for 3 wins from the next 4 league games, Villa, Leeds, Newcastle, and Southampton and get past Brentford in the cup.

Our problem has just compiled that extra notch today as every one of these teams now looks as us as very much 3 points for the taking. Which now just gives them that little bit extra motivation to get at us at the beginning of the game. 

 

 

[milesey05]

What a shite day!

My lads draw at footy.

Car engine warning light comes on- on the way home!

Missus let’s me be with Everton and that goes wrong.

Order a Chinese and they forget my pancake roll!! My fucking pancake roll!!

Now using up Xmas booze with Mud slides.

Tia Maria, Vodka and Baileys with ice.

calming influence. Worth a try!!

 

 

[MikeO]

13 minutes ago, milesey05 said:

Order a Chinese and they forget my pancake roll!! My fucking pancake roll!!

Unforgivable that

Feel your pain.

[milesey05]

23 minutes ago, MikeO said:

Unforgivable that

Feel your pain.

I actually think this pissed me off the most

[Palfy]

1 hour ago, Cornish Steve said:

You do speak a lot of sense at times (although you're wrong on Keane), which is why I'm mystified why you continue to side with the manager. Can't you see that players are suffering from a lack of leadership, strategy, and vision from the manager? Top managers inspire, creating an environment in which players want to succeed and are proud to be a part of something. That, more than anything, is the crux of the problem. They know this manager won't succeed; you can read it in their approach to every game. Loud support from the fans can help (see Chelsea game), but we're past that phase now. We're going to hear much more booing from this point on.

There are players that are giving their all Richarlison Gordon Gray Doucoure DCL Pickford, they don’t look scared or dejected they are fighting not just going through the motions,  I don’t believe there is a manager who is going to sort our defence out unless they can bring one or two decent CBs in. I’m not impressed by the tactics of late and hope they are the tactics of someone struggling to implement what he really wants with what’s available, but I know this his tactics aren’t responsible for the individual errors that we are repeatedly seeing from certain players, under hit passes miss control of the ball leaving space and players unmarked school boy errors they haven’t been coached into the players. If we can keep Mina fit we have a chance, changing the manager again at this stage of the season who knows history says it hasn’t worked in the last six years. Do I think Benitez is a good manager yes, do I think Benitez will do one here probably not because he will never be accepted by a united fan base because of who he is and not solely on what he’s doing. 

[Shukes]

What’s wrong with Palfy… you not drinking tonight? 
Very insightful post!

[Palfy]

Just now, Shukes said:

What’s wrong with Palfy… you not drinking tonight? 
Very insightful post!

In Spain mate early flight home tomorrow so no Rioja for me tonight

[Shukes]

1 minute ago, Palfy said:

In Spain mate early flight home tomorrow so no Rioja for me tonight

Fair play mate. 
I defrosted the van this morning and worked in the freezing cold for half a day, came back and watched two minutes of madness… spent the rest of match depressed…..

So turned to wine!

[Palfy]

1 minute ago, Shukes said:

Fair play mate. 
I defrosted the van this morning and worked in the freezing cold for half a day, came back and watched two minutes of madness… spent the rest of match depressed…..

So turned to wine!

Hope it has the desired effect mate 

[MikeO]

21 minutes ago, Palfy said:

Do I think Benitez is a good manager yes, do I think Benitez will do one here probably not because he will never be accepted by a united fan base because of who he is and not solely on what he’s doing. 

You seriously think that had he continued the form of the first six games (points per game we'd now have 41 and be top four) that people would be calling for him to be sacked? Not a chance.

[Palfy]

21 minutes ago, MikeO said:

You seriously think that had he continued the form of the first six games (points per game we'd now have 41 and be top four) that people would be calling for him to be sacked? Not a chance.

No I don’t but I can see the team was decimated with injuries after that start to mainly what I would call key players, and with very little depth in the squad to cover for them, regardless of who the manager is we have been a shambles in the way we have conducted our business, sack the manager and sack the next and the next, we are not getting out of this position until we of load chaff and if that means the manager as well so be it, but just changing the manager want eradicate the bigger problem, we are becoming a rudderless club, and whether we like Benitez or not let’s use him to throw the chaff over board so if not him then someone else can come in and start to steer the ship with a decent crew in place. 
Aye aye Captain 

[Wiggytop]

It’s part of a managers role ( in any field of work) to motivate and nurture his team, and to get them to work well as a group, only listened to the game today, from hearing the commentary and reading posts on here, it’s not happening, today in particular we should have run out on that pitch knowing we have a better squad capable to a good win. We didn’t and that for me falls on the managers shoulders, plus his insistence in playing Rondon who game in game out is proving he is not PL level in any shape or form. 
A bloke on Radio Merseyside rang in after the game and was confident that we’re too good to go down as there are 3 teams worse than us, well one of them just beat us, time  for a reality check, we are playing ourselves into a relegation fight, and I don’t think Rafa is the man to get us out of it. I hope the rumours are true and the decision is made tonight.