2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[jamieni]

Your last nail nails it, you struggle and so would they, just like they did in the summer, and it wil be harder now since no decent clubs are going to let Everton disrupt the season they are having trying to poach a Dyche or Potter

Yeah I agree. It would not be easy to find a good replacement mid-season. Personally I think unless we’re sinking like a stone then Benitez should get the January window to try to sort the squad. You’d expect us to get a few more results when we have DCL and Doucoure back.

If we end up just above the relegation places come the end of the season then the board will have a decision to make.

 

[blueblueskies]

Be Interesting to see what he does when DCL and Doucoure are back. If (and its a huge if) Delph continues to play well and stay fit, 3 across the middle with Delph, Allan and Doucoure might work with Richarlison, DCL and Gray up top. Would allow Doucoure to get further forward

 

[4737carlin]

Yeah I agree. It would not be easy to find a good replacement mid-season. Personally I think unless we’re sinking like a stone then Benitez should get the January window to try to sort the squad. You’d expect us to get a few more results when we have DCL and Doucoure back.

If we end up just above the relegation places come the end of the season then the board will have a decision to make.

What worries me is I cant see us spending in January and we have little to sell, it's going to be another look around the bargain basements.
Maybe the odd loan from fringe players needing game time to get in world cup squads.

 

[Home and Dry]

Hi

@Nymzee
@mistuhp
@Marius57
@Home and Dry
@Littlesue

Did you see Gbamin's first half vs Wolves?

Did you see Holgate's pitiful performance in midfield today vs Spurs?

Not great eh?

Perhaps them coming on in midfield wouldn't have prevented the Watford collapse after all.

Wow, you must’ve been made up posting this, positively boasting that you were right and were wrong. I thought MH could possibly play there, as he’s not physically enough built to play centre half and gets caught out of position at right back, but he’s an honest enough lad and thought he could sit in defensive midfield and protect the back four. He was poor in the 10 minutes he was on(!) but maybe with different personnel in midfield, who knows. Oh I forgot, you do!!

 

[Old Blue 2]

3 points from a Europe League spot, good work that with the injury crisis

No one could have envisaged that both DCL & Richy would be out injured at the same time for so long. Rondon was brought in as cover only, and with both of them being injured, he was thrown in at the deep end. I can't think of another team that has had both main goalscorers out injured for several weeks at the same time. Jeez, the media are crying all the time over Bamford being out - one striker not two.

Get DCL back with the support around him again and the wins will come...

 

[tsubaki]

What worries me is I cant see us spending in January and we have little to sell, it's going to be another look around the bargain basements.
Maybe the odd loan from fringe players needing game time to get in world cup squads.

Good, I’d much rather that than millions on crap again. A RB has to be a priority now.

 

[roy vernon]

I think the talk of Benitez’ job being under threat if we lose at Brentford is a little premature. Eddie Howe being appointed by Newcastle killed any chance of an early Benitez exit. In our current financial position, the only way Benitez is going anywhere soon is if either another club comes in and offers us compensation in order to release Benitez from his contract, in reality Newcastle were the only club likely to do that. Or we find ourselves in the bottom 4 or 5 in the new year, again, in my opinion, unlikely.

The big mistake was appointing him in the first place, we will be just about good enough for the board to continue to let him take all the flack, but, the football will be ugly enough and the results mediocre enough to have a very unpleasant atmosphere around the club.

It's actually all working out nicely for Moshiri, who has brought in Benitez as a safe pair of hands, who he can use as a lightening conductor, while he balances the books.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

What worries me is I cant see us spending in January and we have little to sell, it's going to be another look around the bargain basements.
Maybe the odd loan from fringe players needing game time to get in world cup squads.

We'll have to loan a couple of players I think

 

[jamieni]

I think the talk of Benitez’ job being under threat if we lose at Brentford is a little premature. Eddie Howe being appointed by Newcastle killed any chance of an early Benitez exit. In our current financial position, the only way Benitez is going anywhere soon is if either another club comes in and offers us compensation in order to release Benitez from his contract, in reality Newcastle were the only club likely to do that. Or we find ourselves in the bottom 4 or 5 in the new year, again, in my opinion, unlikely.

The big mistake was appointing him in the first place, we will be just about good enough for the board to continue to let him take all the flack, but, the football will be ugly enough and the results mediocre enough to have a very unpleasant atmosphere around the club.

It's actually all working out nicely for Moshiri, who has brought in Benitez as a safe pair of hands, who he can use as a lightening conductor, while he balances the books.

He probably won’t be sacked if we lose to Brentford but we have the derby and Arsenal to come after that. If we don’t get any points from those 3 fixtures we’re going to be in a bit of trouble and things could get messy.

 

[matty1878]

Good, I’d much rather that than millions on crap again. A RB has to be a priority now.

ffs the squads a mess. let’s not spend then

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Wow, you must’ve been made up posting this, positively boasting that you were right and were wrong. I thought MH could possibly play there, as he’s not physically enough built to play centre half and gets caught out of position at right back, but he’s an honest enough lad and thought he could sit in defensive midfield and protect the back four. He was poor in the 10 minutes he was on(!) but maybe with different personnel in midfield, who knows. Oh I forgot, you do!!

Well, let's get it right here.

People on here, like you, were calling the manager clueless, not fit for the job and worse than Allardyce for not bringing another midfielder - Gbamin or Holgate - on prior to conceding 3 goals in 12 minutes against Watford.

By not bringing those on, the manager was hapless, a waste of space - his fault we collapsed against Watford.

Now you've noted Gbamin's 'display' against Wolves, and Holgate's heroics in midfield against Spurs.... I hope people, like you, reflect on your criticism. There's too many, too desperate to stick the knife in.

Sure, everyone has their own opinion and there's no certainties. Perhaps some would do well to remember that in future. Perhaps some would do well to acknowledge he has very little option from the bench.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

Well, let's get it right here.

People on here, like you, were calling the manager clueless, not fit for the job and worse than Allardyce for not bringing another midfielder - Gbamin or Holgate - on prior to conceding 3 goals in 12 minutes against Watford.

By not bringing those on, the manager was hapless, a waste of space - his fault we collapsed against Watford.

Now you've noted Gbamin's 'display' against Wolves, and Holgate's heroics in midfield against Spurs.... I hope people, like you, reflect on your criticism. There's too many, too desperate to stick the knife in.

Sure, everyone has their own opinion and there's no certainties. Perhaps some would do well to remember that in future. Perhaos some would do well to acknowledge he has very little option from the bench.

100%. will take a lot for me to consider that Benetiz wasn’t the best available candidate for the job. Certainly out of the names mentioned.

 

[roy vernon]

He probably won’t be sacked if we lose to Brentford but we have the derby and Arsenal to come after that. If we don’t get any points from those 3 fixtures we’re going to be in a bit of trouble and things could get messy.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m no Benitez fan, I didn’t want him and wish we hadn’t employed him, it’s just the financial side of things, I don’t think he’s going anywhere unless Moshiri panics and thinks relegation is a threat. I think this current squad is probably finding it’s level at about 10th, but, I think Moshiri will hold his nerve as long as we are in the top 14. Moshiri doesn’t care about the club or the fans, he’s not an Evertonian, all he cares about is the amount of money his asset, the club, is losing week on week. He won’t throw big money at getting rid of Benitez unless he really has to.

 

[tsubaki]

ffs the squads a mess. let’s not spend then

not on crap panic buys, no

 

[tsubaki]

100%. will take a lot for me to consider that Benetiz wasn’t the best available candidate for the job. Certainly out of the names mentioned.

I suppose it all depends on whether Galtier was ever actually an option, but if not then he was probably the best of a bad bunch.