2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[willo30]

FFS nobody is excusing the players.

They're just pointing out, correctly, that this position has more to do with this manager and his crap decisions and tactics than solely being down to them. They're better than this and they proved that easily last year and every of the past 30 years we have had better form than this one.

These players aren't great, but they aren't 16th in the league when it comes to their quality.

Did you even read what this was in reply to?

 

[Efcjake]

With Patterson signed there goes the famous "But we only gave him 1.7 million" line.

 

[Efcjake]

Did you even read what this was in reply to?

Yes, I read the "Something has to be on the players though" part.

It's excuse-making.

 

[ClausThomsen]

Are people still buying into the garbage that he wasn't backed in summer? 'Only 1.7m' is a load of rubbish.

We haven't sold anyone, yet spent £18m on a LB and supposedly Patterson for £12m is a done deal. There's £30m off the back of no sales.

I'm sure I'll see 'but digne is going'. He may be. But he hasn't. And as the argument has been we are at the limit and any more and we will be sanctioned for FFP, does anyone taking that stance honestly believe our accountant owner, or their beloved and supposedly 'astute' manager, would sign off on any incoming deals, without the money already being there when there's supposedly a chance of being docked points which would stick us in relegation zone considering Digne may not leave for whatever reason that may be out of our control?

In the summer there may well have been a belief that qualifying for European competition was possible. Unlikely but possible. With that in mind there would have been a requirement to ensure adherence to FFP to be within UEFA's limits for European competition in the 22/23 season.

Now that looks very remote there is likely a little more wriggle room given that FFP is worked out on a 3 year rolling period. By the time the next opportunity for European competition comes around in the 23/24 season there is one less huge summer spending spree in the FFP books. Add into that the clear drop in salary levels at the club and it's clear that there is now scope for some spending.

And that's without any significant transfer fees recouped.

 

[paulf]

Holy smoke is he still here? Still reading the 2000 version of How to be a football manager for dummies.Absolute clueless clank.

 

[dutchblue54]

credit where credit is due: 2 new players and the window has only been open a few days .

and before you all start slating me, i am also baffled/gutted by things on the pitch, but maybe Benitez should sort the squad out in this transfer window before the inevitable will happen. Who else is going to do it ? No DoF, no new manager lined up probably and Ferguson will not be given the job. The mess of our club summed up i guess.

 

[Efcjake]

Owes a big thank you to Marcel Brands for picking out his 2 new players

 

[Zatara]

Rubbish manager but 2 great signings to go with Gray.

Hopefully he brings some more players with similar profiles ASAP.

 

[hallamblue]

As long as we're signing young players with potential that's fine. At least the next manager will have some raw material to work with.

 

[Brizzletoffee]

Gone yet?!

 

[Saint Domingo]

Rubbish manager but 2 great signings to go with Gray.

Hopefully he brings some more players with similar profiles ASAP.

A miracle might occur that our managers start to look a bit less rubbish when they have some of their own decent players to work with and time to work with them.

 

[windymiller]

A miracle might occur that our managers start to look a bit less rubbish when they have some of their own decent players to work with and time to work with them.

Benitez has now signed 7 players, the exact same number that Ancelotti signed. He has also now spent over £30m. He also has an almost fully fit squad. No more excuses.

 

[Efcjake]

So the Kiev manager says he spoke to Carlo about the Ukrainian lad and we were bidding for Patterson under Brands until Benitez decided to go with Kenny for the season.

Well done Marcel for sorting these deals out. They should be great for our next manager.

 

[FrenchDarrenBent]

With Patterson signed there goes the famous "But we only gave him 1.7 million" line.

we still have the 'players have to adapt to the premier league' line.

 

[NeroCeasar]

Rubbish manager but 2 great signings to go with Gray.

Hopefully he brings some more players with similar profiles ASAP.

Long term they may well work out to be great signings but with a lad coming in from Ukraine and a young lad coming down from Glasgow into a situation where team confidence is low and the whole place looks like it is ready to rip itself apart, there has to be a massive concern that they will take time to settle and it will be next season before we see anything of note from either of them, which then leaves the question , wtf do we do for the rest of this season?