Who are you going to replace Iwobi and Rondon with though? The squad is so thin at the moment with minimal options left, and im not happy that players of Rondons ability are playing for us however nobody can honestly say any manager would go Gordon Simms Dobbin upfront in a premier league game.
No, I don't think anyone is happy with what we have seen. Benitez football has been hard to watch and has been hampered with injuries in key positions. Hopefully it can turn around soon however I don't see who they're going to get in to replace him if they relieve him of his duties.
Ok so including the cup games mina was in the squad 10 times more than James last season. Its therefore up to the manager if he wants to play him if available.
James was an absolute mercenary only here for a payday given to him by Ancelotti whereas Mina moved here to play football.
He is a coach however the basics can be practiced all you like but at some points the armbands come off for the players and they get thrown in the deep end to do something they're paid well for. He has to take responsibility for a tactical error from the side but passing poorly isnt all on him...
After 37 games last season, we were tied on points with spurs on 59 points who were 7th at the time. That makes it perfectly obvious that we had an outside chance of European football assuming we needed to win the last game, albeit against Man city.
Mina was in the squad 30/38 games last season and Ancelotti was always tinkering with his centre back partnerships.
James was in the squad for 24/38 games and flew home early when we still had an outside chance of European football.
Benitez joins at the end of June and Rodriguez leaves in mid September so their was a 2.5 month spell once he changed his mind. The financial position of the club made it an obvious move to let him go. How can you warrant him on well over 100k a week for him to play around 50% of the games when...