2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[MACCA75]

What an absolute disaster he’s been.

Lost our left back and now it’s absolutely certain we’ll lose Richi in the summer. Say what you like about Brands but Benitez has also ripped up our entire football model.

The most damaging appointment in the history of the club.

 

[Marius57]

With a half decent manager who can organise a defence and play 433 this squad stays up easily .

Are they good enough to challenge for the top 6 - absolutely not.

We do however have the nucleus of a team and with a centre half , defensive midfielder and striker , we could be contenders for top 6.

That's what makes the fall under Benitez all the more shocking.

Before he came in we were relatively fine defensively but needed creativity and support strikers.

He has made us the most porous team in the league by insisting on 2 in midfield , going to zonal marking and destroying the confidence of individuals . It doesn't help when we play 10 v 11 with Rondon in the side.

it is truly baffling.

They managed to challenge for it last season though. The change was this manager. While yes we lost Iceland, all the other changes were sanctioned by this manager. We have been the epitome of a mid table team for the last 5/6 years.

We need to stop pretending like this squad isn't capable of more than what we are getting now and the manager needs to get that from them

 

[blue to the bone]

Whatever happened to that whopper who told us he was a Dalian Pro fan and a benitez sympathiser ?

 

[PSB1]

We finished below Leeds and Arsenal who had their worst season since the 50’s. It was not a success, it was crap. I’m fully aware this season has been worse btw

We couldn't /can't control how well other clubs do in any particular season. C A managed a league win % which dwarfs all but 2 of our post war managers. Not the be all and end all, but still very significant.

 

[The Hibbert Agenda]

Happy that he's gone. Absolutely anyone can come in interim basis and tick us through to next season.

What I find incredible is that at no point has he ripped into the players. No fire, no anger, no consequence for bad performances. The only person ever dropped was Digne and that was for off-field events. Give it to Dunc so he can do Moise Kean subs to Michael Keane every game.

 

[davek]

Other than Mina we've had no injures to our defenders this season. Nothing like the start of last season when we we're better defensively.

Richarliosn and DCL are key to our set piece defending.

 

[nsno-chris]

Whatever happened to that whopper who told us he was a Dalian Pro fan and a benitez sympathiser ?

That kopite @Legend78 got canned

 

[MikeH72]

We couldn't /can't control how well other clubs do in any particular season. C A managed a league win % which dwarfs all but 2 of our post war managers. Not the be all and end all, but still very significant.

He was only in a job 18 months though so obviously his win percentage is gonna be higher than the likes of Moyes and even Martinez by default. Martinez was a better Everton manager than Ancelotti.

 

[blue to the bone]

That kopite @Legend78 got canned

Good

 

[Tony101]

They shouldn’t be our standards. Just because this season has been an absolute disaster doesn’t mean we should be nostalgic for Ancelotti’s 10th and 12th placed finishes just because we were able to sing about having a world class manager for a limited time period when we were allowed in stadiums. Personally I want to erase the last 2-5 years of Everton from memory completely.

I agree that shouldn’t be are standards your right. We look to be getting worse and worse tho. I am genuinely worried about relegation this season.

I am glad Rafael is done terrible manager but the players don’t care too. I love Everton but I hate everything about them at the moment.

 

[Mutzo Nutzo]

They're been sitting in the treatment room for a season.

So our entire defensive capability is based around a single player Mina?

I’ll tell you the problem Dave. Benitez and his stubborn belief in playing 5 at the back with both fullbacks staying deep.

One of the CM sits deep as well effectively leaving 1 player in CM. The wide players/wingers and striker are effectively up the field with a massive gap in the middle.

A lot of teams play with their fullbacks pushed up and 3 in the middle - effectively at times it’s 5 against 2 in their favour.

We get overrrun every game and invite them onto our defence all the time. We conceded 53% possession to Hull ffs!

Add into the mix his inability to coach the defence properly and set them up to defend set pieces and you have the perfect storm.

He’s the problem, always has been. You watch us now he’s gone - well play like an Everton team from now on.

Fire and blood - it’s what we are and have always been

 

[blue to the bone]

People sayin they feel sorry for him.
Ask your self this..
In a months time will he care one jot about our club while on holiday counting the money we pay him off after been totally inept at his job.

 

[nsno-chris]

He played Rondon as a number 10 yesterday but the real issue was not having Richarlison on the pitch to help defend

 

[Dutch Toffee]

People sayin they feel sorry for him.
Ask your self this..
In a months time will he care one jot about our club while on holiday counting the money we pay him off after been totally inept at his job.

Not getting one bit of sympathy from me. It was always gonna end like this. Easy way of earning your income for a few years.

 

[MrD]

I honestly can't think of a worse managerial appointment in all of football, not just Everton.

I despise the man