2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[Zatara]

He also binned off zonnal marking and went man marking

Last game it was a mix of zonal and man marking.

Just as it was under Ancelotti.

Perhaps Benitez bothered to watch a video of last season?

You and your mates think Howe is the only other manager in the world.

Think you've got a crush on the South Coast Tin Tin meself.

I agree.

He certainly isn’t the only manager we could get but I guess it’s a question of is a better manager available right now? One who would come in and immediately improve results. That’s a question for the board, although given their recent forays into management recruitment im not convinced they would make the right choice.

Ancelotti didn’t work out but someone with a similar cv is a no brainer for a club with money to spend. Quite clearly that’s not where we are now so we would be looking for someone prepared to take on the job with very little wriggle room to improve the squad in January.

The board only want to hire managers with premier league experience.

Its ridiculous.

No I think Benitez is better then all those alternatives, however when you have a 2m transfer war chest and a squad like ours there is a certain level you have to bid at.

He could have sold players.

If a better manager was available we would of got him, if we tried and failed there is a reason why

Not really considering we only go for managers with premier league experience.

 

[Blues Harp]

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.

No money = no new players in January....probably more deadwood added.

 

[Kev50]

I will put forward an alternative management strategy and philosophy.

I suspect that it won't be popular but we've tried everything else without success.

So imagine that Brands and Benitez are both gone.

Brands replacement , let's say Ralph Ragnick gives the most honest and open assessment of any football club in his first interview.......

" Everton have tried literally everything and it hasn't worked.
We have had world class managers , managers a good CV with local connections.
We have spend huge amounts of money on players many of whom had a good track record in this country.
None of this has worked so we are going to do something completely different.

1. We are going to appoint a young manager with a remit to invest in youth and play progressive attractive football.

2. We will run down the contracts of the existing players all on high wages who contribute nothing

3. We will recruit only young players with no new signing aged more than 25.

4. The amount that we spend on new signings will be capped at £50 million plus the profit from any sales per season.

6. We will look to prioritise Bosman signings but only players aged 27 or under.

This strategy may well result in a downturn in results in the short term and we may become less competitive.

However I can promise you a young hungry team which give 100% and which will play attacking football.

In 3 -5 years I would expect that we would have a team that could compete for the top 4 ".

Would you support such a strategy?

Haha, all these balloons wanting Benitez out after 8 games liking this proposal! 'Oh yes, I fully support a five year strategy, and to do that we must sack Benitez now!'

 

[Zatara]

I will put forward an alternative management strategy and philosophy.

I suspect that it won't be popular but we've tried everything else without success.

So imagine that Brands and Benitez are both gone.

Brands replacement , let's say Ralph Ragnick gives the most honest and open assessment of any football club in his first interview.......

" Everton have tried literally everything and it hasn't worked.
We have had world class managers , managers a good CV with local connections.
We have spend huge amounts of money on players many of whom had a good track record in this country.
None of this has worked so we are going to do something completely different.

1. We are going to appoint a young manager with a remit to invest in youth and play progressive attractive football.

2. We will run down the contracts of the existing players all on high wages who contribute nothing

3. We will recruit only young players with no new signing aged more than 25.

4. The amount that we spend on new signings will be capped at £50 million plus the profit from any sales per season.

6. We will look to prioritise Bosman signings but only players aged 27 or under.

This strategy may well result in a downturn in results in the short term and we may become less competitive.

However I can promise you a young hungry team which give 100% and which will play attacking football.

In 3 -5 years I would expect that we would have a team that could compete for the top 4 ".

Would you support such a strategy?

The two key dynamics for me would be:

1: Who signs the players?

2: To stop hiring people who have premier league experience.

In addition, I would say that the £50mil limit on spending doesnt really make sense. I think its more that we have the strategy as you state of younger players.

If we spent £25mil each on two young players OR spent £50mil each on two young players, its about the 'right' players.

 

[Theoneandonly]

I will put forward an alternative management strategy and philosophy.

I suspect that it won't be popular but we've tried everything else without success.

So imagine that Brands and Benitez are both gone.

Brands replacement , let's say Ralph Ragnick gives the most honest and open assessment of any football club in his first interview.......

" Everton have tried literally everything and it hasn't worked.
We have had world class managers , managers a good CV with local connections.
We have spend huge amounts of money on players many of whom had a good track record in this country.
None of this has worked so we are going to do something completely different.

1. We are going to appoint a young manager with a remit to invest in youth and play progressive attractive football.

2. We will run down the contracts of the existing players all on high wages who contribute nothing

3. We will recruit only young players with no new signing aged more than 25.

4. The amount that we spend on new signings will be capped at £50 million plus the profit from any sales per season.

6. We will look to prioritise Bosman signings but only players aged 27 or under.

This strategy may well result in a downturn in results in the short term and we may become less competitive.

However I can promise you a young hungry team which give 100% and which will play attacking football.

In 3 -5 years I would expect that we would have a team that could compete for the top 4 ".

Would you support such a strategy?

Aka the Southampton model. How's that working out for them?

 

[Zatara]

Ashley Williams on Benitez / squad etc

'I am not sure what the plan is' - why are Everton no nearer the top four?

Everton have been targeting a Champions League place for more than five years but are still nowhere near a top-four spot, says former defender Ashley Williams.

www.bbc.com

 

[Efcjake]

Ashley Williams on Benitez / squad etc

'I am not sure what the plan is' - why are Everton no nearer the top four?

Everton have been targeting a Champions League place for more than five years but are still nowhere near a top-four spot, says former defender Ashley Williams.

www.bbc.com

Don't like him at all but he's actually spot on in this.

 

[Simon Buttle]

Aka the Southampton model. How's that working out for them?

Until their board stopped putting money into the club a few years ago the model actually worked fine there, we should know, we took their manager off them because of it.

 

[jazzy]

The two key dynamics for me would be:

1: Who signs the players?

2: To stop hiring people who have premier league experience.

In addition, I would say that the £50mil limit on spending doesnt really make sense. I think its more that we have the strategy as you state of younger players.

If we spent £25mil each on two young players OR spent £50mil each on two young players, its about the 'right' players.

The spending limit ( my figure is arbitrary) is not per player but per season and is there to introduce a modicum of financial discipline.

The DoF ( Ragnick) in my scenario buys the players and the young coach ( emphasis on young so he has no fixed ideas on recruitment ) manages them.

 

[jamieni]

The squad should have been improved in the summer , but this fella spent 2 and a half months "assessing the squad" instead of leaving hole's in it.

Don’t necessarily disagree but presumably our inactivity in the transfer market was because we couldn’t sell players?

 

[BrendanGOT]

Ashley Williams on Benitez / squad etc

'I am not sure what the plan is' - why are Everton no nearer the top four?

Everton have been targeting a Champions League place for more than five years but are still nowhere near a top-four spot, says former defender Ashley Williams.

www.bbc.com

"what are Everton" apt.

 

[jamieni]

Don't like him at all but he's actually spot on in this.

Agreed. He hits the nail on the head about the squad. It’s just not good enough for top six or anywhere near it. Can understand some of that may fall at Benitez’ door but really it’s a result of some terrible recruitment decisions over the past number of years. Ironically Williams was a case in point.

 

[mahermi1]

You're

" Still "

 

[Simon Buttle]

Don’t necessarily disagree but presumably our inactivity in the transfer market was because we couldn’t sell players?

I don't think it's because we can't sell players as such, I just think other clubs can't be bothered dealing with us as it's too much hassle. There is that line about it takes 3 phone calls to get an answer on a player when dealing with us. Well why the hell would you bother?

 

[jamieni]

I don't think it's because we can't sell players as such, I just think other clubs can't be bothered dealing with us as it's too much hassle. There is that line about it takes 3 phone calls to get an answer on a player when dealing with us. Well why the hell would you bother?

Yeah that’s true but I imagine a lot of our fringe players just aren’t particularly desirable targets for other clubs due to their wages. All in all just a mess really.