2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[davek]

8th to the 12th October, we only have 3 games before that, QPR on Tuesday, Norwich a week today then United in 2 weeks

Hadn't realised that. That's decent news. I hope the 2/3 weeks out scenario signals that they want to keep our players out of the clutches of those national teams and keep them fresh for when we face the season restart.

If we beat QPR and advance in that competition (looking like a competition we need to drop right now tbh though), and beat Norwich we can afford to lose to United and still be in decent shape in mid-October.

 

[Cork Evertonian]

Let's give up.
It's like talking to antivaxxers, they're not changing their mind.

Let the cold, harsh reality slowly dawn upon them: Benitez is here because of Usmanov, and until Usmanov changes his mind, he's here to stay.
He will probably be quite succesful compared to the previous managers, so he's odds on to stay here for quite some time.

Quite successful compared to previous managers? lol Christ with the crap managers we've had in recent years, that wouldn't exactly be that much of an accomplishment now would it?lol

 

[TheBigIguana]

8th to the 12th October, we only have 3 games before that, QPR on Tuesday, Norwich a week today then United in 2 weeks

The team we put out today should beat Norwich, no team we have should beat United and QPR is a game he's changing at least 7 or 8 players for anyway. If we can limit it to just this injury crisis we might come out of it fine.

 

[ProZ]

23 Aug 2019	Aston Villa v Everton	W	2-0	Premier League
16 Jul 2020	Everton v Aston Villa	D	1-1	Premier League
01 May 2021	Everton v Aston Villa	W	1-2	Premier League
13 May 2021	Aston Villa v Everton	D	0-0	Premier League

But this time it must be different with half of our first team out.

 

[Papa Shango]

Imagine the backlash had we conceded 7 there like a certain other club.

Lets keep perspective.

To be fair we didn't win the league last season either... That type of thing can balance out a bad result.

That said I am still fuming over the 0-7 Arsenal game to this day.

 

[ToffeeTim]

The team we put out today should beat Norwich, no team we have should beat United and QPR is a game he's changing at least 7 or 8 players for anyway. If we can limit it to just this injury crisis we might come out of it fine.

Not sure we have numbers to make 8 changes without playing youth players. We need to win the next 2 games one way or another. It doesn't have to be pretty.

 

[kenada_blue]

I thought that was the exact thing that Benitez was going to sort out according to literally every Benitez supporter on this forum?

Last season we had an elite manager who has seen and won everything over his decades of management struggling to get a tune of this mish-mash squad when things were tough. That tells you a lot.

It's the same squad. Same problems. Could be any manager in the hot seat.

 

[Toff33Blues99]

That really only fits for the Burnley game unless you find Brighton and Leeds passing aimlessly 50 yards from goal to be outplaying.

Leeds most have done a lot of aimless balls to end up with 70% possession. That or you are full of it

 

[TheBigIguana]

Leeds most havedone a lot of aimless balls to end up with 70% possession. That or you are full of it

Leeds and Brighton both had a ton of possession without threatening us. Leeds didn't create a presentable chance with all that passing. They scored on a hoof that we misplayed and a belter from outside the box.

 

[LocalNative]

23 Aug 2019	Aston Villa v Everton	W	2-0	Premier League
16 Jul 2020	Everton v Aston Villa	D	1-1	Premier League
01 May 2021	Everton v Aston Villa	W	1-2	Premier League
13 May 2021	Aston Villa v Everton	D	0-0	Premier League

But this time it must be different with half of our first team out.

I actually thought we were the better side and quite comfortable up until they scored, afterwards we crumbled like a stale biscuit. Think we new before kickoff that team wasn't good enough, anything more than a point would've been a fantastic result. Still, a 3-0 defeat away to an OK Villa doesn't look great.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Not sure we have numbers to make 8 changes without playing youth players. We need to win the next 2 games one way or another. It doesn't have to be pretty.

I mean in theory. I think he's going to go with Begovic, Kenny, Holgate, Gomes, Iwobi, Rondon and maybe one or two others who aren't in what seems to be our current best XI. The injuries mean it'll be more like the team we put out in the league.

 

[ProZ]

I actually thought we were the better side and quite comfortable up until they scored, afterwards we crumbled like a stale biscuit. Think we new before kickoff that team wasn't good enough, anything more than a point would've been a fantastic result. Still, a 3-0 defeat away to an OK Villa doesn't look great.

Not any old stale biscuit, a stale rich tea which has been dunked in a luke warm cuppa

 

[kenada_blue]

Leeds and Brighton both had a ton of possession without threatening us. Leeds didn't create a presentable chance with all that passing. They scored on a hoof that we misplayed and a belter from outside the box.

We have conceded/gifted some shocking goals so far. 90% have been Keane's fault.

 

[TheBigIguana]

We have conceded/gifted some shocking goals so far. 90% have been Keane's fault.

Yeah well we've gotten to a point where the default position when we score it is Keane's fault and then we have to work backwards and find about 8 other people to blame before we can let him off.

 

[kenada_blue]

I actually thought we were the better side and quite comfortable up until they scored, afterwards we crumbled like a stale biscuit. Think we new before kickoff that team wasn't good enough, anything more than a point would've been a fantastic result. Still, a 3-0 defeat away to an OK Villa doesn't look great.

Yep.

Think Allan got injured. Gomes did his usual self and gave up. Godfrey showed again why he's not a right back. We didn't have a striker on the pitch.

All adds up.