2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[Kev The Rat]

He finished tenth in his first season back up. Got them winning away at Man City.

But this discussion has been done to death though... He must've know that Everton are a challenge of a different, emotional level.

Newcastle fans are a joke, they like Benitez because he sounds like a 'name' manager. That's it. His record there doesnt stand up to scrutiny.

 

[Nymzee]

I think every single Everton manager in my lifetime would by and large rest players for a game like this tbf.

Not that I agree with it.

It's the same argument as why do never leave anyone up top when we're defending a corner? I don't get it but again every single Everton manager I've ever seen does it.

And I would criticise any Everton manager for not trying to win a cup for us.

 

[The binman chronicles]

QF of the EFL Cup is just before Christmas
FA Cup 3rd Round is in January

We don't start getting a tighter schedule till the very end of November.

Resting players for a game against Norwich is just arrogant negligence.

It's easy to say that now without trying it. If Allan and Mina got injured and were out for a few months you might not have the same opinion.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

But you have to acknowledge mate that we had a lot of injuries and rightly or wrongly the manager is under pressure to finish high up the table due to his RS history and fan pressure on him he can't just ignore the league like a Martinez could perhaps.

Gray
Doucoure
Keane
Mina
Allan

The only players who never started the game and tbh Allan had a knock 3 days ago at Villa, Mina can't play 2 games in such a quick turnover with his injury record which leaves three you could argue he should have played.

Keane who has been very poor so far this season, Gray came on and did nothing and Doucoure is solid but he's not a Bruno Fernandes who'll make something happen week in week out.

Our problem for me was no decent CF on the pitch - a fully fit DCL or Richarlison up top and we win that game and have someone to aim for whereas we had a half fit Rondon chugging around with little service.

I get people are upset no one wants to win a trophy more than me im not old enough to remember 95 but at the same time we lost on penalites on another day Davies slots it in and one of theirs misses.

We move on and hope our injuries settle down and go for Europe / FA Cup.

Different issues there mate.

For me, he holds the league cup in contempt. He did before Everton, and continued to do it here.

He put out a weakened team against Huddersfield and we got away with it. He did the same at QPR.

He's wrong to do so. We can say that without it being part of an agenda.

Injuries are part of the game, we can't go not competing for domestic trophies because we might pickup an injury. It's not like we're going to be seriously challenging for anything in the league anyway - mid table obscurity here we come.

 

[MikeH72]

Yes I watched all of them. We setup with a solid defensive unit with the clear plan of getting a goal and defending as a unit. It worked very well away from home. It’s called a game plan

So Allardyceball then? It was grim, even when we scraped wins I just came away fuming that were showing no signs of actually being a good team.

 

[blue to the bone]

Which is right, and the Keane critisicm has been well justified but as many pointed out last night. If there was a game where we needed a tall defender... If Mina wasn't available then keane should have played. Could have stopped many issues last night. Godfrey is playing at 50%, he does not look like the player we had last season.

Kenny, Gomes, Davies, Holgate should be nowhere near the team even as reserve. Iwobi should have been fine for game last night.

But is that more on our recruitment then manager that the last 4 you named there are in the squad every game

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Newcastle fans are a joke, they like Benitez because he sounds like a 'name' manager. That's it. His record there doesnt stand up to scrutiny.

Think it's more because he fitted perfectly into fan vs board snarl.

 

[andy4efc]

And I would criticise any Everton manager for not trying to win a cup for us.

Exactly. We've all said the same for past managers have we not? Moyes, Martinez, Marco, Carlo all got questioned when they made changes.

Nothing specifically new for the Everton manager yet they all take the risk and ultimately crash out and put a black mark on their record.

 

[Furey1878]

And I would criticise any Everton manager for not trying to win a cup for us.

Understandable mate, I've just come to accept it as a certainty most seasons. The bigger issue for me is that even with a 2nd string 11, no lower league club should be having 60+% of the ball against us. Blame is in part to the players as well as the manager there.

 

[blue to the bone]

Different issues there mate.

For me, he holds the league cup in contempt. He did before Everton, and continued to do it here.

He put out a weakened team against Huddersfield and we got away with it. He did the same at QPR.

He's wrong to do so. We can say that without it being part of an agenda.

Injuries are part of the game, we can't go not competing for domestic trophies because we might pickup an injury. It's not like we're going to be seriously challenging for anything in the league anyway - mid table obscurity here we come.

Who was the last manager we had who played a full strength side against lower league opposition in the league Cup?

 

[Nymzee]

Exactly. We've all said the same for past managers have we not? Moyes, Martinez, Marco, Carlo all got questioned when they made changes.

Nothing specifically new for the Everton manager yet they all take the risk and ultimately crash out and put a black mark on their record.

I don't think I've ever seen such a fervent defense of a manger for doing it though as I have this week. Borders on delusion.

 

[andy4efc]

But is that more on our recruitment then manager that the last 4 you named there are in the squad every game

Recruitment has been shambolic mate. Not defending that, but also tactically Benitez and his staff should have been more than aware that Godfrey and Holgate wouldn't be great aerially last night. I also dont buy that most players need a rest after 5 games.

Also apparently BEnitez who voided the dumfries transfer as he didnt see 13m on him as good spend. So if that's true then he cant blame anyone for having kenny as reserve.

And Kenny was absolutely abysmal last night.

I could have played last night and at least Everton fans would appreciate me having a go.

 

[Lord Buckethead]

The only record of his that counts is what he does here.

He has so far managed to take Everton on a cup run to the Third Round of the Carabao Cup.

 

[davek]

That is what I said.

He didn't start them but the game is 90 minutes and he had the best available to us out on the pitch last night barring a couple of exceptions.

We have no attack.

If we had no injuries then we'd have seen Richarlison and / or DCL on the pitch and probably Pickford...who would have been handy to have for the pens.

 

[nsno-chris]

So Allardyceball then? It was grim, even when we scraped wins I just came away fuming that were showing no signs of actually being a good team.

I came away made up with the 3 points.