2021/22 Rafael Benitez

[HumbleWedbetters]

Loved Reidy but not after 7 league games - that would have been cringey and just stupid.

I won't love Rafael even if he wins us the league..... I love Everton. It's really that simple. That's why I can support him and appreciate him

 

[Earwigjoe]

I won't love Rafael even if he wins us the league..... I love Everton. It's really that simple. That's why I can support him and appreciate him

He hasn't won us the league though, he's actually only won us 4 league games - so no need to appreciate him yet.

 

[Earwigjoe]

Reid was more a kopite than Benitez. .... Reid was a Liverpool fan.

I might have been the boy who would walk to Melwood with dreams of getting Tommy Smith’s autograph, but as a man I would have walked over broken glass if it meant getting a win against Liverpool.

When people talk about the zeal of the convert I know exactly what they mean because I have felt it, and I still feel it to this day.

Once a Red, now always a Blue. My mum had been right all along.

Book cover of Peter Reid's autobiography 'Cheer Up Peter Reid'

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

Loved Reidy but not after 7 league games - that would have been cringey and just stupid.

Cringey and stupid indeed mate. ?

Imagine being one of those groups who declared their love before the season had started! ?

 

[mikel_88]

I won't love Rafael even if he wins us the league..... I love Everton. It's really that simple. That's why I can support him and appreciate him

Really i would is something i have never seen, cant really remember us winning a cup would be a massive thing any trophy for me at this point

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Sam Allardyce was universally loved by all Evertonians

For the record I wasn't a fan of Allardyce - but if he'd had had us playing good footy and improving to the point were we were looking like a top 6 side I would've been upset at his sacking because at that point I would've fully backed him.

 

[tommye]

Reid was more a kopite than Benitez. .... Reid was a Liverpool fan.

Benitez was an employee of Liverpool.... Just like Arteta was an employee of Everton. They do their best for the clubs who employ them.

What I don't understand is people hating Rafael because he was employed by Liverpool.b

Y.A.W.N.

 

[BigDuncTributeBand]

Wasn’t arsed about his Liverpool connection - didn’t want him because of his style of football. Arch pragmatist setting up to stop other teams’ strengths rather focussing on our own. He’s taken over at a difficult time and so far he’s got the team playing better than I imagined and is getting results. I think he’s certainly doing his best for the club, in terms of focus on training, developing team ethos, getting best out of players available. Not sure how likeable he is, maybe comes across a bit smug in his press conferences but that’s really just me and doesn’t matter if he’s doing the business. Would give his start an 8/10.

 

[Nymzee]

For the record I wasn't a fan of Allardyce - but if he'd had had us playing good footy and improving to the point were we were looking like a top 6 side I would've been upset at his sacking because at that point I would've fully backed him.

BUT HE'S EV MANAGER SUPPORT HIM

 

[HumbleWedbetters]

He hasn't won us the league though, he's actually only won us 4 league games - so no need to appreciate him yet.

I'm not appreciating the wins....... I'm appreciating his approach, coaching, discipline and doing all this under ridiculously challenging conditions.

So yeah there is a need to appreciate him, unless you are struggling with the fact that he managed Liverpool.

 

[Nyhus]

You're not coming out clean yourself.

In a discussion about Benny, noone does

Here are two problems with this argument which is getting trotted out a lot recently:

1) it implies that getting results against “weak” sides is easy, as if we just regularly do it and as if teams like Brighton and Southampton haven’t been taking points off far better teams than us this season. Or indeed that teams like Villa are “bad/mediocre” when they’re better than us and are beating better teams than us. We are not at the level where we can write any game in the Premier League off as easy, especially after the results we were getting against these sides last season, if we were beating the bottom 13 teams in the league all the time then we’d be in the top 4. This theory needs to stop right now.

2) it is inherently partisan and causes people like me to respond correcting it and further stokes the fuel of this insane civil war.

Fair play, I dont agree Villa is a better side than us, but the rest is hard to argue against. It wasnt really my point tho, like I said, I think Benny is a decent manager.This whole thing where a part of our supporters suddenly see him as this golden god because he got us points that I and many with me would expect us to get maks zero sense and is dead weird. I
am aware some on here, looking at you @Death, is a bit tonge in cheek about riling up the anti Benitez crowd btw.

 

[woodsyni]

So yeah there is a need to appreciate him, unless you are struggling with the fact that he managed Liverpool.

Or wary of the fact we started like a train last year and got burnt. Just seems sensible not to go overboard.

 

[HumbleWedbetters]

Loved Reidy but not after 7 league games - that would have been cringey and just stupid.

Just try to imagine that you don't need to love the manager ...... It's not a requirement.

When Everton win.... Do you think "oh I'm so happy for the manager and the players"..... No.

All you want to see is that the players and manager appreciate the passion the fans have for the club and reflect this in how they go about their business. When they do that you appreciate them because you identify with what they are showing - a love for the club.

It really isn't that difficult to understand.

 

[Earwigjoe]

I'm not appreciating the wins....... I'm appreciating his approach, coaching, discipline and doing all this under ridiculously challenging conditions.

So yeah there is a need to appreciate him, unless you are struggling with the fact that he managed Liverpool.

Im not struggling- As an Evertonian I've detested the man for years cant pretend otherwise.

 

[HumbleWedbetters]

Or wary of the fact we started like a train last year and got burnt. Just seems sensible not to go overboard.

Did you honestly watch the west Brom game and rub your hands together,? Did you watch us against Palace and think "happy days"

Look back on the march day threads. We were nicking those results with a full strength squad. They really flattered us.

Under Rafael we have been literally stripped to the bare bones, no right back and no striker but getting decent results with the team showing a unity and organisation we've not seen since Moyes was interested.