03 Jan 2022 09:27:25
I'm absolutely gobsmacked that some blues on here are defending Benitez. He played an aged RB (whose legs have gone) at LWB and then played a young lad at RWB that will never make it at this club unfortunately, all this while our French international left back is on the bench.
He also played only 2 in midfield when it was obvious before the game we would be overrun in midfield . If it wasn't obvious to him before the game, after 10 mins it was when we could have been 2-0 down - the guy is a clown and is going to take us down.
I understand that some issues have been around for a long time are not his fault (no RB cover etc) but as a kids football coach I could coach them better. They have had 12 days off to work on things and they look dreadful. The marking for their 2nd goal was amateurish today and then all the players appeared to turn and blame each other. This isn't a team, it's a group of individuals all out of form and not being coached at all.
The club needs to act now, get rid of him and unify / galvanise the team and fan base, otherwise we are only going one way I'm afraid.
03 Jan 2022 11:23:18
12 days off? You messing? C.V. been flying round knocking players for 6 and a lack of games does affect players. DCL not match fit.
No one could coach these better, because they dog awful. Carlo got off because he knew how hard the rebuild was going to be. He got lucky last season when he parked 2 buses and snuck a few wins but there was some proper abject performances too.
03 Jan 2022 11:35:22
Agree Geoff mate.
03 Jan 2022 11:47:22
So nothing to do with the managers tactics then?
03 Jan 2022 12:01:13
I apologise we haven’t had a game for 17 days not 12! We were 5th this time last year, yes it wasn’t great at times but now it is goddamn awful.
Did you support Mike Walker then, as his record is exactly the same as Benitez? This team is not coached and it is clear for anyone that watches football live - 5 at the back at home to Brighton and 2 in midfield?
03 Jan 2022 12:08:26
Educate me then GB and Geoff, what did you see yesterday that makes you think Benitez is the right man for EFC?
I’m totally baffled, even the likes of Carragher doesn’t understand his tactics and he’s his mate.
03 Jan 2022 12:14:54
It’s a game of opinions fellas, some are for Rafa some aren’t, who’s to say who is right, swopping managers every five minutes will never sort this mess out, whoever is our manager has to be given time.
03 Jan 2022 12:27:20
Well at least we know if he takes us down he has the experience to get us back up again?.
{Ed025's Note - lets not even joke about that scenario bob..
03 Jan 2022 12:33:47
Agreed GB. All managers need to be given time, regardless if it was rafa or Mike walker. I joined in calling for martinez and koeman to go because they had had time to rebuild but it wasn't working.
Rafa has had 5 months, 1 transfer window, C.V., soggy and his mess, DCL out for all but 4 games, mina out for loads of games, doucoure was out, as well as having some of the worse players we have ever had in iwobi and rondon (rafa fault that one) .
Most of our players DO have a good game in them BUT it is so very rare it happens.
Rafa cannot be completely blameless. Some subs and tactics seem a little baffling but they try things using the players available and a lot of the time they haven't worked BUT he has changed it to win games early on in the season.
We came back to beat saints 1st game, Burnley and others thanks to his tactical changes and tweaks. no one was slagging him off then.
Looking at the bench yesterday and the starting 11, what else could he have done differently with those players.
1. Swallowed pride and started digne.
2. Put gomez in cm with Allan and doucoure but then have to play gray up with dcl and have less width.
3. For me, start 433, with gomez or gbamin instead of Kenny.
Rafa is on a hiding to nothing because he'll never win. We want instant success. I keep going back to August and we ALL knew how hard this season was going to be and we ALL knew we would have some tough times and poor results.
We all said this was a 2/ 3 year project but now everyone is crying about losing a few games. He has to at least be given the transfer window to see who cam be brought in and see how we get on.
{Ed025's Note - that is a great post geoff..
03 Jan 2022 12:55:19
Well said, Geoff, giving any manager 1 full transfer window and 3 days of the next, isn't going to give us fans the results we desire. We need to stop chopping and changing managers before we fall into the abyss.
It is comical how some people really believe that they could do a better job just because they run an under 14's team! There's a big difference in training footballers at youth level, for no money, to training professionals in the Premier league!
03 Jan 2022 12:57:44
Sorry but why is that a great post when Geof said in an earlier thread no one could coach these better
Where is the evidence of any coaching having been done. The players individually are going backwards, the set up of the team is atrocious, we are not defending or attacking as a unit well
All down to a stubborn manager who thinks he knows best when what he thinks isn't working.
He is not fit for purpose, We are paying millions for an out of date, past his best before date (by several years) know nothing but thinks he is God manager
But of course it is all the players fault. Did these players under any manager except Rafa only win one game in 13?
03 Jan 2022 13:35:31
Look all we ask is the team play with a positive attitude and that he bins this sit back and suck it up crap.
Yesterday he had the perfect opportunity to win fans over by playing four in defence, and playing Simms or Dobbin along side DCL.
The fans would have got behind him then. But as soon as it was announced they were starting with a back five, with Coleman (who is struggling at right back) playing left back. You could feel the disappointment all around the ground. Then when Rondon came on instead of Simms or Dobbin, well that just finished everyone off.
It’s almost like he is trying to wind us up.
03 Jan 2022 13:51:57
BW, did other managers have the top st, best cm and best cb out for a fair few games?
Us football fans have short memories, klopp was getting sacked after 18 months before he found the right formula and spent heavy on vvd and gk.
Kendall, fergie and moyes all under pressure with reports of losing jobs before turning it around.
It's probly more of an indictment of modern society that we look for instant gratification and success. We all thought when moshiri came in that we would be challenging, myself included.
We just bought players because they were expensive or on form for 3 games. We didn't see the character or personality or decide on a style of play before buying them. plus the outside pressures which led to 3 x number 10 and a million lw brought in.
The owner got to take a lot of flak for taking advice and buying players above the dof and managers head.
People can say that rafa going to mess us up. We are already a mess. He seems to be cleaning the backroom set up to improve the whole club not just the team.
Fergie, moyes, wenger all had Total control of the club from 1st team to transfers and academy set up and rafa seems to be doing the same.
I would, certainly be prepared to say we will be much improved 2nd half of the season with new lb and rb almost done, and a couple of others in.
Rafa does need to think about playing Braithwaite as cb and using simms or dobbin instead of iwobi or rondon.
03 Jan 2022 14:06:02
We all didn't know in August we would be in this position. I for one thought we would break even wins and losses. I for one thought Rafa would bring his respected knowledge, experience and tactics to this Club. Alas we are now in a worse run of form than under Walker. Optimism and Rafas rhetoric has got us nowhere that reality if not understood by the board should now be smacking them in the gobs.
03 Jan 2022 14:15:04
Totally agree Woburn and agree it’s a matter of opinions too.
I agree we can’t carry on sacking managers as we will never progress but this guy was not right from the start, he should never have been appointed in the first place.
In answer to your post Geoff
1 - yes the team always comes first not the manager
2 - yes, if you play Gomes alongside the other 2 you can have lay 433 which still allows Gray and Gordon to support DCL
3 - as above
We do not progress the ball quick enough, when was the last time you saw Pickford ping one out to the wings to release Gray, DCL etc a quick attack.
I really hope I’m wrong but I’ve seen some crap at GP since going in the 80s but this is up there with the worst I’ve seen but again that is my opinion.
03 Jan 2022 14:51:28
I have to go along with pretty much all the Rafa sceltics not least because it's rational and makes more sense to me.
Whatever was promised by Benitez when he took this job, I would bet my last penny that it wasn't ' . And by Jan. Mr Moshiri we will be about 16th playing like frightened rabbits staring into the headlights the fans will be fuming at my decision making but don't worry that's part of my plan, just wait for the sucker punch coming in Feb. '
Even Farhad isn't that gullible is he?
03 Jan 2022 15:08:00
Sceltics maybe a freudian slip there fellas ? Yes Sceltics is better?.
03 Jan 2022 15:20:12
I definitely typed sceltic as in sceltical ??
03 Jan 2022 15:30:15
Ok how about 'Doubtful' or maybe 'Doubters' ? ?.
03 Jan 2022 15:41:43
Fair points guys. I can definitely see the negatives in rafa and I'm not 100% happy with the way things have been going BUT as I say there are plenty of mitigating circumstances (so many more than Mike walker - the guy who got Norwich to beat bayern away) and let him get a couple of players in now.
At least give the guy 1 season to see if we can improve.