Rafa Benitez | Sacked (Fachts)

Pep's Suit

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A team like Everton should choose between a young, progressive manager or someone experienced who likes attacking football. Instead, they've decided to go with a negative has-been. Absolutely terrible decision. He's fired before March and they finish 11th-14th.
 

Oranges038

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Literally classic Scouse behaviour. This is a fanbase that bullied one of their best players into staying at the club.
Yeah, United fans in balaclavas never showed up at one of their best players house to encourage him to stay.
 

DoubleDinhos

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I don't get how Liverpool fans should be mad at him, the guy's reputation has been on a decline for half a decade, this is probably his last train if he wants to coach at the top level and surely Liverpool would never offer him a job after his last stints due to his "Legend status", I don't know why Rafa should skip the best offer he'll probably get for the rest of his life just to save face for a club that wouldn't consider hiring him in the future.

I could understand it from the Everton point of view, some die hard fans may even consider that it's better to be relegated than to be coached by Benitez, but at the end of the day no president wants to risk that.
This is it for me. He did loads for the club, loads for the Hillsborough families and drew attention to the last owners being a pair of cowboys (who knows how it would have all gone down had he kept quiet on them being crooks). He owes Liverpool nothing and he was never going to be considered again, because of Klopp the club has moved past what he offers at this point in his career.

Proper odd seeing those pictures of him with the scarf on though. I thought it would be pretty easy to wish him bad luck while he was their manager but seeing him, a little older and more tired looking there's still a small part of me rooting for him. If there was some way he could succeed and Everton fail that would be nice. Fingers crossed he's getting a big pay off either way.
 

Mb194dc

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Rafa is a good manager and he'll improve Everton. Tactically he's one of the best around still.

If he had a better persona and charisma would have done better with Real. Has struggled to get on with big players sometimes in his career. Too analytical and not a big name ex player maybe. Especially at R Madrid.

He's not well liked generally by Chelsea fans but he won us a Europa and got 20 goals out of Torres.
 

Bastian

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He'll need to start great and continue that throughout the season as he'll be offered no leeway by the supporters who are already furious.
 

77

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At least he won't have to worry about his house getting turned over on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
 

njred

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I don't see the reason for such a big hooplah. He's hardly someone who is synonymous with Liverpool and one of their most iconic managers. He won a CL there, sure, but didn't achieve what they wanted in the league since prehistoric times, and they're one of the many many clubs he managed.
You couldn’t be more wrong about that. With living in the area and what he’s done for the community in regards to charities for Hillsborough and even charities towards Everton and winning that European Cup he will always be a legend in Liverpool’s eyes.
 

amolbhatia50k

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You couldn’t be more wrong about that. With living in the area and what he’s done for the community in regards to charities for Hillsborough and even charities towards Everton and winning that European Cup he will always be a legend in Liverpool’s eyes.
There you go. Like Gerrard and Carragher, always a Blue really.
 

horsechoker

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And lo, the Kopites did shudder when they bore witness to his return
And felt great anger and fear in the face of his blue and white scarf
Eternal pain suffered as a result of their past sins,
Whitening their teeth whiter than the shade allowed by God.
 

RooneyLegend

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Rafa is a good manager and he'll improve Everton. Tactically he's one of the best around still.

If he had a better persona and charisma would have done better with Real. Has struggled to get on with big players sometimes in his career. Too analytical and not a big name ex player maybe. Especially at R Madrid.

He's not well liked generally by Chelsea fans but he won us a Europa and got 20 goals out of Torres.
His last major achievement was in 05 and he managed to coach big clubs for a decade after that. The man's work is outdated.

Europa isn't saying anything, Emery has a strangle hold on that cup and we all know he's far from being great at his job.
 

Poborsky's hair

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The pressure will be huge, don't understand the high management of Everton, they are pretty wealthy and make so many nonsensical decision, They don't have a sporting director right?

Also any chance of any of the players having fun under Rafa? Saw they had some pretty easy fixtures so I could add some of the players to my fantasy.
 

Cheimoon

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The pressure will be huge, don't understand the high management of Everton, they are pretty wealthy and make so many nonsensical decision, They don't have a sporting director right?
They do: Marcel Brands, who had that role at various Dutch clubs and then joined Everton in June 2018.
 

Castia

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Signed Townsend and Damarai Gray this week….really poor business.

Rafa’s quoted saying he needs players who can cross the ball to Calvert-Lewin…big dick management right there.
 
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SilentWitness

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We have spent a lot of money in the last couple of years and it’s caught up with us clearly.
 

mu4c_20le

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Signed Townsend and Damarai Gray this week….really poor business.

Rafa’d quoted saying he needs players who can cross the ball to Calvert-Lewin…big dick management right there.
That's the Newcastle ingrained in him now
 

Lay

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Townsend with his 2 goals in two seasons and about a handful of assists and Gray who at one point looked like a potentially good player. They’re such relegation threatened type signings.
 

FootballHQ

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Townsend is semi retired now with his frequent Talksport appearances. Did hardly anything at Palace last 3 years. I know Rafa got decent form out of him at Newcastle for six months but that was over 5 years ago now. Was 30 on Friday aswell so don't get the logic of the signing when Everton already clogged with average wide players like Bernard and Iwobi.

Can see more logic in Gray but again played very little over last few years. I take it he didn't settle at Leverkusen?

This feels a bit like all the endless mediocre wide players Benitez signed at Liverpool which really stopped them winning the league as they were very strong in most other positions.
 

SilentWitness

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Townsend is semi retired now with his frequent Talksport appearances. Did hardly anything at Palace last 3 years. I know Rafa got decent form out of him at Newcastle for six months but that was over 5 years ago now. Was 30 on Friday aswell so don't get the logic of the signing when Everton already clogged with average wide players like Bernard and Iwobi.
I think the idea is that Bernard and others who are on high wages will be getting shipped out and these players will be coming in on short term contracts for a lower wage. A mix of Benitez signings and trying to get back on track with FFP due to signing some duds on high fees/wages.

It’s not ideal but I can understand it from these perspectives.
 

FootballHQ

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I think the idea is that Bernard and others who are on high wages will be getting shipped out and these players will be coming in on short term contracts for a lower wage. A mix of Benitez signings and trying to get back on track with FFP due to signing some duds on high fees/wages.

It’s not ideal but I can understand it from these perspectives.
I assume Bernard was offered to clubs last season and no one took him so think he'd be more likely to go in Jan when I assume he has just 6 months left on deal.

You signed Iwobi for what 30m so no one is paying anywhere near that, best bet is season long loan but you'd still have to cover most of his wages.
 

SilentWitness

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I assume Bernard was offered to clubs last season and no one took him so think he'd be more likely to go in Jan when I assume he has just 6 months left on deal.

You signed Iwobi for what 30m so no one is paying anywhere near that, best bet is season long loan but you'd still have to cover most of his wages.
I don't think Iwobi will go. Rodriguez only has this year left (although we have an option for an extra year) so I think he's likely to leave in this or the next window and I think Bernard will be a better prospect now for clubs as we will be happy to let him go at a cut price because of the wages. I think people like Delph, Tosun, Mina etc. will leave too which will free up some wages. It's just about trying to get the balance right with FFP at the moment so I'm not expecting a great summer or season. Anything above 10th would be good considering the current state but if we balance the books it should mean a better summer the next time around.
 

Maluco

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I don’t think you can go wrong on Gray at 1.5 million. I still think he could be a player if he is given the opportunity.

Townsend I wouldn’t have bothered, but if it means that others can leave on bigger wages, then it’s pretty cheap squad building.

So much money spent on average at Everton over the last 7-8 years. You might as well just get it in for free!
 

UNITED ACADEMY

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McNeil makes so much sense for improvement. Townsend and Gray are joke :lol:
 

BigDunc9

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We have fecked ourselves over by having to much shite on huge contracts. It is becoming clear now that this year is going to be a stop gap until Sigurdsson, Bernard, Tosun, Delph and Coleman all expire at the end of the season. James too but he's not shite like the others. Hopefully then a rebuild of the squad can begin.
 

SilentWitness

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We have fecked ourselves over by having to much shite on huge contracts. It is becoming clear now that this year is going to be a stop gap until Sigurdsson, Bernard, Tosun, Delph and Coleman all expire at the end of the season. James too but he's not shite like the others. Hopefully then a rebuild of the squad can begin.
Indeed. I think Ancelotti leaving like he has is not helpful either.
 

bond19821982

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Always rated McNeil and Gray is a much better option than Bernard. As long as Everton isn't expecting a European slot, these are solid signings which will get them one of 8,9 or 10 th positions.
 

Dancfc

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Indeed. I think Ancelotti leaving like he has is not helpful either.
Tbh being ex Liverpool aside Benitez is probably better equipped to see you through this type of transition.

Carlo is a keep superstars happy type manager whereas Benitez will prepare for games in much more detail.
 

Dan_F

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Always rated McNeil and Gray is a much better option than Bernard. As long as Everton isn't expecting a European slot, these are solid signings which will get them one of 8,9 or 10 th positions.
That’s bare minimum for a club like Everton surely? I can’t see them finishing above Leeds or Villa, so they’d do well to improve on the 10th managed last year.

Isn’t Marcel Brands supposed to be a decent DoF, or is this just the owners doing, because it seems a bit of a Woodward move to have all these unwanted players on big wages.
 

bond19821982

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That’s bare minimum for a club like Everton surely? I can’t see them finishing above Leeds or Villa, so they’d do well to improve on the 10th managed last year.

Isn’t Marcel Brands supposed to be a decent DoF, or is this just the owners doing, because it seems a bit of a Woodward move to have all these unwanted players on big wages.
Think it's going to be transition season for them. Doesn't really matter whether you finish 8 or 15, they should be happy if Benitez can move their high earning duds and still play better .

Still can't believe Barca offered us Mina and Gomez for Pogba. :lol:
 

GatoLoco

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Has anyone else noticed the pattern?

Will Zidane be next? :D
 

SilentWitness

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Tbh being ex Liverpool aside Benitez is probably better equipped to see you through this type of transition.

Carlo is a keep superstars happy type manager whereas Benitez will prepare for games in much more detail.
I agree. What i mean is that different managers will have different plans. Constantly changing managers means that long term plans are basically thrown out the window and lead to the state we are currently in.