THE Benitez thread.....

[tomasjj]

The boss
When you have 28 attempts on goal as the away side and nearly 60 per cent of possession, that should usually be enough to win the match. We were punished for one mistake in the first-half having had so many chances. Their goalkeeper was outstanding but we should have taken more of our chances.
Rafa Benitez

This is from the offal match report.

To me, this indicates that Rafa is too focused on stats and tactics.

28 shots?
60% possession?
Usually that means we knock it around their box and pop some weak long shots in.
Our chances are usually not clear chances!

Their goalie outstanding?
I thought he was ****. He was flapping so much even David James was having a laugh.

Now, Rafa, go convince me on Sunday with some more movement and dynamic football.
We know the team has it. Let it play.

[AFII]

The boss
When you have 28 attempts on goal as the away side and nearly 60 per cent of possession, that should usually be enough to win the match. We were punished for one mistake in the first-half having had so many chances. Their goalkeeper was outstanding but we should have taken more of our chances.
Rafa Benitez

This is from the offal match report.

To me, this indicates that Rafa is too focused on stats and tactics.

28 shots?
60% possession?
Usually that means we knock it around their box and pop some weak long shots in.
Our chances are usually not clear chances!

Their goalie outstanding?
I thought he was ****. He was flapping so much even David James was having a laugh.

Now, Rafa, go convince me on Sunday with some more movement and dynamic football.
We know the team has it. Let it play.

It's the same thing Houllier used to say week in week out.

We had the most shots/attempts on goal more or less every season with Houllier and you really can't say that we played any good back then can you?

[dww]

The boss
When you have 28 attempts on goal as the away side and nearly 60 per cent of possession, that should usually be enough to win the match. We were punished for one mistake in the first-half having had so many chances. Their goalkeeper was outstanding but we should have taken more of our chances.
Rafa Benitez

This is from the offal match report.

To me, this indicates that Rafa is too focused on stats and tactics.

28 shots?
60% possession?
Usually that means we knock it around their box and pop some weak long shots in.
Our chances are usually not clear chances!

Their goalie outstanding?
I thought he was ****. He was flapping so much even David James was having a laugh.

Now, Rafa, go convince me on Sunday with some more movement and dynamic football.
We know the team has it. Let it play.

I'm not sure what people want him to say. If he comes out and criticises players people get all up in arms on here, if he deflect the question which is what quoting statistics normally is then he gets slated too.

The question isn't and never should be what he says to the press but what he says and does with the players.

[tomasjj]

It's the same thing Houllier used to say week in week out.

We had the most shots/attempts on goal more or less every season with Houllier and you really can't say that we played any good back then can you?

No, it is not comparable to GH at all.

And I can understand Rafa too.
It is about man management.
He can't come out, now when the teams confidence is shot, and give them just another bollocking. That doens't work. He needs to encourage them, then slowly we will get back on track.

I just get pissed off with the same excuses...even if I do understand why he goes that route.

We don't create enough clear changes though, even against crap teams.

[tomasjj]

I'm not sure what people want him to say. If he comes out and criticises players people get all up in arms on here, if he deflect the question which is what quoting statistics normally is then he gets slated too.

The question isn't and never should be what he says to the press but what he says and does with the players.

Sure.. see my follow up.

As for your second point, true. Lets hope the players and Rafa communicate well, so that players don't believe the press then. I think we have seen in the past that players can be swayed by media talk, regardless of what has been said internally.

[AFII]

No, it is not comparable to GH at all.

And I can understand Rafa too.
It is about man management.
He can't come out, now when the teams confidence is shot, and give them just another bollocking. That doens't work. He needs to encourage them, then slowly we will get back on track.

I just get pissed off with the same excuses...even if I do understand why he goes that route.

We don't create enough clear changes though, even against crap teams.

I agree 100% or maybe even 101%.

[dww]

Sure.. see my follow up.

As for your second point, true. Lets hope the players and Rafa communicate well, so that players don't believe the press then. I think we have seen in the past that players can be swayed by media talk, regardless of what has been said internally.

[Guest]

Rafa should go back to the 'us against them' attitude he was having before the Chelsea match.

[Imy]

The 60% possession stat, around 3/4 of that was Carra passing to Sami, back to Carra, to Finnan, back to Reina, back to Finnan, to Mascha, back to Sami, sami with long hoof straight to the opposition

[Frank Leroux]

A win is a must. Another defeat on Sunday and there will be mutiny on here....

...Bottom line is whether his methods will bring us the league title. So far the evidence suggests not. Too much rotation, too many mediocre players, too often we fail to effectively execute the basics of the game, and I just think that Rafa is a negative manager by instinct. As it is we don't score enough goals. Can you win the league by being so pragmatic?....

I was beginning to wonder whether I was the only one on here who has a fundamental problem with the way Benitez wants the game played as opposed to the latest excuses such as the perennial 'loss of form', our usual 'critical injuries at critical times' and 'not having the players he needs'.

I'd propose - and therefore agree with Charlie - that Benitez's pragmatic, chess-like cautious view of the game will not win a competition like the Premiership.

Stats warning!

Now, there are two big assumptions dropped in there. One is that caution won't win the Premier League. Looking at the stats (I know, I know) you generally needed to have scored more than 70 goals (there are a few exceptions) to win the title. Can 'goal-scoring' and 'caution' go hand in hand?

The second big assumption is that you prescribe to the idea that our manager is cautious. For his three years at Valencia his goals for column reads 51, 56, 71 - goals against - 27, 35, 27. His three full seasons with us: for - 52, 57, 57; against - 41, 25, 27. I'm seeing a trend here. His focus appears to be on defence. Lock-out the opposition. Goal scoring are not his team's forte (does he understand strikers?). And btw, look at the Valencia goals for: 51, 56, 71. Where this Valencia side as 'free-flowing' as we like to think? And in all sincerety, if anyone in the know can tell me why/how they scored 71 goals in his final season with them as opposed to the previous two I would love to be educated.

So, question is - do you think Benitez has a fundamental philosophy as to how the game is best played to achieve victory? Do you think it even matters? If you do, what do you think his philosophy is? Do you think it exports to different leagues? Do you think he can change it if need be?

I don't intend the above to appear as a rave against the manger - simply a reasoning I 've come to as to why I hold the view I do. I want us to win the league. I want Benitez to win it for us. I don't think he will.

[AFII]

Mista had his best season by a mile, that is why they scored 71 goals.

Sometimes a striker has a lucky season, Mista had done nothing of note before that season and nothing after it.

A normal season for Mista is 8-10 goals. Remove 11 goals from the 71 and you more or less get what they usually scored in a season.