Benitez non-committal on Everton

If he brought us success and I mean winning something would you care?

Some names to jog your memory

Harper, Watson, Morrisey, Beardsley, Sheedy, Ablett with the exception of Beardsley all ex Liverpool players who won something with Everton. I don't give a flying fuck about what Benitez has said when he managed the RS, David Moyes called us the people's club to curry favour with us, was paid a good salary and at the end of the day. Everton must be the only club in the prem whose manager was the top wage earner

I don't care he used to manager the Shite. Or that he 'lacks integrity' (people with integrity are those who lose with a smile, btw). And it'd be a right kick in the balls for Liverpool supporters.

Benitez, you are welcome here — and that is an OPINION!

Are you so blinded by your hatred of Liverpool that it gets in the way your desire to see Everton be successful? I am not saying that I would be ecstatic about Benitez but it is about appointing the best manager available with experience who might want the job.

It won't happen but it would be interesting and would piss off Liverpool fans — something I thought you would applaud.

Long live Rafa Benitez, the reds would love it

Why shouldn't we? I too would like some of the people you mention but they won't be approached and don't want the job. Please tell me your objections beyond he managed Liverpool and said nasty things about us?

Also, didn't he say that we were a SMALL club?

He also left Liverpool with a number of expensive duds and spent a lot of money. £20 million on Keane?

Let him tout for whatever he wants.

Putting aside whether you think Benitez has ability or otherwise, his appointment would split the fanbase. Not even Kenwright would be that stupid.

Save us from this depressing mess, Jesus!

Initially I wanted the club to go for this guy, but having read up a bit, perhaps this was wishful thinking that he would be the Porto Special One, Mk 3.

At this stage, nearly every single man linked with the job is leaving me concerned and anxious.

Matt Traynor #281 - you're absolutely right, he would certainly split the fan base, I think it would make the polarised opinion on Moyes look like a tea party. And I don't think Kenwright would do it either, not because he's not stupid but because he's a popularist, he's not going to make a decision that requires some balls or he could get legitimate stick for.

I think once Benitez started getting results, which I think he would, it'd soon change. He'd never be idolized but I think we'd grow to respect him and if he moves the club forward that's all Im bothered about to be honest, and I really think he would. Plus he might show the board up to be the bunch of wasters they really are.

Bill, listen to the fans for once.

Sure he won the Europa League with Chelsea but if you let me pick the side I could have as well.

Go away Rafa!! I doubt he would even come anyway as he wouldn't want to completely ruin his love amongst the Red Shite and he will no doubt find a richer club to take over at – this is a man who always lands on his feet... somehow.

I think they would be concerned if we got Benitez and they would not be concerned at all of we got a rookie manager from within. Martinez would also be good I think.

Benitez then Martinez then Pereira for me. (But Benitez would need some massive clause in his contract to stop him joining Liverpool after us – like half his wages returned – otherwise he might just use us until Rogers gets sacked then jump to them.)

http://hereisthecity.com/2013/05/13/rafael-benitez-the-controversial-choice-to-manage-everton/

Skip forward 12 months and we've qualified for CL football.. Are you arsed who is the manager if we have achieved that? Are we really going to get De Boer? Rijkaard? et al. No.

Put aside prejudice and look at 1) Who is available 2) What compo will be required (DW will wamt £££) 3) Who would be hard nosed enough to come 4) who would WANT to come (Mark Hughes, Mr O'Neill???) and most importantly 5) who has actually got a PL track record ? One answer.

Benitez is a European coach of deserved reputation who will not only push us on to the next level through his tactical ability, he will attract quality footballers to the club who want to win things.

He is a winner!! With him at the helm, I would feel confident of going to Old Trafford, The Emirates and Anfield with a feeling of confidence not fear.
He has a winning mentality but he is a lucky manager too.... we only have to think back to Istanbul to see that!

Forget promoting from within and spending years back in the middle of the table (or worse) whilst these guys learn the ropes... Or hiring a manager that's only ever known a relegation fight? Bring in a winner... Let's push on and take the club to the next level where we belon!!

If we ask him, he may come!!!

Whether you like it or not, he is a TOP class manager with a CV that only Mourinho will be able to better in the coming Premier League season. Be realistic: if you are a worried Evertonian as I am after 11 years of stability under David Moyes – who, let me remind you, won nothing... Benitez would be THE perfect choice!!!!!!!

These "choice challenges" you're engaging in are getting tiresome.

Valencia – Hector Cupa's team
Liverpool – Houlier's team
Chelsea – Abramovich

On top of that, everywhere he goes there's mayhem: he had a hissy fit at Valencia over money; the same at Liverpool (despite nearly bankrupting them); Inter turned into a disaster.

It's the same question mark that hangs over Capello: Is he a coach to deal with difficult circumstances or just another Sven?

It's like the plaudits for Di Matteo because he was in charge of Chelsea's Champions League team... come on!

Close analysis of Benitez's "achievements" suggest he isn't the clever rebuilder to give us decent winning football.

The Liverpool connection doesn't have to figure.

Tis a nice place mind over looking the estuary.

Highly respected manager across Europe, could be considered for almost any job in football joins Everton due to wife's attachment to corian kitchen worktops, walk in wardrobe and power shower in en-suites in every four poster bedroom.

'If you think Im leaving these shag pile carpets behind darling, you've got another thing coming! Now pick up the phone and ring Mr Kenwright while I sort out the pool boy....... Sebastian..... SEBASTIAN!!!!!!'

The problem here is that I don't think most of us have got any faith in the people who are carrying out this recruitment exercise. There was an excellent article in The Guardian from Tor-Kristian Karlsen on the process that good football clubs should go through to select a new manager. It's become depressingly clear that the club do not appear to have had such a process in place. Karlsen gives an example of a particularly well run club who used him to update their information on some managerial candidates, even though they weren't currently looking for a new manager. It was about having a scouting system in place for new manager so that if something unexpected happened they could act straight away knowing who they wanted and who was available. It's well worth a read and highlights to me that the first thing the Board should be doing is employing a managerial headhunter.

The article can be found at http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2013/apr/03/paolo-di-canio-sunderland-manager-research

Mrs Benitez.

It's a crazy world.

On a more serious note - James Martin #388 - the voice of reason, spot on.

Benitez may have called us a 'small club', maybe he could be the man to help stop us becoming one?

Like any manager he has his faults and he has his strengths. Anyone pretending he's a rubbish manager is just as crazy as anyone pretending he's the perfect manager. Its the same as with Martinez, people will take different sides of the argument but the reality is that you can't isolate the relegation from the cup win, Martinez as a manager lies somewhere in between, just like Moyes lied between 4th place and Wigan in the cup, just like Rafa lies between the Cl and cocking up at Inter.

Keane was a £20m proven premiership striker, he tried to ruin his career because Keane wasn't one of his picks.

The chip on his shoulder about Mouriniho meant he royally screwed Inter just to stamp his own authority.

He rated Gareth Barry over Alonso!!!

He spent almost £250m at LFC and only pushed UTD once... and failed.

'I can manage a ready made team or start a project (will work for food)' If he's so good, why is he so desperate for a job?

He got so screwy when it came to picking a player that the club were forced to cut him out of the loop.

And this is the big one.....(drum roll).... Liverpool got WORSE under him! They have finished below us again because of the decline that sped up under his (ba)stewardship! They STOPPED being perennial CL qualifiers while he was in charge! After spending £250m! They were desperate to get rid of him! They were sick of his football! Tired of his predictable substitutions! Fed up with his miss use of a massive squad! Embarrassed by his outbursts!

Rafa for manager? Please people, my fellow blues, just STOP, STOP, STOP. His heart wouldn't be in it, he's not as good as you think and he only wants the job because he's soon to be unemployed.

We're Everton. Blue and proud.

It's a crazy thing to suggest but, if you remove his links with Liverpool, it is simply a no-brainer. I want Everton to win things and not a be nearly team. We have had a generation of emptiness and now is the time to be serious.

I know we have history and one of the most successful teams in England but when? I'm sick of the old days and this rammed down our throats but, if we are not careful, just look at other clubs with similar history who have been relegated by mismanagement and taking their eye off the ball.

Now is the time for Everton and the board to be ballsy and go for the unthinkable. I love Everton as much as any of the fellow blues on TW but our narrowmind hatred of Liverpool should not blinker the fact our best option for the manager of Everton could be blighted by blue-tinted glasses.

I would love it if Rafa Benitez could come here and win a trophy and ram it down the RS throats – that would be revenge for all the years of hurt! Plus going to Old Trafford and putting one over Sir David and Sir Alex.

If we look at the pros and cons of Rafa's appointment, there would be more pro's. I just hope we are not talking about what might have been this time next year!

Qualified for the Champions League every year.

Won it once, got to another final, a semi-final and a quarter-final.

Won the FA Cup and came runner up.

Runner up in League Cup.

Runner up in the Premier League.

That's quite a lot of silverware won thanks to the work of 'others'.... who are these 'others'? Maybe they hitched down to Stamford Bridge and won the Europa League for him at Chelsea last week too.....?

One things for sure, he owes these 'others' a beer or two, eh? :)

Is that reason enough?

Over the same period Benitez has won 9 Honours, 6 of which I'd probably class as major, with 4 different clubs.

That boy must do one heck of an interview!

You can hardly say the FA cup win was with Houllier's team - he'd had 2 full seasons by then, more than enough time to change the squad. Yes he was lucky to inherit Gerrard but there' sosme good players here too. Some people are saying that Robbie Keane wasn't his buy, no wonder he didn't play him often then. Keane was a good player eveyrone knew that and at the itme probably was worth 20 million. Aquilani was a decent rpelacement for Alonso as well - how could he have foreseen his injury problems.

Once again Rafa has strengths and weaknesses but any case trying to make out that he's never done any good work or doesn't deserve any of his trophies is delusional. Would AVB have won the champions legaue with that chelsea team? No, but Di Matteo did, so would anyone take that away from him and call it AVB's win? It was Houllier's team but Houllier could never have won it. The cup, euro final and 2nd in the league were all Rafa's achievements. I don't like the man but is he a good manager who gets results, only a fool would try and argue that he has no merit whatsoever.

Just forget about the arguments for how BAD/moderately okay a manager he is for a minute and think to yourself how it will feel when, without the £250m investment, he doesn't ascend to the flukey heights with us that he did with our neighbours.

There is no upside in appointing him. And, frankly, I don't think I'm alone in questioning the blue credentials of anyone who would even consider him as an EVERTON manager.

er that's not true mate

I would find Rafa a very hard act to swallow, but the more I think of it, the more I am inclined to agree with James Martin.

IF we have such reservations about his ability give him a two year contract, spell it out to him that there is no wonga in the kitty and that the fans will hate him. (but hasn't it already been said that as Evertonians we always get behind our team/manager).

Being unpopular doesn't appear to faze him and out of the two of them he brings more to the table than Martinez.

I think I's give it a go. (FFS)

We are more than likely to get more of the same.

I think we've got to try to take the emotion out if it and offer it to the best man for the job, and all things considered Benitez would definitely be on my short list.

That is enough for me not to want him as manager even despite his history as a Liverpool manager. In my opinion we need someone who is going to:
Develop the club from the youth level up
Play an attacking, intense, high tempo pressing game
Bring young players through and improve existing players
Work effectively in the lower ends of the transfer market
Be tactically astute

I don't think Benitez fits most of that criteria and that's why I don't think he should be the next Everton manager.

Radio bulletins and newspapers are already saying Moyes plans imminent talks with Rooney - within the next 2 weeks, so effectively whilst he's still under the pay of EFC. After today, they should just settle his contract and be done with it - it's a traditional holiday period anyway, but obviously Moyes won't be taking any as he wants to hit the ground running at his new employers (understandable).

By all means Kenwright can ask his opinion, but unlike when Walter Smith recommended Moyes (and prevented Kenwright hiring Megson), Moyes hasn't been sacked and therefore "between jobs".

The trouble is, like DK before when he used a shambolic referendum to get the "mandate" to relocate the club, he loves the kudos of being a PL Chairman, but won't take the responsibility.

Either way BK can't let me down. He pulls a rabbit out of the hat, well done. He fucks it up, he shortens his tenure here and we are that much closer to the removal of the biggest obstacle to progress.

Should we not take a few deep breaths, calm ourselves and consider what he has to say?

He said:

"I have a lot of respect for Everton. They have done a great job in the last year, and you have to give credit to them. But, still I think it would be quite difficult for them to approach me and maybe even for me to go there."

Then goes on to say:

"It could be a project where you could build something for the future or it could be a top side where you could compete straight away for trophies, so we will see."

I read the first statement as: "I'm a proven winner and you're still a well respected club, let's let bygones be bygones and be reasonable about things. There's a possibility we could be successful?"

And I read the second statement as: "I'm aware of Everton's financial position, but still think I can make you winners."

Monday is coming, the season is finished, Benitez available, Martinez goes in to lay his cards on the table with Dave Whelan, our in-house interviews have already taken place with Neville, Weir, Ferguson and Stubbs, I think we'll have a much better idea of who's coming come Tuesday or Wednesday. And some candidate will soon simply not be available to us.

If we lay aside any prejudice we have against Benitez, we have to admit he wins things — yes? He's no mug and he's actually a defensive type of manager/tactician (this should soothe a few of the Moyes diehards), he's unlikely to go all-in (to use a poker term) as Martinez sometimes does. Our league position would probably be stable and near where we are now.

Benitez would be very brave if he did actually come to us. He is used to managing big-budget teams and would for the first time since he left Valencia be saying to the world look at me: "I'm going to achieve with this club without money".

Look at the list of candidates, do any of them come close to his achievements?

Can we afford not to seriously consider him?