Benitez opens up on his approach to coaching

Individual as well as collective coaching and teaching. Development of players as well as getting results.

I said at the time, although controversial, and seen as a continuation of the "Ancelotti Plan", this could ironically be a better fit for where Everton are right now.

Mouthwash time.

A few of them will benefit from individual coaching, especially on the concentration and awareness fronts.

I think we have some real talent at Everton that can be tapped into to improve. Along with some good strategic signings, we can get back on the right track.

Over to you, Benitez.

Coaching and developing players, organising, creating team spirit and improving the fitness – all those principles have been lost since we had money and need to be reclaimed.

If Benitez can do that, then he'll have earned an awful lot of credit – and set the club up for better to come in a shiny new stadium.

Buena suerte, Beni Azule!

More so than everyone's best friend, Silva, and "Get me out of this purgatory" Ancelotti.

I'm worried about the window though. Villa – with Bailey, Buendia and the lad from Norwich, if they pull it off – are cracking signings and the teams around us (bar maybe West Ham?) have bought smartly.

We could argue we've not signed a player for our starting XI yet!

Benitez is agenda setting establishing his required standards of performance and will be monitoring the results. He has brought in Gray and Townsend to increase pace and will be trying to bring players to the standard that can work with the increased pace. I still think he needs to bring in more players, though a fit Gbamin solves a problem midfield, if he can stay fit. I still think Everton need a Gareth Barry type player and a right-back.

My advice to Benitez is not to depend on the old Everton squad because there is still enough of them who could down tools at critical stages in the Premier League campaign, like they did with previous managers.

If he can get the first eleven to graft and fight for every ball during a game, that will do for starters.

There is a good midfield available given the squad and injuries coming back.

Choice of Allan, Doucouré, Gbamin, Gomes played in a balanced set up with width, and playing 15 yards higher up the pitch will see big improvement, imo.

The same teams normally finish in the same positions, guaranteeing Champions League revenue and more spending power, and now those power clubs have rebuilt over the past 15 years, they bring out FFP, which is impossible for the other clubs to close the gap.

How can we be struggling to buy players, agree we bought some players that simply have no sell-on value.

Yet we are hearing City are looking to pay around £100 Million for Grealish and a possible £100 million plus for Harry Kane.

We can argue the point Leicester City have done very well on reselling players, but where are these massive outgoing transfer fees Man City are receiving for their players.

Man City seem to spend, spend spend, without any massive outgoing transfer fees coming in, for the players they let go.

So there we have it in a nutshell, those in the Top 4 will remain there, until something changes, in the spending allowance of those trying to close the gap.

Hate to say it, but the Super League breakaway, would have revamped the Premier League and would have succeeded, without those clubs.

All that has happened is a small slap on the wrist, and nothing more.

These same clubs will find loopholes to buy players, while we will have to just learn from our past mistakes: buy quality, instead of average players, for big transfer fees, and huge contracts.

Mr Ancelotti had the same chance, off me, when he came; neither of them come with a guarantee.

Ancelotti came and went so he is history now, no use crying over spilt milk. Benitez is here now and, although he tastes like vinegar to many fans at the moment, he might sweeten a lot of them up. I feel that he can't be any worse than the last few managers and he has the pedigree to be much better than them.

Come on, Rafa, show them what you can do!!

I think most will give Benitez a chance. Nobody is offering another manager as an option, but I don't want him telling us what a good job he will do. I want him to get on and do it.

As you say, he can't be any worse than previous managers. He'll finish higher than Carlo did. That's for sure.

Just hope the footy is a little kinder on the eyes…

Yes, I hope they do, Darren, and the football has got to be better than what we saw under Carlo (not counting the early games that most fans raved about).

Let's remember, Man City were gifted their new ground whilst Man Utd and Them were only required to posh up their middens. Spurs are still recovering from their re-build, as are Arsenal, whilst Leicester City have chosen managers well and are a case apart.

So look forward to '10th' and to live long enough to see us housed in a fitting 'New Goodison'!

Although we have not yet played a fully competitive game, he has started to change my mind with his positive attitude and the fact he is a coach foremost, and then a manager.

Good luck to him if he thinks he has a chance of improving some of the players (Iwobi, Gomes, Davies, Holgate etc) but with every different manager there are some players who take to his ideas and improve dramatically and others who do not perform so well.

In my opinion, we have started the improvements in the right position with wingers who have speed, although not with the players we had hoped for, but they have done well.

Next week's game against Man Utd will be an ideal test to see if things have improved and to judge more our style of play but, at the moment, things look promising.

Wish you the best of luck, Rafa (I never thought I would say that); let's hope you can give us a team to be proud of.

COYB

There is no continuity anywhere within the club. It ways seems to me that the club is looking for someone who is the opposite of who they want to get rid of… which, to me, is an indication that they have no clue what they want or how to get it. The results speak for themselves.

But I am sure he applied that same style of coaching at Newcastle which saw them relegated, yes they came back up but were always in the bottom half of the league. And no doubt he applied the same tactics in China were again is side finished just a couple of places off the bottom.

I suggest before you compare him to our other managers, let's wait to see where we are at Xmas before we start praising him. Talking a good game is easy if you listen to most interviews by managers – it's never their fault their team got beat.

So we end up spending a fortune on players without really getting anywhere close to a decent first XI – let alone a decent squad.

This summer's approach gives the impression that Benitez is tasked with building a cohesive team out of what we already have along with a few cheap additions.

Maybe the penny has dropped – because, although FFP is a pain and creates a cartel, it does also help stop clubs going bust through reckless spending. Paul the Esk's excellent articles are sobering reading in that respect.

You may be right about how managers never think it's their fault but I'm hoping Benitez is willing to call out the grafters who are only willing to pick up a check.

There is a definite need to change the current Everton mentality and malaise. He may be just the man. Maybe not. But one thing is clear: We definitely need a mentality change. One we haven't had since Moyes.

If that is the case, I hope Benitez calls out the slackers and, if need be, drops them.

Our past managers have stuck by players; even though it was plain to see we were carrying a few on the pitch, they still got picked.

If Benitez drops players, for whatever reason, I am right behind him.

Sick to death of managers coming and going, each and every one of them, playing players out of form, hardly giving youth a chance if need be, just because of the money we paid out for those players.

We certainly need to work on the fitness levels, and the ability to pass a ball in midfield.

I have a good feeling this time that players are going to have to step up, or be dropped.

Now, though, I think we have a manager who actually has a progressive plan and will get the best out of the players available (or get them out asap).

John Graham & Robert Tressell, I agree with you both.

It's puzzling that he is attracting such criticism saying he took Newcastle down. I think he took them up again and the Geordies were hoping that he'd come back once the Saudis took over.

Well, criticise, or praise, I think we've got a manager who knows what he's about and knows how to step by step, get the team more effective and winning more games.

This season (as have quite a few!!) is likely to be lacking in wow factor football. But there's a good chance that the players and who we bring in (when we are able to bring any in) will, by and large, fit into a team pattern and do a specific job, within that team. And the ones that, with some disagreement about how many, we have who haven't been pulling their weight, will find themselves out of the squad, as soon as we can bring in some of our younger players, or bring some in.

I've said before that I'd love to see James play a part, but if he only plays when it suits him, or he's "injured" again on a regular basis, then I'm all for Rafa Benitez binning him, or anyone else who doesn't pull their weight.

The squad he inherited lost a lot of games last season by one goal and had a boatload of injuries. At times, though, we were class and, in the end, it was lack of squad depth that did us in. With the addition of Townsend and Gray, we have strengthened the squad. With the re-emergence of Gbamin, we are better now (as a squad) than we were at anytime last season.

If we have a manager who is as good as I think he is, then this will be the season when we grab that extra handful of points and, after 5 years into the 5-year plan, be at the level that we expected to be just about now.

I am backing him 100%. He's the Everton manager.

I think anything above 8th represents a modicum of success. 8th or 9th would feel like stasis and 10th or below would be (another) failure.

Of course, a cup win would go a very long way as well.

No doubt Benitez already has an idea of a few he would want to get rid of, others he will give a bit more time to, and some who will be his type of player. From the look of it, he will not have the funds to bring in the top players, even if he could persuade them to join us, so man-management is crucial.

If he can keep getting the best out of Calvert-Lewin and get Richarlison performing at the top of his game, together with getting some speed into the team, we can hopefully take a bit of pressure off the defence and add more of an attacking theme to the team. COYB

I've literally pissed all over my own fireworks and reverted back to the ‘glass half-empty' where Everton are concerned.

Strap in: things aren't getting better.

It is like every sport: the best will usually come top and the not quite so good may get there occasionally... but the average will stay average.

I believe our current squad is somewhere between average and not quite so good.

I think Benitez has been unlucky with the Number 10 situation and FPP coming just before Bramley-Moore Dock, so he has taken on quite a challenge.

I do believe he will improve the players he has but, as Jerome says, will they lapse back into their "losers" mentality at some stage?

Ever the optimist, I think if we can bring in some goalscoring players and get rid of the "shirkers", we might get 6th.

I'm still not convinced by Arteta and I can see Spurs and Leeds not having such a good season but Villa are now looking strong with Buendia and Bailey and West Ham will be strong again.

Let's hope the FSW gamble pays off.

As for actual ability, we finished where we should have. Not this bullshit "We was only so many points from Europe" cack. I'm a Blue and take no delight saying this every year. These bastards know we can't just move them on. I fuckin' hate this club more than I love 'em. Having said all that, c'mon, Manuel, do something. Coyb

The fans don't have a choice in the appointments made by the board so we have to go with the flow for the time being and trust it's a good move. Results will show his mettle and, after Ancellotti's failure to make last season something to remember after a good start, I have reservations about anyone who is appointed.

Just wish he hadn't spent the last 100 years in China. I wonder what effect that might have – being out of the top league for so long?

Happy to give him a go as he has hit the right buttons so far.

He's telling us, and I think it's as important as telling the squad, what he expects.

He wants to get our backing. If any club has the supporters behind the manager and team, then the whole becomes stronger. Our club will become stronger.

If anyone has lingering thoughts that we're going to bring in this player, or that, like some football beauty parade, I think they'll be sadly disillusioned this season. If he can bring in a couple more of the same standard as those he's already brought in, that will be progress; if he can bring in one or two top class players, I'll be extremely, but very pleasantly, surprised.

So now we know what his way of working is… and that's his life. I'm glad he's telling us, as he can't show us what he's trying to do, unless he tells us first.

We need better players.

It took Kendall 3 years to assemble better players.

We've had way too much instability over the past few years. In any walk of life, that's never a good business model.

It might be turbulent to start with, but you have to see the plan through.

Kendall Mark 1.

Winston Churchill 1941.

See the strategic plan through and ignore the hysteria because you lose a game / battle or two. Win the war, not the battles.

It is a crying shame, and it has been mentioned many times before, the amount of money that has been totally squandered by previous ill-suited Managers to leave us under the restrictions of FFP. When you look at what that money has bought us, there are only a handful of players who could walk into another Premiership Side. Don't suppose we will ever know who Rafa would have gone for, if it had been an open cheque book.

However as many have alluded to, I don't think things are that bad, and we do have a decent nucleus of players, let see if he can turn ' sow's ears into silk purses ' with the others. I still think seriously we need another two or three quality players in, RB, Dynamic Midfielder and another Striker/Right Winger.

Of course a lot still depends on who is still here at the end of the Window, I do hope we don't sell the Family Silver in Richie and DCL and to a degree James to facilitate more incomings. We have to keep our better players, and add to them. Gutted over Bailey, I think had he been bought and we DO get Dumfries, that would have been an awesome right sided attack.

I hope we resolve the Kean situation with PSG and get a decent wad for him, wouldn't shed too many tears if Gomes and Iwobi went too (sorry Colin 😢) but who is going to be interested and if they are, you can almost bank on there being massive losses on the initial outlay of both.

The pre-season ultimate match should tell us a lot against United, both in terms of who could feature on the opening day, and how much we have progressed since last season, under different tutelage and a Manager who wants to win.

I think he's the ideal fit for the type of players we have and attract.

As usual, the supporters will judge Benitez on the results he achieves with Everton FC, well most of them will at any rate.

Rafa is a safe bet while the new shiny thing gets built...

Hope he gets good results againts the shite..

What worries me is how many players we still have that aren’t good enough. I can’t believe he would have come to Everton without significant funds being available having managed under Ashley. The prospect of another season with the likes of Iwobi, Gomes and Holgate doesn’t fill me with optimism.

He is talking sense though and that’s a start.

Remember, he was elsewhere before that and did good things.

At the very least give the guy a chance before lambasting him.

And yes, I obviously contrast these successes with our decades-long failing owner/boardroom/training ground/team, but the fact is that Benitez inherited a squad from the six-year tenure of Houllier who during his time won the League Cup, the FA Cup, the UEFA Cup, the European Super Cup and the Charity Shield. The owners of "them" deemed that to be insufficient and appointed Benitez, who achieved way less.

So, given his tenure over there where his club comparatively withered, and his tenure on the Tyne, where his club were relegated, and his tenure in China where his club withered, just where are the grounds for optimism that he can transform the grindingly comfortable culture of USMFF into anything at all akin to professional success?

Alleged money-man Moshiri (and whoever, if anyone, is pulling his strings) needs to face up to the fact that he/they have royally ballsed up his/their tenure but if they're still as intent on finding "a magician" as manager, as Ancelotti strongly inferred they were, they probably need someone different to Benitez as far as I'm concerned.

And lastly, the source of Moshiri's £billions may well seem to have evaded scrutiny from every tax system world-wide but I suppose when it comes to FFP they've met their match though, in terms of signing quality players, or at least that's what they'd have us all believe.

Long way to go, but humilaty and reality in this Everton squad, with true grit will be the difference from last season.

No in hindsight fake coach, from last season, but a coach who has drive and desire and belief, to be a winner and to slug it out when required.

From the snippets of coaching I have seen, he’s been trying to get the boys to pass the ball quicker - this is much needed in my opinion after a couple of years of zombie football.

It’s too early to judge properly, but Rafa has started well in the job…

I think I am the reverse to most people in that I thought Benitez’s appointment was a great move at first, but thIs James saga is making me really doubt that

'You will never improve one thing by 100% so try to improve 100 things by one per cent'

The encouraging thing is, that just after Woodward said that, his team won the World Cup!

Thats the underlying concern that the same old Everton will raise it's ugly head. Alot of us will know as soon as we see it. Changing that with the known constraints, whicll be Rafas real test. His current approach is right and hopefully he has learned from his experiences, but how will he cope when Everton produce their despairing performances that previous Managers looked on with exasperated disbelief at, on too many occasions? Will he be able to adapt and adjust: tactics, formations, and players successfully as other Premier teams catch up and counter the progress he is making at Everton. It's is this ability to adapt and adjust over a season that seperates in the wheat from the chaff in the Premiership. At Everton there is the additional problem of wheather those that influence the Culture at Everton will change and be prepared to put in the necessary effort and work. In other words play ball with Rafa. They where not prepared to do so for the vastly exoerienced and much heralded Carlo Ancelotti. Carlo knew it, taking a lower paid job, when the opportunity of a face saving position luckily arose. Maybe Rafas biggest card is that he is not afraid of getting relegated and coming back up again. That a scenario they have not been in before. A few more Gray and Townsends , from the Championship , who will bust a gut for Rafa, is also something they would not use to at Everton. .

As Brian Murray (11) says, that midfield is simply not good enough.

Like you, I'm hoping we will see Everton become a better footballing side this season and, being an eternal optimist, I can see us finish in a European spot. But if things do go south, I'll always have my local team, Glentoran, to keep my feet firmly on the ground.

I can't see any hope for entertaining free-scoring football. It's going to be all about organisation, sharpness, fitness, concentration and tenacity. More focused accurate passing, keeping it tight, no mistakes, and really hard to beat – the basics! No passengers allowed in the starting eleven. Flair will be rare.

Over time, more creativity will gradually grow out from these core necessities we currently desperately need.

We have players who can snatch goals in tight games and particularly from set pieces where we can be dangerous. We have some pace with Gray and some better crossing accuracy from Townsend; this will help squeeze wins out.

I think there are two or three outgoings and two or three new signings to come which will help us compete for a Top 6 or Top 7 spot, a cup, European qualification. The word ‘progress’ can't be used for anything less than that.

Unless I’m missing something, isn’t this what Benitez is saying? And hasn’t every manager said this? Isn’t it obvious?

Surely it’s a ‘given’ that Benitez is going to say the obvious, positive, things focused on improving performance. Without criticising him or praising him at this stage, surely this is all talk, arguably platitudes, which we’ve all seen before.

What matters is how we perform on the pitch. How we walk the walk, rather than talk the talk. I think football managers talk too much, but no doubt it’s expected of them. All we can do is give him the chance to show what can be achieved on the pitch.

It's not as if it is even insightful. Stan has it right, banal platitudes.

You’re right about what he is quoted as saying. It’s all just the usual bla-bla-bla, and everyone talks a good game. But I do think his actions so far, in terms of the teams he has picked and the recruitment we have done, have been positive. He’s also been very hands-on in training from what I have seen.

One thing amused me though because I don't believe for one moment Kenwright wanted this appointment which puts him on the same side as Don Alexander @64!

Compounding this is Paul the Esk's dissection of our financial position which put the detail on what I already feared- after decades being skint, we have blown our one big chance with a proper budget- the best part of £250m net spend over the past 4 years alone. That is now gone, there is no money unless we sell and even then, it has to be players we can make a book gain on. DCL is the most valuable asset, worth some proper money but in the books at next to nothing so a big sum goes onto the P and L and helps our FFP position. The ones we'd like to sell, we can't because we would be unlikely to even reach their book value in this environment. What a time to be stuck with mediocre players like Iwobi, on big wages.

Our position now is closer to Newcastle's of the past few years, so maybe that is why they chose Benitez. At least he is used to this

I hope Gbamin can stay fit and give us some steel... we shall see. Gomes has faded since his injury. He is one-paced and prone to giving away pointless free-kicks. Allan started last season quite well but has since been exposed as a poor man's Peter Reid. Again, he has no pace. Doucouré, when fit, is a destructive player with a good engine. His injury stopped him in his tracks and since then he has looked unfit with the touch of Carlton Palmer.

The most sluggish midfield in the Premier League with no goal threat. Davies is better than any of them.

That is the nub of the problem – not a single midfielder who can score or create goals.

We desperately need a Grealish, Maddox, Fernandes type if we are to get anywhere near the Top 6.

We know he does not play expansive football and so I do not expect us to be playing like Man City anytime soon. It is probably not going to be too different from the style adopted by Ancelotti.

I still think we need a creative midfielder and so I hope we sign somebody good to fulfill that role. The guy from Sporting looks reasonable. We also need a good right-back. Lots of talk about who we are going to sign in this position but no action yet.

I am not sure Moise Kean is a good enough understudy for Calvert-Lewin but I am sure we will find out as I don't see anybody paying big bucks for him.

The game next week against Man Utd will give us all a good idea of hope or misery as they have put together a pretty impressive squad. Let's give Benitez the benefit of the doubt and get behind him early on.

Think of it as a renovation of a beautiful old building: it costs a small fortune to stick on the scaffold and re-enforce the walls and initially the renovation looks like it's going backwards but in fact is it is going the other way.

Five years ago, we had zero chance of attracting a first-class manager; today, we can sit around and argue the merits of Ancelloti and Benitez being good enough when between them they have 7 Champions League trophy wins.

The fact is that we are in the part of the renovation where the toilets are being painted and the carpets are being laid. FFP will be nicely got around and, but for a right-back, we have an outstanding chance of making Europe with even our present squad.

Still some work to be done but basically we are only missing the paying customers and a few more bells and whistles. The most important man this year will be the fitness coach.

Are our lads due back today?

5 years ago, the following 16 players played 20 games or more:
Robles
Howard
Baines
Stones
Jagielka
Coleman
Funes Mori
Mirallas
Lennon
McCarthy
Barry
Cleverley
Barkley
Deulofeu
Kone
Lukaku

Robles – Released in 2018
Howard – Sold in June 2016*
Baines – Retired Jun 2020
Stones – Sold Aug 2016*
Jagielka – Released Jun 2019
Coleman – Contract extended 2021
Funes Mori – Sold June 2018
Mirallas – Sold Aug 2019
Lennon - Left Jan 2018
McCarthy – Sold Aug 2019
Barry – Released Aug 2017*
Cleverley – Sold Jun 2017*
Barkley – Sold Jan 2018
Deulofeu – Left July 2017*
Kone – Released Jun 2017 *
Lukaku – Sold Jul 2017*

*Left not long after they had played in your 20-game period.

And please note, I'm not having a go at Rafa. He deserved consideration with the field available. It is that the club's leaders worked themselves into a situation where they had to call on Rafa that is the crime.

I am not saying that Benitez will get Everton relegated, but he will not be put under the same pressure as a manager who has not been relegated and brought a team back up again. His decision-making and readiness to take action will be more readily decisive.

I doubt the speculation regarding Benitez's conversations with Rodriguez and Delph, if they took place, are entirely true.

Jay #85,

That is a problem and has been for a while. . . Rodriguez does help, Everton have gone backwards otherwise. Silva way back talked of the need for more scoring options.

I hope Levy let’s him sit in the reserves

Sign a six year deal and decide to not bother turn up half way through.

I think the group of players you list absolutely prove my point. If you take the players you listed, you would have to put to one side perhaps the two best players, Lukaku and Stones, who were sold because they did not want to stay, Barkley who turned out to be an average player and wanted not only to leave but managed to shit on the back door on the way out.

The rest were either getting old or simply no longer even decent players. For instance what exactly did any of them do after they left? Both Baines and Barry and Jagielka were great players in their time but their time was passed.

When Moshiri took over, we were toast.

At this present time, we haven't got the same pull in the transfer market as the Top 6, that's the difficult part.

Everton have spent £1. 8 million so far this transfer window on strengthening the squad. They have brought in three players. The two outfield players appear to be key players. Maybe two other p!ayers will come in, I have a feeling there will not be a big amount of money spent.

Benitez was paid £6 million a year at Newcastle. He is being paid £7 million by Everton, having left £12 million a year in China. Ancelotti was paid £11 million a year by Everton.

Andy Crooks asked in an article on Benitez's arrival, why he has taken the Everton job? The answer is anyone's guess and still is. There is something different about this whole situation and the normal expectations, like a transfer splurge, are increasingly looking unlikely in my opinion.

David #100

May be closer to the truth than anyone.

Rafa won't let us down! Honest, loyal and will do his best!!! Top 6 and cup run to the semi-final!!!

I think even the most pessimistic Evertonian would agree our current team is significantly better than the one coached by Rafa at Newcastle. He took over with not many games left in the season, got them to 44 points. How often would that keep you up!

Brought them up from what is a notoriously difficult league to exit, and then stabilises them in the Premier League. His 'average' team for the 17-18 season, first back-up was as follows:

1. Elliott, 2. Yedlin, 3.Dummett, 4. Lascelles, 5. Lejeune, 6. Diame 7. Shelvey, 8. Merino, 9. Murphy, 10. Perez, 11.Ritchie.

I'm going to say he did well to keep them up!

You mean our current team that finished 10th last time out. Now added a Crystal Place non-scorer or assist provider, a player that Leicester City couldn't do anything with, and a fossilized back-up keeper.

All so much better than any Newcastle team.

There is no hiding place for the club management or players with crowds back this season so let's see how it plays out.

I can't imagine the Club have budgeted for anything higher, given that the ground build will be the No 1 importance and the new man will know that means sell to buy only – for the next 5 years.

There is no doubts his hands are tied, due to mismanagement previously, on that basis he is going to have to bring in some shrewd signings at bargain prices, while offloading some as well.

No matter what happens, some will be against Benitez from Day One; I, on the other hand, think he will sort the mess out that we find ourselves in, and stablize the club.

Unlike past managers, we really need to give Benitez a bit of slack, get our FFP situation better, then hopefully, with the new stadium and sponsorship, we will be in much better shape, in regards to profit and loss.

Like it or not, Benitez is the best hope we have. Time for fans to roll their sleeves up, get behind the manager and the team.

It seems that there will be no new high-profile faces coming in because of FFP and the new stadium project. As it is, we have a good enough squad for 7th or 8th position for now.

Let's see how the team responds to Rafa's methods and the way he wants them to play. I think we will do just fine but, if not, I would wait until October to start calling for his head...

Last season's 10th place was a shocker. Slow, lacklustre performances. Just simply not good enough.

Rafa is a top manager and loves football. He must have watched us last season and knew what we needed prior to coming as manager.

If Rafa can get an extra 20% work-rate from these players, then anything is possible. This squad has quality but must work harder to achieve.

Last 5 years, over £300 million spent on players! We need an alternative to boom and bust! Actually heading for bust without the boom!!

Let the battle commence!!! In Rafa we trust!!

I like the noises coming out of the training ground on the work that is going on there. It sounds to me that the problems we have are clearly identified and are being worked on. Although it'll soon be time for the talking to stop and for them to prove it on the pitch.

I remember seeing your last line on banners across the road. The praise and confidence you espouse in favour of our latest incumbent is very similar to views also held across the road. Let's hope we can all share them 10 games in.

Rafa might be doomed whatever he does with some fans. Let's remember: we have no choice. Rafa goes, Moyes or Sam are the choices. No big spending for a while!

We have Rafa who is a very good manager. Just have to get behind the team.

In fairness, Allan is one of our midfielders who does look to go forward, even if he waits for the opportunity.

Give them options and they will.

I agree with your comments about Rafa, he's very experienced in all aspects of the Premier League and will get the best out of our lot.

That said at the moment we do look like we will struggle if we get a run of injuries to key players; let's hope not.

As for the anti-Benitez opinion, just because he made a derogatory remark about our club years ago, probably because of all the personal flack he had received from our lot, is a bit juvenile I think.