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Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)


Would you have Rafa back?   

463 members have voted

  1. 1. Would you have Rafa back?

    • Yes, as manager, immediately
    • Yes, as manager, but at some point in the future (eg if relegated)
    • Yes, in an advisory or DoF role
    • No, not in any meaningful capacity

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Absolutely tremendous management today. From chucking Dubravka and Lejeune in, putting the faith in Ritchie, the general set-up and then the game management throughout... brilliant. He was a massive reason for the win.

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Absolutely tremendous management today. From chucking Dubravka and Lejeune in, putting the faith in Ritchie, the general set-up and then the game management throughout... brilliant. He was a massive reason for the win.

 

Yep. Another proof of him knowing more than all of us. Just let him do things his way and all will be fine.

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Can see why many are arguing Dyche as more deserving (as if it won't be Guardiola anyway), but Burnley haven't had a particularly special season overall IMO, they just won nearly all their points up front. They've taken 5 points from their last 10 matches, scoring only 5 goals in the process. Both stats worse than anyone else in the league.

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Absolutely tremendous management today. From chucking Dubravka and Lejeune in, putting the faith in Ritchie, the general set-up and then the game management throughout... brilliant. He was a massive reason for the win.

 

Yep. Another proof of him knowing more than all of us. Just let him do things his way and all will be fine.

 

Absolutely. Like the majority, I've had complete faith in his overarching ideas this season, and the way he's tried to use the squad. I haven't agreed with every decision but this today, really feels like a 'last laugh' in the face of all that Man City 'too defensive/NUFC are a joke' crap from Christmas week. The man summed it up perfectly himself the other night; we aren't a defensive team, we just have to defend a lot. We do create chances and we do try to force the issue; the problem is we have to rely on set pieces and defending for our lives due to the lack of quality up front.

 

He'll have done a terrific job if he keeps us up, however he does it. 100% behind him either way.

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Guest firetotheworks

For as much people saying we needed a striker in to convert chances, that's only a 3rd clean sheet in 18 league games so it's both ends we can be improved to ensure we get the points needed to stay up.

They're related tbf.
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Whilst today's performance and result will draw headlines, and praise - rightly so - it shouldn't hide the fact we've still a lot to do until the end of the season. We've every right to enjoy today's result, but as brutal as it sounds if we can't use today as a launching point for remainder of the season, today's joy will be worthless.

 

Have been behind Benitez ever since he stepped foot in the club, and will continue to do so. Will never doubt his approach in games like today against the top sides, whether the result comes or not. That being said, I still feel there is a lot more to come in games that we should feel we have a decent chance in. There have been many performances this season where we've looked rather hapless and flat. A million miles away from what we showed today.

 

I'm really hoping, and quietly confident that Rafa can now galvanise the squad on the back of this. They've all shown now that they have enough about them to compete against teams around the bottom if they can do so against second in the league. No excuses now, performances like we've had to endure at home up until now can't be allowed to creep back in. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Winning against Brighton or (particularly) Swansea or Burnley would have ended the hoodoo and, you felt, it could have kickstarted our season a little bit. Instead, it's taken until Man Utd for it to happen, but Christ if that doesn't have a galvanising effect nothing will. Not just the fact we won, but the fact we actually closed the game out under duress - something we've seemed incapable of recently - should hopefully relieve the anxiety in players and crowd.

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Love the way the narrative from him leading up to the Man Utd game was all about Slimani/Joselu probably leading Mourinho to prepare his players for facing a big target man, yet kick off comes and it's Gayle & Perez  :lol: Smalling had a nightmare today too, and perhaps if Mourinho knew it would be Gayle/Perez he would have played the more mobile Rojo. Good tactics from Rafa.

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Love the way the narrative from him leading up to the Man Utd game was all about Slimani/Joselu probably leading Mourinho to prepare his players for facing a big target man, yet kick off comes and it's Gayle & Perez  :lol: Smalling had a nightmare today too, and perhaps if Mourinho knew it would be Gayle/Perez he would have played the more mobile Rojo. Good tactics from Rafa.

 

Where did you see/hear Rafa mention anything about who the centre forward would be?

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Love the way the narrative from him leading up to the Man Utd game was all about Slimani/Joselu probably leading Mourinho to prepare his players for facing a big target man, yet kick off comes and it's Gayle & Perez  :lol: Smalling had a nightmare today too, and perhaps if Mourinho knew it would be Gayle/Perez he would have played the more mobile Rojo. Good tactics from Rafa.

 

Where did you see/hear Rafa mention anything about who the centre forward would be?

 

It's not that he explicitly said one of them would start, it's that he commented on both Slimani & Joselu in the week leading up to the game which would suggest to the opposition preparing to face us that one of them was likely to play.

 

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rafa-benitez-discusses-whether-slimani-14270745

 

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rafa-benitez-gives-upbeat-fitness-14245354

 

I'm perhaps reading too much into it, but if it was his intention to throw them off, then it was a very astute bit of tactical work.

 

 

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