Rafael Benitez has just recently been sacked as the manager for Real Madrid as the administration as well as the fans had grown tired of the irritable reactive play from the Spanish tactician. This intolerance was further compounded by the fact that Real were impotent in attack and failed to carve out chances against much lower opposition. The fury was somewhat allayed by the humongous 10-2 win over the previous game week but the critics were at it again after Real were held by Neville’s Valencia for a draw with two goals apiece. The fact that Neville could’ve potentially defeated Real as a highly untested manager with a rejuvenated yet struggling Valencia side was all the more embarrassing for the club as they saw chance after chance created by them only to breathe a sigh of relief every time Alcacer and co missed a chance.
1. The Basics:
Benitez is a very conservative manager. Probably the most conservative to have managed a team since the times of Herrera. He is a totalitarian and only cares about performances, often disregarding personal issues and hence having brush ups with important players over the perceived lack of affection shown. He places the most importance on defence and applies a zonal defence system over his teams and looks to counter on breaks when the opponent has been caught. This setup had failed at Real Madrid simply because they were given possession on a regular basis by their opponents and Real were rarely afforded space to counter.
2. Style of Play:
Benitez employs a very rigid style of play for his teams. He expects his players to stay in position and doesn’t allow the opponents time on the ball as they cross the halfway line. He famously expects each and every player to contribute to the defence while leaving a striker ahead to provide a target while countering the opponent.
- Defence: A highly rigid, compact and quick unit at the back which follows the principles of zonal marking instead of marking men. This form of defence was effective while he was at Valencia and Liverpool but ever since the top teams have started to stress importance on movement, its efficacy has faded as it had been evident by the disappointing spells at Napoli and Real. The most public failure of this tactic was the humiliating defeat to Barcelona where the fluid trio of Iniesta, Roberto and Suarez wreaked havoc on their defence. The fact that Real lack a single experienced holding midfielder makes it much more difficult for Benitez.
- Transition: The fact that his teams play a zonal defence makes it elementary for defenders to spot out wingers and midfielders as it is obvious what zone they would be occupying. Post that, the carrier has to be aware and look for runs. Most importantly, the runs have to be direct and wasteful loitering on the ball in such an event is looked down upon. Also, the full-backs are expected to help out by acting as shuttlers in such a system in case the opposing midfield shuts down passing options.
- Attack: In a counter-attack scenario, the attack is extremely direct. The passes intended at the runners and no loitering on the ball is expected. The quick passing usually results in a player with a chance directly in the centre or with a winger in a dangerous zone out on the sides from where he is expected to cross as support arrives. In possession, the game changes entirely as the defence first policy takes its toll and the fact that players are not really fluid, makes it all the more difficult to move the ball along the lines. In this case, an elementary crossing game is implemented where it is expected that the striker will do what he should and make space for a shot. Another outlet are long shots but they are very difficult to keep on target and are not a viable tactic.
3. Suitors:
There are currently very few elite avenues that Benitez can realistically explore due to the fact that he has been sub-par for a long time now.
The fact that he has been a villain for Manchester United for his time at Liverpool, as well as Chelsea where he was chided the whole time he was in charge takes him out of the running for the two jobs.
At Liverpool, there is Klopp while at Valencia there is Neville. Both of them look like they have a stable job and won’t likely vacate their positions.
The options remain in the Serie A where he could be given the reigns of clubs like Lazio or AC Milan while in the Premier League there could be clubs like Watford or Leicester in case their current managers are poached away.
In other leagues, there could be decent interest as Turkish clubs have looked in resurgence with their increased spending over the last few years. Even the French league could come calling as clubs like Monaco and Marseille have been lacking over the season.
In short, there seem to be no suitors for the Spaniard in the elite leagues especially the ones chasing the titles. The only clubs who might be interested include the ones who might want to have a rebound season from their current adversity or smaller clubs who want to push the heavyweights.
4. Conclusion:
It is clear that Benitez has been regarded as damaged goods because of a paltry trophy return and also because of his inability to convert possession into ascension. This rules out the bigger clubs almost immediately. Also, his differences with United and Chelsea make him an extremely improbable signing for either, limiting his options to the mid-table and Europa league level.