Rui Costa says Jorge Jesus will continue at Benfica next season, regardless of the Liga Europa result. http://www.record.xl.pt/Futebol/Nacional/1a_liga/Benfica/interior.aspx?content_id=695180 What do you guys think? Should he stay or go? Domingos Paciencia is already going to Sporting so he's out of the question and I dont see any Portuguese trainer topping JJ who would be available as a possibility.
Here's the dilemma we face: With JJ we will not beat Porto. Why? They have better players but more importantly they have a much better coach. The dilemma here lies in who the hell we'd replace the guy with.
JJ isn't the guy to take Benfica to the next level and he definitely can't beat Porto consistently with the type of players that Benfica is used to having/getting. (Liga away: 3-1 loss last year and 5-0 this year, etc). At the same time, I think that the entire organization has improved over the last few seasons, but they have a long way to go as an institution and footballing culture. The small Portuguese market doesn't help either. That said, I'd hate to go back to seeing high turnover at the coaching level. Let's not kick him out and get someone worse. I'm not that fond of the guy, but we might have to give him another season and see what happens next year. If the team starts poorly, changes will have to be made to salvage the liga quick. The other problem is that they like selling players and we either get crap or the good ones take a bit to develop or mold into the collective. That's a big problem when you have to win your games and get the points from game 1 or fall behind.
Keep him. No manager is perfect. Before Jesus, who was able to win a league title and enter a European semi-final? I also appreciate the attractive football he brings to Benfica. Let's not get spoiled, I'll take Jesus over someone like Quique Flores any day. Also, before praising Villas-Boas so much, let's see what he does if he has to lose Falcao and/or Hulk during the summer. If he was manager of Benfica, do you really think losing players like Di Maria and Ramires wouldn't make his job more difficult?
Probably. But I'd also expect losing players like Meireles and Alves would make it pretty difficult on him as well. The problem with many Portuguese fans is complacency. "He got us the league" or "He's got us to the semi-finals in the Europa League" just smells of fans simply thinking that is "good enough". Look, if this was the team from the late 90s/early 00s that was utter crap then yes, that would be more than good enough. But as it stands, this man had one of the most talented squads in Europe last year, and still was unable to, out of his own stupidity, get us the Europa League (where we were clearly the best team), get the Taca, and was only able to secure the league on the last day. I'm able to recognize when we've done all we can and when we can surely do more. His signings were not good and is nearly 20 points behind Porto right now in the standings. That is pathetic. And so what if he got us to the semi-finals??? He didn't win anything yet. C'mon man, you sound like Madail during Euro 2004. "Hey Scolari, you beat the Netherlands and got us to our first final! Thats superz! Here's a contract extension. Don't even worry about the final!"
The difference between AVB's losing Meireles and Bruno Alves and JJ losing Ramires and Di Maria is that Porto gets adequate replacements season after season while Benfica seem to get "potential". AND, half the players in the past 2-3 seasons Benfica were going to sign ended up at Porto, FALCAO being one of the biggest ones.
Completely agree. I dont remember anyone who has done with JJ has done at Benfica in recent years and I'd hate to get rid of him just to get someone worse and then feel regret. Benfica's biggest problem in recent years is inconsistency. Too many changes in the coaching staff and players. People complain about changes, well maybe the best solution is to not change anything and let JJ and Rui Costa ride it out. Give JJ one more season, or half a season and take it from there. We did make history by going 18-0 this season and making it this far in Europa League and although we didnt win the Portuguese league, there wasnt much JJ could have done with an incredible undefeated Porto season.
I don't know if this post is a joke or if you wrote it drunk; but without a doubt, it is the most entitled bit of writing I have read in a long while. I understand that now that Benfica has won a few games guys like you believe it's 1961 again but I hate to inform you that it's not. The problem with Portuguese and more specifically Benfica fans is not complacency as you suggest, it's self-delusion. You seem to be suffering from it. And the biggest self-delusion in Benfica-land is the belief that the team is truly great and all that's needed is some magic coach who's out there waiting to be found, and is ready to "take the team to the next level". While we're hiring and firing guys every season looking for our coaching unicorn, Benfica can go another 15 years winning nothing. Here's an idea; why don't we enjoy the most success that Benfica has had in a generation and see if they can continue to build on it instead of crapping on the whole project the second we've built a foundation.
And show me another manager in the past few years who has gotten Benfica anywhere near a final or a league win. What good will firing Jesus do? Who can Benfica hire instead? More managers like Quique Flores? No thanks. Give him a chance to learn from his mistakes in his 3rd season. If he doesn't, fair enough, get rid of him. Until someone can name me a better manager who REALISTICALLY would come to Benfica I won't be convinced Jesus should leave now. Also, Porto losing Meireles wasn't much of a problem. He didn't have a good season before he left, and the money Porto planned to get for Meireles's sale bought them Moutinho.
If Porto can win every year why can't Benfica. Benficafan3 is completely right in his post. Is it so bad to actually want your team to win every year? Jorge Jesus needs to go. He's a shitty big game coach and even though he won the Liga last year, if there was 2 more weeks, he would have lost it, he lost the EL with the best team in the competition last year, lost a 2 goal lead coming home against their biggest rivals, and he uses stupid tactics and players all the time. Benfica will be stuck in mediocrity (which it has been in since I've been alive) with him at the helm and this president running the ship. But if you guys are fine with winning the Liga once every decade while Porto scoops up the other 9 every 10 years, then yeah, lets keep things just the way there are. Realize that the common soccer knows little of Benfica's success in the 60s but knows Porto won the CL this decade
And nowhere in your post do you mention WHO is going to perform this miracle. Look at the other managers we've had recently: Fernando Santos, Camacho, Quique Flores. Chances are a replacement for Jesus would be as poor as these managers. People are already forgetting we were under Sporting before Jesus arrived.
Uhhhh nope, I was completely serious. Self-delusion? Please. Our team last year WAS truly great. Not sure if you understand the fact that the likes of Di Maria, David Luiz, etc. are KEY players on teams like Chelsea and Real Madrid. We had a team last year that should have caused much more damage than it did. But here your saying we should happy because last year was a better year than anyone we've ever had. Hey, if that's your style, great, but I seem to be a dying breed of Portuguese people that actually strive to be the best and will not be satisfied until I am, and that includes what I want for Benfica. And what exactly do you want us to build on? Rather than winning 2 titles in 15 years, lets go for 3? I don't think you need reminder of what happened to Jesualdo Ferreira. The guy took Porto to a bunch of titles, and even the quarter-finals of the CL, and was unlucky to not get to to the semis. What happened to him after last season? PDC said GTFO. Look, if your happy being 21 points behind Porto, that's fine by me, but don't sit there and tell me that at this point there's something to build on. That train passed last summer buddy. EDIT: May I also state that not only is JJ not right for the job, neither is Viera. Not to say he's done a bad job because he's done a good job, but at this point I think its quite clear that he doesn't have it in him to take down PDC. Hopefully he proves me wrong, but I doubt it.
If Porto can find people to win all the time, why can't Benfica? Its not my job to find a coach. As a fan, what Benfica puts forth is crap. Porto runs this league and I'm sick of it. The rest of you guys can live in the last if you want, but things now need to change.
In other words, you're asking Benfica to find a coach like Mourinho, when these types of managers only show up once in a lifetime!? It's a joke to expect something like that. Other coaches Porto have had: let's look at WHY Jesualdo Ferreira won titles with Porto. Benfica were too busy firing managers. Porto were patient, that's why Jesualdo worked out for them, even though Jesualdo is not better than Jesus and is equally poor in "big" games. If Benfica is patient with Jesus, when Porto lose their top players like Hulk and Falcao, Benfica will have a chance at the title again. Watch Porto when Falcao was injured, nowhere near the same level. benficafan3, last year's squad was great but Jesus already did a great job forming a team in only 1 season. Something Quique Flores for example could not do even though he had Cardozo, Aimar, Reyes, etc. Most of the best teams in the world were built by long-term projects, except the ones created by Mourinho. But let's face it, Mourinho isn't coming to Benfica anytime soon.
Once in a lifetime? Villas Boas is doing things Mourinho didn't do, with arguably a lesser team! I know its hard for Benfica fans to realize this, but because of this president and the decisions he made, with coaches, players, scouts, etc, Benfica is second fiddle to Porto. But fans like you come up with excuses, while Porto runs the Liga, gets the better players, and the better coaches. No team in the world has been as successful as Porto in the last 30 years. And it doesn't look like things are gonna change, not the way this club is ran. And Jorge Jesus is a shitty coach. You won't see any improvement next year if there's the same people pulling the strings.
Okay, I could rephrase that to two in a lifetime. Although I am still waiting to see what he will do if he loses Hulk and Falcao. You said it yourself about the president. It's not all Jesus's fault, that's why he deserves 1 more chance. The club can help Jesus by giving him more players. For example look at how we have 1 right winger in the whole squad, and he is loaned. Can Jesus really be blamed for that? I'll bring the Jesualdo example again, he was not a great manager, but Porto gave him the resources. If Benfica gets a proper squad then Jesus will have an easier job. If Jorge Jesus is a shitty coach, what does that make people like Quique Flores? Diarrhea? If you admit the president cannot choose a coach, then why would you want him to fire Jesus, then most likely hire someone worse?
I think for once Benfica's ship is traveling in the right direction. Is it because of JJ? Rui Costa? LfV?, not sure who gets the credit there...all I know is Benfica is finally getting consistency. I admit after that Porto loss 3-1 I wanted JJ's head on a fence post..but I feel you got to give him another shot next season...If there arent more improvements and more success I think then you have to move another direction..but for now swallow the rest of this year and see what the team does with the new aquisitions. The good: good run in the Europa League..qualifying for next year's Champions league...I guess the Taca da liga trophy..emergence of Salvio and Fabio The Bad: getting knocked out of the champions league group stage in a passable group..Gettin are asses handed to us by Porto repeatedly...Losin the Taca de Portugal unexcusably ...and oh yah Frangberto
Thanks for backing me up Jorge Jesus; I really appreciate you making me look like a chump. Despite the overwhelming temptation to flip-flop like a landed bass, I'm going to stick to my position that he should come back next season. Benfica have been a pack of choking dogs this year but I'm not convinced that it's all on Jesus. If the pattern continues next season with a hopefully improved squad then clearly he's just not a big game coach and he'll have to go. I still maintain that he's won the league, the team's run in Europe has improved each of his two seasons as coach and they have the league cups for whatever they're worth.
A little premature to fire JJ. Consistency is the biggest problem with Benfica. Firing the coach won't help that. Bottom line is Benfica is run more like a business while Porto is run well more like a sporting team. At Benfica players are on a revolving door. Too many hands trying to get a scoop off the pot in the money making machine. Buy them young develop them and make money. Sounds great if that is what your goal is. Not so great if you want to have consistency. Benfica also goes mainly to South America for players instead of going somewhat to leagues that are comparable so they won't take so much time to adapt and can help the team right away. The most fitting thread to comment on is actually the "how to dismantle a team thread" Dimaria gone = the car lost the accelerator pedal Ramirez gone = the car loosing the break pedal David Luiz gone = getting rid of the bumpers in the car And now you wonder why the car doesn't perform the same. Do you see Porto givng up 3 key players like that in one year? Ahh, I don't think so. Why? different philosophy Now if you give JJ back soem talent and things don't change then you can blame him. I too have my doub'ts about his big game management but would address first the key driver of poor performance = better management of player acquisition and retention.
Pre-mature? We bow out of the CL in the group stage (whilst also losing to Hapoel Tel Aviv 3-0 btw), will finish in 2nd 20+ points behind Porto, lose to Porto in the Taca EVEN after going in the 2nd leg at HOME with a 2-0 lead ANDDDDDDDD to top it all off, we lose to Braga in the semi-finals of the Europa League. And you're telling me it would be pre-mature? Am I and nbstriker the only ones who haven't been told about some awesome new drug all the Benfica fans on BigSoccer are using? This is PATHETIC. Realize that the MAIN argument right now for Jorge Jesus staying at Benfica is that it would be good for the sake of consistency. What is the point of consistency if there's going to be consistent crap??? The guy had pure super-stars on his team last year and still wasn't able to have the team step it up in most of the big games! OPEN YOUR EYES. How about this... you think PDC would let all that shit I just mentioned above happen, and let the coach stay for another damn year? Didn't think so.
Ok if you want a head then go ahead and don't go half way. I suggest all feeling the way you are demand LFV leaves as well. He certainly is as much to blame as well. The buck should stop with him and many of the tings wrong with Benfica are a direct result of his decision making or allowing JJ to get certain players.
??? I want them ALL to go. This is a thread on JJ so I figured I would simply speak about him but if your asking me, then yes, I want LFV to get the F*** out. I've watched Benfica since I was old enough to watch freakin' TV and my goodness, this is by far the most humiliating season ever. EVER. The real sad part: The lack of demands from Benfiquistas, many on here included. Speaks volumes about where most really see Benfica in comparison to Porto.