After his unceremonious sacking as Real Madrid manager, we look at five things Rafa Benitez got wrong during his time at the Bernabeu.
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1) FOLLOWING CARLO ANCELOTTI
No manager would been welcomed with open arms following the sacking of the popular Italian, and Benitez had the unenviable position of being unwanted from day one.
2) LACK OF TACTICAL CLARITY
Benitez arrived with a reputation as a defensive coach and at times lived up to that stereotype, while at other times playing in a cavalier fashion which lacked defensive balance.
Benitez’s tactics pic.twitter.com/rQw2iMD4Sr
— Dorsaf (@littlemissnadal) December 30, 2015
3) BIG-BOY DEFEATS
Madrid hammered some minnows under Benitez, but he was condemned partly because they lost against Barcelona, Villarreal and Sevilla and only drew with Valencia and Atletico.
Real Madrid under Benitez have gained only 2 points out of possible 15 points against the big 5 teams in La Liga. Disgraceful
— HalaMadrid (@RealMadrid_Imp) January 3, 2016
4) PLAYER POWER
Benitez and Madrid’s players regularly claimed that the manager had the full backing of his squad, but it never really looked that way as they often seemed lacking in passion and motivation.
5) NOT A FANS CHOICE
Ultimately, fans decide whether a manager should stay and if Benitez had been liked by Madrid supporters he would still be in charge. But they never wanted him in the first place.
Real Madrid fans react to the news that Rafa Benitez is being sacked today! pic.twitter.com/ej4XkP7HsT
— GeniusFootball (@GeniusFootball) January 4, 2016
