Benfica's issues start at home

Benfica's chances of capturing the league title this season has become a far fetched dream, after the club lost their fourth game of the season to Gil Vicente in Week 20 action and an unheard of third league game loss at the Estadio da Luz in only ten games played there to date. This is the same organization that went a remarkable nine seasons between 2010/11 to 2018/19 losing a grand total of just eight league home games, the run included an unbeaten streak of three seasons without a defeat between 2012/13 to 2014/15. 

We fast forward to today and this has become a club who has lost the same eight games at home in just two and half seasons and have turned what was once a fortress were club's came to town nervous, hoping not to be embarrassed and expecting to lose into an all inclusive resort were visiting clubs now come ready to take advantage of the all you can eat buffets and the late night menus. Benfica is broken and a complete revamp is required, the first step is finding a manager with a vision, players with the passion and pride of wearing the jersey and more importantly turning what was once their unstoppable ground back into the fortress we became so accustomed to over the past decade. The balls in your court now Rui Costa.

Benfica make the right move, keeping Darwin

Benfica for one of the rare times this season made a right move when they turned away all offers for 22 year old striker Darwin Nunez during the winter transfer window, even when clubs like West Ham hounded them until the final hours. Benfica is reported to have had a deal on the table similar to the one Liverpool made to acquire Luis Diaz from FC Porto which was €45M plus €15M in add ons but unlike Porto, Benfica are not in the financial trouble that their northern rivals currently face and said no.

Nunez's days at Benfica will more then likely not extend past this season but with the world of football slowly getting back to normal and money trickling back into clubs coffers, Benfica's no right now could see an additional €20M-€30M added to clubs current offers when the summer rolls around. Nunez is currently the leading scorer in Portugal with 15 goals and has chipped in 20 across all competitions this season in just 25 games.

Premiership clubs West Ham and Newcastle have been heavily linked with Nunez along with Spanish clubs Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. The assumption is that more big name clubs will enter the sweepstakes during the summer months, driving up the price of the Uruguayan international who is constantly compared to compatriot Edinson Cavani.

Benfica a shadow of their former selves

Benfica are Benfica in name only, the club is a shadow of it's former self, the self that we all became accustomed to over the past few seasons that saw the club capture 18 trophies in Portugal from 2010 to 2019 as well as make the Europa League final on two occasions. The past two games in the Taca da Liga was the evidence of how far this club has fallen from those glory days.

Benfica under performed to such a drastic level that I fear what awaits the club when the take on Ajax next month on the Champions League round of 16. Jorge Jesus wrecked what was left of this club and although unfair to paint current intern manager Nelson Verissimo in the same boat, we can say he is far from an improvement and his appointment alone tells us that the club hierarchy has given up on the season, so too shall we.

Changes at Benfica are needed from the players all the way to the top, the club needs a new direction, a new manager with a vision and a set of new players that have not only a passion for winning but a passion for the crest that sits atop their heart. Benfica are now a club in search of an identity and that identity can start to begin next season with the appointment of a manager. The fans who are the life line of the club deserve better, we deserve a club that gives it their all even if the outcome is not to our liking. Is that too much to ask? 

The passion we need, the will to win and the fortitude to not lose, forward to 3:08 and 7:10 to see the goals and what we are currently lacking.