Myths about Jorge Jesus

As a Benfica fan I always put club above country or any other factors.  Unfortunately, in the Benfica blogosphere and swaths of its supporters, people but nationalism above the club.  They would rather have players who fit their nationalistic goals play and have the club lose rater than play better players who are not part of their nationalistic ideals and win.  Thank God Benfica coach Jorge Jesus is not a nationalist, or racist or any other type of ist.  He simply trains his players hard and observes and selects the best in the group to play.  That concept seems hard for many to understand.  Being Portuguese does not qualify a player to start or be a substitute.  Earning your playing time with quality and in training sessions is what works.

Many say Jorge Jesus doesn't give young portuguese players an opportunity.  That is a total myth.  He doesn't give lousy players an opportunity because he gives opportunities to the players that show the most quality.  Lets look at Nelson Oliveira, now returned from yet ANOTHER failed loan experience abroad.  He was on loan to Rennes in France where he flopped.  He was so lacking in quality that the club was forced to sign a forward in the January transfer window because he was that bad.  Read the reviews of his coach there and of the local media who were stunned this guy ever got playing time at a big club like Benfica.  A year earlier he was on loan to Deportivo in Spain, where again he flopped.  Showed no quality, struggled to earn playing time and when he played he did nothing.  All of this comes on the heels of a season where he was given opportunities by JJ even in the Champions League. Had he shown quality he would have grabbed a starting spot and never looked back.  This pre-season he returned yet again, was given the chance to play in 3 games so far and again showed nothing.  I hope and pray this lousy player is sold.  Too many fans don't understand that showing some quality on a B team or under 20 national team does not a good player make.  It means they have some potential but very few players can translate that under 20 talent into the big leagues.  When you look at national teams, the players that made the lineups in under 20 and under 21 sides are rarely the ones who end up in the lineup of the "A" sides 5 or 6 years later.

Now lets recall a young portuguese player for Benfica who not only played but shined.  He earned his opportunities in training and the substitutions he was given.  He proved his quality and thus earned a starting spot.  He shined and brought much joy to Benfica fans. His name ?  FABIO COENTRAO.  If you listen to the delusional nationalists you will think this is impossible, after all he was young and portuguese and JJ would never give such a player an opportunity.  But that is where their lies fall apart. JJ plays the best he has.  He is a meticulous coach and demands very much from his players.  He observes them in training and expects the world of them when they set foot on the pitch.  Some players can perform to those standards, most cannot.  He does not care what the nationality is.

Fabio Coentrao met those rigourous standards.   Bernardo Silva did not.  Andre Almeida met those standards, Ivan Cavaleiro did not.  Andre Gomes met those standards.  Nelson Oliveira did not.  If you are a Benfica supporter you should NOT want JJ to field a bunch of mediocre players that will make us lose games just because they are young and portuguese.

The coach is one of the best paid and most respected football minds in the world.  Countless young players have seen their careers explode to success under his tutelage. They must show extremely high quality.  The likes of Fabio Coentrao, DiMaria, Axel Witsel, Nemaja Matic, Rodrigo just to name a few were all young.  All from different countries.  All had to wait a long time to earn their time and when they did they made the most of it.

Ivan Cavaleiro played 19 games last year for Benfica and got one goal.  Is that the standard we should expect from our attacking players ?  If it is, then we will finish in 10th or 15th place.  We want quality, not nationalism.  Save nationalism for Nazis.  Im a Benfiquista and I want to win at all costs. If that means no Portuguese players on the team, then so be it.  Let the best play and bring us success.  Sporting have tried and failed at playing young Portuguese players.  We see all the success it has brought them.  We don't want to be a club of losers like Sporting.  We want successes.  And the coach knows what it takes.

So lets leave nationalism aside and support our Club and our Coach.