Is Rafa going to have to change his style?

[Zippity]

Yesterday was an all-too familiar story. Trying to keep it tight, trying to stay in the game, hoping our front 'two' can get something. It's not working, mainly because our players aren't good enough, particularly the ones tasked with scoring. So what do we do? Do we stick to Rafa's tried and tested formula and hope it comes good? I think, with this group of players, it might be a bridge too far. We need to be more adventurous, get more players forward to either try and create more chances for our strikers who need a larger number of chances to score such is their poor chance conversion rate or to allow the midfield to be on the end of chances.

I read a good analogy on F365 which compared Rafa with "a Michelin-starred chef who has gone onto Ready Steady Cook with a specific plan and opted to follow through with it despite getting none of the ingredients he had hoped for."

If we get nothing at Man U then it'll be a fifth of the season gone without a win and with only two points. Something has to change.

I know a couple (well, 3 I can think of) on here want that change to be the manager. I don't-if anyone can get us out of this it's Rafa. What I would like to see is him being a bit more flexible in his approach to games. Maybe not Man U away but Brighton at home is one where we need to start taking the game to teams (to the best of our limited players' abilities, obviously). Unless, of course, you believe that the players we have are so bad that not even a change in style/formation/tactics would make a difference.

7 games in and winless...something has to change-does part of this include Rafa's approach?

Thoughts?

[Jammy89]

I think our strategy is fine unfortunately, as you say Zip, we don't have the players to enact it. I like the analogy of the cooking.

My worry is, we attack and we'll be ripped apart as teams counter.

We just don't have the quality up front at the minute.

I really fear for us this season, everybody strengthened and we didn't.

Long hard season

[Geordie1974]

Rafa doesn't send the players out to give the ball away as often as they do.The players are just as much to blame.But that's what you get when you have to shop around for the type of player we can only go for.
They are not good enough.Simple as that.When you look at the net spend under Rafa and the fact Leeds,Birmingham,Sheffield Weds,Middlesbrough,Notts Forest to name a few in the Championship have spent more,there is your answer.Birmingham ffs have been under a transfer embargo.
We are screwed.We are relegated this season for me regardless of who might come in if Rafa goes and I did think we would stay up but there are big problems here.
When a man is treating fans and manager the way he does it makes you wonder what conditions the players are under.
But never mind.We are told things could be worse.A man who bleeds every penny from the club,we should be grateful and stop whingeing.


Ashley OUT!!!!

[Milburn9]

Perez????? That's all I have to contribute.

[Geordie1974]

Of all the good players to come from Spain,I think we have 3 of the worst ever.

[ex_pat_magpie]

I think our strategy is fine unfortunately, as you say Zip, we don't have the players to enact it. I like the analogy of the cooking.

My worry is, we attack and we'll be ripped apart as teams counter.

We just don't have the quality up front at the minute.

I really fear for us this season, everybody strengthened and we didn't.

Long hard season

This is the whole point as the Rafa detractors point out we have a similar team to that which finished 10th.

Fair enough but we are now competing against those who finished beneath us and the three promoted clubs who between them have improved by a spend in total together of £100's of millions compared to us the only ones to fill Ashley's back pocket and not invest.


He must be one of the worst owners ever to have been involved with a Premiership club.

[pboromag]

He won't change
He is to ignorant
Has the fans on his side and I honestly believe the only thing he wants to win is the argument with ash

Rafas crap
I said anyone would have brought us up from the fizZy and he did
I also said anyone would have those players in the top half last season
Anyone could turn these lads around
I just hope he changes location rather than tactics

[ghostrider]

I don't see what Rafa could do with a new owner. I seriously don't.
I think his football is literally depressing and I think giving him 200 million would see it wasted in short order, on players that quickly lose interest with him and his ego.

I don't have the answers as to how far this club can go in this day and age.
I don't honestly know if a change of owner will guarantee anything more than we have any more than it might guarantee a lot less.
That would depend on the actual owner and his mindset.

I certainly do feel a change of manager who is a positive thinking manager in terms of what he expects on that field of play, will change our fortunes far far better than Benitez could ever do.

Any fan knows that any other manager would be skating on thin ice at best but likely have been sacked by process of the dreaded vote of confidence down to the wrath of the fans for inept management.... regardless of the excuses made on players.....because we did have those players and they were let go from the positions we required them to operate in and are doing pretty fine elsewhere.


It's no surprise when you play to their strengths. Something Benitez refuses to do for whatever reasons.

[TheBigSausage]

We are joint bottom on points but 3rd bottom on goal difference .. So to a degree the mind numbing football works .
But at some stage soon we will have to win games . If we don't have about 20points by xmas we will be most likely doomed .
We already 3 points behind 4th bottom . After manure we have the easiest run of any premier team until xmas.
But can't see us scoring 2 or 3 in a game if the other team scores.

[Geordie1974]

If we finish 17th it's job done.Its interesting that the Ashley lovers want Rafa out and exciting football when all their hero wants is 17th place and being in the Premiership for the following season.