Rafa to get the sack !!

[Stanleymag]

Nobody.
We loaned 3 players....2 of which got us out of the mess we were in.
One of them forced Rafa's hand in actually playing balanced football with the emphasis on a more attack minded approach, as I mentioned in another post.

It brought the best out of a lot of players and it was not only enjoyable in the main, it got results to get us 10th.
No need to buy when you can loan in January.

Thank you.

Kenedy, Slimani and Dubravka.

Two of whom made a big difference yet we only bought one of them. One who'd had no pre season and was out of shape. Bad idea.

So after these January loan deals why are we not splashing the cash on a 40m striker and a 40m number 10 in the summer?

And still going for loans?

[Stanleymag]

Thank you.

Kenedy, Slimani and Dubravka.

Two of whom made a big difference yet we only bought one of them. One who'd had no pre season and was out of shape. Bad idea.

So after these January loan deals why are we not splashing the cash on a 40m striker and a 40m number 10 in the summer?

And still going for loans?

Sorry, and not regenerating every penny the Club earns into buying players.

[ghostrider]

Depends what you class as improving.League placing or just staying in the league and not going down and having to come back up.

I class improvement as bettering the previous season.

Bournemouth stay in the League and try and strengthen.Might not finish as high every year but they stay up.To them it's improvement.

Then it's not necessarily improvement, is it?

Watford used to come up and regularly go down when they did.They now stay up.

Still not improvement.

Everton have strengthened and will no doubt finish higher.

If they do it's improvement. As of now there's no proof.

Liverpool have strengthened and have improved.

If they better last season then I agree.

Man City have strengthened and have improved.

Same as above.

Huddersfield,Brighton,Fulham,Wolves and Cardiff will all tell you they have improved.

They can tell us anything they want to but it doesn't mean it's a truth.

Just because you might not think so doesn't mean they haven't.

Doesn't mean they have. either.
And the same goes for us.
If we finish 10th by better goal difference but the same points then we can say we've improved, even if it can be argued it's so minute as to not warrant the word.
If we finish 10th on the same points with a worse goal difference, it can be said we are not improving.

Can be fine lines at times.

Take a look at Tottenham.
Their improvement is fictional.

[Geordie1974]

I class improvement as bettering the previous season.

Then it's not necessarily improvement, is it?

Still not improvement.

If they do it's improvement. As of now there's no proof.

If they better last season then I agree.

Same as above.


They can tell us anything they want to but it doesn't mean it's a truth.

Doesn't mean they have. either.
And the same goes for us.
If we finish 10th by better goal difference but the same points then we can say we've improved, even if it can be argued it's so minute as to not warrant the word.
If we finish 10th on the same points with a worse goal difference, it can be said we are not improving.

Can be fine lines at times.

Take a look at Tottenham.
Their improvement is fictional.

Your opinion.In your words I have given you mine.Ask the fans of the said clubs if they are happy.

[ex_pat_magpie]

I wouldn't mind having "fictional improvement" like Tottenham have.

Mind with Ashley supporting them and not having to finance them what would you expect.

[HughieG]

The last January window saved his bacon.

That's a twisted way of looking at it in my opinion. It was evident that new signings were needed, and we got the ones we needed on loan at the end of the window. There were no guarantees that they were going to perform and "save his bacon". They turned out to be great and Rafa did a hell of a job getting them to perform. Well spotted by Rafa.

[ghostrider]

That's a twisted way of looking at it in my opinion. It was evident that new signings were needed, and we got the ones we needed on loan at the end of the window. There were no guarantees that they were going to perform and "save his bacon". They turned out to be great and Rafa did a hell of a job getting them to perform. Well spotted by Rafa.

Again, the argument resurfaces.
Well spotted by Rafa when they did well and hit the ground running...but if not, it would have been a case of not having enough time to gel them in.
We can all make whatever excuses for and against in foresight and hindsight as to what will be or what could be or what was.

[Stanleymag]

Again, the argument resurfaces.
Well spotted by Rafa when they did well and hit the ground running...but if not, it would have been a case of not having enough time to gel them in.
We can all make whatever excuses for and against in foresight and hindsight as to what will be or what could be or what was.

But he recognised their ability to improve the side, and we ended up tenth. Without investment.

What a great Manager.

[ex_pat_magpie]

Again, the argument resurfaces.
Well spotted by Rafa when they did well and hit the ground running...but if not, it would have been a case of not having enough time to gel them in.
We can all make whatever excuses for and against in foresight and hindsight as to what will be or what could be or what was.

So is that your excuse for us only finishing 10th and not top six then.

[ghostrider]

Thank you.

Kenedy, Slimani and Dubravka.

Two of whom made a big difference yet we only bought one of them. One who'd had no pre season and was out of shape. Bad idea.

So after these January loan deals why are we not splashing the cash on a 40m striker and a 40m number 10 in the summer?

And still going for loans?

Because 40 million strikers guarantee you nothing and nor does a 40 million number 10.
Sounds like I'm saying big buys won't improve a team, doesn't it?
But what I'm saying is, it's more about building a squad and gaining a team from it all season by identifying players that can do a job, not necessarily players that cost upwards of 40 million.

If we buy players of that calibre you can bet your bottom dollar that, if Rafa fails to move us up much, then these players will be looking elsewhere...or simply going through the motions on hefty wages.

Rafa or not.
Take a look at Man Utd today. Look at the cost of their team/squad.
Brighton took them apart, because Brighton have a team mentality that money does not guarantee.

West Ham are a classic example of paying the prices you mention.....but for what?

See what I'm saying?