Are we good enough for this type of management?

[Geordie_Jacko]

So are we? What I mean is the clear instructions our players seem to be given to follow. The answer for me is no we are not. Its bugged me since Bellemy was talking about his time under Rafa and how basically if you are told to run up and down the same 20 yards of pitch for 90 mins you do it. If you dont or stray slightly out of that zone you will be subbed or fined during the week. He said that's we he only lasted a year with him.
I think it's pretty evident we are doing this after watching Joeslu sprint back towards our own goal yesterday instead of chasing down there keeper. For me this can restrict players so much and sort of take the life out the game for them. Yeah players must stay in position but jeeeez they should also be able to express themselves. I also don't think we have the squad to do this. Yeah Real, Chelsea and Liverpool maybe cause it's easy in them teams to say. "Well you haven't done exactly how I asked I will play another world class player instead next week." We can't do that. I also think the way he's treated certain players is bad and can cause a lot of unrest. Mitro is one we all no I also think Colback and a couple others got treated really bad and these guys will all have 1st team mates who think it's unfair. I love Rafa but I really think he needs to adjust some of his ways to suit us more.

[waalsendmick]

Guardiola is the same. He just does it with better players.

He once substituted Henry at half time for scoring a goal, when he was told to stay on the wing.

The manager can only pish out of the cokk he has.

[Kingstonbob1]

Mourinho another example. Boring football and look at the many many hundreds of millions he has to spend on players. Fallen out with loads of players Pogba most recently. Man U fans showing discontent.

[Zippity]

I agree with both of you. Rafa's playing the hand he's been dealt and he's already said he doesn't like having to put out a team/adopt a formation not to lose rather than trying to win.

The frustrating thing is that the way Rafa micro-manages games means that we miss some opportunities that present themselves. For example I've noticed loads of times on our left (mainly when we're attacking the Gallowgate so that it's happening on my side) that there's a really good opportunity for an overlap but we hardly ever take it and the ball gets recycled back either to the CBs or the 'keeper. I know this is all to do with tactics, formations and plans, etc, but there are times, imo, when players should be allowed to take a chance when it presents itself and if that means breaking out of the rigid on occasion plan then so be it.

Don't get me wrong, you know I'm a fan of Rafa but that doesn't mean we can't discuss things that we don't like.

[ghostrider]

I get a bit fed up of this "well drilled" nonsense aimed at Rafa when defending.
When your sole tactic is in drilling your squad for that main action then it's pretty simple to understand that the unit will do a decent shut out job to generally keep a scorline down.

Where's the drill for the rest of the game from that point on?
10 minutes of potential and 80 plus minutes of dire depressing embarrassment.

So Rafa can only deal with the hand he is given, eh?
That would be the case no matter what he bought in.

It's made to look like our squad is so sub-standard that Rafa can only dare to park the bus.
Telling all and sundry how badly done to, he is.
The players must feel on top of the world with him, right?

I have no option but to endure what he sets out because I'm a fan for life, with or without him and with or without Ashley.

But do you know what?
If Rafa sends out a team to play football like that again this season, I expect and dearly hope he is sacked before he has the chance to destroy the minds of the players.

That football was nonsense and I'm absolutely certain the players won't put up with that for much longer, even if they turn on Rafa themselves.

By all means people keep to your opinions. This one is mine.

[toptoon]

Put it this way. If we don´t play to a system then we´re relegated. Imagine a game between one side with 50 million pound players and another with 5 million pound players and they are all told to give it a go and 'express themselves'.

Rafa and his system of play is the only thing that can keep us in this division this season. Hardly something for our 50 thousand plus support to look forward to.

[Zippity]

Put it this way. If we don´t play to a system then we´re relegated. Imagine a game between one side with 50 million pound players and another with 5 million pound players and they are all told to give it a go and 'express themselves'.

Rafa and his system of play is the only thing that can keep us in this division this season. Hardly something for our 50 thousand plus support to look forward to.

No, I agree...Rafa's system works for the players we have and I certainly don't think we have players who can express themselves anyway, by and large. I just think that sometimes there are opportunities that present themselves where, if the players had a little leeway, they could take advantage.

[Geordie_Jacko]

Put it this way. If we don´t play to a system then we´re relegated. Imagine a game between one side with 50 million pound players and another with 5 million pound players and they are all told to give it a go and 'express themselves'.

Rafa and his system of play is the only thing that can keep us in this division this season. Hardly something for our 50 thousand plus support to look forward to.

Letting players express themselves doesnt mean you just let them go and do what they want for 90 mins if it did then year you're right we would be going down. But letting them actually think for themselves on certain occasions sometimes that's were a bit of magic can come from. Who knows is someone like Jacob Murphy got given a run of games with a bit of a free role with Shelvey playing balls through he could end up a world beater. I no he may also not but the way we HAVE to stick to a plan we will never no.

[HughieG]

By all means people keep to your opinions. This one is mine.

We know. No need to keep repeating that.

Anyhow, I agree the system is a bit too rigid, but against some of the best players in the world? No problem for me.

Like I said, I'm more worried about the Cardiff game!

[ghostrider]

Put it this way. If we don´t play to a system then we´re relegated. Imagine a game between one side with 50 million pound players and another with 5 million pound players and they are all told to give it a go and 'express themselves'.

Rafa and his system of play is the only thing that can keep us in this division this season. Hardly something for our 50 thousand plus support to look forward to.

I absolutely and totally disagree.
Rafa's system is pathetic. It's geared for boredom and is as dire as dire can be.
I don't care about 50 million players against 10 million or 8 million players.
It's about a squad mentality creating a weekly team mentality to take the game to the opposition as much as the opposition does to us.

Yeah we'll get beat many times but we'll also win a good amount and draw.
Relegation is not even on a radar for us when up against 14 other teams of which we are more than capable of getting something from by playing balanced football and ensuring we use the players we have in the positions they play in, to full effect.

All that's happening is they are being offensively stifled as well as defensively put upon due to seriously over cautious tactics.

It's depressing man.