Fickle

[ghostrider]

So we play on the counter-attack like all Rafa Benitez teams have done since forever. Even if we spend money that will not change, call it negative if you want but it has brought him immense success in his career and made teams perform above their station and more than the sum of their parts. That Liverpool team he took to 2 Champions league finals had no business being there, they were sh!te but his brand of football is proven to work, even if it ain't pretty.

Make no mistake, we are a Championship team that didn't invest in the summer properly. What do you expect from us at this level? Do you think the other promoted teams are any less defensive? His hands are tied behind his back because of idiots upstairs. If he was allowed to get the striker and midfielder he wanted, we would have put that game to bed by half time.

I'll agree with you that he is headstrong which is annoying because Mitrovic should have played, he made a mistake there, but at the same time I'm happy that he is sending a message......'if you are indisciplined and untrustworthy you don't play'. Obviously Mitrovic has toffee for brains because what does he go and do when Rafa gave him a chance again.......well i think you watched the West Ham game.

Absolute mistake to want Rafa out. The word Self-harm comes to mind.

To be fair we all think we know what's going on and we all think what could be better or worse or acceptable.
You mention that we play the counter attack like all Rafa's teams. Is this all he is capable of?

Do you mean we have to endure counter attacking at home against teams that are on par with us or even look lesser quality?
I don't want this and especially don't want this if it's in the vein that we've been served up of late.

I want a manager in who is willing to take the game to the opposition especially at home.
The whole premise of football is to score more than you concede.
We have a manager who's mindset is not to concede and anything from that is a bonus.
The issue is it's not working, regardless of people believing it is.

We keep a clean sheet so far into many games by sheer luck and the skin of our teeth, not by fantastic defending all of the time.
We might look organised at the back on occasions but it's a pointless exercise when you end up conceding the odd goal and don't do anything to even it up or are too late to do so.

How about he gets someone in to work with the strikers we have and concentrate on honing them into the team mindset as a rule to take the game to the opposition as and when we get the ball so they feed on real regular chances that could pay dividends against (at least) teams on par with us, of which three quarters of that premier league is, with only one quarter that are well ahead in quality.

You might deny this and many might but if someone like Alan Pardew was dishing this out, people would be up in arms and screaming for his head.

Rafa is regarded as a world class manager who we apparently have to trust in and be thankful for.
No chance I'm going to be thankful for that shower of garbage he's dishing out when I know this team/squad is capable of doing a fair bit more and also entertaining the fans.

He's providing very little in the form of entertainment for us fans but he's doing a sterling job of providing it for the opposition fans.