Quote Originally Posted by Andy1981_2 View Post
I think the problem with the anti-Rafa view on here is that it is (often abrasively) presented as an extreme - as though they think it's all Rafa's fault, or always Rafa's fault - and that has pushed many to the opposite extreme i.e. as though it's all Ashley. The reality is that there has been a couple of games where we've dropped points because Rafa has got it wrong (specific examples of that are the Swansea and Brighton games at home where we sat back way too much). He's admitted that much himself at times. But it's also totally false that Rafa always sets up too negatively to win games - that just doesn't stack up with the actual evidence. We usually create enough chances to win games, but we don't take them as often as we should do, or more to the point, as often as we need to. When your strikers need 15 goes to score a goal, you leave yourself vulnerable to conceding more often as you push to create chances, and if another side have more clinical finishers then you simply get outscored. Your strikers not taking chances therefore has the in-game effect of making the side naturally more cautious as you wait or probe for sure-things. It's a bit of a vicious circle.
Nobody thinks it's all Rafa's fault but equally he's not innocent either.
He has enough to work with to do a job and we can clearly see that in the first half or quite a few games this season.

It's also clear to see that we are a match for all but 8 of the teams in this premier league without having to resort to any extreme bus parking tactics.

It's plain and simple.
If we stay up and Rafa takes the plaudits for it then equally he should take the flack if he relegates us.
It's his entire set up and he works with the players nearly every day.

We all want the same thing as an end goal which is a Newcastle United team that can bring us something and a club that can fight on all fronts as a dream scenario.
That doesn't mean that one person can be criticised and one is above it.