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.

[toonlegend]

The problem i have with taking the game to the opposition - yes of course we would all love that - but it's possible rafa does not believe that we have the players to be able to do this, and that if we did we would be looking at hammerings every game.. Now if we manage to strengthen considerably - and have a good team that is capable, we may have something to complain about.

working with the strikers we do have... we don't know that they aren't

in the 1st half on saturday the way everyone was taking potshots at every available opportunity, made me think. - oh they've been working on shooting this week for sure.

[ghostrider]

The problem i have with taking the game to the opposition - yes of course we would all love that - but it's possible rafa does not believe that we have the players to be able to do this, and that if we did we would be looking at hammerings every game.. Now if we manage to strengthen considerably - and have a good team that is capable, we may have something to complain about.

working with the strikers we do have... we don't know that they aren't

in the 1st half on saturday the way everyone was taking potshots at every available opportunity, made me think. - oh they've been working on shooting this week for sure.

That first half an hour was testament to how much better quality wed do possess on the offensive and if worked on as a matter of balance, we would score goals.
This squad is well on par with most in this premier league.
Our players are pound for pound more than equal of many in many cases and more so in pace.

This team is built to put teams to the sword and saturday's first half an hour showing is testament to what we can do.
The issue is in not going gung ho all game, obviously but taking opportunities as and when they are on a plate and hoping to get an end product from them.

If Rafa wasn't so cautious with this squad and gave them some real forward drilling to go with his wolf pack defensive approach then we would become a much more confident and better unit that could easily challenge for mid table in this league or very easily escape any thought of being anywhere near the relegation trap door.

Allowing Bournemouth back into the game like we did was almost criminal and surely can't be defended in terms of allowing Rafa off the hook.

Play to your strengths should be the order of the day against any team and also exploit their weaknesses at every opportunity.

Rafa's idea appears to favour us not being exposed as defensively weak, even if it means we lose the game one nil...but whether it's one nil or 80 nil, it's zero points.
If I'm going to get beat then I want to be beat by giving the opposition a lot to think about for 90 plus minutes as an entertainment rather than having to always say " well, at least we didn't get hammered."

We watch the game to be entertained.
People wouldn't pay good money to watch dancers just dance around a hand bag or ice skaters just skate around a rink with no real purpose or watch the olympics where people jog the 100 metres or balance a javelin on the finger before tossing it off ...
Basically, we should demand to be entertained in a fashion by players that are instructed by a manager to go out and try and beat the opposition and try and score at every available opportunity, whilst trying to stop the opponent doing the same.

It makes for a game of exciting football and one of which we are capable of playing and have proved it in small pockets.
That's all I ask and I'm not asking for us to do anything out of the ordinary nor expect much else with what we have....but what we have is good enough to entertain and stay safe enough.

[Nuro]

Let rafa build the base, the rest will come. It better to learn how to defend first, become resilient then we can introduce more flair as and when we get the players under a new ownership.

Patience people we have a a brilliant manager!

[ghostrider]

Let rafa build the base, the rest will come. It better to learn how to defend first, become resilient then we can introduce more flair as and when we get the players under a new ownership.

Patience people we have a a brilliant manager!

I don't believe we have a brilliant manager.
I believe we have a manager that pays far too much attention to far too much detail of an area that is starting to create the opposite effect of what it was supposedly designed to do.

I'd agree with the patience bit if we were playing such soul destroying mind numbing football all in aid of stopping the opposition scoring whilst offensively we are an afterthought 90% of the time.

[toptoon]

That first half an hour was testament to how much better quality wed do possess on the offensive and if worked on as a matter of balance, we would score goals.
This squad is well on par with most in this premier league.
Our players are pound for pound more than equal of many in many cases and more so in pace.

This team is built to put teams to the sword and saturday's first half an hour showing is testament to what we can do.
The issue is in not going gung ho all game, obviously but taking opportunities as and when they are on a plate and hoping to get an end product from them.

If Rafa wasn't so cautious with this squad and gave them some real forward drilling to go with his wolf pack defensive approach then we would become a much more confident and better unit that could easily challenge for mid table in this league or very easily escape any thought of being anywhere near the relegation trap door.

Allowing Bournemouth back into the game like we did was almost criminal and surely can't be defended in terms of allowing Rafa off the hook.

Play to your strengths should be the order of the day against any team and also exploit their weaknesses at every opportunity.

Rafa's idea appears to favour us not being exposed as defensively weak, even if it means we lose the game one nil...but whether it's one nil or 80 nil, it's zero points.
If I'm going to get beat then I want to be beat by giving the opposition a lot to think about for 90 plus minutes as an entertainment rather than having to always say " well, at least we didn't get hammered."

We watch the game to be entertained.
People wouldn't pay good money to watch dancers just dance around a hand bag or ice skaters just skate around a rink with no real purpose or watch the olympics where people jog the 100 metres or balance a javelin on the finger before tossing it off ...
Basically, we should demand to be entertained in a fashion by players that are instructed by a manager to go out and try and beat the opposition and try and score at every available opportunity, whilst trying to stop the opponent doing the same.

It makes for a game of exciting football and one of which we are capable of playing and have proved it in small pockets.
That's all I ask and I'm not asking for us to do anything out of the ordinary nor expect much else with what we have....but what we have is good enough to entertain and stay safe enough.

So, basically, he did set the team up to attack and we lost. I think you've said it all.

[ghostrider]

So, basically, he did set the team up to attack and we lost. I think you've said it all.

Yep he did set the team up to attack and then decided to do the opposite after the break and lost. You're right I have said it all and if you can defend his actions then you carry on but soon enough you'll see him for what he really is.

[ex_pat_magpie]

Yep he did set the team up to attack and then decided to do the opposite after the break and lost. You're right I have said it all and if you can defend his actions then you carry on but soon enough you'll see him for what he really is.

That's quite contrary to what you have been posting in support of Rafa until this last match.

So what is the sudden difference?

[ghostrider]

That's quite contrary to what you have been posting in support of Rafa until this last match.

So what is the sudden difference?

I've called him negative for long enough but gave him patience and acceptance to see if he changes stuff.
I'm getting bad vibes about him as to his stance on things behind the scenes with players and clearly what he's setting out on that pitch.

I could carry on being patient and even say " ahhh well, he's tried for half an hour against Bournemouth, maybe he'll start working on a more balanced set up."
But you know what? I seriously doubt he'll give us much to get excited about.

[toptoon]

Yep he did set the team up to attack and then decided to do the opposite after the break and lost. You're right I have said it all and if you can defend his actions then you carry on but soon enough you'll see him for what he really is.

Perhaps you should see him for what he is: A Champions League winning manager. Were you one of the ones who help to hound out Bobby Robson?