Sick of this

[Nufc204mag]

Will never ever ever go anywhere under Ashley sooner he fecks off the better has been a hopeless 10 years and I'd love a owner similar to him to own one of the top 6 clubs I'm sure the media and pundits would soon be critical but its totally fine BC its us from the north east. Championship team that if we stay up will be BC of Rafa BC this team is woeful even the players that last year who I thought would do well in prem Gayle Richie have been really bad I'm especially dissapointed in Richie, mitro needs to play BC joselu is worse than rievier and **** me I am depressed idk how many times I have felt like this over that past 5 years I have lost count.

[toptoon]

The under investment in the squad over the years means that when we have a few injuries to our first 11 players then the cracks in the squad show immediately. As I said on the other thread, Hayden is a big miss and with no Merino or Lascelles in the team it removes the spine of our team. Shelvey is a potent weapon when he´s on song but defending isn´t his strong point - he misses Hatden (or, if not, Merino next to him).
I agree, Ritchie needs to get his finger out - he´s much better than that but I expect us to be more competitive again when these players are back.

[ghostrider]

Will never ever ever go anywhere under Ashley sooner he fecks off the better has been a hopeless 10 years and I'd love a owner similar to him to own one of the top 6 clubs I'm sure the media and pundits would soon be critical but its totally fine BC its us from the north east. Championship team that if we stay up will be BC of Rafa BC this team is woeful even the players that last year who I thought would do well in prem Gayle Richie have been really bad I'm especially dissapointed in Richie, mitro needs to play BC joselu is worse than rievier and **** me I am depressed idk how many times I have felt like this over that past 5 years I have lost count.

Rafa had money to spend.
He bought in players that he believed he needed whilst leaving other players out in the cold.
He might not have had a kings ransom but he did have the funds to tweak the squad after the championship.

The squad he has is more than capable of avoiding relegation but when you continue to play players that are just not doing the job in favour of players that can do a job, then you'll come unstuck.
This is where Rafa is right now.

He spent over 45 million on players.
It doesn't matter about offsetting with thauvin and a few cheap players for the odd 2 million and such. He still spent 45 million.

If the team stays up, you say it'll be because of Rafa but if it goes down it'll be because of Ashley. Right?

Rafa had the money to spend so it's very simple. If the team goes down it's because of all of them collectively, not just one man.

[ex_pat_magpie]

Rafa had money to spend.
He bought in players that he believed he needed whilst leaving other players out in the cold.
He might not have had a kings ransom but he did have the funds to tweak the squad after the championship.

The squad he has is more than capable of avoiding relegation but when you continue to play players that are just not doing the job in favour of players that can do a job, then you'll come unstuck.

All Rafa has been able to do is to sell off a few players who he felt wouldn't make the Prem and replace with bare bones and certainly not top choice and not enough quality or quantity.

As TopToon rightly pointed out two posts above, under investment over years has decimated the core of the squad and if Rafa can use the players we have plus what comes in next window to keep us up, hopefully comfortably, then the main work will begin then.

And that is even if it takes plying unexciting football over the rest of this season. Stay up and this season's job is done and ready to build from there. Then we will see what Rafa is made of and what he can do.
This is where Rafa is right now.

He spent over 45 million on players.
It doesn't matter about offsetting with thauvin and a few cheap players for the odd 2 million and such. He still spent 45 million.

If the team stays up, you say it'll be because of Rafa but if it goes down it'll be because of Ashley. Right?

Rafa had the money to spend so it's very simple. If the team goes down it's because of all of them collectively, not just one man.

You can't come up from the Championship and build a top squad in one window from limited means.

Rafa has had only one window on limited funds and hasn't been able to bring in his first choices. As Toptoon posted two posts ago, under investment for years has been the problem. All Rafa has been able to do is move on a few players he felt weren't good enough for the Prem and replace with 3rd and 4th choices.

If he can keep us up, hopefully comfortably, this season then for the time being that is job done for now and the main work begins next window.

[occult]

Brighton and Huddersfield aren't doing too bad even without a world class manager. I don't think Burnley and Watford have spent a fortune either. Man U beat Brighton 1-0 at home but beat us 4-1. Chris Hughton got us back in the PL first time but was then sacked when results weren't too good. Admittedly most fans didn't want this. If there's no big spend in January and we keep losing Rafa might end up like Chris or resign.

[ghostrider]

You can't come up from the Championship and build a top squad in one window from limited means.

No, but you can build a squad capable of doing a job and he has done that. The problem is in using the best of what he has and at times I feel he's not doing that and it appears he's not doing that because he's got some kind of pet lip going on with some.

Rafa has had only one window on limited funds and hasn't been able to bring in his first choices.

I'd hardly say he's had limited funds considering the overall set up.
The net spends make it appear limited but it's far from it really when you consider where we are at.

As Toptoon posted two posts ago, under investment for years has been the problem. All Rafa has been able to do is move on a few players he felt weren't good enough for the Prem and replace with 3rd and 4th choices.

He moved on players he felt weren't good enough, yeah. He also bought players that weren't good enough.
He also bought players that are good enough to avoid a relegations battle, along with those already here before him..




Rafa buys.
Yedlin.
Shelvey.
Ritchie.
Lejeune.
Merino.
Hayden.
Gayle.
Atsu.
J.Murphy?
Gamez?

Players he bought that were iffy with a massive question mark and/or who were more championship suited.
Diame.
Joselu.
D.Murphy.
Hanley.
Sels.
Lazaar.

Add the players to those that were already here that are good enough for the premier league and you can see that a manager of his class should be able to work with them and use them to maximum effect, yet has chose not to.

If he can keep us up, hopefully comfortably, this season then for the time being that is job done for now and the main work begins next window.

I agree. If he can keep us up then his job is done for this season and real real bonafide rebuilding comes in the summer for him to take us to the next level which would be leaving any relegation thoughts on the afterburner.

The issue is, he's still had plenty of money to spend when you consider the state of affairs.
It's not like he's been refused buys, more like losing out on them due to better calibre of players wanting to play elsewhere or maybe even pricing themselves out with wages or whatever.

At the end of the day we need to avoid relegation and if we don't it's down to a collective mess up which greatly includes Rafa.
This team/squad has more than shown what it's capable of, so there's no excuses for relegation.

[ex_pat_magpie]

At the end of the day we need to avoid relegation and if we don't it's down to a collective mess up which greatly includes Rafa.
This team/squad has more than shown what it's capable of, so there's no excuses for relegation.

There ought not to have been excuses for the previous two relegations but the common denominator was Ashley

[ghostrider]

There ought not to have been excuses for the previous two relegations but the common denominator was Ashley

I agree that Ashley has to take the lions share of the blame for being too trusting of the wrong people to do a job and continuing to be naive in the footballing side of things and then trying to carpet bump his way out of them.

I know all this. I want him out for the reasons of us not going anywhere forward under him but the entire buck does not stop with him. It's a very collective buck as it stands...and that includes Rafa and co...and especially in terms of having full say on recruitment.

He has no excuse if he relegates us. He barely has an excuse if we avoid relegation by a point or two but I will accept it as long as I can see some wider light in the tunnel that does not get blocked by negative interference in whatever way it could come.

He needs to find a balance and he needs to start bringing in players that we can all see can provide that little extra to kickstart us and push us on to January and onto finding a decent striker or possibly two.
The rest will look after itself if he balances it all out.

[pboromag]

he had a good squad he had money that he spent in the fizzy and i think even he said that they would have to be good enough for the prem
thats why we paid the amount we did for them
take that and he had his own players this season and he has his squad
truth is he is a dinosaur
he is geting out done by young managers who ae better technically and better at man management than he is

he doesnt have a clue what system to play
he sts up negativly and i think the players dont like that

and i really think he is beginning to loose the players

none seeed to put a shift in for him yesterday
they were all over the place

id get fat sam in
as he is a reall master when it comes to defending

rafa hasnt a clue
he plays shelvey who leaves massive gaps in the midfield goes where he wants when he wants

even the players around him dont kno what he is doing
he cant tackle he cant head a ball

the days in the prem of [pining 30-40 yard balls all the time are gone
heres a fact for you

69% of his forward passes yesterday were to a player who had drifted into an offside position

why because everytime he gets the ball their defence stands in line and walks up the field

catching ur lads off side

we dont get around and behind teams as he sits to deep so we acnt push on due to the big gaps in the iddle he creates
link that with diame who has as much positioning sense as a blind donkey and you are in danger
should be playing mbemba as a defensive midifelder allowing the wide lads to do their jobs

if you dont win the battle in the middle of the park
you dont win games
simple

[Cannylad]

I see Ghostboro's spelling is coming along nicely !