Please Rafa....

[einar]

The difference is at Valencia they had genuine pace in the team down the wings with Vicente and Angulo. Something we just don't have

It'd be interesting to see how Valencia would react to a bid for Vicente

Speedy and Pennant are not that much slower so I dont buy that explanation.

[Jan-Erik]

No but he should be abel to tell them to play like Valencia.

If you can do it once, you can do it again. And the least I want from our players is that they try.

Yesterday they did not.

They try!!!

We cant play the way Valencia did, because we have different players!
We have no winger like Vicente. We have no playmaker like Aimar(Gerrard is a totaly different player). Valencia had much more quality in the final third. It's as easy as that. Rafa can tell our players to play like Valencia did, but we lack the ability.

[Jan-Erik]

Speedy and Pennant are not that much slower so I dont buy that explanation.

Maybe they have as much pace, but lack the skills?

[einar]

They try!!!

We cant play the way Valencia did, because we have different players!
We have no winger like Vicente. We have no playmaker like Aimar(Gerrard is a totaly different player). Valencia had much more quality in the final third. It's as easy as that. Rafa can tell our players to play like Valencia did, but we lack the ability.

Again and again our winger had the ball out on the wing and had no options but to take the man on or pass it back. Nobody ran into space around them.
Nobody ran into space around anyone really and that is not trying.

[einar]

Maybe they have as much pace, but lack the skills?

The skill to do what? Pass the ball 5 meters to a player running into space?

[ARIMAN]

Doesnt Rafa really rate Totti and Deco

My worry is that if we play with another attacking Midfielder, then if we are playing two up then our defense will be more exposed

[Kopite_Colin]

When a team defends so deep with 10 men behind the ball, it's virtually impossible to pass and move, becuase there's no space to move into. That's where wingers / creative players come into their own, becuase they can beat a man, create that bit of space, draw out a defender and play a killer pass. That's why Man Utd have been so successful recently with Kanchelskis, Giggs, Cantona, and Ronaldo; Chelsea more recently with Zola, Duff, Robben, & Cole, and Arsenal previously with the likes of Limpar, Merson, Overmars, Pires, Henry, Bergkamp etc. The only players in that list without pace were Cantona, Zola, Cole and Bergkamp - but they all had sublime skill on the ball.

We haven't had players with that level of creative skill in MF or the final third since Beardsley, Barnes, McManaman and Fowler. The last was a young Owen who could turn people inside out. SG is probably the only one in the current team, and that's more by effort, strength and bluster than sublime dribbling skill.

[Jan-Erik]

Again and again our winger had the ball out on the wing and had no options but to take the man on or pass it back. Nobody ran into space around them.
Nobody ran into space around anyone really and that is not trying.

And because they lack the skills, they either pass the ball back or loose the ball. But I see your point, you want more movement from the players.

[Jan-Erik]

The skill to do what? Pass the ball 5 meters to a player running into space?

The skills to create space, a chance maybe or to get a cross in.

[redblood]

I disagree. He does not do it in the same way and it might not look a good because those guys I mentioned have more tec. but on the whole IMO Gerrard can be just as effective as the very best.

I´m sorry, a player with Gerrards ability who has shown us he can score 20+ goals from midfield is simply waisting his talents running around the center circle. 4 years ago we all believed he was gonna be at his best there but he just kept improving his attack and that is why this is my opinion.

The whole point is that he doesn't do it in the same way because he doesn't have the silky skills and even the vision to some degree.

He scores 20+ goals because he drives from deep or from wide and scores powerful goals like Scholes does for the Scum but you would not play

Scholes just off the main striker/s he's an attacking CM like Stevie but not a deep lying Striker with the ability to carve open defences.
Stevie is good at running into space but will very rarely carve open a stubborn defence that is why we have struggled to beat opposition that line up with 9-10 men behind the ball.
That is effectively what Arsenal did last night against us and at the Emirates.

[redblood]

When a team defends so deep with 10 men behind the ball, it's virtually impossible to pass and move, becuase there's no space to move into. That's where wingers / creative players come into their own, becuase they can beat a man, create that bit of space, draw out a defender and play a killer pass. That's why Man Utd have been so successful recently with Kanchelskis, Giggs, Cantona, and Ronaldo; Chelsea more recently with Zola, Duff, Robben, & Cole, and Arsenal previously with the likes of Limpar, Merson, Overmars, Pires, Henry, Bergkamp etc. The only players in that list without pace were Cantona, Zola, Cole and Bergkamp - but they all had sublime skill on the ball.

We haven't had players with that level of creative skill in MF or the final third since Beardsley, Barnes, McManaman and Fowler. The last was a young Owen who could turn people inside out. SG is probably the only one in the current team, and that's more by effort, strength and bluster than sublime dribbling skill.

Fully agree mate but don't forget Jari

[Kopite_Colin]

....but you would not play Scholes just off the main striker/s he's an attacking CM

Of course you would - that's exactly where Scholes played for years and made his reputation. It's only cos his legs have gone have they moved him to CM.

Remember the Giggs, Butt / Keane/ Ince Beckham /Kanchelskis combination

Scholes couldn't get in the CM of their 1st 11 - he was played up with Cantona & Cole. Then when Yorke, Solskjaer, Sheringham and RVN arrived they started to move him back.

[blacky]

The team lacks worldclass players in a number of positions to be honest. I don't think simply bringing in Bent or Villa will solve our problems. We simply don't have the players at the moment to play the football that Rafa managed with Valencia. I dont think Rafa is comfortable playing 442 but knows he cannot afford the quality of the player needed to play a system similar to what he used in spain.Yesterday proved that we have a long way still to go and there are a number of positions he needs to fill before we can seriously challenge the top 2.

Reina

???? Agger Carra ????

Alonso Momo

Gerrard

???? Kuyt ?????

Subs:
Carson
Finnan
CB???
Masherano???
Bellamy

[Red_Al_77]

Bent is not world class. It's time to move away from good players to great player who are proven at both European and International level. David Villa ticks all those boxes.

[kopdan]

apart from the box that says "affordable"