Post match wash-up/reaction/moan thread

[Guest]

Need a goalscorer.

Kuyt, Crouch and Bellamy are all good players, but are we winning the league with those 3 as our main striking options? No.

People shouldn't blame Rafa for this one. The players made a **** of it. Poor finishing and individual errors cost us. It reminds me of our defeats earlier in the season.

Still a work in progress. Hopefully we can add the players required this summer to take us up a level.

Didn't see much wrong in our performance today mate. We controlled the game and should have buried them in the first half. Newcastle didn't have a single chance today.

[Sir Bob]

Need a goalscorer.

Kuyt, Crouch and Bellamy are all good players, but are we winning the league with those 3 as our main striking options? No.

People shouldn't blame Rafa for this one. The players made a **** of it. Poor finishing and individual errors cost us. It reminds me of our defeats earlier in the season.

Still a work in progress. Hopefully we can add the players required this summer to take us up a level.

My only query with Rafa today was as usual his subs. Baffled why he brought Guthrie & Arbeloa on instead of Crouch.

we are still a work in progress & will be next season, no matter who we buy. Getting top quality forwards in will not be easy, no matter how much cash we have to spend. Then you've got to give them time to settle in & gel. There will be no title next season i fear.

[Svennis]

Stevie can't play with more freedom when he plays center midfield as he has to be more discipline. He scored 3 or 4 goals this season, hardly a great return compared to the past 2 seasons. Rafa plays him on the right because he has freedom to roam mate.

I agree. I belive Rafa's plan is to play Mascherano and Alonso at midfield and Gerrard at right with freedom to roam. Hopefully we could sign Daniel Alves and he and Gerrard could make a very good partnership at right like for example Nedved and Zambrotta at Juve in past few years.

[Guest]

I agree. I belive Rafa's plan is to play Mascherano and Alonso at midfield and Gerrard at right with freedom to roam. Hopefully we could sign Daniel Alves and he and Gerrard could make a very good partnership at right like for example Nedved and Zambrotta at Juve in past few years.

I think Alonso could be the odd man out in center midfield next season as he's been poor by his own standards this season. Mascherano and Momo could provide a great partnership. I rate Mascherano higher than Xabi if he can replicate his international form in the premiership. One hell of a player we've got.

[kopdan]

It will a bit different next year once Rafa brings in the players he wanted to begin with.

Kuyt is not a number 9 but a cracking number 10. He needs someone to work with.

[kurtangle01]

---------------Reina
---Richards----Carra----Agger----
Alves-----Alonso--Mascherano----Lahm
------Gerrard--Klose--Villa

Would probably cost £70m-£80m to get that team.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

My only query with Rafa today was as usual his subs. Baffled why he brought Guthrie & Arbeloa on instead of Crouch.

we are still a work in progress & will be next season, no matter who we buy. Getting top quality forwards in will not be easy, no matter how much cash we have to spend. Then you've got to give them time to settle in & gel. There will be no title next season i fear.

One issue I do have with Rafa is that we don't attack teams like the scum do. Perhaps he doesn't have total confidence in some of the players to do that.

I think that's the biggest thing holding us back. Yes we need better players, but we also need a more attacking mindset/philosophy IMO. Too often this season we've dithered at the start of games giving the opposition too much respect, this is especially hard to take when it's Sheffield United and Middlesborugh. We're better than these teams, attack them from the first, and win.

If Rafa can sign the quality players we need then he'll have no excuses, if we continue to suffer results like today, and Bolton away, Everton away etc net season then questions will start having to be asked.

He's already proven he's a top manager in the cups. I just think he needs to be a bit braver in the league, open it up, get more offensive and say "**** it, have a go lads, you can have these".

[Guest]

It will a bit different next year once Rafa brings in the players he wanted to begin with.

Kuyt is not a number 9 but a cracking number 10. He needs someone to work with.

Good post.

[Guest]

One issue I do have with Rafa is that we don't attack teams like the scum do. Perhaps he doesn't have total confidence in some of the players to do that.

I think that's the biggest thing holding us back. Yes we need better players, but we also need a more attacking mindset/philosophy IMO. Too often this season we've dithered at the start of games giving the opposition too much respect, this is especially hard to take when it's Sheffield United and Middlesborugh. We're better than these teams, attack them from the first, and win.

If Rafa can sign the quality players we need then he'll have no excuses, if we continue to suffer results like today, and Bolton away, Everton away etc net season then questions will start having to be asked.

He's already proven he's a top manager in the cups. I just think he needs to be a bit braver in the league, open it up, get more offensive and say "**** it, have a go lads, you can have these".

Probably but we played well going forward today. Think we played terrific football at times.

[AFII]

It will a bit different next year once Rafa brings in the players he wanted to begin with.

Kuyt is not a number 9 but a cracking number 10. He needs someone to work with.

I agree with you Dan.

Bellamy isn't clever enough. He makes the wrong runs.

We need Villa and I believe that Rafa will make him his number one target in the summer.

[anfieldanfield]

Probably but we played well going forward today. Think we played terrific football at times.

Those times are few and far between, in my opinion.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

I agree. I belive Rafa's plan is to play Mascherano and Alonso at midfield and Gerrard at right with freedom to roam. Hopefully we could sign Daniel Alves and he and Gerrard could make a very good partnership at right like for example Nedved and Zambrotta at Juve in past few years.

I think you could be spot on with this.

I'd still prefer to see Gerrard play centrally with no restrictions on his attacking play.

[Guest]

Those times are few and far between, in my opinion.

I agree mate but we CAN play terrific football so that's not down to a lack of ability.

[Kopite_Colin]

I agree with you Dan.

Bellamy isn't clever enough. He makes the wrong runs.

We need Villa and I believe that Rafa will make him his number one target in the summer.

Bellamy will always be a threat beacuse of his pace, but he isn't intelligent to use it to it's maximum effectiveness. He gets caught offside far, far too many times. Add to that his finishing and that's why he's a 1 in 3-4 man rather than a 1 in 2 man, and therefore not a top, top striker.

[kopdan]

I agree with you Dan.

Bellamy isn't clever enough. He makes the wrong runs.

We need Villa and I believe that Rafa will make him his number one target in the summer.

I think Bellamy has a part to play still.