Does Rafa have any excuse not to...

[kop-al-74]

Hang on a minute. We have the new owners, we now have the money, we have now spent the money. Where are the excuses for not mounting a genuine challenge? If we don't, 4 years in the job without so much as a geunine challenge would have to be the end of Rafa surely?

What do see as a "Geunine" challenge in your opinion?

[mersey86]

Players take time to settle dont they? If we have 3/4 new first team players are they not to be given a chance?

That for me is the concern approaching the new season. The last 2 bad starts can be attributed to players taking time to settle. I hope Rafa has learned lessons from this. For me that lesson should be to have as settled a team as possible early on, rotating a couple off the wide players perhaps, but leaving the core in place.
If we do not win the title this year it will be easy to cite United's even larger spending and a consolation may lie in the youth of our team and the foundations for the future, but I will be genuinely very disappointed if we do not challenge and pretty upset if we're out of it come the new year.
I'm not likely to be questioning Rafa though. I believe he'll take us to 19, given a little patience.

[redblood]

That for me is the concern approaching the new season. The last 2 bad starts can be attributed to players taking time to settle. I hope Rafa has learned lessons from this. For me that lesson should be to have as settled a team as possible early on, rotating a couple off the wide players perhaps, but leaving the core in place.
If we do not win the title this year it will be easy to cite United's even larger spending and a consolation may lie in the youth of our team and the foundations for the future, but I will be genuinely very disappointed if we do not challenge and pretty upset if we're out of it come the new year.
I'm not likely to be questioning Rafa though. I believe he'll take us to 19, given a little patience.

Also the fact that Rafa hasn't had a full pre-season with his players until this year. So I think we will hit the ground running this season.

[carrsim]

we'll at the very least challenge this year. though i think with a few more goals and our defence we have a very good chance of winning it.

but then i always think we'll win it every year

[rage]

That for me is the concern approaching the new season. The last 2 bad starts can be attributed to players taking time to settle. I hope Rafa has learned lessons from this. For me that lesson should be to have as settled a team as possible early on, rotating a couple off the wide players perhaps, but leaving the core in place.
If we do not win the title this year it will be easy to cite United's even larger spending and a consolation may lie in the youth of our team and the foundations for the future, but I will be genuinely very disappointed if we do not challenge and pretty upset if we're out of it come the new year.
I'm not likely to be questioning Rafa though. I believe he'll take us to 19, given a little patience.

couldn't have said it better myself.

[Parm]

couldn't have said it better myself.

yup, i'd like to see say

Reina
Finnan
Carra
Agger
LB (?)

Pennant
Stevie
Xabi
Yossi

Torres
CF (?)

if we start of like that with say JAR and maybe Kuyt/crouch up with Torres and we can then ease Lucas/Babel etc in

[rage]

Reina

Finnan Carra Agger Riise/Aurelio

2 central mid of Alonso/Masc/Sissoko/Gerrard

Pennant Kewell

2 frontmen from Torres/Kuyt/Crow/Crouch

Ease in Babel, Yossi as an impact player, Play Gerrard on the right when it needs to be solid.

We can start to chop and change in october when we're still competing and we've started to play flowing football. This will only happen when players get used to each other.

As much as i hate the scum i remember them playing their front men in two teams of 2 when they did the treble. I think we need to emulate this by pairing up Torres with Kuyt & Crow with Crouch.

Also think 1 of Masch Alonso and sissoko playing alongside gerrard at the beginning would be a world class centre midfield.

Pennant & Kewell on the flanks for me with Babel & Yossi being eased in.

[Reds08]

would you please **** off and support someone else, give us all a bleedin' break.

Point out what is wrong with what I have said then. If I had told you that if when our new manager came in in 2004, 4 years later we had not looked like coming close to winning the league, you would want to know what the **** was going on. That is the reality we are faced with if we don't challenge this year. You are obviously happy for such mediocre league form to continue, many on here would disagree. I am speaking hypothetically of course, but i think the vast majority would agree with the basis of what I have said.

[Marky]

I love Rafa.

[Reds08]

Additionally...

Arsenal 04-07= 218 league goals
Man United 04-07= 213 league goals
Chelsea 04-07= 208 league goals
Liverpool 04-07= 166 goals =shambolic in comparison

Herein lies the problem that Rafa has spent 40 million to solve. If he proves this season that he can't solve it, he will have proved he hasn't got what it takes to win the league. We will wait and see. I am not convinced.

[The Glove]

Additionally...

Arsenal 04-07= 218 league goals
Man United 04-07= 213 league goals
Chelsea 04-07= 208 league goals
Liverpool 04-07= 166 goals =shambolic in comparison

True but winning 5-0 gets the same amount of points as winning 1-0.


Arsenal have won how many league titles in the years youre talking about? In fact how many times did they finish above us in those years?

[Reds08]

True but winning 5-0 gets the same amount of points as winning 1-0.


Arsenal have won how many league titles in the years youre talking about? In fact how many times did they finish above us in those years?

It's a valid point. But i don't think you would dispute that there is a definite correlation between points obtained and goals scored?

The issue it does raise is that many on here would put it down to Rafa's rebuilding. Yet, few could debate that both Arsenal and United have undergone significant rebuilding in the same period, Mourinho came in as a new manager albeit he may as well have played LMA. I just think people make too many exscuses for Rafa. Come the end of the season it will be much harder to protect the over-hyped Spaniard.

[The Glove]

Well the top scorers have finished outside the top 3 in the past 2 seasons.

Scoring goals is obviously important but beating teams by 4-5 isnt.

[Reds08]

Well the top scorers have finished outside the top 3 in the past 2 seasons.

Scoring goals is obviously important but beating teams by 4-5 isnt.

You're being intentionally picky here i fear. The stat demonstrates we are on average 15-20 goals behind. I'm not saying it means we have to win 4-5 nil, but it could be the difference between 0-0 and 1-0 etc.

[lfcruleus]

I think it is gonna be a big problem knowing who to pick this year, we have an embarrassment of riches in midfield and people are talking about another winger! We need a LB and cover at CB, with quality in these addtions/addition we should challenge if we start well