what do you want to ask rafa

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

I would like to ask Rafa if he cracks any sly gay jokes in the dressing room/baths. Obviously he uses Spanish so that Rick Parry doesn't give him a verbal warning.

[Red_Polo]

id suggest the millions the tv companies put in also contribute. having said that if the fans turn on him he wouldnt last long would he?

The tv companies get their money from the fans though. Agree with you, once you've lost the fans that's it. Rafa's a long long way from that though of course.

[Pacman]

I would like to ask Rafa if he cracks any sly gay jokes in the dressing room/baths. Obviously he uses Spanish so that Rick Parry doesn't give him a verbal warning.

[tomasjj]

The tv companies get their money from the fans though. Agree with you, once you've lost the fans that's it. Rafa's a long long way from that though of course.

In the end, it is all about the fans.

[einar]

einar

if thats the case thats not good management in my book.

he is there to provide direction in my view. i think almost all our players have the ability to play that kind of passing game, and those that don't are only useful in those games where we are outclassed and so might be expected to play a more obstructive type of game.

if there's a lad out there who is capable of passing the ball and capable of moving into space and he's not being directed to do it, then that would be a case of rafa being at fault.

i don't think this is what's happening though, but i'm not sure what is.

I think we have to take in to consideration the difference between the two leagues. It probably takes better players to play proper pass and move in the EPL then in Spain.

For me it is absolutely a possibility that Rafa thinks that with the current squad it is more likely to bring succusses to play more direct. We will and have played good pass and move in some games but it could be that Rafa does not think enough of his players are good enough to do that with out having another option.

Rafa wants to have a plan B which is usually long balls to the target man. Then if the confidence drops, the players seem to go to a more direct style of play, whether Rafa likes it or not.

[alunevans]

I think we have to take in to consideration the difference between the two leagues. It probably takes better players to play proper pass and move in the EPL then in Spain.

For me it is absolutely a possibility that Rafa thinks that with the current squad it is more likely to bring succusses to play more direct. We will and have played good pass and move in some games but it could be that Rafa does not think enough of his players are good enough to do that with out having another option.

Rafa wants to have a plan B which is usually long balls to the target man. Then if the confidence drops, the players seem to go to a more direct style of play, whether Rafa likes it or not.

maybe, but if thats his plan i'm unhappy with it. we have the players to be passing the ball against pretty much everyone in this league cos we're consistently a top 4 club so by definition we have some of the best players. moreover it was only when we passed the ball against spurs that we looked dangerous.

[ronan]

I think we have to take in to consideration the difference between the two leagues. It probably takes better players to play proper pass and move in the EPL then in Spain.

For me it is absolutely a possibility that Rafa thinks that with the current squad it is more likely to bring succusses to play more direct. We will and have played good pass and move in some games but it could be that Rafa does not think enough of his players are good enough to do that with out having another option.

Rafa wants to have a plan B which is usually long balls to the target man. Then if the confidence drops, the players seem to go to a more direct style of play, whether Rafa likes it or not.

i dont agree with that
anyone who saw the way his former team played ,even if it was just the 2 games at anfield,will testify his thinking on football has nothing whatsoever to do with direct football.even the teams he has admitted he models himself on were all about passing from the back.not going to go into anything long winded,just disagreed.

[alunevans]

i agree ronan so it begs the question why are we playing so much of the long stuff. like i've said i'm not going to argue that we play like ged or even mourinho, but we do play it long an awful lot in my view when we could be getting it down an playing.

the likes of wenger gets everyone playing the passing way, even if the squad is apparently "not ready". i don't see a wenger style commitment to getting the ball down and moving it about from rafa.

[einar]

I´m just trying to think of reasons for this. We know Rafa did not buy Crouch to play pass and move. He is our plan B player.

And what ever Rafa has done in the past, he clearly sees directness as a key tactic for us to succussed at the moment.

And I have to say that I would agree with that we dont have to use anything other then pass and move so often. But the fact remains that a man with 5 major trophies clearly thinks otherwise.

[alunevans]

its a cup team approach in my view.

it's like when ged was there. all of my mates used to comment how we'd never win the league playing like that but we'd be good enough to get a few pots along the way.

rafa's no ged (as i keep saying for fear of being misconstrued) but the direct approach may well get him trophies. but will it get him the league? i don't think so.

i don't see crouch as a target man as such. i see him as someone who you can get the ball to so he can bring it down and lay it off. and besides, crouch wasn't even on the bench on sunday and i felt we still overused the long ball, the aimless welly.

i really feel that a squad like ours can and should be playing pass and move football. if we then see shortfalls in that, in terms of who can't do it then it can only help us to know, if the ultimate plan is to play that way.

otherwise, i suspect it'll be cups again only.

we're capable of passing. we do pass it round sometimes and it works.

anyhow, all i wanted to say is that the trophies we're getting are cups, not titles.

[Red Chilli]

There is no excuse for us to not play the passing game. We have the players to do it, the direct game is easier to defend against.

[El Jefecito]

"Rafa, is your control freakiness inversely proportional to the size of your dick?"

[alunevans]

There is no excuse for us to not play the passing game. We have the players to do it, the direct game is easier to defend against.

yes thats my belief too. lump it up against the likes of birmingham and if they're organised and have big buggers at the back it helps them.

use SKILL to pass and move around them and we ask them serious questions instead.

every time we got it down and tried to fashion a chance against spurs we looked very dangerous. whenever we hoofed it we looked blunt and predictable.