Post Match Thread

[Parm]

We could be some 12 points off the pace in 2 weeks.

its a risk but we just have to hope the boys can do the business and beat Fulham.

But will Rafa still play Kuyt when they are back? I bet you the answer is yes.

probably, cant fault his effort but he doesnt offer a cutting edge.

[Kilteragh]

People WERE saying the Spurs draw was a good result based on the fact that we clawed a point out in the last minute.

You're completely missing the point so.

ANY result where you are losing in injury is a good one in that context. Are you saying you weren't happier that we equalised?

[der_Fuchs]

Spot on, Alun. If Blackburn are above you in the table, then a point away to them is only a good result if you are happy to stay below them. You sow what you reap, and the unadventurous way we approach every league match is reaping a reward of low scoring draws. The mediocrity in the Prem is such that the title contenders will score 85-90 points, averaging about 2.2 points per game. If you win all your home games you get 54 points. Therefore you need at least 30 points from your away games, so you need to win a fair few of them. If you can achieve draws against Chelsea, Arsenal and the Mancs, you need 1.8 points per away game, in other words to win almost every other away game. And that is what Arsenal, Chelsea, and the Mancs do.
Mathematically we can still win the Prem, but not without major changes to our starting 11 and the way we play. We are averaging about 2 points per game overall, headed for approx 76 points. We will probably qualify for the Champions League.
Meanwhile we are already virtually out of this season's Champions League, bottom of a group that we should have taken by the scruff of the neck: none of the other teams has a realistic chance of winning the competition, but our unadventurous approach has cost us the home games, and away from home we have failed to make up the difference.
This is going to be a long season.

[El Jefecito]

IT WILL BE TOO LATE BY THEN

I swear you love moaning more than Liverpool. If theres a negative slant to anything, you'll find it.

Always look on the bright side of life

[Craig_H]

2 - 2 Spurs at home in the state they were in a good result!!

I know. It's laughable.

Some morons DID say that though.

[Craig_H]

You're completely missing the point so.

ANY result where you are losing in injury is a good one in that context. Are you saying you weren't happier that we equalised?

Mate, on paper, drawing at home to anyone but Arsenal, United and Chelsea is a bad result.

Sure, a draw is better than a loss. But that doesnt mate the 2-2 a 'good result'.

[Craig_H]

I swear you love moaning more than Liverpool. If theres a negative slant to anything, you'll find it.

Always look on the bright side of life

Yeah, you're right....i'm really having to search and search to find ANYTHING negative about our currently flawless plight...

[Kilteragh]

Mate, on paper, drawing at home to anyone but Arsenal, United and Chelsea is a bad result.

Sure, a draw is better than a loss. But that doesnt mate the 2-2 a 'good result'.

I don't think it is either but I'd imagine anyone who did was talking about it in the context of being 2-1 down. Maybe not.

[RedProf]

I can't defend Kuyt tonight - he should have been better when in on goal or setting up another. But I will say he had a thankless task - playing up front alone in a team that was not adventurous. He is not cut out for that role and it showed. Crouch however is more suited to that - so it seems football is not the only thing Rafa thinks about when it comes to Crouch. Whe he did come on, once again, we looked much much better - from the point of view of linking up play, spreading the ball, and offering some new threats.

Gerrard is far better in the middle than as a 1 off. He is so nullified when playing that role it untrue.

Sami - its a shame he has to play so much now as each game he seems to be making daft errors. I remember a time when he won everything in the air and yet recently Berbatov mullered him and tonight I think it was McCarthy who beat him to a route one header to allow Bently to get through. If only we could have got in another CB on the Summer.

I fear that this year, without Torres, we've stagnated/gone backwards in an attacking sense under Rafa. WE do look predicatable and easy to defend against. We need faster movement and passing/accuracy up front and a higher temp throughout.

[Johnny]

Kuyt has to go.

[FatTony]

I swear you love moaning more than Liverpool. If theres a negative slant to anything, you'll find it.

Always look on the bright side of life

I'm not being funny mate, but this constant positive stance on absolutely everything...is it drug induced?

We have injuries....so do other teams. We haven't played well against a decent team yet this season and this performance was another without any clue on how to attack. We can get the ball 3 quarters of the way up the field (as any team can) but then we don't know what the **** to do.

We have too many players in this team who don't even have the quality to take a player on or even just keep possession. We are relying on set pieces or "moments of magic" from Stevie G. Thats not a team performing, its a disjointed bunch of what seem to be strangers.

Once again the play was terribly narrow, nobody seemed to be moving for each other. At times we bunched up and got in each others way. The football was like a hot potato, and the players were arguing amongst themselves on a couple of occassions.

There is no way at all that this team is going to win the premiership, no way in hell. Rafa is looking like he's lost all direction to me, and I tell you what, another month of performances like this and he'll lose the players too. I think its got that bad.

[Jayesh87]

Sparky is bit of a dumb **** ain't he....

"Liverpool didn't play in midweek and that told somewhat but we stuck at it and Brad (Friedel) made saves when required but overall I thought it was a very good Premier League game."

[shanklyn]

I have defended Dirk in the past but blimey, it dawned on me today that he is not good enough, in fact nowhere near good enough. Anelka with flu would be better.

[desertscouser]

Honestly, that was appalling. Only when Rafa decided to bring on our best available attacking player did we even resemble a decent side. Before that we were f*cking piss poor. It took us 40 minutes before we had our first attempt at goal...ridiculous.

As for Kuyt...laughable.

[Marky]

The ' i don't know what to think anymore' thread

I'm ****ing lost man.
I've mixed views on the whole thing.
One minute i'm blaming Rafa for poor team selection etc, the next i'm blaming the players, they are the ones that take to the field afterall.
One minute i'm thinking Rafa is ****, has lost the plot and i've even asked myself the ques 'is it time for him to step aside'? the next i'm saying to myself 'wise the **** up' ..in three seasons Rafa has won us a European Cup and an FA Cup and allowed us to play champions league football every season, we're still within touching distance of Man U, Arsenal and the rest and it's only the bliming start of November.
I'm completely baffled tbh, is anyone else?