Is it really an injustice?

[Rashid]

Firstly, lets forget the following:

1. The owners are skint.
2. Parry is a cunt and Moores sold us down the river.
3. The owners lied to us from day one.
4. The owners know nothing about football and are only here for the cash.
5. The owners want Rafa out for non-footballing reasons.

Now say DIC came in and we all know Al-Ansari rates Rafa a lot and would give him time, but how much time? Is Rafa being sacked the biggest injustice in football?

He has a poor league record (for a club our size), once not even satisfying the clown Moores' minimum requirement. This season we are fighting with Everton and Citeh and not United and Arsenal.

His transfers have generally been good but in nearly four years he has yet to buy a wide player of genuine quality and after about 6 attempts he has finally bought a striker worthy of the name. The current crisis at CB and LB is his own doing after the Heinze debacle last summer where he laid all his eggs in one basket - normally known as transfer suicide. He hasn't had Chelsea money but he hasn't been skint either.

I think us the fans in our hatred for the American's are getting a little carried away with the Rafa thing, he should be under pressure like any manager should. Those that say he doesn't have money should remember it doesn't take huge sums to beat Luton, Wigan and Birmingham etc.

I know Rafa is under pressure and he will go at the end of the season barring new ownership and I would hate the Americans to do it for non-footballing reasons. Rafa deserves 4 full season on the back of that glorious night in May 2005 but it would be dangerous to live off that forever.

Dave Usher said recently on a TLW match report, that whilst he doesn't trust Rafa to buy the players needed for us to challenge, getting rid of the owners first should be the priority. It is hard to argue with that although it does make you question why you would want a manager in charge you don't trust 100%, irrespective of the owners.

In my opinion, should Rafa not challenge for the league this season then him leaving after 4 years in charge trying to catch Arsenal and Manchester United and failing would not be the huge "injustice" we are building it up to be.

[Guest]

It's still half way into the season Rashid. And football isn't as black and white as it seems to be. How do you explain Arsenal's meteoric rise (based on what they achieved last season) and Man. City's this year ?

Rafa shouldn't be under pressure. He has a 5 year contract and we should see at the end of it, not now.

Managing and playing under this sort of pressure is detrimental to the team. That would certainly take the enjoyment out of it. At least David Moores was a patient man.

[kopdan]

personally I think Rafa has brought some of the pressure on himself.

[Rashid]

It's still half way into the season Rashid. And football isn't as black and white as it seems to be. How do you explain Arsenal's meteoric rise (based on what they achieved last season) and Man. City's this year ?

Rafa shouldn't be under pressure. He has a 5 year contract and we should see at the end of it, not now.

Managing and playing under this sort of pressure is detrimental to the team. That would certainly take the enjoyment out of it. At least David Moores was a patient man.

There is pressure at every top European club and we are one of the most successful of the lot. Rafa does have a 5 year contract but he has also been here for nearly 4 years. CL final's won't be happening every year although it may seem that way, so how do we measure progress?

PS: Moores patience of I'd call it dithering ****ed us up for a number of things not only that, Moores has never got near to a league title.

[AFII]

I think the difference between G&H and DIC is that DIC would back Rafa in the transfer market and cover the costs themselves until the new stadium is finished. G&H won't do that. We will have to act like Arsenal did in the transfer market for a few years and more or less sign no expensive players at all.

[kopdan]

how do we know though? I thought DIC was a business who would spend wisely and not throw money at it ala Roman.

Fact is, DIC may well have been just as tight.

[Guest]

personally I think Rafa has brought some of the pressure on himself.

How ?

I think we've been too quick to judge him. He was a foreign manager in a foreign league and he had to adapt. Jose was bankrolled and he already had the basis of a fantastic team already.

Rafa had to settle for second choice targets, so it seems. It's only this season that he's in a way made amends into that, by buying Torres. But if you believe the papers, Malouda was his first choice and not Babel. I don't think he would have gone for Yossi also if he had the money.

Torres was the signing which made fans salivate, but the truth of it all is that the americans didn't invest a lot into team building, if the reports are correct.

[kopdan]

well for starters...not playing Torres when he should. The press picked up on that...and then the rotation jibes started

And then his infamous press conference. That started the ball rolling as to whether he would be in charge next year.

Some of his comments and actions this year have added to his pressure

Fact

[Guest]

There is pressure at every top European club and we are one of the most successful of the lot. Rafa does have a 5 year contract but he has also been here for nearly 4 years. CL final's won't be happening every year although it may seem that way, so how do we measure progress?

PS: Moores patience of I'd call it dithering ****ed us up for a number of things not only that, Moores has never got near to a league title.

This type of pressure is unhealthy.

Stories being leaked to the press and it's increasing by the day. Watch his press conference last night and you'll understand. He was told by the media that his job is on the line, and he didn't like it one bit.

How can anybody work properly under this sort of uncertainty ? If I'm gonna lose my job, I'd prefer to be told straightaway or vice versa if he wouldn't be backed in the transfer market !

And this spins and spins until the supporters heads are turned, and this is normally when an excuse is used to sack him.

[AFII]

how do we know though? I thought DIC was a business who would spend wisely and not throw money at it ala Roman.

Fact is, DIC may well have been just as tight.

DIC would have no problem to get a loan for the stadium and that at a cheaper rate than G&H because they won't have any problems to show up the security the bank need.

Overall DIC would be a safer choice because they have so much money backing them up.

They also want to be seen as winners and make their investments as good as they can. They want their investments to grow and then sell them.

If they want us to grow then they must build a new stadium and back Rafa in the transfer market. That way they will make a bigger profit if/when they sell us.

They also have top contacts all over the world and that will help them to get the best possible price for the name of the new stadium and other sponsorship deals.

[Rashid]

There is a difference between us losing our jobs and Rafa - Rafa would be paid up his contract if he was sacked and he is on £3M a year anyway - sorry but my heart doesn't bleed.

I think we need to step away from this "poor Rafa" situation and understand that a club like ours should not be fighting each year with Blackburn and Everton for 4th place.

[Rashid]

DIC would have no problem to get a loan for the stadium and that at a cheaper rate than G&H because they won't have any problems to show up the security the bank need.

Overall DIC would be a safer choice because they have so much money backing them up.

They also want to be seen as winners and make their investments as good as they can. They want their investments to grow and then sell them.

If they want us to grow then they must build a new stadium and back Rafa in the transfer market. That way they will make a bigger profit if/when they sell us.

They also have top contacts all over the world and that will help them to get the best possible price for the name of the new stadium and other sponsorship deals.

This thread has nothing to do with DIC, it is about our expectations of Rafa...

[Guest]

well for starters...not playing Torres when he should. The press picked up on that...and then the rotation jibes started

And then his infamous press conference. That started the ball rolling as to whether he would be in charge next year.

Some of his comments and actions this year have added to his pressure

Fact

You're right but he wouldn't be moaning in public if he didn't feel betrayed. I think he's too smart for that.

As for not playing Torres in some games, this is debatable. We have only one top class striker. The other 3 are good players at most, but nowhere near of the quality required.

The premiership is not won on tactical nous alone. That's why we're so good in the CL, where the complexion of games is totally different.

The premiership is won by teams with the most talent. We may get there by buying players such as Babel and Lucas, but I don't think they're ready now.

That is why we should let Rafa do his job and judge him at the end of his contract.

[Guest]

There is a difference between us losing our jobs and Rafa - Rafa would be paid up his contract if he was sacked and he is on £3M a year anyway - sorry but my heart doesn't bleed.

I think we need to step away from this "poor Rafa" situation and understand that a club like ours should not be fighting each year with Blackburn and Everton for 4th place.

You'll end up changing managers every 3 years and without warning, we would be classed as the next Newcastle or Spurs. Where's the continuity ?

If the club felt since the beginning that Rafa was the man for the job, then let him finish off his contract !! It's like a director recruiting a poor employee only to lay the blame on him.

I don't think there are better managers around. I can't see anyone better than Rafa.

[kev776]

Firstly, lets forget the following:

1. The owners are skint. (Says who)
2. Parry is a cunt and Moores sold us down the river. (Drivel bile)
3. The owners lied to us from day one.
4. The owners know nothing about football and are only here for the cash. (Agreed, but we knew this all along)
5. The owners want Rafa out for non-footballing reasons. (Guess work by lazy journos)

Now say DIC came in and we all know Al-Ansari rates Rafa a lot and would give him time, but how much time? Is Rafa being sacked the biggest injustice in football?

He has a poor league record (for a club our size), once not even satisfying the clown Moores' minimum requirement. This season we are fighting with Everton and Citeh and not United and Arsenal.

His transfers have generally been good but in nearly four years he has yet to buy a wide player of genuine quality and after about 6 attempts he has finally bought a striker worthy of the name. The current crisis at CB and LB is his own doing after the Heinze debacle last summer where he laid all his eggs in one basket - normally known as transfer suicide. He hasn't had Chelsea money but he hasn't been skint either.

I think us the fans in our hatred for the American's are getting a little carried away with the Rafa thing, he should be under pressure like any manager should. Those that say he doesn't have money should remember it doesn't take huge sums to beat Luton, Wigan and Birmingham etc.

I know Rafa is under pressure and he will go at the end of the season barring new ownership and I would hate the Americans to do it for non-footballing reasons. Rafa deserves 4 full season on the back of that glorious night in May 2005 but it would be dangerous to live off that forever.

Dave Usher said recently on a TLW match report, that whilst he doesn't trust Rafa to buy the players needed for us to challenge, getting rid of the owners first should be the priority. It is hard to argue with that although it does make you question why you would want a manager in charge you don't trust 100%, irrespective of the owners.

In my opinion, should Rafa not challenge for the league this season then him leaving after 4 years in charge trying to catch Arsenal and Manchester United and failing would not be the huge "injustice" we are building it up to be.