What's gone wrong this season?

[naitizeh]

Funnily enough, we started well enough didn't we? Maybe the backlash for resting Torres against Birmingham?

Seriously, while Rafa is culpable for tactical decisions, more often than not, the team he puts out onto the pitch is good enough to win the game imho.

I'd been thinking the strikers and the attacking players, aside from Torres, have been letting the whole team down. Kuyt, Voronin - a serious drop in form and confidence; Crouch - to be fair, not enough games, but when he does start, doesn't look too bothered.

Yossi, bless him and his goals, I thought was too indecisive at times in the final third; same with Babel; Pennant's and Alonso's been injured; Gerrard carried the team at times, but not when the team needed him during the big games (e.g. manure, chelscum and arse)...

Reina and the defence has been generally good, but when the attacking third ****s up, it puts pressure on the whole team. At least, that's how I see it...

To put it in broader perspective, I've been more disappointed in the attitudes of some of the experienced players for the past few games. I thought after the loss to Milan last year, they'd be hungrier for success. And for a while, they were up for it at the start of the season.

but when the chips are down, I want some leadership on the pitch. It doesn't have to be the captain, but just anyone. Kinda like Hyppia last night bombing forward at times and showing the way...

In sum, yea Rafa could be held accountable for tactics, morale and stuff. But playing one striker upfront doesn't excuse the rest of the team from providing better support no? If crouch / kuyt plays on the wing (yea its dumb), but I still expect a better first touch and better footballing sense? The players are to blame. (and if you want to pin player's performances solely on the manager, well then we have to disagree).

Oh yeah. And a serious lack of luck at times.

[Dhav]

Can't disagree with any of that.

But why has Kuyt gone from being half decent to being very poor?

And why have others like Carragher, Finnan and Alonso when he's played been nowhere near their levels of previous seasons.

Has Rafa lost the dressing room?

It's the attitude of the players on the pitch that is really concerning me. They seem less motivated and commited to me. Concentration and focues seems to be an issue. At times they seem indifferent.

Rafa losing the dressing is increasingly looking like a possibility, although it could just be the boardroom unrest manifesting itself on the pitch. Hansen has said that if there's pressure on the manager and doubts about his future, that will have an impact on the players. I'm inclined to agree.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

i'm putting it down to injuries to key players- agger and alonso have missed too much football this year

a slight dip in from from finnan and carra (both could be down to injury/recovery, but neither have been as consistent as previous seasons)

there was a time when we could win games 1-0 because we looked so assured at the back (not least on 05/06 when we had long runs of 1-0 wins and never looked like conceding)

i'm sure i'll get slated for saying that- esp about carra- but look at the amount of stupid goals that we have GIFTED the opposition this year

however, i'd also look at a total lack of goal threat except from stevie, fernando and on occassion yossi. referring back to those long 1-0 runs, we would moan that noone could convert all the chances we were creating and that 1-0 wins could eaisly have been 2 or 3 with better finishing- we often created as many as 5, 6 or more good goalscoring chances.

what concerns me is that now we are relying on 1 or 2 good chances and if we don't take one of them then we struggle.

in both problem areas- knowing that we are conceding like never before, and not creating as much as before, adds pressure and lessens confidence to the squad- who too many times have looks nervous to me.

i wouldn't say spirit is exactly lacking- we have at times this year really dug in and got the result we need, or shown fight back quality.

but we look a little devoid of what the overall gameplan is and i think that rafa MUST share some of this blame. whether its rotation, rafa losing faith in players (crouch) or something else (the americnas) its hard to say

hope thats not too depressing a picture

Re injuries, all team's have them.

Yes Agger's been out, but we've had Sami Hyypia to cover who's been one of the few players who has done themselves justice this season outside of Reina, Torres and Stevie. Similarly Alonso with Mascherano. It really can't be used as an excuse for being so far behind in the league.

But why have so many player's underperformed. People might say rotation, but Rafa's done that before and it didn't have this effect.

Why has our defence regressed? You're right, it has, but it's basically the same personel as last year, think we had the second best defensive record in the league last season.

Agree about us going forward. Stevie and Torres have saved us, but why don't Yossi and Babel start more often along with Torres and Gerrard in the side, and why is our attcking play so pedestrain and lacking in creativity in general?

I honestly do think there's a lack of belief and spirit amoungst our squad, especially compared to the other 3 sides, it's different in Europe, but why?

It worries me that people are overlooking the obvious problems on the pitch with the recent issues off it.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

It's the attitude of the players on the pitch that is really concerning me. They seem less motivated and commited to me. Concentration and focues seems to be an issue. At times they seem indifferent.

Rafa losing the dressing is increasingly looking like a possibility, although it could just be the boardroom unrest manifesting itself on the pitch. Hansen has said that if there's pressure on the manager and doubts about his future, that will have an impact on the players. I'm inclined to agree.

Possibly, but surely the players still want to win for themselves?

Agree with what you said in your first paragraph. So is that the manager's fault, the players, or both?

[carrsim]

Re injuries, all team's have them.

Yes Agger's been out, but we've had Sami Hyypia to cover who's been one of the few players who has done themselves justice this season outside of Reina, Torres and Stevie. Similarly Alonso with Mascherano. It really can't be used as an excuse for being so far behind in the league.

But why have so many player's underperformed. People might say rotation, but Rafa's done that before and it didn't have this effect.

Why has our defence regressed? You're right, it has, but it's basically the same personel as last year, think we had the second best defensive record in the league last season.

Agree about us going forward. Stevie and Torres have saved us, but why don't Yossi and Babel start more often along with Torres and Gerrard in the side, and why is our attcking play so pedestrain and lacking in creativity in general?

I honestly do think there's a lack of belief and spirit amoungst our squad, especially compared to the other 3 sides, it's different in Europe, but why?

It worries me that people are overlooking the obvious problems on the pitch with the recent issues off it.

but you want people to say that its all rafa's fault and there is a strong case for a change of manager- and i don't think that. i do think rafa has made mistakes- but he is still the man for the job and this time is exactly when we (or more importantly the board) show faith in the man and his methods.

his record for us deserves it imo

[Darth Marty]

my response is as follows -

We were flying before all the ownership rubbish started so for me thats the main cause of our recent poor displays, dont forget it was our best ever Premiership start.

Pako leaving undoubtedly had some sort of effect.

Rafas sometimes strange team selections.

Lack of leadership on the pitch, for me Stevie is not captain material, his head drops far too regularly and with it we become lost.

The press continuously getting on our backs, this must have a negative impact on our players because in this day and age all players must read/hear of all the pathetic bickering and infighting going on.

Lastly and very importantly we still lack a number of quality players, theres 5 or 6 players that id ditch IF we had a large sum of cash to spend.

Thats simply too many reasons.

[Nic83]

Neither does benching our best players.

[Guest]

I think we're playing better this season. We're more attacking and pass the ball better.

[Nic83]

Rafa is a good tactician and he mixes up his play. Nothing wrong there. Only problem is rotating strikers and others (thata ren't good enough) into the side.If he had the players, he could rotate to his hearts content, but he doesn't so he shouldn't.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

but you want people to say that its all rafa's fault and there is a strong case for a change of manager- and i don't think that. i do think rafa has made mistakes- but he is still the man for the job and this time is exactly when we (or more importantly the board) show faith in the man and his methods.

his record for us deserves it imo

I don't think it's all his fault.

He's certainly made mistakes though. Unquestionably.

It's a collective thing. People will say it's Rafa's fault that he continually picks Kuyt, but it's Kuyt's fault he continually let's him and the team down. It goes both ways.

I'm frustrated with the manager, he just doesn't seem to be making any headway with the league, and I've lost faith that his way of doing things will bring us the league title.

But then I remember us winning 11 in a row 2 seasons ago playing nigh on the same team every week, save a couple of changes here and there, and I wonder what's changed?

[carrsim]

Lastly and very importantly we still lack a number of quality players, theres 5 or 6 players that id ditch IF we had a large sum of cash to spend.

when i look at genuine world class players at the current champions (spit) they have more than us and they cost a lot more than we have spent. same with chelsea who have just spent more this january on 2 players than we do in a summer- would rafa have been in for anelka if he'd had a spare 15million lying around? considering that he was lined up if the morientes transfer feel through rafa rates him so i just think missed opportunity

and anelka pisses all over our current strike options (other than torres of course)

[naitizeh]

agree rotation isn't good for confidence or match sharpness. But on the other hand, his idea could simply be, if Crouch / Kuyt / Voronin starts after being on the bench, surely they would want to play their best to impress? Crouch has not done that while the other two has been trying too hard...

[lfcruleus]

Whatever the reason the manager carrys the can, i really hope we can salvage a trophy from somewhere this year or i fear for Rafa, and noone can really argue. Even if we finish fourth and win nothing he will be moved on i think and probably rightfully as fighting with Man City, Villa and the Blue****e for 4th place is hardly what we expected at the start of the season is it?
The big problem imho is confidence and that has to come from Rafa and the major players.

[bigfooty]

We were flying before all the ownership rubbish started so for me thats the main cause of our recent poor displays, dont forget it was our best ever Premiership start.

We had a lot of very average displays long before the ownership stuff kicked off. Now I accept it may have been bubbling away in the background but don't confuse an unbeaten start to the season in the league with good performances or the team "flying".

We were fortunate not to lose to Pompy, lucky to beat Wigan, couldn't even score against Birmingham, looked pretty dismal away to Besiktas and home to Porto.

There are a couple of times this season we looked as if we might have something going. The first was right at the start of the season when we won 5 of 6 only to put in a really abject display against Pompy when, for some reason, our tactics consisted of hoofing the ball to Crouch for 90 minutes. Quite why I'm not sure.

The other time was the 3 wins in a row after Rafa's press conference. Of course that came to a shuddering halt with the bizarre formation against Reading and since then it's been largely inconsistent from us red men.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

when i look at genuine world class players at the current champions (spit) they have more than us and they cost a lot more than we have spent. same with chelsea who have just spent more this january on 2 players than we do in a summer- would rafa have been in for anelka if he'd had a spare 15million lying around? considering that he was lined up if the morientes transfer feel through rafa rates him so i just think missed opportunity

and anelka pisses all over our current strike options (other than torres of course)

So it's a lack of money?

Hold on a minute.

2 years ago we finished within 10 points of Chelsea and only a point behind the scum. We had a much smaller squad than we do now, Rafa picked a settled team, by and large, and we won the FA cup.

So why have we gone so far backwards since with a supposedly better squad?

Has Rafa over complicated things, over rotated, bought the wrong players, used the wrong tactics, or have the players just let him down?

Is it all of these things?

Most important of all, will it change?