Rafa Benitez tells Xabi Alonso: Step things up

[Craig_H]

And why do you think Rafa have played Kuyt instead of Crouch?

Rafa will always do what he think is the best for the team to perform as a team. If a player is better for the team then he will play him if it isn't for anything else than his football ability.

Rafa won't do anything to get him closer to the sack on purpose.

I wasnt suggesting a deliberate plan to sabotage himself...

He's just got utterly shocking judgement when it comes to Kuyt or Crouch...

[Craig_H]

I agree 0% to this post

The important thing is to get the players to perform as a team and to be able to do that then you need 11 players on the pitch with a good attitude so it's very much down to that.

Do you see any player at Arsenal or Man U with a bad attitude?

Keane had a hell of an attitude on him back in the day. And Rooney's no shrinking violet...

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Rafa`s decision to stick with Kuyt this season could be his undoing.

Part of it yes.

But he's committed far graver errors.

Reading away in the league. A cluster****up of epic proportions that should've acted as a reality check for most reds about our manager.

[Craig_H]

Hmm, what if Crouch wasn't in his plans and didn't fit in with the way Rafa wants to set up the team to play? Are you saying he should play Crouch regardless?

We need to consider the possibility that Crouch has scored when he has played because Rafa has considered Crouch to be able to excel in those games when he was selected.

Crouch scored when he played because he was good enough to do so.

It strikes me that you're clinging to ANY possibility, however far fetched and radical, to try and avoid saying that Rafa is simply in the wrong over this one.

As for 'plans' - if rafa 'plans' to have someone so inept as half of his strikeforce in any given match, then he certainly isnt going to challenge for the title.

[Craig_H]

Part of it yes.

But he's committed far graver errors.

Reading away in the league. A cluster****up of epic proportions that should've acted as a reality check for most reds about our manager.

I honestly think that if Crouch had started the majority of our games this season, we'd be about 10 points better off.

[Dhav]

Plenty of players attitudes arent 'spot on' but there IS a middle ground between 'spot on' and a complete bellend who shouldnt play. You must accept that? I'm not saying Crouch is a bastion of all things good, but his attitude is no worse than most of our squad. I'd question Gerrard's before Crouch's, to be honest.

What have you seen that suggests an attitude problem in PC?

Yes, I'd agree with this post on the whole

I think there were indicators early in the season that suggested that Crouch's attitude perhaps wasn't up to scratch. Namely woeful form, and effort, running and team play that didn't seem to match that of previous seasons. The most disappointing was probably the game at Portsmouth, when in a rare start he did absolutely nothing to lay down a marker that he should be a regular starter.

I think he has been much better of late though, but mainly when coming off the bench. I think the turning point was the Arsenal home game. He seems to have raised his game since then.

[Johnny]

Part of it yes.

But he's committed far graver errors.

Reading away in the league. A cluster****up of epic proportions that should've acted as a reality check for most reds about our manager.

That was just before the most important game of the season so far and i believe he used it to prove to the Yanks that we have not enough strength in depth to compete in the PL and CL simultaniosly.hence his request days afterwards for a move in the transfer market.That week was obviosly all about the extra CL money needed for tranfer funds.Hence the sacrifice at Reading.

[AFII]

By your logic, someone who is ****e, but works the hardest, should play ahead of someone who's actually good and scores goals...

Madness.

Only if the one that scores a lot of goals and is actually good don't put in a good enough work on a daily basis(bad attitude) because that would hurt the morale of the rest of the team long term.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

I honestly think that if Crouch had started the majority of our games this season, we'd be about 10 points better off.

Impossible to say.

I think if we had a better manager we'd be ten points better off.

But again it's impossible to say, isn't it?

[AFII]

Keane had a hell of an attitude on him back in the day. And Rooney's no shrinking violet...

There is a difference between a winning attitude and a bad attitude. Keane and Rooney have the right kind of attitude, a winning one.

[Johnny]

Only if the one that scores a lot of goals and is actually good don't put in a good enough work on a daily basis(bad attitude) because that would hurt the morale of the rest of the team long term.

How do you know the morale of the team is not suffering because Rafa chooses Kuyt over Crouch.

[Dhav]

Crouch scored when he played because he was good enough to do so.

It strikes me that you're clinging to ANY possibility, however far fetched and radical, to try and avoid saying that Rafa is simply in the wrong over this one.

Certainly not. I've criticised Rafa before on here, I'm far from being a member of RCDNWB and I'm rapidly losing patience with him. Believe it or not, I'm actually edging closer to sharing your view that only Mourinho could turn this mess around and we might be better off bringing him in this summer

I'm just trying to point out that this issue is not as clear cut as you and certain others on here would paint it.

[Craig_H]

Yes, I'd agree with this post on the whole

I think there were indicators early in the season that suggested that Crouch's attitude perhaps wasn't up to scratch. Namely woeful form, and effort, running and team play that didn't seem to match that of previous seasons. The most disappointing was probably the game at Portsmouth, when in a rare start he did absolutely nothing to lay down a marker that he should be a regular starter.

I think he has been much better of late though, but mainly when coming off the bench. I think the turning point was the Arsenal home game. He seems to have raised his game since then.

But Crouch has NEVER been the 'run around everywhere non-stop' type, he wasnt doing that last season when he played regularly. So i dont see what points to attitude problems. Sometimes Crouch is fairly ineffective, you rightly point to Pompey away as an example. (I have my own issues about that game, with regards to our best two players not starting, but that's another thread).

I was there that day and i wasnt impressed with Crouch's performance, but that's just him, he isnt of the world class quality of player that produce virtually every week, i wouldnt claim he was.

He had an off day, nothing more, nothing less. That doesnt equate to attitude problems though, otherwise 90% of our squad could be accused of having attitude problems at some point this season.

So while i respect your view on this, i have to disagree with the pompey game as an example of an attitude problem. He was just his usual self, and had a poor performance. Nowt to do with attitude IMO.

(BTW, if there's an aggressive tone in my posts, i apologise, i'm not intending to be aggressive or anything, i'm just a huge fan of PC and more than that, i'm emphatically certain that he IS just miles better than DK, so it genuinely baffles me to the point of metaphorical high-pitched disbelief that Kuyt gets picked ahead of him )...

[Craig_H]

There is a difference between a winning attitude and a bad attitude. Keane and Rooney have the right kind of attitude, a winning one.

They were/are both gobby little ****s who go too far and have received LOADS of abuse off us lot for being like that...

[AFII]

That was just before the most important game of the season so far and i believe he used it to prove to the Yanks that we have not enough strength in depth to compete in the PL and CL simultaniosly.hence his request days afterwards for a move in the transfer market.That week was obviosly all about the extra CL money needed for tranfer funds.Hence the sacrifice at Reading.

It was the right thing to do at Reading because Rafa would probably been sacked if we lost against Marseille and it would also probably meant no new central defender and no Mascherano.

I know what I would choose if the choices were three points against Reading or three points against Marseille when you consider the above options.