Rafa Benitez tells Xabi Alonso: Step things up

[Craig_H]

Kuyt makes us stronger in defense and Crouch in attack. It's a choice Rafa will have to make.

I think a big reason to why Kuyt have played very much is because Agger is out injured and that means that the rest of the players must protect the back four more. Mascherano playing instead of Xabi is another point that proves that.

We played more attacking football at the start of the season with Agger in the team.

So Kuyt's in to compensate defensively for the loss of Agger? Christ, we're back to the days of the defensive striker...

Woeful.

[Craig_H]

so basically to sum up this thread...

kuyt = ****e
crouch = ****e

on the ****e scale kuyt is more ****e than crouch.

so crouch should start.

that about right ???

Crouch isnt ****e. He isnt world class, but he's a good player and goalscorer.

[JCase]

I remember when the notorius "Mex" once said to me. Football- a simple game complicated by idiots (he actually said stupid *******s but you get the drift). And never has a truer word been spoken. Fair enough the games changed with the speed of it and all but lets be honest- the basics are the same. Keep the ball and score goals and committment and passion etc go into your performance whatever.

All this bull**** about tactics does my head in- we need a striker to defend and a different one to score. get the midfielders passing, get the strikers scoring and the defenders defending and the goalkeeper saving. Everything else WILL NOT work without the basics and while we fail to do these then we won't be winning anything.

Here's my idea and given im not a champion league winning manager but still just a thought. Benitez, Mourinho whoever it is in charge come the summer. Just buy 2 more strikers that do nothing but score goals. Main aim- goalscorer. Then get two wide men two assist these two people. Just a thought or maybe we can go back two having one fantastic forward one decent one and two that run around like cunts and don't do anything productive!

Agree with you and Pete. Simple rule, score more than your opponents and you win. We are set-up not to lose and don't go for the jugular.

How I long for the good ol days when one red red would pass the ball to another, simple one-touch football, find the striker who was in the oppositions box, instead of his own 12-yard area and score. The days when our defenders could carry the ball out of defence and pass to our player instead of hoofing it.

We need to get back to the basics.

[Jacko]

Agree with you and Pete. Simple rule, score more than your opponents and you win. We are set-up not to lose and don't go for the jugular.

How I long for the good ol days when one red red would pass the ball to another, simple one-touch football, find the striker who was in the oppositions box, instead of his own 12-yard area and score. The days when our defenders could carry the ball out of defence and pass to our player instead of hoofing it.

We need to get back to the basics.

Exactly mate. When this gets pointed out to people- the answer is alwyas the same- yeah the games different now- you need players who cover all blades of grass- work hard etc.

Do people think that Aderbayor doesn't work hard for Arsenal? Do people think that Rooney and Tevez don't cover every blade of grass for United? They do- the difference is that along with all this "hardwork" they have the quality and the footballing brain to know when to drop deep, when to shoot, when to pass and have the ability and pace to also attack on their own- i.e. take people on and beat the man.

Not only that they have the confidence and ability to score goals from all distances and angles. And while Kuyt runs round like a headless chicken and Voronin. . . well while Voronin does **** all to be fair they lack the quality, confidence and guile to not only beat a goalkeeper but a lot of the time beat one.

Honest to god- you'll soon see we get someone with quality of Villa and Eto'o (i'm not naming these two as candadites just in that brackett of quality) instead of Kuyt and Vornonin you'll see us turn into a cracking outfit. Unitl that happend you can keep counting the years. . . 19. . . 20. . . 21. . . 22. . . 23. . .24. . . 25. . . ticktock ticktock cause I sure as **** don't want to get to 26!