Rafa - I'm here to stay

[pezzzer]

I just want to ask the people who are saying to ditch the rotation how are we gonna manage playing week in week out with the same team. The core of our players are always playing, that is Stevie, Javier, Carra and Torres. Man Utd and CHelsea rotate as much if not more than us, so it's a bit irrelevant.

I for one know that we're improving, but others are too and had we not gone through a poor spell at the beginning of the year we would have been there challenging. We had Torres injured and this was a massive blow to us.

Rafa is having faith with the players he has and he's playing them. What's wrong with that ? Yes he's done some mistakes but on the whole he did the right thing.

As for saying Mourihno would win us the league in 2 or 3 years time being a certainty, that's a ridiculous assessment IMO. He had bucket loads of money to spend in his first season at Chelsea.

Man. United has a settled team and backroom staff, Ferguson being there for 20 years and knows how it takes to win league titles, same can be said about Wenger. Mourihno has bought himself the title. Rafa is taking another route, which will take longer to achieve.

As I said, the league is less tactical than playing in Europe, and Rafa has had to adapt to that. He's made mistakes but I'm sure he ain't that stupid to the point not to rectify the situation. And it's a fact we have 3 fantastic teams to overcome to win the league. Man. Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea are bloody good teams. I don't see better teams than them around in Europe.

It's not a secret that Rafa tried to buy Alves during his second season, a player who would have solved our right sided problems. These type of players cost a lot of money. Quality such as Nani & Anderson, which United did pay for in one transfer window. We just can't afford splashing that much money on 3 world class players though we must recognize that we've spent some money on Torres and Javier, we need more to challenge.

great post mate

sydney will undoubtedly pull it apart though as his main agenda is to get rafa out, he wont let facts and fair reasoning get in the way.

[Guest]

to be fair, Everton and Villa have been playing out of their skin this year.

Rotation of players is an issue but the main issue is inconsistency...especially at home

Many factors in it all

A turning point for me was Reading away. We basically gave in the towel....to Reading. Sir Alex would have gone for all three points

Thats the difference in my opinion.

Don't think so, we should have won this match at a canter. Controlled the game but again missed chances ... That's where we have to improve.

Coming to say that we threw in the towel is a bit far fetched IMO Dan.

[Reece]

Why is it so black and white in this place? FFS, if you want Rafa to stay then you must be part of the RCDNW brigade, and if you want him to go then you must be part of the RCDNR brigade (I hate both of those acronyms by the way). Can someone support Rafa but at the same time disagree with some of his decisions and methods? I know I certainly do sometimes. Or can someone not feel it is best for the club if Rafa was to go, yet can still see the things he is good at? It so boring constantly seeing posters labeled one way or another.

[kopdan]

it certainly looked like they did. Especially when he took Gerrard off.

But we did have a CL game a few days later :smirk:

[dww]

I think the analysis of us throwing the towel in to Reading is wrong. However at the same time we gave them a chance when we need not have done. We were playing very well at the time and that loss knocked us badly. It is always about the small deltas and while we should always win with whatever side against the bottom 8 teams they are all (bar Derby) capable of pulling off one good game and while we did dominate the game the selection gave them hope.

Having said that if we had three + players scoring goals at a decent rate then more radical rotation could be used with less loss of psychological advantage.

[Guest]

Why is it so black and white in this place? FFS, if you want Rafa to stay then you must be part of the RCDNW brigade, and if you want him to go then you must be part of the RCDNR brigade (I hate both of those acronyms by the way). Can someone support Rafa but at the same time disagree with some of his decisions and methods? I know I certainly do sometimes. Or can someone not feel it is best for the club if Rafa was to go, yet can still see the things he is good at? It so boring constantly seeing posters labeled one way or another.

I'm not against DJS or any of the Rafa bashers but all this negativity is doing my head in. Yes I would have preferred seeing Pennant or another player in place of Kuyt on the right side but I won't spend the next day moaning about Rafa's tactics, it's pointless. He'll play the team he wants.

At the end of the day we have to support and wish the team to go forward. It's no point complaining forever. I was the same when Ged was here, and even though the type of football wasn't exciting, by any means I logged him and made post and posts in order to bash him.

It's not constructive and it's boring.

Yes Rafa made mistakes and will make them again. So will the other so called 'top managers'.

[kopdan]

yes they will Fredo but they are also judged on their results and trophies.

One CL win, although fantastic is not enough to justify Rafa being here season after season finishing 3rd or lower.

We really need to push on now for the big one

[Guest]

it certainly looked like they did. Especially when he took Gerrard off.

But we did have a CL game a few days later :smirk:

Of course he had. He probably made a mistake but that doesn't equate to him throwing in the towel. Other players taking Stevie's place should have done the job. Rafa is against the idea of creating a one man team, that's why he's trying to give players the chance to fill in when needed. That's part of having a great squad.

Fergie didn't play any of Ronaldo and Rooney against Fulham but he still won. He took a gamble but the result proved he was right.

[Reece]

I'm not against DJS or any of the Rafa bashers but all this negativity is doing my head in.

Whilst I agree, it is their prerogative. I'm just a naturally optimistic person, so I can't get into that whole doom and gloom persona. I'm just sick of all the bickering on here. Every thread goes the same way. I don't think DJS helps in that personally, but there you go

[kopdan]

No he didnt. But he played attacking football the same way they always do...looking for the 3 points.

[Reece]

Fergie didn't play any of Ronaldo and Rooney against Fulham but he still won. He took a gamble but the result proved he was right.

And I'm sure I heard said that he changed the 2 CM too. But of course it's only rotation when Rafa does it....

[Guest]

yes they will Fredo but they are also judged on their results and trophies.

One CL win, although fantastic is not enough to justify Rafa being here season after season finishing 3rd or lower.

We really need to push on now for the big one

I agree but at the end of the day, Wenger and Fergie are stalwarts in this league and they've had the experience. We probably have a mental problem when it's needed to push on that next step. But it will eventually come.

Yes, Rafa has to push on next season. I entirely agree with that. It's not up to Rafa solely though, the club as a whole have to take stock and accept that something needs to be done. Whether it's changing training methods or tactics or improving the quality of the squad through buying more world class talent meaning competing in terms of money against Chelsea and Man. Utd.

[pezzzer]

yes they will Fredo but they are also judged on their results and trophies.

One CL win, although fantastic is not enough to justify Rafa being here season after season finishing 3rd or lower.

We really need to push on now for the big one

well on that basis arsenal should sack wenger.

[kopdan]

Whether it's changing training methods or tactics.

Thats Rafa's job

The buying players side of it I see no problem. I think the owners deserve some credit for the signings this summer and this winter. I dont envisage any problems unless I am totally mistaken about Hicks and Gillett delivering something they promised.

imo

[Guest]

No he didnt. But he played attacking football the same way they always do...looking for the 3 points.

We're also looking for 3 points in every match we play, that's for sure. Rafa does it differently in that he prefers to control games and sustain the pressure on teams instead of going for all out attack. Semantics there Dan. Not throwing the kitchen sink in matches doesn't mean in not trying to win. It's no secret that United's attacking game is better than us.

And I'm sure I heard said that he changed the 2 CM too. But of course it's only rotation when Rafa does it....

Yes, he'll look at everything just to pick out faults ... That's his style but.