If we could have turned 6 of 13 draws into wins...

[Nick77]

...we would have pipped the Scum ****s by a point. And let's be honest, even more than 6 should have been wins:
Chelski at home (even though they ref gave them a dodgy pen, we should have scored at least 1 more goal.)
Birmingham at home (should have been 3 easy points!)
Spurs at home (had we played properly we should have taken 3 points)
Arsenal home (see Chelski at home above.)
Reading away (how the feck did we give them 3 points, that should have been at the very least a draw.)
Wigan home (see Birmingham at home above!)
Villa at home (see Spurs at home above)
West Ham away (see Reading away above)
Birmingham away (even with a weakened team we were all over them, 2 points dropped!)
That's a total of an extra 16 extra points we should have had & even if u exclude the Arsenal & Chelski games that's an extra 12 points we should have had. It's oh so frustrating, especially when those Manc cunts are just 1 league title away from us!!!

[Shaggy]

You could also say had we beaten the Mancs home and away we'd have finished above them (although behind Chelsea).

By the same token, Everton could say the same about us. Reverse the double we did over them and they'd be sitting above us now.

Swings and roundabouts.

[Joe King]

Yep but this team will learn from their mistakes and hopefully Rafa will have as well. Don't rest Torres unless it is necessary, don't play stupid formations where players are uncomfortable, rotate the right players etc etc.

[Catrin]

Our away form was quite similar to the Scum's, the main difference was that we drew too many games at home. We could do with a new David Fairclough to come on and kill games off.

[Parm]

should have would have could have, all have valid points, we arent that far apart, just need to improve the quality of the squad.

[MascheredUp]

We could do with a new David Fairclough to come on and kill games off.

Thought that was Babel.

[Marky]

Ifs and buts, ifs and buts.

[Craig_H]

Yep but this team will learn from their mistakes and hopefully Rafa will have as well. Don't rest Torres unless it is necessary, don't play stupid formations where players are uncomfortable, rotate the right players etc etc.

We'll learn one thing and feck up another. It's the same every year.

As for rafa, i'll eat my left hand if he changes his rotation policy. He said himself in recent weeks, that the reason it's happening less now is because we're not in 4 competitions. Next season, it'll be back.

The only salvation from it is if we somehow end up with 'reserves' who are actually good enough that you dont notice much of a difference.

[Joe King]

Rotation is not a bad system- all the teams use it. We just don't have the squad for it and Rafa rotates the wrong personnel for certain matches.

[Craig_H]

Rotation is not a bad system- all the teams use it. We just don't have the squad for it and Rafa rotates the wrong personnel for certain matches.

I've always said rotation in itself, and done sensibly, is a good thing.

But when you change 5+ players per game, that's absurdly idiotic and hampers your chances considerably.

You rightly say, the wrong personnel are often used, and sometimes in the wrong (uncomfortable and unnatural) positions.

This stops - or Rafa will NEVER win the PL.

[Catrin]

Thought that was Babel.

I wish it was Babel but so far his finishing hasn't looked good enough. We do need to kill games off better though. We seem to be trying to do it by going more defensive but that leaves us less able to reply if the opposition nick a goal.

[Joe King]

I've always said rotation in itself, and done sensibly, is a good thing.

But when you change 5+ players per game, that's absurdly idiotic and hampers your chances considerably.

You rightly say, the wrong personnel are often used, and sometimes in the wrong (uncomfortable and unnatural) positions.

This stops - or Rafa will NEVER win the PL.

[breffniboy]

All I can say is thank ****ing Jesus Christ that Birmingham are finally, finally gone out of the Premierleague.

The number of times those cunts sat for a point or harassed a 1-0 win out of us, for such an ordinary side, just beats the **** out of me.

Brum are exactly the type of well organised, ambitionless dross that totally confounds Rafa every time.

Good riddance ye ****ters.

Although now that fat head Bruce is Wigan boss, expect them to secure two 0-0s against us next season!!

[Catrin]

I've always said rotation in itself, and done sensibly, is a good thing.

But when you change 5+ players per game, that's absurdly idiotic and hampers your chances considerably.

You rightly say, the wrong personnel are often used, and sometimes in the wrong (uncomfortable and unnatural) positions.

This stops - or Rafa will NEVER win the PL.

Rotation is great if you have good enough players. It is the only way you can effectively manage a squad, but the squad has to be good enough in the first place.

Nowadays you have to have two players for each position who are roughly as good as each other, otherwise, if the better of the two is injured or suspended then the team is weakened. Trouble is, when you have two players of roughly equal ability, they both want to play. We've had this problem with Carson, who would be good back-up for Pepe but who doesn't want to sit on the bench on a regular basis.

We don't have other players of roughly equal ability to Gerrard or Torres. Therefore, when they are rotated the team is weakened and results suffer. We need a stronger squad, then rotation will work.

[Craig_H]

Rotation is great if you have good enough players. It is the only way you can effectively manage a squad, but the squad has to be good enough in the first place.

Nowadays you have to have two players for each position who are roughly as good as each other, otherwise, if the better of the two is injured or suspended then the team is weakened. Trouble is, when you have two players of roughly equal ability, they both want to play. We've had this problem with Carson, who would be good back-up for Pepe but who doesn't want to sit on the bench on a regular basis.

We don't have other players of roughly equal ability to Gerrard or Torres. Therefore, when they are rotated the team is weakened and results suffer. We need a stronger squad, then rotation will work.

That's all fine, but foolish things like Torres playing at Reading in the Carling Cup, but not at Pompey in the league, are Rafa's undoing.

And no matter how strong your squad is, changing half the team between games will destroy any hope of stability.