Rafa's Last Season?

[Joe King]

I'm still waiting for Villa, TBQH.

[kris90210]

here we go with the rafa apologists. lets reinterpret the definition of the word fact.

houllier finished second in the league - rafa has not.

houllier still had a chance to win the league in the last 10 games of a season - rafa has not.

so by that logic, houllier is a better manager than rafa...?

[Rich]

**** it, I'll be the manager

[Roboklopp]

The facts (feel free to flesh out exactly if my memory fails me, but the pattern remains) are that the Prem has had numerous representatives in the CL semis each year since Rafa arrived & at least one in the final. Before that it had none in the final since 99 & just one in the semi. That is a measue of how the competition has improved dramatically.

Also, the facts are the Chelsea have had an unprecedented amount of spending poured into them & that Scum (the strongest team beforehand) have had to spend big to stay at the top & that the Gooners (the second strongest team beforehand) have really struggled since Abramobitch & have only finished above us once in 3 seasons.

[rage]

He's right though.

he's had 4 seasons amigo. a minimum expectation in the league has got to be set. being out of the title race by xmas every year is not good enough.

rafa has been backed every year and he's failed to do this.

i'd like to think that the best managers don't use excuses like oh but they had more money to spend than i did. they compete regardless.

i really want him to succeed but the next time he decides to rest torres in a league game only to play him in a midweek carling cup game should be used to demonstrate why we fail to compete rather than lack of funds.

[Guest]

I think Rage has drowned now.

[Parm]

failure to finish top - maybe a close 2nd - imo will see rafa gone

I can see where you are coming from, Rafa has been given a lot of money to spend, although maybe not in the usual here is £100mill go spend, but he is now making bigger and better signings (Torres, babel, Mascher, Keane)
I think we have to be top 2 at the very least and challenging all the way for Rafa to be able to justify staying on. We do have a very very good team, we have added some quality and depth to it this season and also have got some talented young kids coming through. Can rafa get the formula right so it all comes together come may?

[Kenneth]

Why do you always put a comma instead of a single quote !!?????

Otherwise known as an apostrophe.

[kris90210]

failure to finish top - maybe a close 2nd - imo will see rafa gone

not many people think much of your opinion...

ah well mate. have another bet on us signing villa. before the odds get any worse!

[friedk]

we should sack him, then hopefully we can bring in another manager with a 5 year plan so we can start calling for his head after three years.

If you want facts here they are
Houllier averaged 65.6 points a season, while the winning average was 85 points
Rafa averages 71 points per season, while the average is now 90.5 points

If you take away both of their first seasons (Houllier/Evans joint and Rafa's first) the averages change as follows:
Houllier 68/86.2
Rafa 75.33/89

So the facts are that
1. We are doing better points wise under Rafa
2. It is harder to win the league under Rafa

[rage]

so by that logic, houllier is a better manager than rafa...?

to date - a better premiership manager if this is measured by highest league finish - yes. as difficult as that is to accept.

[BFG]

he's had 4 seasons amigo. a minimum expectation in the league has got to be set. being out of the title race by xmas every year is not good enough.

rafa has been backed every year and he's failed to do this.

i'd like to think that the best managers don't use excuses like oh but they had more money to spend than i did. they compete regardless.

i really want him to succeed but the next time he decides to rest torres in a league game only to play him in a midweek carling cup game should be used to demonstrate why we fail to compete rather than lack of funds.

Massively ambiguous statement but everything you post is.

[Rich]

we should sack him, then hopefully we can bring in another manager with a 5 year plan so we can start calling for his head after three years.

If you want facts here they are
Houllier averaged 65.6 points a season, while the winning average was 85 points
Rafa averages 71 points per season, while the average is now 90.5 points

If you take away both of their first seasons (Houllier/Evans joint and Rafa's first) the averages change as follows:
Houllier 68/86.2
Rafa 75.33/89

So the facts are that
1. We are doing better points wise under Rafa
2. It is harder to win the league under Rafa

Excellent post

[Kenneth]

People can burry their heads in a bucket full of sand, but if we aren't right up there at the end of the season, Rafa's job will be under threat.

[Mattshark]

to date - a better premiership manager if this is measured by highest league finish - yes. as difficult as that is to accept.

As I said you myopic and wholly ignore points total and context. I doubt you stop and think though.