Boro (h) Post match thread

[Johnny]

Mattshark - Are you happy with our style of play? Yes or No?

Were the PL Champions fans happy with their style of play after two games last season,are they happy with Manu`s performances this yr???
wer`e top of the league.that must stick in your throat so much right now.

[Rashid]

I find it disturbing that you think I am not liking us top of the league - although in days gone by before Sky, league tables were not done until after 4 games. You won't remember that though.

[slimbimjim]

wer`e top of the league.now.

No we're not, Chelsea are. That sticks in my throat but then we are only 2 games in!

[slimbimjim]

Playing style is not important so long as you get three points.

So let's just make up our our table and make us top of the league each week?

Of course it's important how we play, it's called entertainment.

[Scratch]

So let's just make up our our table and make us top of the league each week?

Of course it's important how we play, it's called entertainment.

To be honest, i'd rather be as unexciting as Chelsea were under Jose and win the league, if it's all the same to you?

[Rashid]

The days of winning the league 1-0 are gone... even boring Chelsea scored a record number of league goals and kept the ball much better than we do.

[Scratch]

The days of winning the league 1-0 are gone... even boring Chelsea scored a record number of league goals and kept the ball much better than we do.

You mean the Liverpool Way won't work anymore?

Nah, i know those days are over, but my comment is that Chelsea under Jose played boring, uninspiring football based around a solid defense, but it won them the league. If our brand of football wins us the league, i'm pretty sure neither you, Slimbimjim, Rage or anyone else will be complaining...and 2 wins from 2, albeit it uninspiring, is 6 points and our best start in the league for a while.

So rather than focus on your "Rafa is the anti-christ" routine, try looking for some positives for a change, it'll make life less stressful and you'll probably live longer.

[Reece]

After 19 years we shouldn't really care how we win the league, we should just want to win it. Once we have done so then that could possibly be a stepping stone to improving our playing style (which I don't think is as bad as some do anyway). But if we have to win it whilst not playing football that is particularly entertaining then so be it. I'd take that.

[slimbimjim]

To be honest, i'd rather be as unexciting as Chelsea were under Jose and win the league, if it's all the same to you?

Well I do confess to getting excited when we win despite the performance... But it does disappoint me when we are so ****e.

[Rashid]

You mean the Liverpool Way won't work anymore?

Nah, i know those days are over, but my comment is that Chelsea under Jose played boring, uninspiring football based around a solid defense, but it won them the league. If our brand of football wins us the league, i'm pretty sure neither you, Slimbimjim, Rage or anyone else will be complaining...and 2 wins from 2, albeit it uninspiring, is 6 points and our best start in the league for a while.

So rather than focus on your "Rafa is the anti-christ" routine, try looking for some positives for a change, it'll make life less stressful and you'll probably live longer.

The positives are there for all to see - two **** games - 3 points. But this reminds of last season at the start when we were poor but picking up points. All it will take is one defeat and we will **** up - luck doesn't last too long. We really do need to improve our passng, movement and intent. At the moment we play like a mid-table team but with some world class players.

3 points for a win demands attacking football. Chelsea did play dull football and the manager for it with his job, it also kept them within reach, and United caught them, when with the players they have they should have been humiliating teams.

[Rashid]

After 19 years we shouldn't really care how we win the league, we should just want to win it. Once we have done so then that could possibly be a stepping stone to improving our playing style (which I don't think is as bad as some do anyway). But if we have to win it whilst not playing football that is particularly entertaining then so be it. I'd take that.

Reece mate agree with all of that. But it isn't about playing like Barcelona, I am just wanting basic one time passing, good movement, some pace, and intent and purpose. I have been to two games this season and watched from the stand the utterly clueless nature of our attacking play and general passing and composure in possession.

[Reece]

Reece mate agree with all of that. But it isn't about playing like Barcelona, I am just wanting basic one time passing, good movement, some pace, and intent and purpose. I have been to two games this season and watched from the stand the utterly clueless nature of our attacking play and general passing and composure in possession.

But I think it is maybe fair to put an element of the lack of cohesion down to it being early days into the season. I genuinely believe that our football will improve. I'm not going to get into a big debate if you disagree with that because I have no way of backing this up - it's just an opinion. Once we have Masher back in the team and have a bit of pace on the left with Babel, I think we will see a more fluid approach. Being optimistic as I am that is what I believe will happen. But if we continue to win I'm not really fussed anyway

[JohnDoe]

I don't think we should play pretty for the sake of being pretty, however I do believe that good football does not contradict winning football. To be a championship winning team, we need to be effective more than anything, but the ability to be an expansive, attacking side is an important virtue.

I do not think the blame should be laid on the manager. I don't think Rafa's philosophy is of negative football and a different mentality will transform us into a better side. The problem, from watching the last couple of games, isn't in our intention, it is our execution.

There's no doubt that we lack quality in the wide areas, and it's hurting us in the middle. An attacking side is dependent on passing options, and once they are scarce, it is difficult to launch an effective offense on the opposition. Alonso has struggled not just because of loss of form, but also due to our options out wide.

Now you could blame the manager for not signing a quality wide man, but that will also be a unfair. There's a serious lack of top wingers who fit our budget, and if someone like Ashley Young is slapped a price tag of £30m, you can see why Rafa is struggling to find someone suitable.

Instead of signing wingers, Rafa tried to change the system to get around our weaknesses, and Gareth Barry was key to that as well as signing attacking full backs, but our owners decided otherwise on the former. Now Rafa is stuck with a central midfield which doesn't compliment our options out wide, so he's trying to rethink things. It's never going to look perfect and pretty now, because we simply don't possess the team Rafa has intended to build in the summer. I am certain of it.

[Rashid]

I don't think we should play pretty for the sake of being pretty, however I do believe that good football does not contradict winning football. To be a championship winning team, we need to be effective more than anything, but the ability to be an expansive, attacking side is an important virtue.

I do not think the blame should be laid on the manager. I don't think Rafa's philosophy is of negative football and a different mentality will transform us into a better side. The problem, from watching the last couple of games, isn't in our intention, it is our execution.

There's no doubt that we lack quality in the wide areas, and it's hurting us in the middle. An attacking side is dependent on passing options, and once they are scarce, it is difficult to launch an effective offense on the opposition. Alonso has struggled not just because of loss of form, but also due to our options out wide.

Now you could blame the manager for not signing a quality wide man, but that will also be a unfair. There's a serious lack of top wingers who fit our budget, and if someone like Ashley Young is slapped a price tag of £30m, you can see why Rafa is struggling to find someone suitable.

Instead of signing wingers, Rafa tried to change the system to get around our weaknesses, and Gareth Barry was key to that as well as signing attacking full backs, but our owners decided otherwise on the former. Now Rafa is stuck with a central midfield which doesn't compliment our options out wide, so he's trying to rethink things. It's never going to look perfect and pretty now, because we simply don't possess the team Rafa has intended to build in the summer. I am certain of it.

That's a really good post mate, well done for that and I enjoyed reading that.

Rafa has been here 4 years and in that time he has bought about 8 players for the wide positions and none have been good enough. The reason why so many fans tout Gerrard for the right or behind Torres is because Rafa has simply failed to find a player to play those positions. That is down to the manager and nobody else, it isn't even lack of funds as he has spent near on £40m looking for players for the wide areas - currently occupied by a £10m failed striker and another £11m youngster who looks totally disjointed out there and doesn't like playing wide.

It's also funny how Gareth Barry has now become our Diego Maradona (at Napoli) all he needs to do is sign and the full backs become Carlos and Cafu and the our play becomes attacking and more expansive - grow up, and wake up lads, please for ****s sake. This is Gareth Barry, had one decent season in midfield and is a failed wide player and left back....funny how the players out injured or not signed become so great. A week ago Babel only needs to turn up and we are attacking, last season it was Agger back and we win the league or Alonso back and we start passing it around and play good football - the same Agger who can't get into the team now and Alonso who the manager wants to sell.

The bottom line for me isn't any of the signings or anything to do with this season but over the course of the 4 years Rafa has neglected expansive football and technical excellence in favour of regimented football designed to suffocate the opposition and wear them down and in turn allowing us to attack when they are weak. Nobody can deny that, Rafa even admits it.

We won't challenge for the league until the team plays better quality football simple as that. Individual brilliance and only get you so far...

[Woobus]

Which thread am I in???

Rash and Rage slagging off Rafa,could be any thread in the Football section.

It's amazing, even the Chelsea Womans vs Liverpool Womans thread was turned into a Rafa bashing thread by them. We might as well just merge every thread into one long Rafa Rant thread.