Alonso Speaks...

[Nicey]

You still haven't got the irony in you criticising Rafa for being stubborn and inflexible.

Quality !! lives in a Bungalow near the Airport mate

[Craig_H]

You still haven't got the irony in you criticising Rafa for being stubborn and inflexible.

There's no irony there neil, despite your attempts to look clever...

I was a major critic of Kuyt, and now i've revised that view, based on his vastly improved performances.

Next...

[Neil Young]

There's no irony there neil, despite your attempts to look clever...

I was a major critic of Kuyt, and now i've revised that view, based on his vastly improved performances.

Next...

Yet when Rafa changes his mind about the usefulness of keeping Alonso, he's still inflexible and stubborn and "completely set in his ways."

I wonder what the "H" stands for.

[red g]

There's no irony there neil, despite your attempts to look clever...

I was a major critic of Kuyt, and now i've revised that view, based on his vastly improved performances.

Next...

one swallow doesnt make a summer

[dww]

That would rely on the idea that nigh on every single game over a 5 year period, has panned out in a way whereby there was no need to make a personnel change at half time, or before 60 odd minutes. I find that hard to believe mate.

Not necessarily - it might imply that Rafa thinks the odds of making an ill thought through change before that point in the game are higher than those after that point for whatever reason. It might be a compromise in his head and he may feel that personnel changes are not as vital as you do. The fact that last season there was that analysis of his substitutions which showed they were surprisingly effective would imply that there is a logic behind what he is doing even if it eludes us.

[Nicey]

There's no irony there neil, despite your attempts to look clever...

I was a major critic of Kuyt, and now i've revised that view, based on his vastly improved performances.

Next...

[red g]

Not necessarily - it might imply that Rafa thinks the odds of making an ill thought through change before that point in the game are higher than those after that point for whatever reason. It might be a compromise in his head and he may feel that personnel changes are not as vital as you do. The fact that last season there was that analysis of his substitutions which showed they were surprisingly effective would imply that there is a logic behind what he is doing even if it eludes us.

how many times have we thought waht the **** at his subs pnly for it to work......

I dont get the 62nd minute thing though......but i do also think Rafa is constantly changing formation to suit the opposing team so to say he is inflexible doesnt wash.

[DannyMan2006]

And stop rolling your eyes at me every 2 minutes.

[Helios Creed]

Yes, it's as though such pundits assume he changes nothing at half-time or even, incredible though I know this sounds, while the game is actually going on. At least Pleat and Taylor comment as though this might be happening. The rest of them are total imbeciles.

I've noticed that he seems to use the first half to weigh up the opponents , then presumably changes things at half time with the existing personnel, before finally using subs. I've even heard him complain that they had the audacity to score too many goals in the first half, before he can make his tweaks (Soton for example, I think?)

He sometimes does this strange thing with subs too - takes off a striker and brings on a right back then ten minutes later, takes off a right back and brings on a striker - must confuse our players, never mind the opposition.

[red g]

I've noticed that he seems to use the first half to weigh up the opponents , then presumably changes things at half time with the existing personnel, before finally using subs. I've even heard him complain that they had the audacity to score too many goals in the first half, before he can make his tweaks (Soton for example, I think?)

He sometimes does this strange thing with subs too - takes off a striker and brings on a right back then ten minutes later, takes off a right back and brings on a striker - must confuse our players, never mind the opposition.

very rare he makes like for like substitions it normally constitutes a formation change of some sort

[Vermilion]

Whether 'Babaygate' had occured, or whether Rafa had tried to sell Xabi or not, he would have wanted to go to Madrid. IMO.

[tomasjj]

Yet when Rafa changes his mind about the usefulness of keeping Alonso, he's still inflexible and stubborn and "completely set in his ways."

I wonder what the "H" stands for.

Hicks.

[BG1973]

Yeah but he'd have been sitting there, waiting for the manager to **** him off whenever he had a dip in form. Alonso would've wanted Rafa to have kept faith in him, and given him the benefit of the doubt. Rafa needed to trust Alonso enough to know that he'd once again prove his quality. But Rafa didnt and once the trust is gone, it's gone.

I know if my boss had made it clear he wanted me out and didnt have faith in my ability to do my job, i certainly wouldnt want to stick around and work in that environment. And Xabi did stay, but only because no fee was accepted that summer.

I dont blame Alonso in the slightest, Rafa ballsed it up IMO.

ballsed it up by wanting to essentially swap a player who had just had two average seasons with a player who had just had two very good ones.

Nonsense.

And further nonsense because it actually got the player performing again. If you improve an employees performance you usually get praised for man management.

And then we got 30 million for him when he wasn't worth 16 to Juve the season before..

He's a loss but Rafa doesn't do blind faith like you suggest he should have done.


And he's only a loss if his replacement proves a failure...

[Nicey]

ballsed it up by wanting to essentially swap a player who had just had two average seasons with a player who had just had two very good ones.

Nonsense.

And further nonsense because it actually got the player performing again. If you improve an employees performance you usually get praised for man management.

And then we got 30 million for him when he wasn't worth 16 to Juve the season before..

He's a loss but Rafa doesn't do blind faith like you suggest he should have done.


And he's only a loss if his replacement proves a failure...

One of the best footie threads I have read in here in ages .. spot on

[Reece]

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