Rafa the Baffler

[ElRobbie]

Can someone please explain to me why Aquilani still isn't getting a game yet?

He has been on the bench for about a month now. It's all very well saying he isn't match fit but he has been in full training since the end of October and even before that he was doing fitness work. These lads play football and train just about every day, I could understand if they were part timers but this is bordering on ridiculous now.

It's December next week and he still hasn't played more than 15 minutes so its taken nearly 4 months to get the lad fit. I appreciate he was injured and we should get it right rather than throwing him in too early, but there is too early and then there is being just too cautious.

We simply can't afford to spend £20m on a player to warm the bench. The crazy thing about it is we are playing so badly now so surely it would freshen the team up and offer us something different and maybe give the other players a boost to put him in and help us turn the corner, am I completely on my own here or am I just being blind?

The thing is, they talk about match fitness, well if thats the case, surely the only way to get match fit is to play matches? Even if he only lasts an hour, its a start. Or am I being stupid again?

Please someone help me solve this riddle!

[javier_monsterano]

Rafa knows best.

[Reece]

Well we all want him to play of course, but we have to trust that Rafa knows how ready is to be starting a game. I'm sure he would have played a part against Citeh had we not suffered two injuries in the first 20 minutes

As Rafa keeps pointing out, this was a signing for 5 years, so he is going to be somewhat cautious in the amount of time he gives him. I expect him to play at least 30 minutes tonight (I wouldn't be surprised if he started). I can't see him starting against Everton due to the physical nature of the game, but then who knows really.

[little dave hedgehog]

well if you believe rafa, he always talks like he's happy with the holding midfielders and doesn't want to upset that part of the field.

personally i just think he's kind of being a pussy and not taking a gmble on just having one holding midfielder out there when we're looking for a win.

which is why we never win.

[the rev leeroy brown]

aquaman admits he's ready and bursting to start and the dejected look on his face at the weekend when aurelio was brought on instead of him showed how disappointed he is not to start. IMO if ur fit enough for the bench ur fit enough to play. be a man rafa and ****ing play him!!

[Exiled_red]

Rafa usually brings foreign signings in slowly to allow them to adapt to the game starting off with a few sub appearences before letting them start. The situation with Aquilani has been extended because he's been injured he needs to regain a level of fitness as well as adapt to the English game. As the game is more physical that he is used to it makes sense to ensure that he's ready for it before being thown in

[SB]

It's time to take the shackles off him Rafa!

Unleash the beast

[Guest]

So Rafa is not a man for not playing Aquilani? The lad is probably not fit enough to play competitive games from the start. I think he only has had two run outs as a sub so to say he should be ready is far fetched IMO.

I can see him playing 30 mins at most, especially in a match of this magnitude. It's a shame we're out of the League cup as that would have given him much needed match practice.

[little dave hedgehog]

old thinking leads to old results. do something different. start him.

[Guest]

old thinking leads to old results. do something different. start him.

Then run the risk of losing him for 3 months? We should be good enough to win most games without him anyway, so I don't really understand the logic that Aquilani is going to be our saviour.

[Scratch]

So, how many minutes of competitve football has the lad played since spending the best part of 6 months out with a bad ankle injury? A twenty minute jog in a reserve match, and about 20 minutes in total for us...and you think he's ready to be thrown into action properly? Get a grip, the player may be eager to play (which is good) but we would be foolish to rush him back.

[Kenneth]

He will start tonight

[dww]

It would be an ideal match for him to do it in really.

[kev776]

If he lacks match fitness, get him off the ****ing bench and play him in the reserves. In Shanklies/Paislies days a player returning from injury first had many games in the reserves, they didnt sit on the bank waiting to get match fitness during important matches.

Every reserve game should have him starting, first 30 mins, then 50 etc. Once he completes a couple of games,he does the same in the first team.

At the moment it seems to be tactics and how the game is going that decides if he comes on or not. The way we are playing at the moment means he will never start.

Since he has been fit he could have played in 3 or 4 competitve reserve games and be almost totally match fit.

[Guest]

If he lacks match fitness, get him off the ****ing bench and play him in the reserves. In Shanklies/Paislies days a player returning from injury first had many games in the reserves, they didnt sit on the bank waiting to get match fitness during important matches.

The Shankly/Paisley days are long gone, stop living in the past.

In those times there was never as many games, the matches were less physically demanding. Footballers could even have a booze twice a week back then.

As for Alberto being on the bench, well FFS, we've got an injury crisis at the moment didn't you notice it?