Blackburn Away. Post Match Thread

[RedsFan83]

aki will get a game too

when did we sign purps??

some absolute bollocks been spouted on this thread. get behind the ****ing team and the manager. we are not arsenal fans.

[scully]

I still don't believe that a manager with the record ours has can become such a bad manager as some are suggesting because of one bad run of games, our defensive record in the prem has been second to none since he took over, as has our goal scoring, although i'm very very very dissapointed, i am extremely confident that next season would'nt be like this one, not that this one is over yet.

But by **** this is painful.

It's not the first bad run of games. There have been several bad runs under Rafa, the most infuriating before this one being the throwing away of our Premiership lead early this year. It gets to the point where it's the good runs that feel like blips rather than the other way round. Rafa's defenders always talk to the nay-sayers about some great long-term plan, that Rafa is creating something special and we shouldn't sacrifice that out of annoyance at a 'bad run'. I agree that he is a vast improvement on Houllier but this does not necessarily mean he is the right man for us. He will continue to make bad signings, bad substitutions, and to prevent our good players playing to their potential by overloading them with overcomplicated instructions and overcautious tactics. For me Rafa is a transitional phase towards something better, he's picked us up off the floor but is clearly incapable of keeping us on our feet and needs to be replaced by a better manager who will build on the improvements Rafa has made and take us to the next level.

[el matador]

its simple.

rafa isnt desperate to win matches so he left him on the bench.

the fans are desperate to win so we would have started with him.

i dont think rafa is bothered anymore. Unfortunately we dont have the finances to make the change that we probably need. Its going to be like this until the end of the season.

Stupidly I still think the league title isnt beyond us - Chelsea have lost 3, united have lost 3 and arsenal have lost 4.

The title may well be won with 80 ish points (maybe even late seventies).

We still have a chance but rafa isnt bothered to win. he wants to prove a point that because of the lack of investment we wont go forward this year and he is currently doing that. We will get into the CL but unless we seriously challenge for the title come april / may then we should part company with him.

He's had five seasons and it hasnt worked. It's time to move on.

[Bender]

its simple.

rafa isnt desperate to win matches so he left him on the bench.

the fans are desperate to win so we would have started with him.

i dont think rafa is bothered anymore. Unfortunately we dont have the finances to make the change that we probably need. Its going to be like this until the end of the season.

Stupidly I still think the league title isnt beyond us - Chelsea have lost 3, united have lost 3 and arsenal have lost 4.

The title may well be won with 80 ish points (maybe even late seventies).

We still have a chance but rafa isnt bothered to win. he wants to prove a point that because of the lack of investment we wont go forward this year and he is currently doing that. We will get into the CL but unless we seriously challenge for the title come april / may then we should part company with him.

He's had five seasons and it hasnt worked. It's time to move on.

some excellent points ....infact all good now do we get a new manager or make th emistake all clubs to give rafa more money to spend then get a new manager in

[javier_monsterano]

are we playing arsenal next week?

i predict aky(i bet that is annoying a few people) to have a good game against the italians,and then get man of the match next weekend.

[Jaymo]

an awful hour and half out of an always very good day.

[Bender]

are we playing arsenal next week?

i predict aky(i bet that is annoying a few people) to have a good game against the italians,and then get man of the match next weekend.

you been smoking that A4 joint again haven't you

[javier_monsterano]

It's the legal drugs,i'm ill.

[Bender]

It's the legal drugs,i'm ill.

[SimonNo7]

Just read this on the offal, the piece about Aquilani possibly starting on Wednesday:

"It's also a question of the other players being injured. Gerrard was injured before and is fit now. With Gerrard, Lucas and Mascherano we now have balance in the midfield."

So is Rafa saying even if Aquilani was fit he wouldn't necessary start and that his first choice midfield trio does not include Aquilani?

[red g]

Just read this on the offal, the piece about Aquilani possibly starting on Wednesday:

"It's also a question of the other players being injured. Gerrard was injured before and is fit now. With Gerrard, Lucas and Mascherano we now have balance in the midfield."

So is Rafa saying even if Aquilani was fit he wouldn't necessary start and that his first choice midfield trio does not include Aquilani?

no he is saying we have balance with them 4 when torres is not fit.
if torres is out, i would prefer to see gerrard in centre mid, gerrard and aquiliaini would be far to adventurous

[red g]

its simple.

rafa isnt desperate to win matches so he left him on the bench.

the fans are desperate to win so we would have started with him.

i dont think rafa is bothered anymore. Unfortunately we dont have the finances to make the change that we probably need. Its going to be like this until the end of the season.

Stupidly I still think the league title isnt beyond us - Chelsea have lost 3, united have lost 3 and arsenal have lost 4.

The title may well be won with 80 ish points (maybe even late seventies).

We still have a chance but rafa isnt bothered to win. he wants to prove a point that because of the lack of investment we wont go forward this year and he is currently doing that. We will get into the CL but unless we seriously challenge for the title come april / may then we should part company with him.

He's had five seasons and it hasnt worked. It's time to move on.

what a load of ****e, although maybe your onto something.....Torres is probably fit as well but Rafa is leaving him out to prove to the oweners we need a striker as well.....i think you need to take a long hard look at yourself if you think Rafa is the sort of bloke to throw matches which you are implying. Bang out of order i am sure he is hurting as much as us

[dww]

Perhaps my relative positivity comes from not having seen the game but it strikes me that in the past when we have had bad periods the transition to better form has often come via a period of dull performances but with clean sheets. A solid base has always been what we have built from then and in fact I seem to remember periods not so different to the one we are going through now in previous seasons under Rafa. I really feel that we are battling through the bad period and what we are seeing at the minute is the birth pangs of a better side which requires to regain confidence by keeping a few clean sheets and that as we come into the second half of the season we will be a different side.

I honestly think the conspiracy theories about Rafa leaving people out for this reason or that are nonsense. He is an arch pragmatist and a long term planner. However he is also a determined man who wants to win. I don't for a second believe he would compromise anything unless he felt it would help in the long run and not winning games (which could result in a league finish outside the top four) is not the sort of thing I think he will be happy about. If he leaves Torres or Aquilani out I'm certain it is because he believes that long term we will get them fitter for longer by doing it and will hence win more matches over the course of the season.

We have seen so many times in the past (even this season actually) players rushed back only to collect more injuries. While I hate enduring this **** period I'd rather do this than have to have Torres half fit for one gem in three and injured for another for the rest of the season.

[SimonNo7]

no he is saying we have balance with them 4 when torres is not fit.
if torres is out, i would prefer to see gerrard in centre mid, gerrard and aquiliaini would be far to adventurous

I don't know, I, unfortunately, actually think that Rafa would feel happier with the two more defensive minded midfielders, Lucas and Mascha, rather than a more adventurous midfielder in the shape of Aquilani.

It keeps the team set up not to concede with the possibility of nicking games 1-0.

Time will obviously tell, for instance if Aquilani does start against Fiorentina and then goes on to have a great game would Rafa play him in the next game against the Arse or will he revert to type and suggest the game against the Arse is too big a game to further risk Aquilani?

[SimonNo7]

Perhaps my relative positivity comes from not having seen the game but it strikes me that in the past when we have had bad periods the transition to better form has often come via a period of dull performances but with clean sheets. A solid base has always been what we have built from then and in fact I seem to remember periods not so different to the one we are going through now in previous seasons under Rafa. I really feel that we are battling through the bad period and what we are seeing at the minute is the birth pangs of a better side which requires to regain confidence by keeping a few clean sheets and that as we come into the second half of the season we will be a different side.

I honestly think the conspiracy theories about Rafa leaving people out for this reason or that are nonsense. He is an arch pragmatist and a long term planner. However he is also a determined man who wants to win. I don't for a second believe he would compromise anything unless he felt it would help in the long run and not winning games (which could result in a league finish outside the top four) is not the sort of thing I think he will be happy about. If he leaves Torres or Aquilani out I'm certain it is because he believes that long term we will get them fitter for longer by doing it and will hence win more matches over the course of the season.

We have seen so many times in the past (even this season actually) players rushed back only to collect more injuries. While I hate enduring this **** period I'd rather do this than have to have Torres half fit for one gem in three and injured for another for the rest of the season.

The problem is by the time we get to the second half of the season, with this different side, we could actually find ourselves off the pace for fourth. We don't seem to be getting a run of fixtures that, with our low confidence, we can look at and think, 'here's a few games where we could string a few results together raising confidence'. I mean we have the Arse next in the league game and do you think, looking at both teams form, we will beat them with a clean sheet and thus continue this dull period before the better form? I pessimistically don't, I'm sorry to say. I see another stutter (score-draw or loss) resulting in confidence remaining the same or worse than that another dip where we have to start again.

I agree with your second para about Rafa leaving players out for this reason or that completely. I just can't see him doing it. I think it's more likely down to his stubbornness in that he believes it will come good sooner or later.