Poll - Should Rafa stay?

[Kinell]

He's spent £80m or £16m per season mate, a load of money as you say.

Probably more than Wenger has at Arsenal and they are playing far better football and doing better in terms of results.

For the money he has spent and the players at our disposal there is no question whatsoever we are capable of much much more than what we've been seeing each week this season.

[Shanks]

When his contract is over in 4 years time, if it's not renewed by then. We came second last season don't you forget.

Fair enough, if that's what you think..

[Dhav]

He's spent £80m or £16m per season mate, a load of money as you say.

to be honest, I'm willing to give Rafa a wide berth on the issue of transfer funds, I think £16m a year net is relatively little for a team that has pretentions of challenging for the Premier League and Champions League, yet having said that I bet it's still substantially more than what Wenger has spent in the same period.

the point is for what he has spent, Rafa should be doing much better than he is. if we continued spending at the current rate I would expect us to drop out of the top 4 eventually, but this year is a year too soon.

Call me fickle but my opinion of Rafa changes from game to game. My view is that there are deep rooted problems at the club that a change of manager is highly unlikely to resolve, then we consistently get served up rubbish like last night - Rafa has to take his share of the blame.

[Guest]

Our recovery won't be instant this season, it will take time. Not conceding a stupid goal away from home is another step in the right direction. I have faith in Rafa, simply because I think he's not stupid and will learn from his mistakes. Every manager makes them and winning the title for the first time is probably the most difficult step to make.

[Craig_H]

He's spent £80m or £16m per season mate, a load of money as you say.

£80m-£90m is plenty enough to keep a top four side in the top four.

Can I ask, at what point do you stop thinking Rafa is the right man for the job?

He never will.

[Guest]

Of course I never will. Rafa has the credentials to lead us to the Premier League title. It seems that people on here would prefer us to be dilettantes like Arsenal, who play good football but with no real substance.

I want this season to be other now, then wipe the slate clean and start again from scratch next season.

[Craig_H]

Of course I never will. Rafa has the credentials to lead us to the Premier League title. It seems that people on here would prefer us to be dilettantes like Arsenal, who play good football but with no real substance.

I want this season to be other now, then wipe the slate clean and start again from scratch next season.

Arsenal have been in more PL title races than us. And that's WITH beautiful football too. A wonderful pass-and-move game that's a joy to watch, as well as being successful.

Do you remember pass and move?

If Rafa picked Insua in goal and Cavalieri up front, you'd still agree with the decision.

[Guest]

Arsenal have been in more PL title races than us. And that's WITH beautiful football too. A wonderful pass-and-move game that's a joy to watch, as well as being successful.

Do you remember pass and move?

If Rafa picked Insua in goal and Cavalieri up front, you'd still agree with the decision.

Arsenal haven't won anything for years too.

I just don't find the point of discussing boring football theories on an internet forum, I'll leave this to would be managers.

[Craig_H]

Arsenal haven't won anything for years too.

I just don't find the point of discussing boring football theories on an internet forum, I'll leave this to would be managers.

I didnt say they'd won stuff - we havent for years either.

But they CHALLENGE for the title on a regular basis. Not once in 6 years.

If you dont want to discuss football on an internet forum, what on earth are you doing here?

[Guest]

I didnt say they'd won stuff - we havent for years either.

But they CHALLENGE for the title on a regular basis. Not once in 6 years.

If you dont want to discuss football on an internet forum, what on earth are you doing here?

I think it's pointless to discuss why a team couldn't string two passes together, like ours last night, when we had a team full of players capable of doing so. I have my own idea in that I think it's down to confidence and the reality that it's better to grab a point rather than returning empty handed.

If we'd nicked a 1-0 win, everyone would have been happy.

[Craig_H]

And if we'd won all of our 23 games, we'd all be delighted.

If means nothing though. The fact is, we havent won all of our games, because we've mostly been ****e and the manager's failed to get the best out of the players.

And we didnt nick a 1-0 win last night, because we were ****e and offered zero threat against relegation fodder, largely due to a woefully negative, defensive mentality - guided by the manager.

[Guest]

And if we'd won all of our 23 games, we'd all be delighted.

If means nothing though. The fact is, we havent won all of our games, because we've mostly been ****e and the manager's failed to get the best out of the players.

And we didnt nick a 1-0 win last night, because we were ****e and offered zero threat against relegation fodder, largely due to a woefully negative, defensive mentality - guided by the manager.

I think he wanted to win, I don't question his mentality of being a winner. This club is about winning things. Don't you think Rafa doesn't understand this? I think it's a bit naive to believe he would go to Wolves, look for a draw and devise a team and tactics to do just that.

[Craig_H]

I think he wanted to win, I don't question his mentality of being a winner. This club is about winning things. Don't you think Rafa doesn't understand this? I think it's a bit naive to believe he would go to Wolves, look for a draw and devise a team and tactics to do just that.

He didnt look to draw, but he didnt seek to take the game to them either.

He went there with the intention of not conceding, and then hoping to pinch a goal.

Against Wolves.

Do you think Wenger would do that? Or Ferguson?

[Guest]

He didnt look to draw, but he didnt seek to take the game to them either.

He went there with the intention of not conceding, and then hoping to pinch a goal.

Against Wolves.

Do you think Wenger would do that? Or Ferguson?

If you rationally look at how Rafa organises his teams and the way we play when we're at our best, then there's no way you'd believe he would do something like this. His teams are built to press other teams into submission into a pressing game which suffocates them and it's all about controlling the ball and the play. So on that basis alone, you cannot say he's negative.

Why have things fallen as bad as this I don't know, but the players seem not able enough to execute his instructions at the moment, due to a lack of confidence IMO, that's the only rational explanation that I have. It's not for a lack of ability in our teams, irrelevant of the fact that 'Lucas is ineffective' together with Mascherano in central midfield, we should have wiped the floor against Wolves if we play to our best.

[Craig_H]

Whatever you say about systems and chalkboards, i was at the game last night, i saw it in front of my own eyes and we were abysmally negative. If he's telling the players to be attacking and they're ignoring his instructions, then stop picking them. But the same, pedestrian, cautious stuff keeps coming out more often than not. It's not a blip or poor form - we're just ****.

I dont believe for one minute, that he's an attacking coach who focuses his efforts purely on how we, as the superior side, will win the game. He worries about stopping the opposition first and pays weak opposition too much respect - and this shows in how we're playing. Cautious, not taking risks, far too rigid in everything he does - one player is missing, so an alternative is brought in to do exactly the same role, regardless of whether he has the attributes for it (Kuyt asked to do Torres' job, for example???). So we play high balls, which Kuyt isnt good enough in the air to make the most of. We play long balls which require pace to get onto - and Kuyt has none.

I watched the Manc derby tonight and as much as it pains me to say, the Scum provided an example of an attacking mentality. They push upto 6 men in or around the opposition box, they play with a high tempo which stretches the opposition and forces errors. They play the ball out of defence along the ground, to feet - so they retain possession further up the park. They have quick players who can commit defenders and cause problems. We have quick players - but Rafa doesnt pick them very often. We have potentially exciting youngsters coming through - but they barely get a look in.

When they're ahead, they seek to score more goals. Even at 2-0 up, they were pressing hard for a 3rd. When we're 1-0 up, we stop pressing because we think it's job done. We sit back, we invite pressure and we invariably concede an equaliser, often going on to lose the game.

Their attacking mentality tonight was everything we're not and everything Rafa will never allow us to be. If our mediocrity was the exception, i'd put it down to a bad day or even poor form. But it's not. It's the norm. The Spurs game was the exception.

There's no need for us to miss out on the CL this year, we have the players to achieve it. Unfortunately though, the manager isnt extracting anywhere near enough out of them and we ARE going to miss out on the CL this season - and unless we get a change of ownership, this will lead to us becoming a midtable side, competing for a top 6 place.

Wait and see mate.