Poll - Should Rafa stay?

[Guest]

Fair enough mate. I do believe that you're genuinely honest in your analysis of how we play so I won't argue with you on that front. I just think that we're a totally different team when we're at our best though, but that we've been hindered by lacking one or two world class players which could have made a massive difference.

[Craig_H]

I'm desperately trying to keep it constructive and not have an actual go, neither at Rafa nor you (not that i'm suggesting you deserve it, because of course you dont).

I'm just so frustrated mate, exasperated at what's so fundamentally wrong.

I'm not saying for one minute that i 'know better' or anything like that - but the way Rafa has us set up to play just ISNT working. Maybe my ideas arent right either, maybe we'd be **** if we took off the shackles too.

But cant he at least TRY it a bit? If things go badly, that's fine. But i'd like us to watch the players come off at the end, and be able to say 'well we didnt get the result, but we did try everything we could' - but i cant honestly say that at the moment.

Nobody's asking for miracles, just the basics would do - let the attacking players actually attack and express themselves, free them of the rigid restrictions and let us outplay teams which we're miles superior to. But he just wont.

It's just dire.

[vonk]

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.

Nah.

I'd love nothing more than to be proved wrong Pete, as I really like Rafa, but he will never win us the league. Rafa has never deviated much from his favorite formation, and the conservative approach with 2 DM's will never win the league. I think that squad of players is a match for any team on its day and we have a much better starting 11 than the scum, but we play the wrong way and it's been exposed badly this season. I've given up on winning 19 in the forseeable future, as it would take a change in owners, manager and as a result another squad purge to do it. That won't happen, so I'd be happy with enjoying watching us play as a start.

I'd absolutely love if I believed otherwise, but three months of total brilliance last season doesn't help me ignore all the other evidence.

[Joey Jones]

Nah.

I'd love nothing more than to be proved wrong Pete, as I really like Rafa, but he will never win us the league. Rafa has never deviated much from his favorite formation, and the conservative approach with 2 DM's will never win the league. I think that squad of players is a match for any team on its day and we have a much better starting 11 than the scum, but we play the wrong way and it's been exposed badly this season. I've given up on winning 19 in the forseeable future, as it would take a change in owners, manager and as a result another squad purge to do it. That won't happen, so I'd be happy with enjoying watching us play as a start.

I'd absolutely love if I believed otherwise, but three months of total brilliance last season doesn't help me ignore all the other evidence.

No we haven't.

[vonk]

No we haven't.

I believe we have. They lost their two best players from last season and people said they would struggle, but instead they were top of the league yesterday. They have one world class striker, two good defenders in Vidic and Evra and an aging Giggs. Van de Sar is never as good as Pepe. Players like Brown, Carrick, Fletcher, Valencia, Anderson, Evans, O'shea are distinctly average players and I'd argue that Gerrard, Torres, Mascherano, Benayoun, Agger, Carra, Johnson and Reina are all better players. Problem is that if whiskey nose put out a reserve team all season you would see them finish in the top four. What you're watching is players that are overachieving consistently whereas ours are underachieving inconsistently.

[Shaggy]

I believe we have. They lost their two best players from last season and people said they would struggle, but instead they were top of the league yesterday. They have one world class striker, two good defenders in Vidic and Evra and an aging Giggs. Van de Sar is never as good as Pepe. Players like Brown, Carrick, Fletcher, Valencia, Anderson, Evans, O'shea are distinctly average players and I'd argue that Gerrard, Torres, Mascherano, Benayoun, Agger, Carra, Johnson and Reina are all better players. Problem is that if whiskey nose put out a reserve team all season you would see them finish in the top four. What you're watching is players that are overachieving consistently whereas ours are underachieving inconsistently.

[reds123]

The problem is that Ferguson breathes english football much more than Rafa. Also he has players who can score much more easily than rafa's reds. Apart from that Rafa is slow to change the plan of the game and makes substituions lately in the game to win it! Thus that's why we were so disappointing vs Pompey and Wolves!

[Neil Young]

The problem is that Ferguson breathes english football much more than Rafa. Also he has players who can score much more easily than rafa's reds. Apart from that Rafa is slow to change the plan of the game and makes substituions lately in the game to win it! Thus that's why we were so disappointing vs Pompey and Wolves!

I didn't see that match but it doesn't sound quite fair.

[red g]

I'm desperately trying to keep it constructive and not have an actual go, neither at Rafa nor you (not that i'm suggesting you deserve it, because of course you dont).

I'm just so frustrated mate, exasperated at what's so fundamentally wrong.

I'm not saying for one minute that i 'know better' or anything like that - but the way Rafa has us set up to play just ISNT working. Maybe my ideas arent right either, maybe we'd be **** if we took off the shackles too.

But cant he at least TRY it a bit? If things go badly, that's fine. But i'd like us to watch the players come off at the end, and be able to say 'well we didnt get the result, but we did try everything we could' - but i cant honestly say that at the moment.

Nobody's asking for miracles, just the basics would do - let the attacking players actually attack and express themselves, free them of the rigid restrictions and let us outplay teams which we're miles superior to. But he just wont.

It's just dire.

i firmly believe its time for a new man and that hurts as i respect rafa so much.

[-V-]

I believe we have. They lost their two best players from last season and people said they would struggle, but instead they were top of the league yesterday. They have one world class striker, two good defenders in Vidic and Evra and an aging Giggs. Van de Sar is never as good as Pepe. Players like Brown, Carrick, Fletcher, Valencia, Anderson, Evans, O'shea are distinctly average players and I'd argue that Gerrard, Torres, Mascherano, Benayoun, Agger, Carra, Johnson and Reina are all better players. Problem is that if whiskey nose put out a reserve team all season you would see them finish in the top four. What you're watching is players that are overachieving consistently whereas ours are underachieving inconsistently.

Our team is set-up to go and defend even against the worst teams in the league, whereas United play high up the pitch and have a team full of attacking players. We play 6 defensive outfield players whereas they play just 4 or 5. Its just pathetic how negative we are against crap teams

[Kloppster]

i firmly believe its time for a new man and that hurts as i respect rafa so much.

Its not the results, its not the lack of funds, its not Gerrard's sulks, its just most times the way we play just does my head in...........

[BFG]

We'll get fourth and come back stronger next season. Still got faith in Rafa.

[Joey Jones]

I believe we have. They lost their two best players from last season and people said they would struggle, but instead they were top of the league yesterday. They have one world class striker, two good defenders in Vidic and Evra and an aging Giggs. Van de Sar is never as good as Pepe. Players like Brown, Carrick, Fletcher, Valencia, Anderson, Evans, O'shea are distinctly average players and I'd argue that Gerrard, Torres, Mascherano, Benayoun, Agger, Carra, Johnson and Reina are all better players. Problem is that if whiskey nose put out a reserve team all season you would see them finish in the top four. What you're watching is players that are overachieving consistently whereas ours are underachieving inconsistently.

I reckon, if given a choice, Ferguson would probably only take the players highlighted above.

[Icon]

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.

So if we were relagated (this or any season up to his contract ending)would he still be the right man for the job?

[el matador]

lets face it we play **** football because of the way we're set up by rafa benitez. His style wont ever provide attractive football but its results orientated. Substance over style

At the minute its doubly worse because we're playing **** and we're not winning.

Ironically, I think rafa would be brilliant in Italy where Italian fans dont know what good football is because they are served up slow paced dross every week and what he does would fit in with everyone else. he would take charge of juventus and make them a stronger outfit.

He doesnt have the mentality to win the title over here and i dont think he ever will. I dont even think we will finish top 4 so when he leaves us he will have royally ****ed the club.

The wolves debacle just illustrates that point when we went to one of the relegation fighting clubs and played a defensive team who cant score for **** and came away celebrating getting a point.

Please let the Juventus link be true and that they pay us £20m to take him off us.