Do you want Rafa back?

[Kenneth]

They play a classic 4-2-3-1 formation, as do Spain. All teams try to play well on the counter-attack. It's something to applaud, not criticise. Man U do it, Chelsea do it, Arsenal do it too. We did it very well under Benitez. To be dangerous on the counter-attack is an attribute of all good teams

They play 4-2-3-1 until they score, then adopt a 4-5-1 and switch to a Houllier style counter attacking team. If they don't score first, they are really in trouble.

[Redspin]

ERRONIAS!!!!! Kenny was a legend.......

The facts is he liked to play a sweeper away from home as part of a back 5. It's not my opinion. I saw it many times and it was dire to watch - being over-run at places like Wimbledon and Luton

[Kenneth]

Rafa would want total control but IF he was to get the job back (and again I think it is hugely unlikely) he would have to give some concessions

Cant see him coming back on the same terms he had when he was sacked

NESV wouldnt allow that and I seriously doubt Rafa would expect that

Lets face it the ball is well and truely in NESV's court regarding any negotiations

I really don't think they will touch Rafa with a barge pole.

[sean_lfc]

It was on the same page

LOL that's me back to lurking then

[sean_lfc]

Rafa will be back. It's written in the stars. Just like the return of God, it's now the return of the Jedi.

[fred_plasticine]

Agree with pretty much all of that, especially the bit in bold.

same here.

[Kenneth]

LOL that's me back to lurking then

Sorry mate.

[Lecter]

I really don't think they will touch Rafa with a barge pole.

Me neither

[Redspin]

They play 4-2-3-1 until they score, then adopt a 4-5-1 and switch to a Houllier style counter attacking team. If they don't score first, they are really in trouble.

Yes you're right they're rubbish. I don't know what came over me. That Spain and their 4-2-3-1 are also crap. Give me good old Hodge's masterly grasp of the classic 4-4-2 for containing formidable opposition. The top half is only just out of our grasp

[Roboklopp]

I dont think theyll go for him either, but Ive made the mistake of letting myself hope.

[Fredo]

It depends, Tomkins has an array of statistics that can help Rafa's case, of which I'm sure the owners are fully aware of anyway.

[Roboklopp]

Just cos Xabi wasnt very mobile & could defend well doesnt make him a DM anyway FFS. Our attacking play certainly suffered without him.

It's clear his replacement Aquilani wasn't a DM in any case & his individual merits aside, he certainly wasn't a DM. Lucas covered for him & has more of a defensive bias (certainly at that stage), but Aquilani's injuries are another story.

[Roboklopp]

It depends, Tomkins has an array of statistics that can help Rafa's case, of which I'm sure the owners are fully aware of anyway.

Kind of clinging on thorugh that & some other stuff, Rafa will get an audience with the owners & impress them with his notebook, dvds, stats & Prozone etc.

[Kenneth]

Yes you're right they're rubbish. I don't know what came over me. That Spain and their 4-2-3-1 are also crap. Give me good old Hodge's masterly grasp of the classic 4-4-2 for containing formidable opposition. The top half is only just out of our grasp

Er

[Drago]

It depends, Tomkins has an array of statistics that can help Rafa's case, of which I'm sure the owners are fully aware of anyway.

Unless they stopped listening by the time he got around to the point.

It's a sign of how bad things are that the thought of Rafa coming back kind of excites me. I know it would only be a matter of time before he fell out with comolli though. Comolli would become the new blame guy for every poor signing.

I can't forget how bad the football was for large parts of his tenure, sticking to two defensive midfielders against ****e teams, weird subs & above all every poor transfer decision. He wasted a lot of money.