Who's To Blame For The Season So Far?

[dww]

Sorry but I don't buy this 'not enough cash from the board'. We bought Pennant and Bellamy for a combined £11.8m. We also bought Kuyt ofr probably £9m plus. Kuyt appears to be worth the cash but Rafa chose to buy Pennant and Bellers. The Cisse injury obviously played a part but he picks the players to buy.

I think it is clearly a slightly more complicated story than he doesn't have the money. But the problem is that Rafas prefered style of play requires different types of players than he had available to him when he came, meaning he has had to buy in effect a whole team. In order to do so on a finite budget he has had to make some trade offs in terms of numbers of players vs quality of players.

This has led to buys like Pennant and Bellamy who were risky but were probably the only pair of right winger and forward with any sort of record available for a combined £12m. Ideally I'm sure Rafa had targets that were above them on his shopping list and I suspect he would have dearly have liked to have added a mobile attacking right back to his squad.

However it is pretty clear to all that the board limits the available funds for the sensible reason that "doing a Leeds" is not a great option.

[Red_Al_77]

I think it is clearly a slightly more complicated story than he doesn't have the money. But the problem is that Rafas prefered style of play requires different types of players than he had available to him when he came, meaning he has had to buy in effect a whole team. In order to do so on a finite budget he has had to make some trade offs in terms of numbers of players vs quality of players.

This has led to buys like Pennant and Bellamy who were risky but were probably the only pair of right winger and forward with any sort of record available for a combined £12m. Ideally I'm sure Rafa had targets that were above them on his shopping list and I suspect he would have dearly have liked to have added a mobile attacking right back to his squad.

However it is pretty clear to all that the board limits the available funds for the sensible reason that "doing a Leeds" is not a great option.

Yet we spend on average more than Arsenal? If the best Rafa could do with £11.8m is Bellers and Pennant then at the moment that doesn't say much for Rafa's ability to 'pick up a player on the cheap'. Only Momo I'd class as a cheap great buy by Rafa. Alonso, Reina, Crouch, Kuyt were not cheap. Agger may turn out to be a great bit of business I'll grant you but when it comes to buying wingers our record is bloody awful. The one winger who we have who is genuine class is mostly injured.

[Howard_lfc]

Yet we spend on average more than Arsenal?

Wenger buys them young - and cheap - and schools them to play the way he want's them to play. Then they slot right into his team pattern. The man has no peers in this department. If only he bought/developed a few british players...... but then that's not his problem.

[kurtangle01]

You should have had the option of selecting "all the above". They are all failing the club at the moment.

[dww]

But Arsenal have had a hugely effective youth system in place with the same manager and style of play for years. The reason they have been able to spend less over the years is that when Wenger came in the league was weaker and so a good knowledge of foreign players allowed him to bring in the players he needed. Over time he has put in place a system where young players are developed who can slot effortlessly into the team. Buying players when they only have potential and are thus cheap has been a trait of Wengers but it is only so successful because he has had a period of time to systematically get a/ feeder clubs and b/ good youth coaching.

We are yet to see how well all of the young signings of Rafas will fit in. I also think people have written off Pennant and Gonzalez before they have had a chance. Also Garcia is as much of a winger as Rosicky and has been a good signing and for not much more than Momo.

[Red Chilli]

God* is to blame




* (not the LFC version)

[saveferris]

Got to be the players...Rafa, whilst not blameless, hasnt got anything with them looking like they dont give a damn and generally playing pants

[Red_hot]

Got to be the players...Rafa, whilst not blameless, hasnt got anything with them looking like they dont give a damn and generally playing pants

Exactly.

[Bob]

Got to be the players...Rafa, whilst not blameless, hasnt got anything with them looking like they dont give a damn and generally playing pants

He's got everything to do with it. Kick a boot at them, any ****ing thing. He's there to motivate and get the team functioning. End of.

[Diego]

A lot of mixed opinions so far ie it's rafas fault for his tactics/team line ups/positions, it;s gerrard fault for his form, it's the boards fault for cash restrictions/not allowing certain investors/only allowing a certain amount on one player etc etc etc etc....

Just wondering what the general opinion is....

the Fans...

[Bob]

the Fans...

The prawn brigade are doing ok.

[Red_Polo]

Got to be the players...Rafa, whilst not blameless, hasnt got anything with them looking like they dont give a damn and generally playing pants

But it's his job to prevent that kind of thing happening and solve it when it does happen. For me the responsibility is shared by all, but the buck stops with Rafa. The thing is I know he will live and learn and be a better manager for it, and he'll turn us around. Which you can't necessarily say about some players sadly.

[saveferris]

He's got everything to do with it. Kick a boot at them, any ****ing thing. He's there to motivate and get the team functioning. End of.

It's a fair point but just because he isn't doing it in public it doesnt mean that he isn't, but there is a limit to what he can do on the sidelines. He couldn't do anything about the marking (or lack of) for Gallas' goal, that was player error, or Carragher hoof for Ferdinand's goal and the lack of tracking of Scholes for his goal

The players are the ones on the pitch and thery arent performing to the best of their ability. I am not saying that rafa is blameless but we all see how the playters heads drop after conceding a goal.

The current form of Alonso, Gerrard, Carragher and to an extent Reina's form reminds me of Dudek's after he had a stinker of a world cup in the far east. The 3 of them need a rest it seems but there is no one playing well enough to replace them.

[Bob]

Those that said there is a 'collective responsibility' are spot on. It's not about hounding out a scape goat. We need everyone pulling together right now.

[anfieldanfield]

Rafa Benitez is to blame.