Rafa Watch

[Craig_H]

Not jumping to conclusions mate, its well known that they all got fed up with him. Its just alot of fans who can't accept it.



Maybe but who signed them all? And who lost them?

That's not true though, is it?

[RedReet]

Not jumping to conclusions mate, its well known that they all got fed up with him. Its just alot of fans who can't accept it.

Even if they did and thought they knew better than the manager, I'm sure the minority (what I believe from the same rumours probably) may have reconsidered their position much like the Valencia team did not long after he left.

[wavydavy]

Even if they did and thought they knew better than the manager, I'm sure the minority (what I believe from the same rumours probably) may have reconsidered their position much like the Valencia team did not long after he left.

Well you can count me amongst the people who wanted him gone mate. I wanted rid of Rafa and his rotating etc. Now, having seen the club managed by that ****ing bottom feeder for the last 6 months, I'd have Rafa back in a nano-second. Great managers are hard to find. Great ones who get us and what we are about are even rarer. Even if the Bodge gets the bullet I'm **** scared of who we'd end up with.

[RedReet]

Well you can count me amongst the people who wanted him gone mate. I wanted rid of Rafa and his rotating etc. Now, having seen the club managed by that ****ing bottom feeder for the last 6 months, I'd have Rafa back in a nano-second. Great managers are hard to find. Great ones who get us and what we are about are even rarer. Even if the Bodge gets the bullet I'm **** scared of who we'd end up with.

That’s surely a Sky myth, badly exaggerated at least? His rotation system was often compared to other top teams and there wasn’t much difference. The problem apparently seemed to be when he didn’t play an unfit Gerrard or Torres in previous seasons and unsurprisingly look where that got us when he did last year.

[Mattshark]

That’s surely a Sky myth, badly exaggerated at least? His rotation system was often compared to other top teams and there wasn’t much difference. The problem apparently seemed to be when he didn’t play an unfit Gerrard or Torres in previous seasons and unsurprisingly look where that got us when he did last year.

[Arn]

but in August the club promised me three players but no-one arrived,"

Masch plus two others. He was fuming when Masch signed for Barca allegedly. He was promised that the club would sign Masch. No ifs or buts, they would sign him. That is what the club promised him.

Allegedly.

I think myself that they only got in Rafa to act as a caretaker for a season and then someone else will takeover. Either Capello or Pep. That is why they don't spend any money until the one that will build the team the next few years take over.

[Craig_H]

That’s surely a Sky myth, badly exaggerated at least? His rotation system was often compared to other top teams and there wasn’t much difference. The problem apparently seemed to be when he didn’t play an unfit Gerrard or Torres in previous seasons and unsurprisingly look where that got us when he did last year.

In the first half or so of his time here, he rotated to an almost obsessive extent.

Maybe, over the course of the season, the amount of 'rotating' he made wasnt excessively higher than most other top manager, but very few top managers (if any, as i can recall) would make 8 or 9 changes to their team lineup, from one league game to the next, and i remember that this was something rafa did.

[Arn]

Not much rotating from Rafa the last couple of seasons here if it wasn't because of injuries.

-------------------Reina
Johnson-----Carra---------Agger-------Insua
------------Masch----????
-----Kuyt---------Gerrard-----????
-------------------Torres-----------------

That the players that would play every week when fit.

[little dave hedgehog]

Not much rotating from Rafa the last couple of seasons here if it wasn't because of injuries.

-------------------Reina
Johnson-----Carra---------Agger-------Insua
------------Masch----????
-----Kuyt---------Gerrard-----????
-------------------Torres-----------------

That the players that would play every week when fit.

probably also has something to do with the fact that his squad was weaker and weaker.

[Craig_H]

Not much rotating from Rafa the last couple of seasons here if it wasn't because of injuries.

-------------------Reina
Johnson-----Carra---------Agger-------Insua
------------Masch----????
-----Kuyt---------Gerrard-----????
-------------------Torres-----------------

That the players that would play every week when fit.

Yes, that's why i said in the first half of his tenure mate.

He seemed to learn by about 2006 or 2007.

[RedReet]

In the first half or so of his time here, he rotated to an almost obsessive extent.

Maybe, over the course of the season, the amount of 'rotating' he made wasnt excessively higher than most other top manager, but very few top managers (if any, as i can recall) would make 8 or 9 changes to their team lineup, from one league game to the next, and i remember that this was something rafa did.

I think it was others that became obsessed. I also think that because other teams had better players slotting in then it wasn't as noticeable, but because we had to rely on reserves basically then it became more of an issue. It was a balancing act that in hindsight we didn't get just right but we always finished the seasons stronger looking a lot fresher than other teams and until last year we improved year after year as the quality of the squad got better.

[Chrono]

Why would Pep join them?

[Craig_H]

Mate, there were times where he made 9 changes - and others never got to that extent. 4 or 5 perhaps, but not 9.

It wasnt 'not as noticeable' - they just DIDNT make 9 changes from one league game to the next. Rafa, on occasion, did.

We finished the season looking stronger and fresher, but if you're 15-20 points behind, as we sometimes were, it didnt matter.

[Arn]

Why would Pep join them?

They will challenge every season and Moratti is a big fan. He can also speak Italian without any problem.

[Craig_H]

More to the point Arn, why would Pep leave Barcelona?