Rafa Benitez

[ewerk 31237]

 

 

Because of course Rafa is asking for £500m.

[Alex 35667]

Empty vessels and all that

[TheGingerQuiff 2412]

He left on a free despite being under contract because he was crying on about Nolan getting sold. Hypocrite.

Edited August 21, 2017 by TheGingerQuiff

[adios 717]

Attention seeking infant in vapid outlandish claim shocker.

[Kid Dynamite 7197]

The whole thing is boring as fuck now. Rafa's press conferences are like Groundhog Day and the media spout the same shit day in, day out about us being a small club, shouldn't expect £500mil to spend and Ashley is a top guy. Meanwhile we lose to the 1 of 2 clubs in the entire league that we managed to finish ahead of least season 

[wolfy 12]

10 hours ago, Kid Dynamite said:

The whole thing is boring as fuck now. Rafa's press conferences are like Groundhog Day and the media spout the same shit day in, day out about us being a small club, shouldn't expect £500mil to spend and Ashley is a top guy. Meanwhile we lose to the 1 of 2 clubs in the entire league that we managed to finish ahead of least season 

Shelvey's red card cost us any spoils from one game in which we more than matched Tottenham.

Rafa's negative tactics cost us any spoils from the Huddersfield game.

 

Raf needs to stop whining and get on with honing the players he bought into a balanced unit that does not go into games handing out too much respect to the opposition.

[The Fish 10978]

The absence of Shelvey, Lejeune and Dummett made the lack of depth in the squad apparent against Huddersfield. 

 

Rafa's "negative" tactics won us the league last season and are our best shot of staying up. Anyone crying out for a more attacking setup dramatically overestimate our players.

[Anorthernsoul 1221]

9 minutes ago, The Fish said:

 

 

Rafa's "negative" tactics won us the league last season and are our best shot of staying up. Anyone crying out for a more attacking setup dramatically overestimate our players.

 

You've got to admit it's worrying the fact that every single fixture for the rest of the season will see us with the same tactics regardless of who is available and who we are playing?

 

 

We've got Chelsea on the Sunday 13th May 2018, Conte can sit down today and he'll know exactly how we'll play. 

 

[StoneColdStephenIreland 74]

It was worrying that we played a CB at LB when we have 2 in reserve (fair enough maybe not too good) but they're better than playing a CB out of position on his weaker foot. 

 

Constantly playing Perez as number 10 is another worry when everyone else can see he's not cut out for the job.

 

I still back Rafa and love him to bits but he shouldn't be beyond criticism regarding team selection which is in his control.

[Anorthernsoul 1221]

3 minutes ago, StoneColdStephenIreland said:

It was worrying that we played a CB at LB when we have 2 in reserve (fair enough maybe not too good) but they're better than playing a CB out of position on his weaker foot. 

 

Constantly playing Perez as number 10 is another worry when everyone else can see he's not cut out for the job.

 

I still back Rafa and love him to bits but he shouldn't be beyond criticism regarding team selection which is in his control.

 

 

I'm of the same opinion, he is working with limited resources clearly but it was the same scenario when he first took over. Obviously it was a mammoth task to keep us up but some of his selections and tactics were very questionable and we went into games that we should be going for 3 points with a negative outlook that just invites pressure from the opposition.

 

 

[aimaad22 4240]

Why in the world are people mixing up Ashley's medium/long term strategy, or lack thereof, of running the club and Rafa's tactics on the pitch?

 

The former is having a significant impact on the latter, of course. But those pointing it out are not necessarily of the view that Rafa's tactics or performance as a coach are beyond criticism at all times. Its to point out the very real context, how Ashley's incompetence and lack of vision are making it extremely difficult for a world class manager to succeed. Thats not to say that Ashley is to blame for a funny substitution, Shelvey being a prick or a bad performance in any particular game ffs. 

 

This whole media tirade seems coordinated doesnt it? Strangely. Since the Sky interview. They've always held the view that we're never happy because we have lofty expectations and they are drilling it in now with all this rubbish about negativity and what not. 

[Dr Gloom 22200]

In Rafa we trust. 

 

Ashley is still a cunt.

 

Two games in, no need to wet the bed just yet. We lost of our first two fixtures last season too. 

[trooper 940]

Keen to avoid a relegation battle, West Ham are drawing up contingency plans to replace Slaven Bilic and Rafa Benitez is on their shortlist, according to the Mirror.

[The Fish 10978]

3 hours ago, Anorthernsoul said:

 

You've got to admit it's worrying the fact that every single fixture for the rest of the season will see us with the same tactics regardless of who is available and who we are playing?

 

 

We've got Chelsea on the Sunday 13th May 2018, Conte can sit down today and he'll know exactly how we'll play. 

 

 

I think if we had stronger options in the squad we could play a different formation from time to time. That said, we needn't change our formation often. We can tweak the system that usual formation uses. E.G. a 4-2-3-1 with Mitrovic up front would lessen the reliance on a creative #10 as the wide men would be able to cross from deeper, or higher balls from defence would be for the wide men to run onto beyond the striker, or he could bring the #10 into the play with knock downs.

 

If we had attacking fullbacks on both flanks the wingers could sit in a narrower 3 and overload the centre of the pitch, looking for overlapping fullbacks, or through balls for Gayle etc. the defensive cover coming from two deeper lying midfielders.

 

4-2-3-1 can easily morph into 4-1-4-1 or 4-4-2. Perez (for the lack of an actual #10) could get closer to the other striker and look to find pockets of space in the box.

[trooper 940]

Rafa doesnt like to play 2 up top though, plus we dont have that quality player up front to play the lone striker game.

[The Fish 10978]

31 minutes ago, trooper said:

Rafa doesnt like to play 2 up top though, plus we dont have that quality player up front to play the lone striker game.

No, he doesn't, not in a typical 4-4-2 fashion. But he has played with slight variations to the #10 role. Sometimes Perez has played right up beside Gayle or Murphy or Mitrovic. Diame tends to play a deeper lying role than that.

 

I honestly think the problem is with the one finishing the chances, it's the lads tasked with creating the chances. We're not keeping the ball, let alone controlling it. Had we a real replacement/improvement for Shelvey and a quality #10 I think we'd be in a much better state.

 

Doesn't help we're missing 3 of our first choice defensive unit.

[trooper 940]

From todays press conference

 

RafaRafa on fans: "They know the situation and so do the players. Some players need to go." 

on selection v Forest: "We will see new players come in tomorrow because we must use the squad

Winning games changes everything." 

We knew in the Championship we needed Championship players now we need to move players. We are working on that." 

knows nothing about the West Ham job rumours

We are closer to outgoings than 2 days ago, but still I am not sure how close. We are working on incomings behind the scenes" 

We have a cup competition & we'll try to do well again but I will not lie: we have to use the squad we have to try & progress" 

Thinks Forest will do well this season not to well tomorrow night

Will use the other players, maybe one player from the U23s too, because we have to be sure we have a squad to play this game"

[Park Life 71]

Think a central attacking mf will come in.

[The Fish 10978]

32 minutes ago, Park Life said:

Think a central attacking mf will come in.

I hope so.

 

One of those, plus a 40 goal a season striker, a marauding Left Back and an imperious 'keeper.

[trooper 940]

Benitez: 'This proved that we have to improve in some areas'.

Rafa Benitez blames missed chances for tonight's defeat, and says he "had to use the squad" with two games so close.

[TheGingerQuiff 2412]

Weird how Klopp managed to field his best team tonight and all the Champions League clubs will be playing their top men midweek and weekends. Load of shite.

[TheGingerQuiff 2412]

There's a fucking international break coming up as well that the vast majority of our shit cunts won't be participating in

[trooper 940]

The next 7/8 days could be crucial Saturday's game has just  become very important

Edited August 23, 2017 by trooper

[Anorthernsoul 1221]

6 hours ago, trooper said:

The next 7/8 days could be crucial Saturday's game has just  become very important

 

Every single game is very important, we need every point we can get this season.

[wolfy 12]

Out of the cup and we move on.

Nothing much else to say about any of it. It doesn't tell any real story of anything with Rafa or so called statements of intent to Ashley and co, as has been mentioned.

We lost because Forest scored 3 and we scored 2.

That's it.

 

If Rafa needs to make any real statements of intent, he needs to do it for the fans by intending to send out a team to entertain and not sit back and allow the opposition to hog it all for their own fans.