Lots of hard decisions to be made

[New York Red]

Well that's another season up in smoke.

 

Other than the obvious gripes and changes to be made like getting rid of Boss Hogg and the midget, getting rid of Parry, what else should be done to get this club to where it needs to be?

 

I think everything needs to be considered. Rafa has had five years to get this club to winning the title, and we are no closer. This squad has been rife with problems and they won't go away.

 

We have signed cr*p like Lucas, Dossena, Degen, Babel, Keane.

 

Our academy seems to be unable to produce players which can break into the first team; we haven't had a Gerrard or Carra for a decade now.

 

We grossly overpay for players who end up failing miserably for us -- other than the obvious like Keane, there have been quite a few Pennant's and Bellamy's.

 

We've become a two-trick show. If Torres or Gerrard don't produce a bit of magic, basically we seem to be screwed.

 

I'm rambling, I know. But I'm so fed up of all of this. I'm fed up of Rafa getting a pass on everything I suppose when at the end of the day it is him who has the most power to make things happen. And he hasn't. We've got an average squad, full of players who shouldn't be there, and reliant on starters who are just good squad players. We get draw after draw after f*cking draw against average teams. This is a dysfunctional set up and Rafa may need to go to get the change that we really need. I hate to say this, but I'd even take Maureen if we could.

 

And I hate Rafa's little hand movements.

Edited February 22, 2009 by New York Red

[gns]

We do have a Champions League tie on Wednesday, so not all up in smoke just yet.

[Molby]

YANKS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

everything else is a side show

[Molby]

We do have a Champions League tie on Wednesday, so not all up in smoke just yet.

 

 

its a side show

 

although a great one

[Dominus Maximus]

Well that's another season up in smoke.

 

 

Stopped here, FFS STFU until it's over, you big drama queen...

[MFletcher]

I got down to the point about the academy. I would say 'Insua' to that, and I stopped reading because you were wrong on that point.

[New York Red]

Stopped here, FFS STFU until it's over, you big drama queen...

 

Give me the scenario where it isn't over based on the present situation.

 

Drama Queen? I've been waiting nearly 20 years now. I think I've had the patience of a saint.

[New York Red]

I got down to the point about the academy. I would say 'Insua' to that, and I stopped reading because you were wrong on that point.

 

And who else MF? One player in a decade? And he is far from a sure thing too.

[Swipe]

Love Rafa, but it's hard to defend him at times, when you consider he's had 5 years and the fact is we really aren't any closer to winning the league.

 

Something just isn't happening.

 

Last summers transfer dealings were disasterous. Unless we have new owners and silly money to spend, i'm just not confident anymore that the right players will be brough in.

[bobbyboulders]

... when you consider he's had 5 years and the fact is we really aren't any closer to winning the league...

 

We're definitely closer. Still a way off, and we may not get there with Rafa but he has improved the team over the last five years.

[Archangel]

YANKS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

everything else is a side show

 

If only it was as simple as that

 

 

 

I agree with NYR for the most part, but the club is rudderless though

[Swipe]

We're definitely closer. Still a way off, and we may not get there with Rafa but he has improved the team over the last five years.

 

Yeah, he's improved the squad. He's brough in some excellent players and some dreadful ones.

 

But we're still miles away from winning the league. We may be second now, but lets be honest - we've never really looked like challenging Utd this season.

 

Sooner of later someone's gonna make the decision that Rafa has had long enough.

 

An improvement of a few points each season isn't really good enough.

Edited February 22, 2009 by Swipe

[carrafan]

Love Rafa, but it's hard to defend him at times, when you consider he's had 5 years and the fact is we really aren't any closer to winning the league.

 

We are a lot closer to the league when compared to the time he took over. The question should be whether Rafa has it in him to make the last step and get our squad to actually win it. I think he does, others might think he doesnt. But to say we arent any closer to winning the league is plain wrong.

[lawrie]

When will people realise that winning the Premiership is out of our hands and will be until we can compete for players on the same footing as United and Chelsea. You can ask for Mourinho or whoever else takes your fancy but the outcome will be exactly the same - luck just cant hold out for a full 38 games

[Swipe]

We are a lot closer to the league when compared to the time he took over. The question should be whether Rafa has it in him to make the last step and get our squad to actually win it. I think he does, others might think he doesnt. But to say we arent any closer to winning the league is plain wrong.

 

Depends how you define "closer".

 

We're obviously a better team than the one when he first joined, but we're a millions miles away from being champions.

[Barnesy_10]

When will people realise that winning the Premiership is out of our hands and will be until we can compete for players on the same footing as United and Chelsea. You can ask for Mourinho or whoever else takes your fancy but the outcome will be exactly the same - luck just cant hold out for a full 38 games

How do you explain the s**** football we play and crazy substitutions?

f*** me we play some s**** stuff, not saying a different manager could get us playing like Brazil, but our general play is no better than a mid table team.

[bobbyboulders]

Yeah, he's improved the squad. He's brough in some excellent players and some dreadful ones.

 

But we're still miles away from winning the league. We may be second now, but lets be honest - we've never really looked like challenging Utd this season.

 

Sooner of later someone's gonna make the decision that Rafa has had long enough.

 

An improvement of a few points each season isn't really good enough.

 

If fat Sam's Blackburn had had got a draw yesterday and we'd won today, I think we may have been a win at Old Trafford away from topping the league, close to the business end of the season. It's a weak title challenge, but I think it counts as the bare minimum for this season.

 

I agree we've not been convincing, and the listless predictable draws at home have to raise some questions, but he's done enough to be allowed more time. Specially given the lack of suitable / available alternatives.

[Owen1978]

Sorry but this is not what i call a title challenge, as i have said before, are title challenge to me is that come end apr/start of may that

we off the top by 5 points at most, but having said that apr is not here yet so theres still time! but we need a miracle bigger than that

of istanbul!

[Owen1978]

How do you explain the s**** football we play and crazy substitutions?

f*** me we play some s**** stuff, not saying a different manager could get us playing like Brazil, but our general play is no better than a mid table team.

 

I agree on that our attacking play doesnt look like its got a pattern of play, its just seems that the players

are told to get on with it!

 

As far as spending goes, £30-40m is plenty in my books to get at least two world class players! - the secret is to spend it wisely something

that rafa is terrible at!

[Swipe]

Sorry but this is not what i call a title challenge, as i have said before, are title challenge to me is that come end apr/start of may that

we off the top by 5 points at most, but having said that apr is not here yet so theres still time! but we need a miracle bigger than that

of istanbul!

 

Exactly. We've done a bit better this season, but having your title "challenge" ended in late February (which it surely has been) is nothing to shout about

[lawrie]

How do you explain the s**** football we play and crazy substitutions?

f*** me we play some s**** stuff, not saying a different manager could get us playing like Brazil, but our general play is no better than a mid table team.

 

Its only s*** because we aren't top of the league and you desperately want to win the league, probably more than anything else in the world . We outplayed City today and were very unlucky, we've even outplayed Arsenal, United and Chelse this season. The problem lies in out attacking options and that I'm afraid is completely down to lack of money.

[Jim D]

We still got the Champions League to go for, given up on 1st place now, I'm confident we'll take 2nd place though. The Mancs are so strong it was always going to be an arduous task to overhaul them this season.

 

First priority is to sort this mess out inside the club, new owners, new CEO, new contracts for Rafa, the backroom staff and Agger. We've not had any sort of stability within the club for two years, we need a fresh start. Get to the summer and re-evaluate.

[Owen1978]

Its only s*** because we aren't top of the league and you desperately want to win the league, probably more than anything else in the world . We outplayed City today and were very unlucky, we've even outplayed Arsenal, United and Chelse this season. The problem lies in out attacking options and that I'm afraid is completely down to lack of money.

 

This where i see the game differently from most other fansm throughout the season i have heard

'we outplayed them' but for me having vast's amounts of possession and doing nothing with it

is not outplaying.

 

The whole point of football is to get the ball in the oppositions net, in order to win games!

if a team has 30% possession but creates 5/6 clear chances against a team who

have 70% of the play and create 1. The fair outcome would be the team with 30% possession should win

[alias75]

I think its the behind the scenes stuff we need to sort out more than anything on the pitch, the constant bickering with the owners, the failure of Rick Parry, the drama over Rafa's new contract all this at a time when we're having one of our best PL seasons its typical of this club at the moment that it seems all the in fighting and posturing is coming before whats best for the club which is unforgivable.

 

Once thats sorted then you can look at the managers position from a position of strength rather than weakness, at the moment id be scared to death of anyone bar Rafa managing this club while those 2 and Parry are still here.

[Jim D]

How do you explain the s**** football we play and crazy substitutions?

f*** me we play some s**** stuff, not saying a different manager could get us playing like Brazil, but our general play is no better than a mid table team.

 

Very harsh that, the Mancs have played no better than us this season but are seven points clear because they have far more attacking options than us particularly when trying to break down stubborn defences at home.

 

They have Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez and Berbatov to call upon to nick the odd goal, easily over £100million worth of talent there. Mancs have had the luxury of getting the players they wanted. Ferguson needed a defender a few years ago, so they gave him £30million to spend on Ferdinand. How about nearly £20million each on Nani and Anderson? £30million each on Rooney and Berbatov. That is what you need to spend if you want top quality, we haven't had that luxury because we've had a lot more shortcomings/gaps in the squad so Rafa had to spread the money around.

 

It is only just this season when Rafa had a chance to do that.

Edited February 22, 2009 by Jim D