Okay, I'm gonna criticise Rafa

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein

Listened to Ando on the way out of the game and he had it spot on.... we should not let teams dominate possession at SJP and we simply have to do SOMETHING DIFFERENT at home for the remaining home games otherwise we can kiss those points goodbye.

Our remaining home games are:

Wigan
Burton
Leeds
Preston
Barnsley

If we keep playing our failed system we will get 6 points max.

If we do something different... like stop playing balls over the top for Gayle and use the wingers properly... or switch to 442 we will get 12 points.

For me.. Rafa is experienced enough to know what he is seeing surely?

Time to tweak things otherwise Einstein's comment may come home to bite us in the arse.

 

A man of Rafa's experience must be able to see what we can see.
High balls to Gayle is just wrong

 

If that had been Pardew or Mcclaren they would be getting roasted. Rafa's tactics are costing us points at home.

 

I'm staggered by how bad that was. You'd sort of blame the players, if it weren't for the fact nothing changed after 20, 30, 45 or 59 minutes. Manager's fault today.

If anyone works us out away from home we could be fcked.

 

Rafa has cost us points this season with his inability to change things up.

Take colback out and we will return to winning the ways.

It's that ****ing simple.

 

Rafa got it wrong but the fact that 10 outfield players all had an off day and Fulham are a good team who are on a good run, has plenty to do with this result as well.

 

Return to winning ways? That's the first game we've lost in 12 games. It's not as bad as you think it is mate.

 

I've got no gripe with the result today, we were due a defeat. First one for eleven games.

I've got no gripe with the fans who leave early. They pay their money, it's their choice.

What really boils my piss is the "fans" who boo the team off at half time. This is a side who are top of the league, managed by a bloke who we are extremely fortunate to have here. Booing? They can **** right off.

 

I will criticise Rafa for playing Jamal Lascelles when we've got Chancel Mbemba. Mbemba is twice the defender Lascelles is. I'm assuming Mbemba is fit since he played in the ACN, otherwise, Rafa, I sincerely apologise.

 

We have played pretty **** for weeks.

 

Since colback walked his finger arse onto th pitch we have been ****e.

 

The sooner we get Pardew back the better.

 

Colback's been in and out of the side all season. He certainly wasn't the reason we lost today.

 

But won most games. Not to mention playing decent and winning too. Everyone was chuffed to **** two games ago when we beat Brighton and Huddersfield and thought we were a good team.

 

It's a combination of things for me. It's not just formation. It's not just personnel. It's not just attitude. All of these things compound each other. It's very easy to sit and say it wouldn't matter what formation we play at home, or it wouldn't matter what team Rafa picked, or it's the players. For me it's just making excuses for his failings. You of course have to keep it in perspective as we are having an ok season overall and he has done superbly away.

What you cannot get away from though is the home form is poor. Why we keep doing the same thing over and over is beyond me. Why he keeps sending them out to plod their way through 20mins is indeed insanity. The changes are not even massive. We just need first and foremost to set up at home without two sitting midfielders. I don't mind Diame back in there with Shelvey. Then play Perez in the hole. It immediately gives you energy higher up the pitch to press. Though I can see an argument for 343 or 442 I don't think it's absolutely necessary. We must get after teams early and press - we are at home ffs.

I don't get all this we are lucky to have Rafa? He is lucky to have such a terrific opportunity in my opinion. I'm biased of course because I love the club and I think if you have the balls and knowledge to get it right it's very rewarding. He is so close to something. It's just frustrating he is so stubborn. Hopefully common sense will prevail and he will have a good look at things. He has an overwhelming amount of evidence his current approach is not working at home. If he is as good as some think I'm sure he will turn it round and be flexible enough to try something different. There are so many ways round the problem not just the ones we mere punters suggest. What isn't a smart choice is to bury your head like a ****ing ostrich.

 

We definately ARE lucky to have Rafa as manager. He's won everything in his career, he has a cv second to few. Us, on the other hand have won nothing in the 45 years I have been regularly watching.

I don't bury my head, there are faults, but one of the biggest is the fans that moan about a mere blip.

 

I just hope Ashley has the balls to forget who he is and sack the fat f#cker. We need a manager who has the tactical nous to get us winning 3-1 every week.

 

I think we're fast approaching a zenith in this stewardship. We're very, very close to the point where we then can't change our approach under his management, we cannot be much worse at home and to not change SOMETHING is just crazy.

We go out to be as lethargic as possible for at least 45 minutes. Sit deep, do not press, conserve energy. This is archaic, at best; teams in the conference exhibit the ability to chase and press Premier League clubs for 90 minutes, so what are we doing? Hoping they tire? It's nonsense.

A formation is a formation is a formation; it's how you play that matters and the message you send. Jokanovic knew without doubt how we would play before we stepped on that pitch. We looked startled by Fulham. Bristol City knew what we'd do. We looked shocked that they scored. We seem unprepared, unable to change in match and leaderless. Our game management is very, very poor - does a headline manager have a detrimental effect here? Are the players thinking "well, I'd love to charge them down, but the gaffer knows best 'cos he's won the Champions League"??

Some of it is downright baffling. DIame is not, was not, will never be some kind of Coutinho/Willian type who can play between lines and link up play. Colback is not Matip/Makelele, Gayle is not Torres. (feel free to insert your own comparisons). You cannot just ignore what you have and stick them in formations you know 'cos it worked once in Turkey.

Getting really fed up with it. Fearing home matches, agog at selections, fearing for our lives next season. We're not building a sustainable identity.

 

It means little, mate. What are we lucky for? He's done the bare minimum I'd expect of absolutely anyone, including Macca and Pards. We didn't buy in Jan. We posted a £30m profit. So far, nothing has changed; we're just better away from home, in the fizzy pop.

 

I didn't mean you bury your head mate. I meant him. He is just doing the same thing over and over, getting the same result.

We would have to disagree on being lucky to have him. What he's done at other clubs in the past is all well and good, but I'm only interested in what he does here. So far he has done nothing more than ok for me.

I agree I don't like fans who moan and groan in the ground. On a forum though I agree entirely with people getting their moans and groans out. As long as they are not just whinging for the sake of it, then not giving him credit when he deserves it I.e. Our excellent away form. I don't think you could call our home form a mere blip though. We've already lost 5 games this season and drawn 2. From 18 games we've collected 35 points. Pretty average given the standard of the league, money afforded to the manager, and a supposed superstar manager.

If he doesn't work out what to at home in this league, god help us if we do manage to get promoted.

Personally I'll never be grateful to have a manager. I can understand how you can be grateful to a chairman who funds it like a jack walker or Steve Gibson. But a manager? A player? Nah they are the ones who should be grateful to work at such a great club with such magnificent support.