Exactly. Another example is our wanting Rafa to go for it against Fulham by bringing Joselu on. Or am I the only one that sees the irony in such a comment?
Jesus wept Rafa! What kind of a message does that send out to the players? It'll be a miracle of there's three teams worse than you? We're five points and three places clear of the relegation zone, so why would it be a miracle if we stayed up? Perhaps he could go a bit positive and play two up front against the worst away team in the league. Or use his two bigger signings in Muto and Murphy, or are they not good enough? Hate to say this, but our side is the most boring side to watch in the league.
We are down. It’s as simple as that. There aren’t 3 teams worse than us this season. Huddersfield will replace Wagner and feel the new manager bounce and Rafa is gone In June when his contract runs out.
Cherry pick the bits you like mate, didn't fancy mentioning Muto or changing the formation from the same sentence, no? Although if we are quoting him, Rafa does tell it like it is: A visibly disappointed Benitez said following the draw on Saturday after he was asked whether he should have made substitutions and tactical changes earlier in the game. "When you lose or cannot win, you cannot enjoy it, but I know it is my job and I have to be sure I make the right decisions all the time. After the games we analyse everything and when we think we are wrong we try to manage and correct things. But sometimes in this league, which is so difficult, it is not enough and we have to carry on, and try to do better the next time." Apart from the fact anyone could have told him he needed to change it up and go for it, its good to see he knows he dropped the ball. As for Rafa's quote re staying up - great man management, yet again. Tool.
I suspect Rafa has had his transfer meeting and knows he is getting sod all. Or he’s trying to put pressure on fatty to sell.
I must say l am really surprised and disappointed to see what Rafa said. I cannot begin to imagine how frustrated and pig sick he must feel about the situation at NUFC. Like us he knows the early momentum and hope is all but gone and we limp along the bottom of the barrel continuously. It could have been so much better, we had so much potential, that’s the sad part. To be fair we as fans have endured Ashley longer than Rafa has and as they quite rightly say, it’s the hope that kills you. Time and time again. Rafa looks and sounds broken and it’s no surprise. For the first time in his tenure, l now have to accept that he will leave us in the summer and l cannot foresee anything happening to prevent it.
Eh, I saw those comments and thought he was just trying to play down fan expectation. He also later mentions it doesn't help fans booing their players off the pitch after a draw. Think it genuinely bothered him as well. Its like some people refuse to see the situation we're in and accept that, over the season, the aim is to survive relegation. I'd be pissed off if a large portion of my fan base continue to forget what their own expectations were at the start of the season and moan on a game-by-game basis despite saying they were looking at the bigger picture. You'd get to the point of "why bother". As said last year, the teams feeding off the crowd's anxieties/anger/expectations at home and faring better with the madcap total support following us away from home. Last year it wasn't until expectations dropped and fans got behind the team, as if they were underdogs in every game, that we started to look formidable again. It isn't as cut and dry as that because we have a truly awful set of attackers. However, if you boo already **** players the majority of games, it's going to do more harm than good. Sadly we have this breed of opinion that's growing in number. If results are coming in, it's all quiet. The minute it isn't, they wana talk tactics, lick Nitro's hoop and ask why we can't beat a sitting back Fulham 4-0 with a set of players that can only realistically counter attack.
The sad thing is, most of the knee jerkers on twitter are just kids who don’t even go to the game. We have some god awful players but it isn’t their fault. It’s a circular issue which I’m afraid goes straight back to Ashley.
You know, thinking about it. If Rafa thinks we are beat... do we simply accept that... or actually try to find someone at short notice who might at least go on the front foot and go down fighting (ie attacking). If I was a player who’s boss is going in the summer and who cas come out and said we are a lost cause... would I really want to run myself into the ground for him? Many wouldn’t. I really don’t know who that ‘someone’ would be but a Bruce type may be a realistic option to try to stay in the division. But then.... do I really want my team to stay in the division? Part of me says let’s get out of the Prem and clear the deck of the lot of them. It may take years like Leeds but longer term that may be the best thing for the club. Flushing the turds Down the bog.
Yeah to be fair it is what it is. Fans pay the money so I'm not here to whine, just the way I see it. I just don't get why we have someone like Perez, who is clearly a confidence player, and we give him the most **** out of anyone. And booing players off the pitch when we get a point isn't going to realistically help anything like. The twitter/Instagram thing is poison though, the players should actually exile themselves from it for the remainder of the season.
View from the outside. I think you've done exceptionally well to get onto 17 points before Christmas. Rafa has out tactic'd loads of teams & got the most from your limited squad. That winning run was unbelievable! But, he really has shot himself in the foot with those comments. Not only will that effect your players, but also the opposition. Not sure if he was just trying to raise some January cash, but certainly a dangerous way of going about it.
I honestly think, there's no other boss in the league who would have got what he has out of your squad. He is a weapon. You have just got to keep him happy for five more months, then pray the sale goes through!
His contract ends In June so hopefully he’ll see it out. I’m just pig sick at the way Ashley is like a locust, sucking money, goodwill and hope out of our club with no regards the local community or our once proud history.
There's some interesting vids on YouTube of Ashley, regarding the sale of BHS. Worth a watch, just so you can see what potential buyers are dealing with. He is certainly smarter than he looks, but boy is he tight!
Just got to look at Newcastle's goal difference to see that they won't go down. They might be awful to watch at times but they are hard to beat. Unless something drastically changes they'll be ok.
