Think we should give St Maximin a run in this if he is declared fit to play. Apparently he wont be 100% fit (Munson, 2020) so it will be an ideal opportunity to get him closer to 100% before the Chelsea game.
What we should be doing in this game is attacking the **** out of Rochdale. It's ****ING ROCHDALE. 5-4-1 is utterly stupid/brainless. We should be able, as a top flight professional club, to put on something of an attacking display and take the game to them. This is a GOLDEN opportunity to seize some momentum, get on it and get the diminished crowd to see a 4 or 5 goal performance. I'd put some kids up front who would be desperate to prove they're worth a shot above Joelinton, We should go 4-3-3, properly, but it's Bruce so we'll be stuck with 3-5-2. I only hope he doesn't play the same "don't lose" bullshit and sees this as a shot at redemption. The players need to prove they can be motivated by Doubtfire for this one an'all. Basically we need to see the football from the first half, with finishing of a better standard.
Mental. You're talking about professional footballers playing what could amount to 3 or 4 extra games (we'll be very fortunate to get past R5, but would be a hell of a fillip if we could). Pathetic to think how many games are being played at Wolves or Leicester in comparison, and neither of those teams have invested significantly more than we have in players over the years. The recruitment side isn't working. We have a £12m player - Murphy - on loan. Not even Liverpool have £12m players out on loan, that's a seriously big **** up. It's only a few mill away from the likes of Maddison or Ndidi, that's how badly we failed there. Then you've got Rafa favourites or buys like Atsu & Muto near the first team, it's horrendous. I don't rate Bruce at all, but he's a bad manager with a worse squad. The likes of Atsu, Muto, Murphy should be - for the money paid - good enough to take to the field against Rochdale and win comfortably. Yes, they're not world beaters, but all three cost more than the collective value of Rochdale's squad, ground and Town Centre put together. Obviously Murphy's not even here, but if he's not then we should have someone better in his place.....which we don't, thanks to Mike and Derek's Purple Player "structure".
I dont think we have an issue with buying badly... we do very well with our limited budget.. the prices we pay seem big because we havent spent above what was a bid fee in 29 years.. tbh 40 million for a 20 year old striker is **** all.. murphy 12 million **** all..
I agree with this. But, I've said it plenty, we signed a lot of ****e under Rafa. They're literally not good enough to play against Rochdale. I wouldn't even send them on loan to Sunderland in fear they wouldn't get game time.
Weve also spent less than most and the teams been good enough for a top.half finish , 13th the following season and has the best defense weve ever had.. What does 12 million get ? **** all
We've consistently spent less than most teams in the league for ten years and have always, when not relegated, fought for a good league position. A certain manager hounded out by the fans for being an "Ashley spy," even achieving a European spot getting us to the quarter final of that comp. Yet here we are again, with the same old discussion, while we sit here with a touthless team that can collapse into 4-0 hammerings if two players decide to not turn up, or when faced with the powerhouses of league one can't even gather a few decent squad players from the bench. Yes, the impact on this club has been fantastic. We have sold better players, with absolutely no explanation, than what we currently have on.
I think we do well in the transfer market , but spending isnt consistant enough ... its like spend and stock then repeat when we sell something significant... thanks to rafa we have a good foundation to add a few flair players like we have with max... all we need is two or three more ... The hardest part is building the foundations btw.
I think we continue to punch above our spending with transfers, it's very impressive to me that Newcastle United are still a Premier League side. I think Ashley has overachieved considering the sheer lack of effort he puts into his ownership of the club. Foundations are key. Yeah, it's why people still love Hughton. But, just like Chris, we were spinning our wheels in the mud with Rafa. We were swiftly becoming one trick ponies (which hasn't changed,) and we were messing around with the media far too much. It was becoming embarrassing considering how utterly bang average we are. I think really Benitez had to go. Nothing positive would have come from him hanging around as manager.
Newcastle is still i big draw in europe etc .. but eventually that will end .. I think.rafa did a great job and left us in a great place to build...
All Rafa's **** transfer work is really coming home to roost now. His bum boys are trying to defend the indefensible. They should face up to reality. He did a good job, not stellar and no better than Bruce, he bought some absolute gash, and they've wasted their affections on a bloke who jumped as soon as someone waved a fat paycheck. Those are the cold hard facts for those still trying to give him a nosh.
The season ends in may... Your comparisons are fruitless Time to change anything Different sides, different fixtures its all silly theres no basis for any fruitful comparison yet The only thing that can really be classed as a fair comparison is goals scored , goals conceded , final league positions all at end of a season plus maybe what state the clubs in when you leave Soon you we will learn and if bruces reign ends well i will yield.
I don't rate Bruce at all. But perhaps he should be afforded Jan and the Summer to see what he does. His record is actually pretty good, particularly bringing players through. At a bigger club than Hull, as we are, we could keep hold of a Robertson or Maguire for a little longer and then be the ones picking up £30m+ in sales. Rafa's record is not poor, it's hit and miss (as most managers are, including Ferguson/Wenger). Schar was an excellent piece of business, Fede has done well, Clark likewise, Lejeune for the price and more. Where he's always let himself down - and whether that was to prove a point remains to be seen - was in attacking options. Gayle, Muto, Joselu, Murphy, less so Lazaar, Barreca and Atsu represent a real lack of value. It's not just the fees, it's the time, associated costs that have really hit us. Wasting squad places with utter dirge was poor.
You are right comparisons are unfair. Brucey wasn't given a **** ton of money to build his own squad, or a year in the championship to bed it in at an easier level. He got lumbered with someone else ****ty stick and has just had to get on with it. A one dimensional team who can play one way. Obviously had it far tougher. Seems strange that he is outstripping Rafa's efforts at this stage of the season by some 8 points given Rafa was allegedly a god like figure. I mean one or two points you could to point to fixtures but such a big gap means there are no excuses. Its almost like people are judging on reputation and not the actual football...
Bruce is not what I wanted but then neither was Rafa. Both play very boring negative football. Bruce would say that is the hand he was dealt by Rafa of course but over the course of his career I can't recall many exciting teams he's managed. The problem is now that a step to where I think we should be heading with a modern young manager playing modern football, is so far removed from these two its a long long way and a lot of money away. We know this board doesn't spend so we are stuck in this mode for some time as far as I can see. I don't think Rafa's record is that bad. Indeed I've said before that the buys themselves are not really his work. Its very rare managers are actually responsible for finding and buying players. Its the scouting department responsible. All Rafa or Bruce does is give them a steer on what they are after and then help assess the options.That's without looking at first and second choices etc etc. The players found under Rafa or the defence were good. The rest were not so good. Almiron and Saint Maximin look better finds but then Joelinton is major concern. Time will tell if the scouting department improve and the selection of their finds by the manager does. I don't think any of these lads are Bruce signings. Joelinton joined 6 days after he did which tells you all you need to know.