Rafa - will keep us up. However under Rafa there will never be even a glimmer of hope of making it much higher.
I’m not saying it wouldn’t work but why is Rafa playing him all over the pitch. Seems we have equalised and we didn’t really want a relplay. However we can maybe see who we will play in the next game and setup accordingly.
Eh?! Football is about scoring goals, winning games and trying to entertain. What is going on this season that makes Rafa the best we can do? For £4m a year we should be getting a bit more.
Nothing to do with the money or the players I'm afraid. Its the tactics. I totally get whoever was comparing this to Jose - boring, backfoot, dull defensive football, we have SOME decent players, probably enough to get by but stifiling them and making sure they only lose 1-0 every week is not the way to do it, so let them go play. If any other manager was doing the same job as Benitez he'd be lynched from all 4 corners of St James' Park regardless of the behind the scenes BS that is going on. Launching the ball 40-50 yards up to Rondon and Joselu is car crash football...and whilst I love a good car crash video, watching it over and over again it makes you start to feel sick after a while. Get the ball on the floor, pass the ball to feet, pass the ball forwards to a player - not this pass it around the back and then lump it on up to effectively no-one. POSITIVES. Lejuene is back - looked ropey but got through 90mins Joselu can surely never get another minute of football for the club after that display unless we end up in League 1 Thank you and good night
One thing to add - never want to see Kenedy in a black and white shirt again. Worst player on the pitch today by a mile
you didn't need a crystal ball to forsee this result just do enough to appease the public, get a draw and a replay, go out meakly away from home come out and say - we give it our best shot etc.etc. bull **** etc. it happens all the time and has done under every Manager we have had under Ashley's reign
Makes two of us mate. In this comment and the Rafa/Jose comparison. It’s utter gash. Rafa wants to control every aspect of every player - there is no freedom. Never has been, same clart through the championship season. It’s allardyce-ball, based on stats and not what you see, or feel. It’s too rigid, he’s too stubborn. I hate what NUFC has become and it’s not just Ashley. For a few minutes after conceding it honestly felt like Ritchie and a couple of others thought “**** this bullshit, I’m a footballer not a robot” and played in spite of Benítez. That Joselu stayed on the pitch is a sackable offence.
Woodman was a bit lacking on crosses, Sterry was a bit all over the place and Longstaff didn’t cover himself in glory. They were let down heavily by a complete lack of real plan or identity and some appalling tactics as well as a total lack of quality/leadership from the senior pros. They can’t really be judged or held accountable when the manager is picking want away Isaac, don’t wanna be here Kenedy and Tosselu.
