Even after Rafa learns from errors and eventually puts a system in place, starts getting the wins we all said he would if he did so, still you have supporters not happy with him. Look I've been one of his biggest critics, particularly at home where his poor planning, tactics etc contributed to the worst run of any Newcastle manager in 20 years, but even I have given the credit where its due. It takes a big man to self analyse and realise you are making huge mistakes. Rafa has done that and I think you should give him a little bit of credit. Yes he hasn't been that much more attacking but there has been a clear plan in place as with our away fixtures. We are seeing the benefit of that and he is getting the max from his team. That is all you can ask. As we can now see, we have a team/squad good enough to stay in the PL, we just needed them managed correctly. That is now clearly happening so just be happy and positive.
Can you explain to me how he's changed his system? And please make sure it's a long convoluted answer that isn't actually an answer but a litany of bait comments. I like that
I don't think so much changing a system, but rather tightening up how the system operates and the team looking more drilled in what they are trying to do. The plans have been very clear for the last few home games, with very clear patterns of play. I think Man Utd was a very clear turning point for the team at home. Honestly no baiting at all I'm being deadly serious for once, I think Rafa deserves credit for realising what is going wrong and stamping his authority on how we approach our home games. Our record was appalling and it couldn't continue. Say we'd picked up 2 points instead of 9 from three games (which was our form at home), we'd be in a serious situation. He seems to have finally understood the power of the crowd too. The fast starts and high press is vital to getting the crowd going. I've enjoyed the last 3 home games. The football hasn't been spellbinding or anything like that, but the ferocity of our play is heartening. So when we criticise because that mainly comes from the manager, you've also got to credit him when it goes the other way. The system also looked disjointed and there were no patterns to our play. I think it is very clear now and that is down to coaching. Kenedy is a massive part of it, and there is a clear axis again in the link up between full back/wingers. Dummett sits deeper to come round into a 3 as Yedlin pushes on, Kenedy as a result is given more freedom knowing he has the security of Dummett. Ritchie lacks any explosive pace, but with Yedlin bursting forward, he gets space to operate in. Diame is tasked with breaking down play and finding Shelvey, Shelvey is responsible for getting the ball into dangerous areas and turning round the defence. Gayle is asked to sit on the shoulder now, and while him and Perez are still missing chances, the chances we are creating are much better. Gayle has broken the line to be clean through more in the last 3 homes than he has in the rest of the season combined. Tactically we are getting it right. Our away form was fine anyway. We will always lose games in this league because we are not blessed with superstars. However our squad is no worse than many of those around us, and with good tactical approach there is no reason we couldn't stay up despite the doom and gloom. It wasn't down to personnel, it was tactics. We've sorted it out and Rafa is responsible for that just as much as he was for the bad run. Its horrible going to home games watching a team which has no plan. Allardyce days were like that and it was torture.
Can't believe I'm doing this or saying this but I have to defend Allardyce on your last point. If anything Allardyce did have a plan and his team attempted to play to his system. It may be that the system was lump the ball forward at the first opportunity from any where and every where on the pitch AND we may have had two small strikers up front in Owens and Martins AND it may have failed miserably but that was his system and plan and, accordingly, wrong to put Allardyce in the grouping of having no plan.
Possibly can agree to some extent. He did lump a lot of 60 yd balls to Owen and Martins, then look to pick up scraps. His loose plan was all around gaining territory up the pitch, much like a kicking game in rugby. I'd argue however that wasn't a coherent plan, as the performances ending up being really disjointed. Plus once we got into those areas, he forgot to tell them what to do. Some of that was down to players not wanting to do what he was asking, some down to not understanding what he was asking, some from him not telling them what he wanted, but regardless the team was not drilled on what the plan was. Part of tactical planning has to be around being able to communicate what you need from your players in each situation on the pitch. Its clear from Nicky Butt's famous dressing comment after an hour pre match chat with Allardyce "What do you want us to do when we have the ball?" that Allardyce's planning and organisation left something to be desired. He had part of the plan (a **** one), but not all of it.
Got to the bit where you talk about harnessing the power of the crowd, Remembered you saying to me not so long back that crowd atmosphere is no excuse for failure, Saved a fair bit of time by not reading the rest Anyways from what I'm gathering, Benitez had a system all along he merely 'tightened' it. However, on Saturday we played Te same game we've played all season, the major difference being the crowd stayed with the team. But if you think the whole of St. James was chanting about systems, that is your right mate!
Bit more to it than that. If you'd like a summary. Basically Benitez has realised how he was tactically failing at home and corrected it.
Well its better than the one he had on for from August to January for our home games... please log in to view this image
Why does it have to be a two year period? Net spend should be taken into account because we had to replace a ****-tonne of players after getting relegated. Neither Brighton nor Hudds got relegated that year. So the only relevant comparison is either the spend over one year (we're third) or net spend over two years (we're still third).
I choose spend over 2 years because that is how long Rafa has been in charge. We can take in the season before to show how much investment has had over a three period. To be honest though I’m not sure it will help your point of view as we spunked another 77m.
So we're now talking about seasons not involving Rafa, but accusing him of spending another £77m?!! You've lost me! I don't even know where £77m came from, Pouchy. Or should I call you Mikey? I thought we were talking about the actual point you made which is how the spending of Rafa's Newcastle compares to Brighton and Hudds - the point there being we were the only ones getting relegated during the two year period, so if we're saying two years we can use NET spend as a better judge. Or more realistically we can look at just this season, last summer + January, and state for an absolute, cast iron fact that we spent less than both. Magpies 2016/17. Spent £57m. Sold £90m. 2017/18. Spent £39m. Sold £17m. NET SPEND - 2 SEASONS - -(minus)£11m Terriers 2016/17. Spent £4m. Sold £1m. 2017/18. Spent £51m. Sold £5m. NET SPEND - 2 SEASONS - £49m Seagulls 2016/17 Spent £8m. Sold £0. 2017/18 Spent £58m. Sold £0. NET SPEND - 2 SEASONS - £66m (source: Transfermarkt.com) Or were the words you wrote - about comparing Brighton, Hudds and Newcastle - not the ones you meant? The only thing we should be asking is - where the **** has the money gone?
Don't waste your time mate. I just caught him on the Birmingham...Bastards thread on the Mackem board using NET SPEND to defend Rafa/Newcastle. He knows fine well that net spend puts everything into context. Rumbled! The game's up Free-dor!
Its marvelous stuff as well. He (Pouchy) spent weeks on here arguing that net spend shouldn't be taken into account - Rafa should be judged on the amount he (over)spent to "buy" the Championship title. He is now arguing the exact opposite on there. Top Wumming!
