madras

I'd like to think that, It's said that at Liverpool he went 99 games before playing an unchanged team.

Don't be stupid , there are two levels, Maldini and Shit.

So it's not rotation it's who looks best in the run up to the game ?

Certain positions haven't really been rotated, Goalkeeper was purely a form thing, Diame seems to play when avaialable as does Gayle. A rotational policy doesn't mean there are no preferred players or that all positions must rotate continuously at the same rate. Surely you know that though. Yeah I get that, just don't get the idea of a rotational policy as opposed to the usual play my best best but he could do with a rest type policy.

Certain positions haven't really been rotated, Goalkeeper was purely a form thing, Diame seems to play when avaialable as does Gayle.

In possession it should be more than 4-4-2, more like a 3-1-everyone else.

True right now but under Rafa, I have zero doubts he will become that, I'm pretty sure the change in Clark since he joined us has a lot to do with the coaching he's recieving. I've certainly not seen anything from John Stones to suggest he is worth the money Man City paid and that's your benchmark right now for young English CBs. Zero doubts ? I have plenty. I think He#ll become a good premiership defender but zero dounts he'll be a top one, don't know wher you see that. As for Clarke, he's a decent defender playing slightly below his level in a team that dominates the opposition most of the time.

But none of the players we play in that gap do much in midfield (or up front fwiw) so we'd be as likely to control the midfiled as we are anyway. Is it a coincidence that the only time that "10" has had a good game this season is with more of a target man up front (Perez v QPR and Diame v PNE). All that says to me is that neither of the options we have are doing what Rafa wants ideally, they just happen to be the best we have right now. They might eventually but i imagine if Rafa could buy a player for that position in the summer he would. Defintely, in fact I'd bloody well hope so. Just don't think it gets the best out of what we have, regardless of how well we are doing.

But none of the players we play in that gap do much in midfield (or up front fwiw) so we'd be as likely to control the midfiled as we are anyway. Is it a coincidence that the only time that "10" has had a good game this season is with more of a target man up front (Perez v QPR and Diame v PNE). Perez played well vs Ipswich without a target man He didn't really, weird as it sounds as he scored twice and created the other, he was nowhere near as good as he can be, as he was V qpr.

But none of the players we play in that gap do much in midfield (or up front fwiw) so we'd be as likely to control the midfiled as we are anyway. Is it a coincidence that the only time that "10" has had a good game this season is with more of a target man up front (Perez v QPR and Diame v PNE).

I know we laugh at it but didn't they actually stop their fans leaving early once ?

Is there some reason that that picture has every players fingers extra long and boney ?

Because Rafa clearly doesn't want to and thinks it won't work in his general scheme and ideas. I have zero issue with it personally. If it's about what Rafa clearly wants then the original question was pointless as it's obvious that he'll choose Gayle, I think he's wrong.

They are putting a lot of stock in the players that are due to return from injury, that are going to turn around their season. I guess they are talking mostly about Borini (who seems to play best against us, unlucky again Sunderland ), Kirchoff (who was great in the run in for them last season, but I remember his debut, which was one of the worst I had ever seen) and Catermole (who will given them some bite in midfield, they need to get the possession numbers sorted but he's such a limited player, relying on him as your saviour is crazy). They need a big January window, need suddenly for their players to buy into what Moyes is trying to do and the manager needs to buy a hell of a lot smarter than he did in the summer, they talk about him not getting much time or money but we recruited better players in the championship, hell even Villa brought in better players than them. He had more than enough time to evaluate what was missing. To be fair to Kirchoff after that nightmare of a debut he'd been pretty damned good (dare I say it he'd be just the type we'd be looking at should we get promoted).

I'm sure I read thhrough the week Rafa talking about fluidity, movement and the formation not being a 4-4-1-1 or a 4-2-3-1.

Just saw their pen appeal at the end and, aye, we got lucky there.

Not looking forward to the Cardiff fans. They have a much higher dickhead quota than most clubs.

This.

He did in the 2-1 win at Spurs I think.

It's always nice to have an accumulator come in that has a Newcastle win/Sunderland defeat as parts of it.

Some have a pop at me saying we have the biggest and best squad in this division and we should have some better performances (first 2 games, Bristol city, Rotherham)....yet some have us midtable in the prem next season ? strange days indeed.

Yeah but if Leicester can win the league then surely Swansea can ? If they stay up Swansea will have more chance of winning the PL than Portsmouth next year - gotta be in it to win it! Ultimately this is a question of likelihood: what's more likely, a Benitez team finishes above the crap I mentioned or the crap manages to scrape together sufficient points to finish above us? Time will tell As likely say as Leicester winning the league last season ? That was your point after all. This is a bit dumb. Just because something is unlikely, doesn't mean it can't happen at all. More often than not more likely events occur. Why are we debating this; are you seriously saying you think top 14 next year is likely beyond us? When we do comfortably finish top 14 I won't remind you of this conversation It's not beyond us but the Leicseter example is getting overused. Could happen but right now it's a bit daft to even think of.

FWIW I really do like the bloke. He's honest and he's made my club a club again, I couldn't see anyone else having the strength to do that. If he hadn't stayed last season could well have been my last regardless of relegation or staying up. I disagree with his tactics at times normally when he's too cautious IMO (at this level) but it's like when you get angry at the wife for watching This morning on ITV.

Yeah but if Leicester can win the league then surely Swansea can ? If they stay up Swansea will have more chance of winning the PL than Portsmouth next year - gotta be in it to win it! Ultimately this is a question of likelihood: what's more likely, a Benitez team finishes above the crap I mentioned or the crap manages to scrape together sufficient points to finish above us? Time will tell As likely say as Leicester winning the league last season ? That was your point after all.

Passion is great but needs to be chanelled correctly. Pointless if your passion gets you suspended especially as his passion could be seen as bravado and for the crowd.