KaKa

"Do you think I tell them: 'Give it to Norwich. As soon as you get it lads, just pass it to a green and yellow shirt?' Do you really really, really, really believe that is me?" he told reporters ahead of the FA Cup fourth-round replay against Oxford. "We have not got enough quality to go and pass the ball around better."

All the players that were responsible for passing the ball and getting the ball higher up the pitch under Rafa are still there in our defence and midfield.

Do Norwich, Villa and Sheffield United really have more 'quality' than we do?! Absolutely not. This man is so crazy.

This man literally does not understand that it is his responsibility to drill the team on shape and movement to facilitate the passing game. This to me is literally unbelievable. He is earning millions as a manager in the top league in the country.

Lovely ball through to Son from Ndombele for the assist.

Fantastic take by the new boy!

By today’s standards it’s a red IMO.

 

No question about it.

 

Slow motion ruining football

When you introduce replays then you have to go by that, and so it is what it is. Should have been a red.

Aurier is the definition of rash.

By today’s standards it’s a red IMO.

No question about it.

They give reds for less than that all the time. I'm judging it on that basis. It's ridiculous.

Has to be red!

Bergwijn straight into the team for Spurs.

I give up.

Let's just keep enjoying this wonderful season where only our defenders score under our brilliant manager, and it's all the striker's fault.

The one striker in the whole team who has actually managed to score all season.

Says he liked the player.

It was not an issue of him not being up to it. He just wanted to get his own players.

That's not what you said or are saying.

I just don't know how we can evaluate any of our players higher up the pitch in this setup.

We saw Rondon look far less a player under Pulis and Perez look far less the player under Pardew and McClaren.

But hey ho ... lets keep watching. Saint-Maximin and Almiron have now started going off the boil again too.

It's all just rubbish man. I don't know why the pretence anyone looks like they have a clue going forward, and it's down to this one guy.

Think you quoted the wrong thing.

 

Rafa was happy to sign him but not at £40 million.

 

Don’t think so, it was reported Rafa thought  he was not worth the price and wanted to go for other options.

George Caulkin has also said something very similar during his latest piece for the Times:

 

‘Newcastle have long been fixated on Joelinton, Hoffenheim’s Brazilian forward, who will cost around £36 million.

 

‘They pressed the 22-year-old on Benítez, who demurred; he liked the player, but not at anything like that price and, if there was that much money available, why not let him spent it on his own choices?‘

Think you quoted the wrong thing.

Rafa was happy to sign him but not at £40 million.

Nope! Even I grew sick of him, and he used to get a ton of flack. Hence his cheeky celebration.

He was being played in the number 10 position without a reliable front man ahead of him, and no support from midfield and just got pushed off the ball every game.

I don't think we've managed 50% possession in a single prem game this season. When we manage that and can actually pass the ball in the opponents half, then I will start my evaluation of Joelinton.

Hey, remember when Perez was shite? Prior to Rafa coming in?

Last 5 minutes they were attacking and we were setting back as if they are not the bottom team in the fucking league, reminded my of the Fulham game last year, Joelinton makes it so hard for us to be anything better than a team that hopes for a fluke here and there.

We've done this all season against every single team we've played.

People were thrilled when defenders manufactured goals after the 90th minute though, and so let them enjoy this now also.

This guy is actually unable to coach and organise the team to play a different formation!

There are teams that switch multiple formations within one game and this muppet cannot manage it in between games over a whole season?!

Seriously, what is going on here?!

This was how he started the season, and then you could see him slowly get more and more discouraged by the lack of support up the pitch.

Joelinton, man. I want to get behind the fella. Nothing he does is quite right.

Got no problem with him this game. Zero support to the point he has to come back virtually to our box to get the ball. Zero service. He has worked hard, won and held up the ball not his fault today the melts around are 30 yards behind him.

 

He shouldn't have been put in this position but fans have a right to expect more from that much of a price tag.

 

Quite how we can sit so fucking deep but yet get caught at the back is anyone's guess.

 

I agree with you. The team is set up for him to fail - you need a real specialist to make it work. Rondon was perfect.

Rondon was never this isolated.

If he was we would have ended up with the version of Rondon we saw under Pulis only worse.

I mean I don't really care either way

I just thought if they're reporting that he is set on Newcastle, then that may be what's going on.

Wait a minute ... I think I see what's going on.

Bowen's contract is up in the summer right? I think we've probably agreed a big signing on fee with him if he waits until then, rather than pay a fee to Hull now.

And obviously MA will never pay for him now if he knows Bowen would choose to come to us on a free in the summer.

Do any other clubs leak, and then make a huge deal, when they have a player turn them down? Absolutely fucking pathetic.

Getting turned down by a 20 year old at Lille and they're all giddy about it. It's so cringe.