Hanshithispantz

Ben Arfa is definitely my favourite player from a period what I can actually fully remember. I idolised Shearer my entire childhood but he started to fade when I was 13/14 and tbh I cannot remember a great deal before that too clearly, just that I loved him. Shearer wins by default like.

I'm so confused A fitness thing I'd imagine like, we played 3 days ago.

We stick to our shape well and follow instructions, pretty obvious anyone who doesn't will be hooked. We don't run around like nutcases like Bournemouth.

The thing is Rafa was being criticised during our bad run. The run has now ended and we look far better but some are carrying on like we should be winning every game at home to make up for it. In isolation a 0-0 draw at home with Brighton is not a horrific result just as a 3-2 win away to West Ham is a good result. Our season will not be defined on whether or not we beat Stoke away tomorrow although it'll no doubt feel that way, we seem to have gotten over our slump which is the important thing.

From now on I very much doubt it. I think a lot of managers would have picked up more than 1 point in 9 games though. Not many would have had us where we were before that run though so it’s probably evened out.

So in your eyes hes basically untouchable if he takes us down whos fault is it then? What would be the point of sacking him if he takes us down? He brought us straight up last time with ease. I don’t think he’s fucking magic, he has the worst squad we’ve ever had in my living memory and the Premiership is hardly some joke league as much as people like to take the piss out of it. Hypothesising about other managers potentially being able to do better in a different way is pointless to me, we hire a person who gets a few results and then what? We’re back to square one?

He shouldn't be sacked because he's by some distance the best manager we could ever have, I don't even know why anyone would even contemplate the idea. Even if we get relegated I wouldn't sack him although I think he'd walk.

Good point that, never even thought about it.

FYP That's inspired

I mean I agree for the most part Neesy, but when we have two forwards and neither of them are creating anything they have to shoulder some blame. I like Gayle too but we can do better. I mean personally Joselu would be the first player replaced for me but a 2nd striker/attacking midfielder just seems harder and pricier and I'm expecting a grim as fuck window. I think we need a backup CB as when Lascelles is out we literally concede 3+ goals a game for some reason It's not glamorous I kna.

I'd be up for a massive re-shuffle in the summer like, but doing it in January seems canny risky. I'd rather we just filled the blatant gaps and kept it compact like we're doing. As long as we're not conceding many we should be fine.

And just look at Defoe at Sunderland along with any other decent striker in a shite side who have hit good numbers in this league, a proper striker can make an absolute world of difference.

It's not a misconception about our issues at all. I don't think a new striker is suddenly going to change us into a good side but it's by far and away the easiest gap to fill along with an attacking midfielder.

We only need to go on a little run to get out of this. If we buy a proper striker in Jan we'll be fine - obviously someone who can play behind him too but I wouldn't hold out much hope for that, we could probably do with an experienced backup centre back too.

To ask a similarly pointless question, what if we win every game from now and April? Is that shite?

We'll play the same way but hope Stoke are looser at the back I'd imagine.

How is anyone getting "Rafa is being sacked" from that?

From Sewelly a few months back:

If we can end up with a midfield of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano with 2008 era Fernando Torres up front then he spend whatever the fuck he likes.

Some of those 'big pluses' being like one of the best strikers of the PL era, arguably one of the best DMs of all time in any league, Raheem Sterling who's now scored like 15 goals so far this season from the wing, and one of the best ball playing midfielders in Premiership history.

Also, you can pull up his Napoli signings too if you like.

What's your point, there's some legitimately world class buys in there Aye, not every player he signs is going to be great. If that's you point then I suppose well done?

Nobody said the Man City game was a tactical masterstroke fwiw That bit of japes seems to be creeping in quite a bit. The team worked hard and as a plan it looked better than 'taking the game to them'. The complete butchering of arguments on this forum is tragic at times.

He does decide because Rafa aint got 100mil in his back pocket to sign a prime Fernando Torres. He gives a budget just like any other owner/chairman who runs a business and then the manager works with that budget. He does not decide who is recruited with that budget. Rafa chose to sign these useless fuckers he was not forced to what cant you understand about that He doesn't 'give a budget' though. Benitez has come out multiple times during the last 2 windows saying he hasn't got a clue what's going on and just hopes Charnley 'gets them over the line'. Did you not see his presser when he wanted us to bring in Townsend? He was literally in the dark over what was happening. Same with the closing stages of the Summer window. It's the exact same as what happened with Keegan, he seems confident we'll get someone in and then as the window comes to close it's become apparent Mike and (in this case Lee) are fucking him around. Unlike Pardew Rafa doesn't mince his words either, he's flat out telling us this.

I'll admit I was 'losing faith' before Lascelles returned. Since he's come back into the side we've looked strong defensively which is what Rafa wants and obviously what he believes will pick us up points in the long run. If he isn't pissed around in January he'll build around that.