duo

Can't believe people are writing him off - he was just the right man at the wrong club. It happens.

Bowen man 

9 minutes ago, samptime29 said:

This has been a fantastic game. 

Just a shame about the result ?

12 minutes ago, The Butcher said:

If we want to stay up we bring Rafa hyem. 

One thing is for sure he's proven he can get more out of this squad.  I think we'd see the manager bounce that we didn't see with Howe as the squad really respect Rafa.

12 minutes ago, KaKa said:

 

Yes, he would have known how to get results with these mugs in the interim.

 

And then he would have already known exactly who he wanted to bring in to upgrade the team from January onwards and he would have had free reign financially and decision making wise to do so. It would have been perfect.

 

But he just wouldn't leave well alone with the Everton thing. It was like that reaction from their fans was a sign from God telling him to chill out and be patient, but he just didn't take heed man.

To be fair to him - at the time he joined Everton the takeover looked unlikely.  Not many thought it'd happen anytime soon - if at all.  It came out the blue.

Just now, Menace said:

 

I think Rafa's rep has taken a serious hit after this job. I wouldn't want him back but I don't think Howe is the answer either.

He basically didn't have a striker for most the season - every club would suffer if that happened. 

2 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

If Howe doesn't keep us up and Rafa's available I'd bring him in. But probably only in that scenario. 

 

Sadly Howe isn't ticking the most important boxes at the moment, but I'd at least like to see him given the opportunity to with a team full of new recruits. However, if we go down it's an objective failure and almost definitely an avoidable one given the amount of games he's had and the (assumed) funds afforded to him. 

 

If we go down, Rafa is basically a sure thing regarding immediate promotion so I'd definitely see us considering that if he were available. 

 

Bringing him in whilst there's already a manager here is an absolutely hideous suggestion, mind. 

As harsh as it sounds if I was the owner I wouldn't wait - I'd make the decision now.  Rafa is the kind of man that can plan for both eventualities - he also knows the players well so I wouldn't be surprised if he already had a list in mind where we needed to improve and a list of targets. 

1 minute ago, Sima said:

I reckon they’ll go for Rooney.

Good shout

Just now, SUPERTOON said:

Yes, just think (and always have) that Rafa or a manger in his style is what we needed for this season.

Yep - Rafa is just in a different league.  

5 minutes ago, madras said:

He reminds me of Jose. His time has gone. Football moves on and some can't keep up

 

I don't think it's this at all - I just think he joined a club that a.) didn't really want him b.) had already squandered £500Mil on players which meant Rafa had zero budget to work with.  The sad thing is he'd have ben tailor made for Newcastle as the current squad is mostly his players.

5 hours ago, HTT II said:

Good goal, and that’s about that, awful in everything else!

I always feel his shots are hit and hope rather than placed 

Just now, LV said:

Yeah, I hate it.

 

Ive been in a proper bad mood since Watford equalised yesterday. 

Yesterday was huge. Season defining.

My main concern with us going into the Championship is PIF loosing interest and buying another club albeit in another league to show case.  Newcastle in the Championship doesn't quite fit that bill. Who knows how long it'd even take to get promotion.

27 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

 

Just get it done now 

Couldn't knock his effort yesterday there was just very little end product sadly.

I don't think anyone is blaming EH or the consortium. I think everyone agrees under MA we were down. The new owners gave us a chance to stay up, but due to the damage MA had done to the club it was a minimal at best. I think what is in question was whether EH was the right man to take on that burden of keeping us up.  And I don't think it means people aren't behind EH, I think everyone hopes he does well. Personally I will never blame EH if we do gp down, those weeds were sown long before he came.

1 minute ago, Super Duper Branko Strupar said:

 

We've signed 2 players in 2 weeks. Have you tried meditation?

granted we had a striker for the watford game but did he actually strike?  

Trippier wanted to come back to uk and no other club in the uk came in for him.  we go lucky.

1 minute ago, elbee909 said:

 

I'd rather Howe than Gerrard. At least he's proven himself, Gerrard's just another one of those names who'll have people playing for him for a bit then run out of steam.

proved what though? Gerrard has won a title 

4 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

He doesn't want to come here. How hard is that to comprehend?

 

 

Throw £25Mil at him and maybe

1 minute ago, Geordie Ahmed said:

 

I think league position is the bigger draw

 

Now would Gerrard have had us in a better position? That's a different question but ultimately not worth dwelling on too much

 

I am surprised at how quickly people have turned on Howe, I understand the frustrations and there have been things which aren't good enough but I do believe he will come good. It might not be this season, the rot in the club was perhaps too much to fix but I think eventually once he has a bulk of his own players we'll see better. And if we don't, then fair enough, serious questions can be asked

Why are some convinced he will come good?  At Bournemouth he did 'ok' in the PL before he ultimately got them relegated and he actually had decent money to spend. But I saw nothing to say he's the man to take us forward.

50 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

Didn't think he was bad at all, without pulling up any trees. He won most of his headers, the odd free-kick and his presence in the team occupied the defenders. On a totally different wavelength to the rest of our attackers like, but of course he would be. I think he'll be alright for us if collectively we improve. 

 It was his touch or lack of that was evident today - no hold up play - he just doesn't look like a player in form.  Because he's not.  Mind still boggles as to why we paid so much to buy him.  Martial is so much better suited to how we are set up to play. We would have been better paying him £25mil to come on loan until the end of season.

2 minutes ago, TRon said:

Just watching that goal again on the highlights, Lascelles actually is marking a different player, checks him and then tries to go up against the lad who scores, but because he's running backwards can't get up as effectively. Trippier is the one who's stood watching, but even he's out of position, Schar is the one who's been caught in no man's land after Almiron and Dummett are left for dead by a one-two. It's actually a great move by Watford, think it's a bit harsh to blame Lascelles in hindsight, he seems to have got left two on one. 

For me he should be commanding the defence - making sure everyone is position.  I never feel like he does - half the time he's caught out.

1 minute ago, Shadow Puppets said:

I did say this at the time but Gerrard would definitely have been a bigger figurehead for the club like, plus he’s quite clearly a decent manager. Hilarious how many people were adamant we were too good for him back in November.

**hand up** - I sniffed at Gerrard when he was first mentioned as I saw it as a gamble.  But I would have took him over Howe any day of the week. 

3 hours ago, triggs said:

Thing that annoys me the most about him and somebody mentioned it here earlier and I did also is that he never runs in behind for the pass and always wants it to feet so it means he always has to beat the full back rather than having the head start

I also find he slows attacks down as he will only pass when he thinks its his only option left and by that time it's too late - the chance has gone.