Kimbo Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 What a legend Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figures 1-0 Football Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 The only hope I have of us staying up is because we have this man in charge. If we'd still had McClaren, we'd have lost 3-0 today. His subs often confuse me, but he proves me wrong every time. He bought on three subs today (one enforced) that all had a positive effect on the result. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole_Toonfan Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Aye, I like having a manager who appears to know more about football than I do. Refreshing change[emoji38] Aye At this point i just trust everything he does tbh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Pinkman Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Taking off both full backs and putting Sissoko and Anita full backs was inspired. McClaren would have taken Mitro off for Rivere in the 85th minute. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Worried we don't have the right players or they aren't good enough. So much is wrong it's scary. Sunderland full value for the point. Rafa needs to get rapid improvement from this team and it's going to be so difficult. Norwich is must win. Fear we got Rafa in too late. He already has and I have no doubt we'll see more in our next game. I thought we were back to the confused stuff from the McClaren days in the first half, Sunderland looked much more organised and energetic. But we turned it round in the second half, in no small part due to Rafa making bold and decisive subs early enough to make a difference. It reminds me very much of when Keegan took over from Fat Sam. It took eight games for Kev to get us ticking again and then we were a different team. One other similarity is that Keegan wanted to get straight out onto the training ground after his press interview as well. I know we don't have the luxury of eight games to start a turn around this time, but we are still in touching distance. While that's the case I will believe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanj Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 God if we stay up. The atmosphere next season. The sound, the football, the journey he'll take us on. I'm convinced it's our time but we'll have to struggle through a major fight for it. Keep fighting and working. I think he'll get us beating the "better" teams too Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Thought we were awful and second best in the first half. Like Tron says reminiscent of SMC early days where we tried to play football but lacked ability, confidence and cutting edge. While giving away chances. Second half was better from us but Sunderland/Big Sam also bottled it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 I think I'll give up on football if we go from Rafa Benitez to Nigel Pearson after relegation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Open_C Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Thought we were awful and second best in the first half. Like Tron says reminiscent of SMC early days where we tried to play football but lacked ability, confidence and cutting edge. While giving away chances. Second half was better from us but Sunderland/Big Sam also bottled it. Sunderland bottled it but we actually took advantage of that, which is a definite step forward for me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Aye but there's not many worse teams than them in the league either. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Open_C Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Aye but there's not many worse teams than them in the league either. Nope, but we're theoretically if not actually one of them, so I'll still take it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 I like your optimism. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Open_C Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 [emoji38]me too, it was worth digging out from last time i used it in 2005. You should give it a go Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Aye but there's not many worse teams than them in the league either. Nope, but we're theoretically if not actually one of them, so I'll still take it Sunderland are better than they are getting credit for tbh. Fat cunt has replaced two has been ex Man U crocks with Kone and Kaboul. Not perfect, but at least physically competent. Kerchoff, Khazri and M'Vila are decent in midfield, and they have a genuine goal scorer up front. It worries me far more than Norwich tbh. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ketsbaia Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Can't stop laughing at those socks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlufPurdi Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 [emoji38]me too, it was worth digging out from last time i used it in 2005. You should give it a go Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEEJ Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 How is this bloke our manager, man? Literally had no interest in us staying up until he took charge. There's still hope and for that I'm thankful towards him. What a man. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lush Vlad Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 My scouse mate, who is a genuine scouser and a massive fan, not a plastic glory boy. So I actually respect his opinion. Has been spot on about Rafa, from what I have seen so far. The gist of it was: Rafa will have you scratching your head at some of his substitutions. But that they will often end up panning out - I think they nearly did at Leicester and yesterday, we were better off after the subs. That he will infuriate you, with some of his favourites, that the fans don't necessarily like - Still early days, but I guess you could argue he really likes the look of de Jong. I don't think a lot of match going fans, see it the same way. He is stubborn and he will play his way, whether the fans like it or not. There will be a lot of seemingly slow, methodical passing and possession for possession's sake - the crowd were getting restless, pretty early on, I thought. Which was a bit mental. As whenever we went direct, the ball came straight back. I thought in both of his games so far, there was a lot of sideways and backwards passing, along the back four. I don't mind that if we're trying to work an opening. But I do think we go back to Elliot, too often. This sounds like the guy was being negative, he wasn't. He absolutely loves Rafa and he wasn't pointing these things out as flaws. Just that he can split opinion. He said a lot of things. About how he'll make us much better from set pieces, more organised, more compact, better defensively etc. I like what I see so far and it looks like the scouser was right. I just hope it's not too late for any of it to matter....... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 He likes De Jong because he knows what he's talking about. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEMTEX Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Wrote this on KIs Insta, might as well lob it here too, not sure if it's been mentioned. Today is Down syndrome awareness day. They encourage people to wear "funky socks" at work. Rafa and his wife donated to a DS charity near Liverpool before. Makes it even better iyam. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lush Vlad Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 That La Bamba chant, that we have managed to completely fuck up. Has been stuck in my head since the game Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Spaceman Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 I thought it was funny when we were playing the patient passing game towards the end of the match and the crowd were getting pissy, yet we created chance after chance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRC Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 I think all managers have their favourites though? Sir Bob used to do my head in picking Jenas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest firetotheworks Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Wrote this on KIs Insta, might as well lob it here too, not sure if it's been mentioned. Today is Down syndrome awareness day. They encourage people to wear "funky socks" at work. Rafa and his wife donated to a DS charity near Liverpool before. Makes it even better iyam. I like that he's done it without mentioning it as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heron Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 That La Bamba chant, that we have managed to completely f*** up. Has been stuck in my head since the game Aye[emoji38]actually love the chant now though[emoji38] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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