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Rafael Benitez


Jesse Pinkman

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We're just getting a lot of the ball and don't know what to do with it, I think it's obvious to all that we don't have the personel to penetrate a team that sits back on us and until that changes every team in the league is going to play the same way, sit back and wait for a break. We need some teeth and we'll dominate, we're too one dimensional at the moment, Rafa will change that.

 

Yeah, one thing I have no doubt of is that Rafa will not tolerate these levels of incompetence for too much longer. Taylor was out on his arse after his abject performance against Norwich last season, and I'm getting the feeling that Rafa's patience is starting to wear thin with a few of those still here.

 

Indeed; but he needs viable alternatives in order to carry that out.

 

Rafa doesn't strike me as the sort of manager who will accept going into a season like this without the players he wants. Ashley's not dealing with McClaren or Pardew now, he's going to have to back him 100% now. If we have to pay over the odds to get the right player so be it.

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But TCD, none of that is 'knowing the league', it is about knowing the team you are working with.

 

Rafa doesn't need to 'know the Championship', he just needs to know his best 11 and best tactics for each game.

we are getting caught up in semantics.  He hasn't got up to speed with the challenge yet.  We look setup to counter from what I've seen and the teams in division aren't interested in attacking us like that.
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Guest neesy111

But TCD, none of that is 'knowing the league', it is about knowing the team you are working with.

 

Rafa doesn't need to 'know the Championship', he just needs to know his best 11 and best tactics for each game.

we are getting caught up in semantics.  He hasn't got up to speed with the challenge yet.  We look setup to counter from what I've seen and the teams in division aren't interested in attacking us like that.

 

That's very naive imo, I could had predicted teams would sit back against us.

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Guest firetotheworks

But TCD, none of that is 'knowing the league', it is about knowing the team you are working with.

 

Rafa doesn't need to 'know the Championship', he just needs to know his best 11 and best tactics for each game.

we are getting caught up in semantics.  He hasn't got up to speed with the challenge yet.  We look setup to counter from what I've seen and the teams in division aren't interested in attacking us like that.

 

That's very naive imo, I could had predicted teams would sit back against us.

 

Except that Rafa's already said that the players aren't following his instructions, so that presumption is dependent upon whether Rafa's lying.

 

 

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Guest neesy111

But TCD, none of that is 'knowing the league', it is about knowing the team you are working with.

 

Rafa doesn't need to 'know the Championship', he just needs to know his best 11 and best tactics for each game.

we are getting caught up in semantics.  He hasn't got up to speed with the challenge yet.  We look setup to counter from what I've seen and the teams in division aren't interested in attacking us like that.

 

That's very naive imo, I could had predicted teams would sit back against us.

 

Except that Rafa's already said that the players aren't following his instructions, so that presumption is dependent upon whether Rafa's lying.

 

 

 

Following his instructions is different to how the team is setup.

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I do think quite a few have greatly underestimated the strength of this league (some going so far as to put money on us going undefeated, which is totally asinine), based largely on our experience from 2009/10. It's not remotely the same league it was even six years ago: the PL doesn't exist in a vacuum, its good fortunes do somewhat trickle down.

 

The quality's f***ing abject, man. Give over. Just look at the Burnley side that won it.

I agree. Huddersfield did nothing yesterday except put their team behind the ball and fight for every ball. As we've seen over the years once it became clear we didn't have a plan to break them down they grew in confidence. Still should never have lost. We beat ourselves yesterday.

 

We did have a plan, apparently. It just wasn't followed. As someone else said, Rafa has spent the majority of his career playing against sides that sit & concede possession to his teams, he obviously knows how to get the results.

If you saw a credible plan in that yesterday then you know something I don't.

 

Our own manager said the players didn't follow 'instructions. He said they weren't doing what they'd practised in training. Ergo, I'm assuming there was a plan.

Then I'm perhaps more worried.

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Guest firetotheworks

But TCD, none of that is 'knowing the league', it is about knowing the team you are working with.

 

Rafa doesn't need to 'know the Championship', he just needs to know his best 11 and best tactics for each game.

we are getting caught up in semantics.  He hasn't got up to speed with the challenge yet.  We look setup to counter from what I've seen and the teams in division aren't interested in attacking us like that.

 

That's very naive imo, I could had predicted teams would sit back against us.

 

Except that Rafa's already said that the players aren't following his instructions, so that presumption is dependent upon whether Rafa's lying.

 

 

 

Following his instructions is different to how the team is setup.

It depends on whether they've followed his instructions on how to set up, unless you're talking about team selection.

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We are in transition at the moment with players coming and going so I ain't worried about Rafa. Get the squad sorted then get them settled with each other and the setup of the team will gel. I watched the hull game this morning and they played for each other, some were dead on their feet at 80 minutes but they held on and won.

 

We need that collectiveness to develop once we get the new signings sorted and the deadwood out.

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But TCD, none of that is 'knowing the league', it is about knowing the team you are working with.

 

Rafa doesn't need to 'know the Championship', he just needs to know his best 11 and best tactics for each game.

we are getting caught up in semantics.  He hasn't got up to speed with the challenge yet.  We look setup to counter from what I've seen and the teams in division aren't interested in attacking us like that.

 

That's very naive imo, I could had predicted teams would sit back against us.

well aye - he's played Anita RM twice.  No need.
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I do think quite a few have greatly underestimated the strength of this league (some going so far as to put money on us going undefeated, which is totally asinine), based largely on our experience from 2009/10. It's not remotely the same league it was even six years ago: the PL doesn't exist in a vacuum, its good fortunes do somewhat trickle down.

 

The quality's fucking abject, man. Give over. Just look at the Burnley side that won it.

 

Hmm, no?

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We've had a long time to make our minds up about some players, it'll take him a little longer for the penny to drop.

 

I'm not overreacting. I had total faith in the man before the season started and I still do.

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Guest chopey

We've had a long time to make our minds up about some players, it'll take him a little longer for the penny to drop.

 

I'm not overreacting. I had total faith in the man before the season started and I still do.

 

He sounded as frustrated as the fans after the game.

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But TCD, none of that is 'knowing the league', it is about knowing the team you are working with.

 

Rafa doesn't need to 'know the Championship', he just needs to know his best 11 and best tactics for each game.

we are getting caught up in semantics.  He hasn't got up to speed with the challenge yet.  We look setup to counter from what I've seen and the teams in division aren't interested in attacking us like that.

 

We aren't set up to counter at all. That involves letting the opposition have the ball, sitting deep and hitting them in the break. We've had more possession than our opponents but we haven't got a clue what to do with it. Huddersfield played more counter attacking football yesterday.

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TBF if Rafa gets the Striker, winger and left back he wants he'll have no excuses

 

I keep seeing people mentioning them 3 positions and rightly so but what we are missing most is a playmaker. All we do is play it wide and then there's nobody to aim for in the middle. We are in desperate need of somebody to get on the ball in between our midfield and attack. Will be a hard slog to go up if we don't sign one

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TBF if Rafa gets the Striker, winger and left back he wants he'll have no excuses

 

I keep seeing people mentioning them 3 positions and rightly so but what we are missing most is a playmaker. All we do is play it wide and then there's nobody to aim for in the middle. We are in desperate need of somebody to get on the ball in between our midfield and attack. Will be a hard slog to go up if we don't sign one

 

Diame should be this season's Nolan tbh. I'm not too concerned about our middle yet when there's obvious positions in need of strengthening. I'd not say no to a proven creative midfielder, but it's vital that we get a new winger and a left back. I'm not too fussed about getting a striker in since Mitro will be back soon and we could just keep Armstrong as 3rd choice.

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For me the majority of our problems have been because we're threadbare in the middle tbh in recent years. It seems shelvey can't be relied on and I hope that Diame can contribute though I know very little of him (irrelevant I suppose). Once again we're starting off lacking - I think mitro will make a big difference and provide more support but our midfield as it is will just crumble and make nothing for him if not addressed.

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TBF if Rafa gets the Striker, winger and left back he wants he'll have no excuses

 

I keep seeing people mentioning them 3 positions and rightly so but what we are missing most is a playmaker. All we do is play it wide and then there's nobody to aim for in the middle. We are in desperate need of somebody to get on the ball in between our midfield and attack. Will be a hard slog to go up if we don't sign one

 

This is a big problem but is a team shape issue more than a personnel issue. Needs fixed asap. 

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