Rafael Benitez

[Ikon]

Mark DouglasVerifierat konto ‏@MsiDouglas  3 minför 3 minuter sedan

Only 7 teams in the last 16 years have had more points after 25 games than #nufc. 6 of them won the Champ. The other (Boro) went up too.

[Guest firetotheworks]

There are people in here who think that the man who famously managed to win the Champions League from 3-0 at half time to AC Milan doesn't have a plan B. That's the sort of shit that winds me up and I find embarrassing like, if you honestly think he doesn't have a plan B or that plan B is always the answer then I think you need to look at yourself, not Rafa.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

While we have looked workmanlike at times, I still trust Rafa completely. If not him then no manager.

 

As Ikon's post indicates, we're still doing bloody well. Brighton's ridiculous form obviously complicates things, but our own points tally is very healthy.

 

Aye we have some issues to deal with, but what better man to sort them?

[Kasper]

Love having Benitez as our manager, and all that... BUT Blackburn are in the relegation zone and are not very good (have beaten us twice mind) and today they were beyond crap for 75% of the game. Never got into our half for most of it.  Yet we still give them the respect of playing one striker. We created many chances for sure and their keeper was on it and we were probably a bit unlucky - but with one small mobile striker most of what we do is going to be down the same channels. Why not funk it up a bit? Frustrated tbh...

 

i really don't think this is the issue myself, it's the quality of player rafa is having to put in key positions in his regular formation

 

diame was behind gayle yesterday and looked decent, we created chances...colback and hayden are a very limited central pairing in an attacking sense and colback in every sense of course, but until they got a foothold in the game we were more than comfortable

 

colback then pushed the abort button and had to come off so diame has to go back central as there's no one else, perez takes his spot and does nothing in the short time he's given which is not a surprise as his form is rubbish

 

i've personally been a massive critic of our managers crying about needing new players in the last few years but we really do need them in key places such as CM and someone with pace that can play wide and behind gayle...the distinction being that rafa is about the system and he won't deviate from that so the only way we progress given a number of the players aren't good enough is to upgrade to players that are capable

 

I don't think it's the quality of the players as such. It's the type of players and the way we play. Teams have realised that all they need to do is defend deep to eliminate Gayle's space and we look clueless. We've been good away from home because most teams are a bit more aggressive at home and he has more space.

 

It would make so much more sense to play a physical striker against sides like that and let Gayle use the space created by that striker tying defenders to himself. It scares me that Rafa is banging his head against the wall. It'll only get harder from here.

[Kasper]

There are people in here who think that the man who famously managed to win the Champions League from 3-0 at half time to AC Milan doesn't have a plan B. That's the sort of shit that winds me up and I find embarrassing like, if you honestly think he doesn't have a plan B or that plan B is always the answer then I think you need to look at yourself, not Rafa.

 

Why is it then impossible to identify what that plan is? Or can you tell me what our plan is when opponent sits back and Gayle struggles to touch the ball?

 

It's not rocket science. If we have a real plan for these situations then surely most of us would be able to watch the game and point the things he has changed in the way we play. I sure can't.

[Foluwashola]

Was loads of bed wetters in the crowd yesterday, some booing at the end as well

 

Subs were questionable but the options on the bench weren't up to much. Couple of signings in Jan and we'll be absolutely fine.

[mrmojorisin75]

Love having Benitez as our manager, and all that... BUT Blackburn are in the relegation zone and are not very good (have beaten us twice mind) and today they were beyond crap for 75% of the game. Never got into our half for most of it.  Yet we still give them the respect of playing one striker. We created many chances for sure and their keeper was on it and we were probably a bit unlucky - but with one small mobile striker most of what we do is going to be down the same channels. Why not funk it up a bit? Frustrated tbh...

 

i really don't think this is the issue myself, it's the quality of player rafa is having to put in key positions in his regular formation

 

diame was behind gayle yesterday and looked decent, we created chances...colback and hayden are a very limited central pairing in an attacking sense and colback in every sense of course, but until they got a foothold in the game we were more than comfortable

 

colback then pushed the abort button and had to come off so diame has to go back central as there's no one else, perez takes his spot and does nothing in the short time he's given which is not a surprise as his form is rubbish

 

i've personally been a massive critic of our managers crying about needing new players in the last few years but we really do need them in key places such as CM and someone with pace that can play wide and behind gayle...the distinction being that rafa is about the system and he won't deviate from that so the only way we progress given a number of the players aren't good enough is to upgrade to players that are capable

 

I don't think it's the quality of the players as such. It's the type of players and the way we play. Teams have realised that all they need to do is defend deep to eliminate Gayle's space and we look clueless. We've been good away from home because most teams are a bit more aggressive at home and he has more space.

 

It would make so much more sense to play a physical striker against sides like that and let Gayle use the space created by that striker tying defenders to himself. It scares me that Rafa is banging his head against the wall. It'll only get harder from here.

 

well this is the thing; when diame was playing behind gayle and for what 65 minutes of the game yesterday space and creation from the front 2 wasn't really our issue

 

where i think we have major issues is that we have the dreaded combination of flanks that aren't creating anything by doing much overlapping from FB to create space (especially left side) and a CM pairing that rarely get beyond the ball and are very static...this was especially evident yesterday at times when the ball went to diame/gayle in good spots they were very isolated with colback and hayden stood off pardew style

 

we have to fix at least one of those two problems to enable the space to open up more for gayle, space doesn't have to be created only by playing a second striker...developing our play out wide and getting runners from midfield will also do this

 

the quality of players thing fits very much into this because hayden is physically capable of getting up and down but colback is barely capable of anything so hayden always seems to have an eye on covering him as well (thank fuck), then when diame has to drop back perez comes in and simply doesn't have the quality we need in that key position either, so while the diame move wasn't terrible in itself when he dropped deeper there was then nothing in front of him but gayle

 

getting 2-3 better players/bringing in yedlin & maybe lazaar fixes those issues and allows the players to stick to the system they've been developing since rafa took over

 

changing the system in any way now would be a very bad move imo

[mrmojorisin75]

Was loads of bed wetters in the crowd yesterday, some booing at the end as well

 

Subs were questionable but the options on the bench weren't up to much. Couple of signings in Jan and we'll be absolutely fine.

 

booing?

 

pardew is available i suppose

[Disco]

A lot of people really believed we were going to win every game. Unfortunately for the rest of us they're usually the loudest at voicing their opinions too.

 

Watching yesterday I thought our main issue was picking the wrong pass at the wrong time. For pretty much the whole of the first half there was a player in space for a shot around D yet rarely if ever did the pass find him or the shot get away. Unfortunately that's what happens when you have players who aren't confident enough or good enough to play quick one touch football.

 

When we play well, a lot of goals come from quick, incisive movement and passing alas this hasn't happened as much in recent defeats. I don't think the formation particularly matters especially given it would effectively only be Hayden playing central midfield as no-one else is disciplined/fit enough to do so in a 2 currently.

[Darth Crooks]

A lot of people really believed we were going to win every game. Unfortunately for the rest of us they're usually the loudest at voicing their opinions too.

 

Watching yesterday I thought our main issue was picking the wrong pass at the wrong time. For pretty much the whole of the first half there was a player in space for a shot around D yet rarely if ever did the pass find him or the shot get away. Unfortunately that's what happens when you have players who aren't confident enough or good enough to play quick one touch football.

 

When we play well, a lot of goals come from quick, incisive movement and passing alas this hasn't happened as much in recent defeats. I don't think the formation particularly matters especially given it would effectively only be Hayden playing central midfield as no-one else is disciplined/fit enough to do so in a 2 currently.

 

Without generalising, there's genuinely more than a shred of causality to this.

[Guest firetotheworks]

There are people in here who think that the man who famously managed to win the Champions League from 3-0 at half time to AC Milan doesn't have a plan B. That's the sort of shit that winds me up and I find embarrassing like, if you honestly think he doesn't have a plan B or that plan B is always the answer then I think you need to look at yourself, not Rafa.

 

Why is it then impossible to identify what that plan is? Or can you tell me what our plan is when opponent sits back and Gayle struggles to touch the ball?

 

It's not rocket science. If we have a real plan for these situations then surely most of us would be able to watch the game and point the things he has changed in the way we play. I sure can't.

 

You can't? So you've never seen a change in our football following half time? You've never seen any of our players change position, or new players come on to up the pace or to replace someone who's playing particularly poorly? Perez for Diame, Gouffran for Atsu etc etc?

 

To some it seems like the only acceptable Plan B is one that's massively noticeable, like bringing Mitrovic on and lumping it up to him, or going with two up front, or going 442. To me they can often be changes for changes sake, mainly because the players suggested to come on as subs aren't good enough, or better than the players already on the pitch. This whole idea that if something isn't working then you must change something big is flawed. What if you already know that that something else is a worse option than the one you're already using?

 

The big one for me is Mitrovic and Gayle. Gayle is often a player who sits on the outskirts of the game, doesn't look like he's doing anything and then gets a big change and/or scores, in the meantime there'll be people suggesting we bring Mitrovic on to play alongside him. Mitrovic might be something different, but his record is incomparable to Gayle's. It's not even up for debate. One is a striker in shit hot form and the other isn't, at all. The other one is changing from the 4231. I get it, people want more expansive football, but it's the way Rafa does things and you can either accept him for what he is, what he's achieved using his way, and where we are right now because of his way, or you may as well ask for a change in manager, because asking Rafa not to be Rafa is a pointless exercise. He might switch to 442 as a plan B, which he's done before, but he's not going to have us set up as anything other than a 4231 and people need to accept it and make other suggestions.

 

As an aside, I'd be very surprised if we don't make any signings for our midfield in January, but Rafa needs to be given the opportunity to do that without people getting tetchy because something Rafa already knows about and knows he needs to address hasn't happened yet, I've said this a lot, but he knows what he's doing and you do need to have faith in him. We're used to incompetent fools, so it's our natural reaction to question everything when it's the likes of Pardew and McClaren, but Rafa's obviously not in that bracket and I think it's taking some time for people to adjust to that and let go of the reins a little bit.

[Kasper]

There are people in here who think that the man who famously managed to win the Champions League from 3-0 at half time to AC Milan doesn't have a plan B. That's the sort of shit that winds me up and I find embarrassing like, if you honestly think he doesn't have a plan B or that plan B is always the answer then I think you need to look at yourself, not Rafa.

 

Why is it then impossible to identify what that plan is? Or can you tell me what our plan is when opponent sits back and Gayle struggles to touch the ball?

 

It's not rocket science. If we have a real plan for these situations then surely most of us would be able to watch the game and point the things he has changed in the way we play. I sure can't.

 

You can't? So you've never seen a change in our football following half time? You've never seen any of our players change position, or new players come on to up the pace or to replace someone who's playing particularly poorly? Perez for Diame, Gouffran for Atsu etc etc?

 

 

No, I don't see anything consistent enough that tells me there's a solid plan for these situation. If he's bringing on Perez for Diame what is he looking to achieve? How is he changing the way we play if what has been happening for the first 60 minutes clearly isn't working at all. If there is a plan, he needs a better one.

 

What I'd do if Gayle keeps getting abused by two thug center halves is bring Mitro in there and move Gayle on the left where he'd enjoy more space and would be able to do what Gouffran isn't: make runs between the full back and the center back. Mitrovic isn't a great goal scorer but in some games its just so painfully obvious you need a physical presence there to give someone an extra second or a metre.

[cp40]

Rafa said in an interview a week or so before xams, he is working on one system at the moment, he eventually wants 2, 3 three systems working like clockwork- but one at first, he even stated theres things hes not happy with his first plan and they are working on them.

Im fairly sure hes working on this as he sees it key to what we do next season, and an important part of our progress, so while its not great to watch at times, Im prepared to accept hes probably looking at the bigger picture.

I doubt he will panic and change too much while we are still in the top 2 and he is working on how he needs us playing with next season in  mind.

[Kasper]

Also I'm not getting on the "don't question him" wagon and think that's a pretty cheap thing to go telling people. We're all here to discuss football and sometimes questioning what the manager is doing and discussing that is a big part of it.

 

 

[Kasper]

Rafa said in an interview a week or so before xams, he is working on one system at the moment, he eventually wants 2, 3 three systems working like clockwork- but one at first, he even stated theres things hes not happy with his first plan and they are working on them.

 

Fair enough. That is exactly what it looks like.

 

Let's hope that plan isn't so complicated that teams keep figuring us out faster than our players learn it.

[Guest firetotheworks]

There are people in here who think that the man who famously managed to win the Champions League from 3-0 at half time to AC Milan doesn't have a plan B. That's the sort of shit that winds me up and I find embarrassing like, if you honestly think he doesn't have a plan B or that plan B is always the answer then I think you need to look at yourself, not Rafa.

 

Why is it then impossible to identify what that plan is? Or can you tell me what our plan is when opponent sits back and Gayle struggles to touch the ball?

 

It's not rocket science. If we have a real plan for these situations then surely most of us would be able to watch the game and point the things he has changed in the way we play. I sure can't.

 

You can't? So you've never seen a change in our football following half time? You've never seen any of our players change position, or new players come on to up the pace or to replace someone who's playing particularly poorly? Perez for Diame, Gouffran for Atsu etc etc?

 

 

No, I don't see anything consistent enough that tells me there's a solid plan for these situation. If he's bringing on Perez for Diame what is he looking to achieve? How is he changing the way we play if what has been happening for the first 60 minutes clearly isn't working at all. If there is a plan, he needs a better one.

 

What I'd do if Gayle keeps getting abused by two thug center halves is bring Mitro in there and move Gayle on the left where he'd enjoy more space and would be able to do what Gouffran isn't: make runs between the full back and the center back. Mitrovic isn't a great goal scorer but in some games its just so painfully obvious you need a physical presence there to give someone an extra second or a metre.

 

There's no one solid plan though. In some situations Rafa will change players, add players, change line ups. Honestly, not being adaptable or not having a plan B is exactly the last thing that I would accuse Rafa of, he's meticulous in his planning and you rarely see the same line up because he has a plan, not just a one size fits all approach to managing games.

 

Your suggestion is to move the league's top scorer from his natural, favourite, successful position into another one where you think things will happen based on...? Where's this idea that he'll get more space, space to run into come from?

 

You don't see what's looking to be achieved by changing Perez for Diame (for example)? They have different ways of playing for a start, that's before getting onto how one of them is in dire form and the other isn't. Diame drives at teams and gets out wide, Perez is supposed to be the typical tricky number 10, but isn't.

 

Gayle for Mitrovic would come under the same bracket as the Perez for Diame example above, with the obvious reason that this doesn't happen being that one is the league's top scorer and the other isn't anywhere near that. Moving Gayle from his position is lunacy imo. Yes, bring Mitrovic on by all means, but shifting Gayle from the position that he's nailed down? Nah, no chance at this stage. 3 or 4 games without it working then maybe, but not right now.

[Mistle17]

Main issue for us is penetrating the first defensive line of the opposition. A lot of teams will screen/mark our CM's and allow Lascelles/Clark to play back and across- sometimes they will use triggers to spring out and press us high. There was one occasion yesterday when Lascelles played an excellent pass in the 2nd half that broke through Blackburns Attacking & Midfield lines to find Diame, but otherwise we lack any sort of penetration in our build up. Relying on Colback as opposed to Shelvey to provide forward passes that can find our Wingers in between the lines is destined for failure- Anita would be more suited to such a task.

 

Imo, that is our biggest problem, and we are becoming very easy to defend against during our build up. It's no coincidence that our best chances came in the first half when we we're hitting them on the break. Taking this problem into account, it's fair enough that we do play with 3 midfielders and bring our wingers inside in an attempt to overload the centre of the pitch and have more options for penetration, but it isn't working.

 

Rafa needs to be flexible and play Atsu who provides us with more pace (ideal for the counter attack) and is good 1v1. He's a player who is direct and will provide service into the box- when you have someone as good as Gayle you should be looking to provide it as much as possible. He needs to restore Yedlin to provide us with more pace on that side and like Anita DeAndre is quick enough to recover in transition. He's capable going forward, so it will only make sense for us to play Anita CM with Hayden. Anita is technically competent and doesn't avoid chances to receive the ball, unlike Colback.

 

For me, I can accept us playing 4-2-3-1 if we field the correct personnel, but we're not. Gouffran, Colback, Dummet, and at times Ritchie and Diame are simply not good enough (former 3) or not effective (latter 2). When you consider that all but one of those names are midfielders of some capacity it is frustrating that we are not playing Mitrovic (or Murphy) alongside Gayle. If Rafa still wants his wingers to come inside you can easily do that with two up front and allow your Full Backs to provide width. Lazaar HAS to start playing instead of Dummet- he cannot be any worse. Dummet is at the level of Blackburn Rovers tbh, and it's an embarrassment on the clubs behalf that he is a 'product' of NUFC. There's no point in having a patient build up, controlled approach if when it lands at PD's feet he launches it. I can't understand why Rafa is persisting with him, Colback, and Gouffran.

 

I love Rafa, am fully behind him, and unbelievably grateful that he is our manager, however he cannot be immune to criticism (that never ends well...) and with our appalling recent performances and results- in a division we should be a lot more comfortable in- it is absolutely fair that his team selection has been questioned  of late.

[sempuki]

Pure doom this:

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/01/03/newcastle-united-having-wobble-nerves-starting-jangle-rafa/

[Hanshithispantz]

There are people in here who think that the man who famously managed to win the Champions League from 3-0 at half time to AC Milan doesn't have a plan B. That's the sort of shit that winds me up and I find embarrassing like, if you honestly think he doesn't have a plan B or that plan B is always the answer then I think you need to look at yourself, not Rafa.

 

Why is it then impossible to identify what that plan is? Or can you tell me what our plan is when opponent sits back and Gayle struggles to touch the ball?

 

It's not rocket science. If we have a real plan for these situations then surely most of us would be able to watch the game and point the things he has changed in the way we play. I sure can't.

 

You can't? So you've never seen a change in our football following half time? You've never seen any of our players change position, or new players come on to up the pace or to replace someone who's playing particularly poorly? Perez for Diame, Gouffran for Atsu etc etc?

 

 

No, I don't see anything consistent enough that tells me there's a solid plan for these situation. If he's bringing on Perez for Diame what is he looking to achieve? How is he changing the way we play if what has been happening for the first 60 minutes clearly isn't working at all. If there is a plan, he needs a better one.

 

What I'd do if Gayle keeps getting abused by two thug center halves is bring Mitro in there and move Gayle on the left where he'd enjoy more space and would be able to do what Gouffran isn't: make runs between the full back and the center back. Mitrovic isn't a great goal scorer but in some games its just so painfully obvious you need a physical presence there to give someone an extra second or a metre.

This is the point though. It's not as simple as that. As fans we seem to look at a problem and think it's as easy as putting a big man up top and hitting him with crosses. Or bringing on some fresh legs and catching them on the break. This can and does work now and again, but it's not the only option.

 

He didn't really use a 'Plan B' yesterday, he presumably hoped that our pressure would eventually pay off. When they scored his answer was to bring on Perez - who he obviously doesn't trust. Perez being a far more technically gifted player than Colback. A pretty clear change, but not one I think he's really comfortable with.

 

He probably got it wrong, hence why we lost, but to suggest he doesn't know how to change a game on the back of this half season is pretty silly.

[merlin]

Pure doom this:

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/01/03/newcastle-united-having-wobble-nerves-starting-jangle-rafa/

Maybe - but he is right about the repercussions if we fail to go up....losing Rafa would be a more than even bet...

[merlin]

While we have looked workmanlike at times, I still trust Rafa completely. If not him then no manager.

 

As Ikon's post indicates, we're still doing bloody well. Brighton's ridiculous form obviously complicates things, but our own points tally is very healthy.

 

Aye we have some issues to deal with, but what better man to sort them?

Why is Brighton's form 'ridiculous'..? Was Man U's ridiculous when they were TWELVE points behind us in Feb and managed to overhaul us to the point that the last day's fixtures were virtually meaningless..?

Brighton are top because they deserve to be...they have found a winning formula and can come from behind to get points which we clearly cannot.

[mighty__mag]

A lot of people really believed we were going to win every game. Unfortunately for the rest of us they're usually the loudest at voicing their opinions too.

 

Watching yesterday I thought our main issue was picking the wrong pass at the wrong time. For pretty much the whole of the first half there was a player in space for a shot around D yet rarely if ever did the pass find him or the shot get away. Unfortunately that's what happens when you have players who aren't confident enough or good enough to play quick one touch football.

 

When we play well, a lot of goals come from quick, incisive movement and passing alas this hasn't happened as much in recent defeats. I don't think the formation particularly matters especially given it would effectively only be Hayden playing central midfield as no-one else is disciplined/fit enough to do so in a 2 currently.

 

No they really dont. Some opinions of others on here are utterly made up.

 

Nobody thinks we are the untouchables, winning every game is a once in a blue moon thing. Stop exaggerating what you think people think.

 

What most "probably" think or wish want whatever you want to decide is that we could turn a result around. Theres no doubt we are stronger than Blackburn and the other 7 sides that have beaten us with everything taken into consideration, If you are losing a game why wouldn't you look at other options. Its almost like some are completely mystified by Rafa. Fucking lovestruck kids man.

 

[Darth Crooks]

People genuinely said we won't lose or a game or go unbeaten. It's not utterly made up. I know that's not a large consensus view but there are shades below that as well. You've spent just as much effort painting people as smitten followers incapable of cynicism. From what I can gather the 'lovestruck' and others are saying - 'yeah he's got things wrong, I'm not panicking though because he's got the majority of stuff right so far and I have enough belief in his ability to sort things out.

 

To be honest the more I look at yesterday the stranger it becomes, Blackburn were gifted that by an idiot and we lacked the creativity to score in a game that should have really just been a dull draw. The points tally is good and we're doing more right than wrong, what's wrong needs addressing, Rafa will seel do it because he's a capable man. If he's making the same errors/lapses in 3 games time that cost us points then is time to worry but the points are there. We're a million miles from Tufty's 'We'll get it right soon you watch' schtick.

[Guest firetotheworks]

A lot of people really believed we were going to win every game. Unfortunately for the rest of us they're usually the loudest at voicing their opinions too.

 

Watching yesterday I thought our main issue was picking the wrong pass at the wrong time. For pretty much the whole of the first half there was a player in space for a shot around D yet rarely if ever did the pass find him or the shot get away. Unfortunately that's what happens when you have players who aren't confident enough or good enough to play quick one touch football.

 

When we play well, a lot of goals come from quick, incisive movement and passing alas this hasn't happened as much in recent defeats. I don't think the formation particularly matters especially given it would effectively only be Hayden playing central midfield as no-one else is disciplined/fit enough to do so in a 2 currently.

 

No they really dont. Some opinions of others on here are utterly made up.

 

Nobody thinks we are the untouchables, winning every game is a once in a blue moon thing. Stop exaggerating what you think people think.

 

What most "probably" think or wish want whatever you want to decide is that we could turn a result around. Theres no doubt we are stronger than Blackburn and the other 7 sides that have beaten us with everything taken ito consideration, If you are losing a game why wouldn't you look at other options. Its almost like some are completely mystified by Rafa. Fucking lovestruck kids man.

 

 

Hmm, nah, more that we trust the managerial and tactical acumen of someone with the below record, over 'mighty_mag and madras on the internet' tbh That's not to say you're not entitled to your opinion or that you can't criticise Rafa, it's more that the criticism isn't really based on anything other than the assumption that things like 'why wouldn't you look at other options?' are things that Rafa hasn't already done, or this idea that acting on other options is always the best, most creative solution. I'd rather he went with what he thinks is the right decision than make an ineffective change to appease fans.

 

Extremadura

Segunda División promotion: 1997–98

Tenerife

Segunda División promotion: 2000–01

Valencia

La Liga: 2001–02, 2003–04

UEFA Cup: 2003–04

Liverpool

FA Cup: 2005–06

FA Community Shield: 2006

UEFA Champions League: 2004–05

UEFA Super Cup: 2005

Inter Milan

Supercoppa Italiana: 2010

FIFA Club World Cup: 2010

Chelsea

UEFA Europa League: 2012–13

Napoli

Coppa Italia: 2013–14

Supercoppa Italiana: 2014

Individual awards

La Liga Best Coach: 2002

UEFA Manager of the Year: 2003–04, 2004–05

LMA Special Merit Award: 2006

Premier League Manager of the Month (6): November 2005, December 2005, January 2007, October 2008, March 2009, April 2013

Football League Championship Manager of the Month (1): October 2016

[Kasper]

There are people in here who think that the man who famously managed to win the Champions League from 3-0 at half time to AC Milan doesn't have a plan B. That's the sort of shit that winds me up and I find embarrassing like, if you honestly think he doesn't have a plan B or that plan B is always the answer then I think you need to look at yourself, not Rafa.

 

Why is it then impossible to identify what that plan is? Or can you tell me what our plan is when opponent sits back and Gayle struggles to touch the ball?

 

It's not rocket science. If we have a real plan for these situations then surely most of us would be able to watch the game and point the things he has changed in the way we play. I sure can't.

 

You can't? So you've never seen a change in our football following half time? You've never seen any of our players change position, or new players come on to up the pace or to replace someone who's playing particularly poorly? Perez for Diame, Gouffran for Atsu etc etc?

 

 

No, I don't see anything consistent enough that tells me there's a solid plan for these situation. If he's bringing on Perez for Diame what is he looking to achieve? How is he changing the way we play if what has been happening for the first 60 minutes clearly isn't working at all. If there is a plan, he needs a better one.

 

What I'd do if Gayle keeps getting abused by two thug center halves is bring Mitro in there and move Gayle on the left where he'd enjoy more space and would be able to do what Gouffran isn't: make runs between the full back and the center back. Mitrovic isn't a great goal scorer but in some games its just so painfully obvious you need a physical presence there to give someone an extra second or a metre.

 

There's no one solid plan though. In some situations Rafa will change players, add players, change line ups. Honestly, not being adaptable or not having a plan B is exactly the last thing that I would accuse Rafa of, he's meticulous in his planning and you rarely see the same line up because he has a plan, not just a one size fits all approach to managing games.

 

Your suggestion is to move the league's top scorer from his natural, favourite, successful position into another one where you think things will happen based on...? Where's this idea that he'll get more space, space to run into come from?

 

You don't see what's looking to be achieved by changing Perez for Diame (for example)? They have different ways of playing for a start, that's before getting onto how one of them is in dire form and the other isn't. Diame drives at teams and gets out wide, Perez is supposed to be the typical tricky number 10, but isn't.

 

Gayle for Mitrovic would come under the same bracket as the Perez for Diame example above, with the obvious reason that this doesn't happen being that one is the league's top scorer and the other isn't anywhere near that. Moving Gayle from his position is lunacy imo. Yes, bring Mitrovic on by all means, but shifting Gayle from the position that he's nailed down? Nah, no chance at this stage. 3 or 4 games without it working then maybe, but not right now.

 

It matters absolutely nothing if he's the top scorer in the world or not if he's not getting a sniff of the ball and is clearly getting frustrated out there.

 

Also I don't get how that comes under the same bracket as Perez and Diame. You were the one who said Rafa has a plan and makes changes like Perez for Diame based on that plan. Yet you don't tell me a single thing Perez brings to the table or how that sub changes the way we play for the better in a certain situation? How is that sub offering an answer to a problem, how is Perez's different style helping us open a defense? I gave a simple example what Mitro for Gouffran sub could bring when we've pushed and pushed for 60 minutes without progress.