Rafa Benítez (now unemployed)

[TRon]

What the fuck was that British players question all about?

 

He handled it perfectly as always.

[Shak]

Annoying that he hasn’t given Perez up top another go since the Stoke game. Given how sharp we looked that day and how utterly fucking shite Gayle and Joselu are it’s pretty poor tbh, especially given that we actually have decent options for the three AM spots.

 

Hopefully Slimani can make the spot his own but I do feel Rafa has missed a trick the last few weeks.

[timeEd32]

I think we might overestimate that setup against Stoke. It looked good but they were so shit that day. One of the worst performances I’ve seen by anyone all season.

[Yorkie]

Annoying that he hasn’t given Perez up top another go since the Stoke game. Given how sharp we looked that day and how utterly fucking shite Gayle and Joselu are it’s pretty poor tbh, especially given that we actually have decent options for the three AM spots.

 

Hopefully Slimani can make the spot his own but I do feel Rafa has missed a trick the last few weeks.

 

Perez was excellent in the first half today, but faltered massively in the second half - probably cos he played 90 minutes in midweek. Felt it was right that he was withdrawn.

 

It's a pity we haven't got a single capable striker (Slimani notwithstanding)

[Amir_9]

Surprised not to see Murphy play today. Merino offered fuck all.

[54]

Surprised not to see Murphy play today. Merino offered fuck all.

In possession he was poor, but one thing I noticed was that when he came on, was that the tempo of the game died, and the amount of times they'd hit us on the "break" for few and the game fizzled out kind off, they still had the odd chance, but it wasn't nearly as much of an onslaught as it was before he came on.

[triggs]

Annoying that he hasn’t given Perez up top another go since the Stoke game. Given how sharp we looked that day and how utterly fucking shite Gayle and Joselu are it’s pretty poor tbh, especially given that we actually have decent options for the three AM spots.

 

Hopefully Slimani can make the spot his own but I do feel Rafa has missed a trick the last few weeks.

 

Perez was excellent in the first half today, but faltered massively in the second half - probably cos he played 90 minutes in midweek. Felt it was right that he was withdrawn.

 

It's a pity we haven't got a single capable striker (Slimani notwithstanding)

More to do with us keeping the ball in the first half and hoofing it in the second

[Yorkie]

Annoying that he hasn’t given Perez up top another go since the Stoke game. Given how sharp we looked that day and how utterly fucking shite Gayle and Joselu are it’s pretty poor tbh, especially given that we actually have decent options for the three AM spots.

 

Hopefully Slimani can make the spot his own but I do feel Rafa has missed a trick the last few weeks.

 

Perez was excellent in the first half today, but faltered massively in the second half - probably cos he played 90 minutes in midweek. Felt it was right that he was withdrawn.

 

It's a pity we haven't got a single capable striker (Slimani notwithstanding)

More to do with us keeping the ball in the first half and hoofing it in the second

 

He played a couple of horribly wayward passes on a couple of occasions; in the first half today, and against Burnley, they were finding their man. Just looked a bit knackered to me. He's gonna be important to us for the remainder of the season because it looks like he can link up with Kenedy.

[TRon]

I bet he wishes he had players like Cabaye, Townsend, Zaha and Benteke to call on. 1-1 at home would have been a shit result if he was Palace manager.

[Kanj]

I hated every sub he made today. I realize I know nothing but just needed to say it.

[Zero]

Match day is the only day in a week that people can criticise Rafa.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Criticise him all you want, just so long as you're happy to have your criticism criticised without crying on about it 'not being allowed'

[Bimpy474]

I'd say that 2nd half was as bad as anything Pardew served up, the one thing forgotten about that though, would be Pardew had a far superior team and had no need to play such shite football, as he could have had a out ball, something we need badly now.

 

Today it was clear we lacked a player to hold the ball up/turn the oppo round. Hopefully Slimani can be that player, he can run in behind as well as hold it which is perfect for Rafa's one up. Perez and Gayle were so weak the ball just came back over and over.

[Greg]

I'd say that 2nd half was as bad as anything Pardew served up, the one thing forgotten about that though, would be Pardew had a far superior team and had no need to play such s**** football, as he could have had a out ball, something we need badly now.

 

Today it was clear we lacked a player to hold the ball up/turn the oppo round. Hopefully Slimani can be that player, he can run in behind as well as hold it which is perfect for Rafa's one up. Perez and Gayle were so weak the ball just came back over and over.

 

[joeyt]

Last week's second half was just as bad if not worse I thought

[Greg]

Yes, but as bad as some of the hammerings Pardew served up. No.

[Jesse Pinkman]

It was bad like. I can barely remember us stringing more than 2- 3 passes together at a time.

 

Gayle and Perez are just not Premier League quality. I'd rather see Murphy given a shot up top if we are playing Ritchie on the right.

[Twinport53]

I'd say that 2nd half was as bad as anything Pardew served up, the one thing forgotten about that though, would be Pardew had a far superior team and had no need to play such s**** football, as he could have had a out ball, something we need badly now.

 

Today it was clear we lacked a player to hold the ball up/turn the oppo round. Hopefully Slimani can be that player, he can run in behind as well as hold it which is perfect for Rafa's one up. Perez and Gayle were so weak the ball just came back over and over.

 

Your first sentence contradicts itself. You answer yourself by explaining the squads are inherently different. Point nullified, it's f*** all like Pardew.

 

We'd have gone there, Zaha would destroy us, Pards would praise him and bemoan the lack of luck in our 4-0 defeat whilst trying to flog Kenedy despite him being on loan.

[Guest firetotheworks]

I'm fucking sick of reading that stupid comparison like.

[Bimpy474]

I'd say that 2nd half was as bad as anything Pardew served up, the one thing forgotten about that though, would be Pardew had a far superior team and had no need to play such s**** football, as he could have had a out ball, something we need badly now.

 

Today it was clear we lacked a player to hold the ball up/turn the oppo round. Hopefully Slimani can be that player, he can run in behind as well as hold it which is perfect for Rafa's one up. Perez and Gayle were so weak the ball just came back over and over.

 

Your first sentence contradicts itself. You answer yourself by explaining the squads are inherently different. Point nullified, it's fuck all like Pardew.

 

We'd have gone there, Zaha would destroy us, Pards would praise him and bemoan the lack of luck in our 4-0 defeat whilst trying to flog kenedy despite him being on loan.

 

Erm no, one explains why Rafa's team ends up hoofing when under pressure. Unlike Pardew who hoofed it by design. And the rest of your posts reads as if i'm sticking up for Pardew, which i'm not. In fact i'm one of the first of us to hate his guts, and saw through him a bit before most.

 

While i do describe Rafa's football as a bit boring, you give him a proper forward, a proper 10 and better overlapping full backs and that'll change. He's done brilliantly to have us out of the bottom three as it is, give him better players and everything changes, style, thinking, the football itself becomes altogether different.

[Twinport53]

I'd say that 2nd half was as bad as anything Pardew served up, the one thing forgotten about that though, would be Pardew had a far superior team and had no need to play such s**** football, as he could have had a out ball, something we need badly now.

 

Today it was clear we lacked a player to hold the ball up/turn the oppo round. Hopefully Slimani can be that player, he can run in behind as well as hold it which is perfect for Rafa's one up. Perez and Gayle were so weak the ball just came back over and over.

 

Your first sentence contradicts itself. You answer yourself by explaining the squads are inherently different. Point nullified, it's f*** all like Pardew.

 

We'd have gone there, Zaha would destroy us, Pards would praise him and bemoan the lack of luck in our 4-0 defeat whilst trying to flog kenedy despite him being on loan.

 

Erm no, one explains why Rafa's team ends up hoofing when under pressure. Unlike Pardew who hoofed it by design. And the rest of your posts reads as if i'm sticking up for Pardew, which i'm not. In fact i'm one of the first of us to hate his guts, and saw through him a bit before most.

 

While i do describe Rafa's football as a bit boring, you give him a proper forward, a proper 10 and better overlapping full backs and that'll change. He's done brilliantly to have us out of the bottom three as it is, give him better players and everything changes, style, thinking, the football itself becomes altogether different.

[Bimpy474]

I'd say that 2nd half was as bad as anything Pardew served up, the one thing forgotten about that though, would be Pardew had a far superior team and had no need to play such s**** football, as he could have had a out ball, something we need badly now.

 

Today it was clear we lacked a player to hold the ball up/turn the oppo round. Hopefully Slimani can be that player, he can run in behind as well as hold it which is perfect for Rafa's one up. Perez and Gayle were so weak the ball just came back over and over.

 

Your first sentence contradicts itself. You answer yourself by explaining the squads are inherently different. Point nullified, it's f*** all like Pardew.

 

We'd have gone there, Zaha would destroy us, Pards would praise him and bemoan the lack of luck in our 4-0 defeat whilst trying to flog kenedy despite him being on loan.

 

Erm no, one explains why Rafa's team ends up hoofing when under pressure. Unlike Pardew who hoofed it by design. And the rest of your posts reads as if i'm sticking up for Pardew, which i'm not. In fact i'm one of the first of us to hate his guts, and saw through him a bit before most.

 

While i do describe Rafa's football as a bit boring, you give him a proper forward, a proper 10 and better overlapping full backs and that'll change. He's done brilliantly to have us out of the bottom three as it is, give him better players and everything changes, style, thinking, the football itself becomes altogether different.

 

Probably a good idea to actually read it properly, or not as is your preference.

[Twinport53]

I stopped reading after your accurate comparison

[Bimpy474]

I stopped reading after your accurate comparison

 

Good for you, i like a decisive man.

[TRon]

It was bad like. I can barely remember us stringing more than 2- 3 passes together at a time.

 

Gayle and Perez are just not Premier League quality. I'd rather see Murphy given a shot up top if we are playing Ritchie on the right.

 

Barely anyone in our team is Premier league quality. It would probably go a long way to explaining why we can't string two passes together if you look at it objectively.