19 Dec 2021 18:52:07
People go on about rafas tactics but tactics are only as good as the players on the pitch.
It's not rafas fault, these players haven't been able to adopt the tactics of 6 previous managers.
The main reason is the manager hasn't been given time to implement their plan.
Moyes came in and played the same way. Defensively solid and hit on the break then developed the team and tried to bring more expansive players in to find a balance.
He was given time because we didn't have moshiri money and the skewed expectations that brought
Seems like some want us to play like Liverpool using players from tranmere. Just won't work.
19 Dec 2021 19:23:13
I have always believed that tactics are to make the best of the players available to go on the pitch.
19 Dec 2021 19:58:17
I understand the principles of your post, and more than anything applaud your patience.
However all I ask of Rafa is he encourages the right pass at the right time, to play less 'come and have a go at us footy' and play more to our 'strengths ' and opponents 'weaknesses' also give the players he has the freedom to make instant decisions in real time.
We really do need the manager to be more adaptable and stop relying on overconfidence of the other teams then allowing us to gain advantage and score as it won't be successful to the desired degree anymore, PL teams are drilled better than they were during the DM years, and the standards are different thanks to the likes of Pep and yes Jürgen.
David Moyes gradually brought together a squad of disciplined battlers who seemed to revel under the underdog banner which was great at the time, Benitez hasn't got that component or element at his disposal as some of these guys are overpaid a tad on the old side as well a being short on team spirit and enthusiasm.
19 Dec 2021 21:35:56
We seem to be set up to defend and hopefully score from a set piece (Chelsea) . But the players have shown that if you allow them to play with freedom then they can play (Arsenal 4 goals) . Yes I know only two counted, but they showed that night that they have it in them.
Rafa has got to realise that their is more than one way of playing, and having the likes of Dacoure play as a defensive midfielder is simply wasting his talent.
20 Dec 2021 06:27:24
Some fair points there. Bob, the Arsenal we set up the same way we normally do, sit back k and use the pace of gray, richy and townsend on the counter.
1st disallowed was a set piece and 2nd was from their mistake.
Rafa, 95% of the teams in prem play counter attack football, even those lot across the park, which is why they struggle to break down teams who park the bus. They better now because they have salah, who is unreal this year.
The main difference is they have a high line to counter from and we sat on pickfords knee.
Put yourself in rafa shoes walking into training for 1st time. How would you set them up to play with the players available?
Can't go on the attack as the defenders not good enough to deal with the counter.
All managers want to be tight at the back them build forwards.
Even Gerrard first word at villa was to say will make us harder to beat. His full backs stayed deeper and 2 cdms. They just have a little more quality going forward than we have.
20 Dec 2021 08:40:30
Geoff, the ''harder to beat'' is a nice sounding 'maxim' that most new managers come out with when they takeover a struggling team mate.
Stevie knew that and I am sure David Moyse said it or something similar in fact I wouldn't be surprised to here the 'best' of them say it or we need to 'tighten up defence' and so on,
great rhetoric sound strategy a good stepping stone yes, on paper .
When it isn't working then it calls for serious tweaking and some fine adjustments, and Rafa right now is pounding the ivory on a piano desperately in need of tuning.
20 Dec 2021 10:59:56
Fair play rafa, was always going to be a nigh on impossible job whoever came in to manage us.
Gonna be a long road back to the top but we have never made it easy on ourselves.