Useful

**jimmys_best_mate** · 17-01-2010, 11:50

Originally Posted by CRmeansCeilingReached

well degen is hardly a regular either! :D

:o True enough, but away to Stoke is never going to be the game to introduce your new, non-match fit Argentinean attacking midfielder.

Being kicked to death by a load of 6 foot yard dogs isn't really the way to get match fit.

**the_guru** · 17-01-2010, 12:01

Originally Posted by jack-daniels

Personally, I think you should give Rafa a contract for life!

Best since Souness.

Rafa must stay.

Seriously there are clearly massive problems off the field. I think that Manyoo mightn't be too far behind. In a couple of years time, I think that people will see how clever Wenger has been. They've cleared their debt from the stadium, and I can see a shift coming.

Still funny though.

**drain_sniffer** · 17-01-2010, 12:56

Originally Posted by MrShanklysboots

Originally Posted by drain_sniffer

I tell you what MSB, those blinkers of yours must be really chaffing now. Face facts, Rafa has spent a fortune on dross. His tactics have been questionable at best, and some of his substitutions laughable. You can blame the owners all you like, but he had spent a fortune on dross before they tipped up. He is responsible for the most part on what is going wrong at your place

Erm...... Balls. Edited to add, take a look at page 108 of this thread. There is a complete breakdown of the spend and sell by Rafa. On an Average of 16.6 mill a season he has improved the squad. Which shows what a pile of shabite we had then.

And the day I take "its not all finances and the owners" from a Chavski fan will be a cold day in hell.

And has been said by those far more elegantly than me, its because he has spent a fortune on shiit on flogged them for what he could get when he found out how dog toffee they were. Improved the squad???? are you mental?? Of course, Ngog is a far better striker than Bellamy

I'm all for it me. Its funny to see your "improved squad" desperate to battle for a draw against stoke

**CRmeansCeilingReached** · 17-01-2010, 12:57

let's have a bit of perspective.

it's our worst run of form in living memory... we're playing fucking awful... our best players are all injured... we're out of everything... we keep conceding late goals... chins are on the floor... results could barely be worse... we can't afford any decent players... our defence is ridiculously leaky... our £20m signing is underperforming... we get crap results against shit teams... our top three goalscorers are all out for 2-6 weeks... villa, spurs and man city are closing the gap and performing well... team confidence is rock bottom... we can only put out makeshift teams...

and you know what? we're still only 4 pts off 4th place :D

yes, it's bad. but only by the incredibly high standards we set.

Pos Team Pld W D L Pts
1 Chelsea 21 15 3 3 48
2 Manchester United 22 15 2 5 47
3 Arsenal 20 13 3 4 42
4 Tottenham Hotspur 21 11 5 5 38
5 Manchester City 21 10 8 3 38
6 Aston Villa 20 10 5 5 35
7 Liverpool 21 10 4 7 34

chins up and keep supporting the team and the manager. we've still got 17 games left to play.

**drain_sniffer** · 17-01-2010, 13:02

Meanwhile, Everton are playing some scintillating football. How many injuries do/have they got, and how much money has Moyes had to spend, yet doesn't seem to effect his teams performance.

**A_Knocker_Till_The_End** · 17-01-2010, 13:06

Sky Sports Headline: "Rafa feels Reds were robbed" .......... Oh the irony.

**the_guru** · 17-01-2010, 13:08

Originally Posted by drain_sniffer

Meanwhile, Everton are playing some scintillating football. How many injuries do/have they got, and how much money has Moyes had to spend, yet doesn't seem to effect his teams performance.

I like you.
:D

**jimmys_best_mate** · 17-01-2010, 13:19

Originally Posted by drain_sniffer

Of course, Ngog is a far better striker than Bellamy

We wouldn't have Torres without selling Bellamy. I'm fairly sure Torres is better than Bellamy

**drain_sniffer** · 17-01-2010, 13:25

Originally Posted by jimmys_best_mate

Originally Posted by drain_sniffer

Of course, Ngog is a far better striker than Bellamy

We wouldn't have Torres without selling Bellamy. I'm fairly sure Torres is better than Bellamy

Fair point, but you cant run a team based on one or two quality players surrounded by dross. I mean, what would happen if those quality players were to get injured...................

**jimmys_best_mate** · 17-01-2010, 13:37

Originally Posted by drain_sniffer

Fair point, but you cant run a team based on one or two quality players surrounded by dross. I mean, what would happen if those quality players were to get injured...................

True enough, although I think that Ngog is a decent young striker. He had an awful game yesterday, but generally this season he's shown enough to give him a chance. Kuyt's an experienced international striker and Babel, if he wasn't such a shithouse, should be a decent young striker too. In theory we should have three decent enough back up options if Torres is out.

Unfortunately, all of our players seem to have had major slumps in form at the same time while we also go through an injury crisis that is the football equivalent of the first day of the Somme.

The players haven't gone from genuine title challengers to shite over pre season and neither has Rafa or his tactics. I'm still confident he can turn the players round and get them playing again. The question is whether he'll be backed in the transfer market if he needs it.

The figures floating round for his spending are mostly bollocks and based entirely on guesswork from a press which has never really liked him. His net spend this summer was £10,000 from what I've read, less than most League 1 sides have to spend. He's spending only what he brings in and might not even get that much to spend anymore. The Yank cancers have fcuked us just like they have with United.