[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=39782.msg1088374#msg1088374 date=1271342195]
If you weren't a lawyer I'd have suggested you become one after that. ;D
Rafa4 does have a serious point though IMO, which is that (admitted self-inflicted wounds notwithstanding) we've had the devil's own luck this time around, in terms of injuries and of Statler and Waldorf deciding not to fund last summer's transfer kitty at the level Rafa had cause to expect.
[/quote]
reasons for our league slump
1) not being able to reinvest ALL the money from sales
meant no striker with the money from the keane sale. this would cause major problems down the line
2) the alonso sale
THE major reason for our slump. I think we known xabi was integral for our style of play and creating the tempo and taking the ball off the toes of defenders utterly incapable of starting attacks themselves but not even the biggest xabi fan *cough* anita *cough* could have imagined how clueless we would have looked without him
3) the lucas masher combo
a creativity vacuum meaning the attacking players totally starved of service.
I think gerrard's pittiful 6 goal return is partly due to this
4) gerrard's slump
who the hell could have seen THAT coming?! gerrard has been injuried before and usually gets right back into the groove, but he has struggled badly for form this season. four league goals from open play? yikes!
5) nando 'tampon' torres
nando being out almost continually this season has hit us and hit us hard. how can anyone NOT miss goals scored at such a prolific rate.
6) no back up striker worth of the name.
n'gog has given it his best shot but torres' shoes are too big for the young lad to fill and he has struggled.
7) kuyt perpetual loss of form
hot and cold, hot and cold. that has been kuyt all season and becuase rafa is unable or unwilling to change his start man dirk has often been allowed to continue his slump in the first team.
8 ) aqua recovery time from his injury
I'm pretty sure rafa thought it would take a maximum of two months to get fit but aqua's injury when on and on until it was so far into the season rafa refused to throw aqua in the deep end of must win games.
9) our inability to defend set pieces
there was definately a case for zonal marking when rafa arrived because we were one of the best teams at keeping out set piece goals. this season we seem all over the place at the back.
10) the emergence of insua
with dossena fucked off and aurelio made out of cheese the position of left back was insua's to lose and this season has been shocking for the young argie, too much too soon?
11) defenders all over the place
whether due to the lack of protection, whether due to more attacking fullbacks introduced, lack of form, fatigue or plain bad luck the days of us scoring and shutting out the game is well and truly in the past.
12) rafa himself, slow subs, too much faith in some players, not enough in other, over caution and a host of other mistermeaners have blighted this season.
it seemed that we were in for a long season which the horrendous preseason, with many of the spanish players coming back late because of the confed cup and it didn't get better on the first day of the season with carra taking out martin. we never really recovered, hoping for a much better preseason and if rafa is still here (and I think he will be) I hope he is given ALL the money from sales.
If you weren't a lawyer I'd have suggested you become one after that. ;D
Rafa4 does have a serious point though IMO, which is that (admitted self-inflicted wounds notwithstanding) we've had the devil's own luck this time around, in terms of injuries and of Statler and Waldorf deciding not to fund last summer's transfer kitty at the level Rafa had cause to expect.
[/quote]
reasons for our league slump
1) not being able to reinvest ALL the money from sales
meant no striker with the money from the keane sale. this would cause major problems down the line
2) the alonso sale
THE major reason for our slump. I think we known xabi was integral for our style of play and creating the tempo and taking the ball off the toes of defenders utterly incapable of starting attacks themselves but not even the biggest xabi fan *cough* anita *cough* could have imagined how clueless we would have looked without him
3) the lucas masher combo
a creativity vacuum meaning the attacking players totally starved of service.
I think gerrard's pittiful 6 goal return is partly due to this
4) gerrard's slump
who the hell could have seen THAT coming?! gerrard has been injuried before and usually gets right back into the groove, but he has struggled badly for form this season. four league goals from open play? yikes!
5) nando 'tampon' torres
nando being out almost continually this season has hit us and hit us hard. how can anyone NOT miss goals scored at such a prolific rate.
6) no back up striker worth of the name.
n'gog has given it his best shot but torres' shoes are too big for the young lad to fill and he has struggled.
7) kuyt perpetual loss of form
hot and cold, hot and cold. that has been kuyt all season and becuase rafa is unable or unwilling to change his start man dirk has often been allowed to continue his slump in the first team.
8 ) aqua recovery time from his injury
I'm pretty sure rafa thought it would take a maximum of two months to get fit but aqua's injury when on and on until it was so far into the season rafa refused to throw aqua in the deep end of must win games.
9) our inability to defend set pieces
there was definately a case for zonal marking when rafa arrived because we were one of the best teams at keeping out set piece goals. this season we seem all over the place at the back.
10) the emergence of insua
with dossena fucked off and aurelio made out of cheese the position of left back was insua's to lose and this season has been shocking for the young argie, too much too soon?
11) defenders all over the place
whether due to the lack of protection, whether due to more attacking fullbacks introduced, lack of form, fatigue or plain bad luck the days of us scoring and shutting out the game is well and truly in the past.
12) rafa himself, slow subs, too much faith in some players, not enough in other, over caution and a host of other mistermeaners have blighted this season.
it seemed that we were in for a long season which the horrendous preseason, with many of the spanish players coming back late because of the confed cup and it didn't get better on the first day of the season with carra taking out martin. we never really recovered, hoping for a much better preseason and if rafa is still here (and I think he will be) I hope he is given ALL the money from sales.
