budgie

Certainly are a few in there that are just there to tell a little story - Zat Knight, Cascarino etc. Don't like his comments about Paul McGrath - "often played while drunk". Just not true. He played a handful of times drunk - he trained a lot while phissed but not in matches. Can't say that I thought I'd see Michael Chopra in the top 50 transfers.

Besides the goals? There were 4, what the hell are you expecting? I thought it was an excellent performance based upon athe pace and movement of 5 quality mobile attackers and a solid defensive grounding. I don't really agree with the original post that you can just keep playing the same way until you lose. The reality is that we need to have the ability to change to plan B and C in certain games, either before or during matches. The problem comes when players are played out of position to accomodate the formation (ala Crouch on the wing). We have however seen a lot of the big name managers experiment with playing players out of their "position". Some work, some don't.

And I'd like to think that Rafa uses training sessions & matches to assess this

Where do you live? Cos I'm going to hunt you down. Stop mockering us!!!

So what's the discussion about?

You were the one talking about being unbeaten

To be fair to Ferguson (as much as I hate him) - that's what he deserves. Just should be the same for Rafa.

Agreed but the fact is that we are well in it at the moment

If someone gets injured out of that, then we deal with it, not before anything happens. No of course not, but the Pompey one was a massive game. The game where we really aught to have outlined our title ambitions So what does he do, play 2 back-up strikers and keeps SG and FT on the bench? I don't see the reasoning... But you could say the same about Fergie resting Ronaldo and Vidic for the Bolton before a pretty meaningless CL game. All managers take gambles rotating players but Rafa is the one that the press love to slag about it. Rafa's logic should show up in the second half of the season where we should come on strong like the last couple of years

But can you really expect all our players to play in all the games? Just not possible if we are in the CL as well. Just too many matches nowadays.

Wasn't saying you wanted us to lose. Just saying that you are looking at the thing very negatively. Not at all implying anything about your support. It's clear you care

???

And Wwegner's lack of tinkering cost Arsenal 5 pts this week? Football would be a boring game if the best team always wins.

So if we go out of the CL or lose on sunday, I don't think anyone would be claiming that SAF isn't having a better season. The point is that you seem to be making bold statements of fact based upon very fine margins that could turn around pretty quickly in the next 6 days. Personally I just prefer to believe we'll win the next two games and wait to be proven wrong. Not the opposite way around.

All the managers have made mistakes - every manager does. Points are going to be dropped by all the teams. The reality is that if we win on sunday there is literally nothing between the four teams. The week Arsenal have had shows how quickly it can change.

Those are the fine margins of professional sport but no point in writing us off before it happens. If we come out of next week still in the CL and with a win on sunday Rafa's done every bit as good a job as SAF if not better.

I agree with the Gerrard comment - thought he was very poor

Torres Finnan Masch

He looks Chelsea as well. Will have a field day now after the Rosenborg highlights

I willl defo mate. they were shocking.

They were unbelievable. I'm stunned by some of the comments. The fact that they slag Rafa off for having to make subs but used to cream themselves about Mourinho tactically brillant substitutions. One rule for one, one for another

The boys on Irish tv were no better. Said that the team selection made no sense. Rafa panicked with his subs. Even criticised Rafa putting Kewell on. Dunphy is as big a muppet as Gray. Anyway doesn't matter. Rafa, Rafa, Rafael, Rafa, Rafael, Rafael Benitiez!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Torres is just top notch quality

He's still not as cocky as Ferguson & mourihno. I'd put him in the same category as Wenger - quietly assured. He always just strikes me as being very determined in his beliefs

Great to see it wasn't. Had the makings of it to me to be honest

Well I'm a shocked but glad to see the Israeli's leading. Maybe my lack of faith in how corrupt some games are was misplaced