RedHarvest

Agree with this broadly although the following is also true: ...arguably no team in the top 4 has shown any kind of potent attacking form - mancs recent form is 90% down to thier excellent defence, Vidic playing out of his skin....the fact remains we dont have a truly creative attacking influence in the team apart from Gerrard, if he's below par we look pedestrian... Benayoun does well in patches but is not reliable, Alonso plays too deep, Riera could yet become that but we need to win the league this year...what I wouldn't give for a Barnes, Litmanen, Aimar type player to provide something different in our frankly predictable attacking play.

I just know we'll win this quite handy and it'll be a frustrating confirmation of our league nervousness and caution.

More rumours: the Irish Mirror has something about City looking to take Keane for 20mill...cant find any online link.

His best quality was/is using tricks and pace to beat a player and supply the forwards - that's what he did very well for a season at Birmingham...he just couldn't make the step up and capitalise on his talent at a great club like ours and his attitude stank..he must've burned his bridges with Rafa quite early on. We are indeed well rid.

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Rafas comments are having a slow burning effect on the media and by extension the game in general. The more I think about it the more genius a move I think it was at this stage of the season - not at the business end yet, just as utd are finding form and while we're still top.

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that's showbiz

Dont see how Rafas comments had any bearing on our s**** performance, it was a very bad day at the office in the bleak midwinter. Chelsea haven't done us any favours rolling over with that gutless display, but we've gained a point on them. The Mancs are champions and have a winning mentality which is more than half the battle. Rafas comments turned out to be innefective cos the game was nowhere near as close as it should've been and the close reffing decisions weren't under the spotlight.

Sami Carra Skrtl

1. Lucas had a bad game but he was there for reasons of balance, playing 2 defensive CMs has us top of the league. 2. Agree this was frustrating but it's Rafas way - he believes in his gameplan and rarely uses subs before 60mins. 3. Rafa has form here too, probably thinking of Alberts long term contribution. 4&5. Agree to an extent - there's something going on with Keane. But Kuyt is undroppable for a reason, he works for the team like no other bar Carra, he has earned and continues to earn Rafas trust. I'm as frustrated with that performance and result as anyone. Like all good managers though Rafa has self belief to the degree that it looks like dangerous stubborness. Many posters concietedly believe he finally realised the error of his ways with rotation last season - it's the same now with substitutions...he believes in his gameplan and sticks to it, he is in a constant process of teambuilding and he is always looking at the bigger picture. I reckon he will have accounted for this outcome - the team he put out never showed up but we gained another point, we're still top and I'm going to reserve the bitterest of my frustration for later if the mancs win..then I'm gonna get over it and continue to support him and the team. We're still top of the league.

These assertions that Rafas comments were Keeganesque or "losing the plot" are laughable. It was highly a considered and calculated tactical move. If anything Mr Ferguson must be privately more concerned about his team than either us or Chelsea - Ronaldo not doing the business, Berbatov not scoring yet, the Tevez business and a bit of fixture pile up due to them travelling to the world club thingy.

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from: http://timesonline.typepad.com/fanzine_fan...-sir-rafae.html "And on that note, it's about time we stopped worrying about the fall from grace and being overtaken at the top. What about belief and desire, something Benitez has shown in abundance this afternoon. He's been very, very clever with his words today, putting pressure on the referee before the game with Chelsea on Sunday, and game in hand with Wigan coming up in a very astute manner. Something Ferguson and Mourinho have been masters at for the past few years. It's refreshing to see our manager ruffling a few feathers. The season starts here." This is what it's all about - belief and desire. Rafa was brave to do this cos it's what the title race needs, the stakes are already very high for him, he hasn't got his contract sorted and this may be his last chance at this club given the precarious position we're in with our owners (our league position deflects press attention away from this). This works on many levels. Worst case scenario: We lose to Stoke and mancs beat Chelsea - we're still top of the league. Best case: All eyes on Mr Ferguson and his team on Sunday (and for the rest of the season); pressure on the ref could make all the difference to them as it has done before in their favour. In my eyes this is a big and typically calculated move from Rafa to keep us sharp and focussed. The main story is no longer Gerrard. I was watching John Barnes on Setantas Friday football show last night, he was talking about the importance of belief for both fans and team, how the relationship is symbiotic and nervousness and fear is destructive to that belief. He's right - I was afraid to believe at the start of the season cos of bitter past disappointment but not anymore - we can win the league this season, we've never had a better chance under Rafa, he knows it and has taken this brave step to tackle Mr Ferguson on his hypocracy. Rafa's a legend. Believe in him, he can deliver.

I want to see positive attacking football from us, an early goal, make chances and take them, a confident league leaders performance....I dont think there's any doubt that, in the bigger picture, both Chelsea and ManU dropping points is the optimum outcome for us.

Babel attitude strikes me as having a problem being played on the left and isn't dealing with it to Rafas satisfaction...it's done his confidence.

maybe slightly overstated, but a win would give them a real boon at this point in the season. We need them to stutter and remain frustrated not build any momentum.

Steve Heighway?

That's what I'm hoping for...failing that a Chelsea win. A manc win would be disastrous.

Truth. It's in line with Rafas traditional position on transfers - no paying over the odds, no big names in January. Saw that too. They can f*** off, we really need Sami for this campaign.

Lucky is what Rafas detractors like to accuse him of being too. It's no accident O'Neill's done well in the premiership with limited resources, he's an excellent man manager and tactically astute. I agree. Him and Lerner are a good combination at Villa. Maybe some of us on here have a higher tolerance for the antics of shortarced, excitable wee bespectacled Norn Irishmen

In theory it's the 3rd toughest draw after Barca and Inter, so not too bad for us for a change. Still, I wouldn't indulge in any overconfidence, they have the quality to hurt us.

I can see this as the line up - with Keane up top... he's gonna need plenty of support from Kuyt and Gerrard...Babel to come on for Riera on 72mins...unless we're winning.

ace

Ramos is a better manager than he showed at Spurs, I fancy us for this but it's essential we have Torres back...as for Rafa I think he'll end up at Real at some stage of his career, hopefully after bagging us no's 19, 20 and 21 and handing over the reins to Carra