Scapegoat

Kuyt Riera . . . Struggling . . . ummmmm . . . . Carra?

Reina - 6. Arbeloa - 5. Carra - 7 Agger - 7 Dossena 5. Xabi - 5 Gerrard - 5 Riera - 8 Pennant - 6 Kuyt - 9 Keane - 5 Carrying too many passengers in this side. For all Dirk's lack of ability on the ball he more than makes up for it through effort and fight.

Gerrards biggest flaw is that he simply has too much to his game.

I appreciate what it is Kuyt brings to the table, and i see why Rafa, with his ideas on how the game should be played, sticks with Kuyt. Which is discipline. Dirk has that in abundance. We don't play an expansive game, full stop, so taking out Kuyt and bringing in Babel adds what exactly? Babel will still lose the ball every bit as much as Kuyt does, but at least with Kuyt we have someone a little more likely to get it back. Its a trade-off, Kuyts running against Babels ability to take a man on. But my opinion on Kuyt and his "work rate" are that if we had someone who could hold on to the ball as well as, say, Riera, we wouldn't need so much of that famous running. Babel isn't there yet, but had showed real signs of development in the Marseille game, looked brimming with confidence. Has he played since? Think Rafa has him working on his defensive skills last i heard.

We were fooking woeful for most of the game today. Even at two down we didn't look bothered. It started well, really getting at City, closing them down all over the pitch, and when we were doing that we were on top. Then all of a sudden, the urgency in our play just went like someone had turned a switch. Was really strange. Gerrard went missing completely. You'd think at his age now, he'd have a bit more of an understanding of certain roles. I'm sure when he's asked to play behind Torres, Rafa doesn't want him playing as a striker, but to come a bit deeper and get involved and help out Xabi and Masch. He didn't want any of it though, didn't go looking for the ball at all. Alonso was another one that was letting us down big time. Time and time again when all he had to do was turn and get the ball moving forward, he instead opted to just play a cowardly ball back to one of the CB's. Playing it safe. Look at the Fabregas's the Scholes, even Frank f***ing Lampard and they are always wanting the ball, always looking to move things forward, taking on responsibility. Alonso needs to be looking at them players and trying to do the same. Cause when he's on form, and he's up for it, he's majestic. Harsh? Maybe. But i'm sure Rafa was far from happy himself with what went on out there. Result aside of course. Anyway, positives. Riera, what a player he seems to be. His control of the ball is better than anything we've had a for a long time. Dossena played well when he came on, can see he has the tools to be a good player for us. Has pace, excellent passer of the ball, has an urgency about him that i like.

Would tend to agree. Really frustrating to see the way Chelsea attacked their game today. Players streaming into the box, from all over the pitch. Don't think we'll ever have that with Rafa though. Rafa likes his players to be disciplined, too disciplined at times. Too much of a control freak for that.

Don't think we have a player more comfortable with the ball at his feet. Think he's been let down by those around him too so far. Real find by Rafa.

Thing about that is, i distinctly remember him saying about us, going into our second season how we were a "proper" team in comparison to United, just because they were on a bit of a down turn at that stage. He's just a massive f***ing hypocrite, nothing he says is worth even giving a second thought. Its just a pity Giles often gets tarred with the same brush just because he's sat alongside him.

He's picked the proper mid-fielder up from Giles. He's been banging on about that for years, something i've always found myself agreeing with him on. Sounness talks as much s**** as Dunphy when he's on RTE too to be fair.

They'd cope just fine. If the lads don't know their jobs on the pitch with hours and hours of training everyday something is up. Just because Carra does it, doesn't mean its a necessity.

He's an ambitious young lad. And if he's not getting the games here that his talents deserve, then he'll get them elsewhere. Be it Real Madrid, Barcelona or AC Milan. The lads possibly the best defender of his generation, yet we can't give him a game, if nothing other than to make him feel wanted, against the likes of Stoke, or PSV last night? It terrible man-management, plain and simple. Should he suck it up and just get on with it? Yes, of course he should, but this is football and when he knows he'd have offers from all of Europe's top clubs, why the f*** should he. Can't imagine Gerrard, Torres or Mascherano just biding their time on the bench, and that's the level he's at. Time to nip this in the bud, now.

I think so too. But he's also a much better player than Carra, they both are, but no-one wants to say it.

With 3 or 4 years on a contract yeah, close to that i reckon, which just goes to shop how f***ing good the lad is. However he'll only have one year left this Summer.

Crikey, that is very worrying. And what's this about Carra? f***ing out of order if that is true. So much for putting the club first eh? Even more worrying that Rafa obviously bent over for him. I'd of dropped him there and then the cheeky git.

I think all the praise he's getting is only a result of how long we've been starved of a top quality full back, after all, whats he really done to warrant such praise? Otherthan being solid? Don't get me wrong, he's 'good', but only that. More than happy to have him in the squad, but at the same time, right-back is a position i think we really need to go out and strengthen.

hmmm, no onereally stood out to me. But here goes. 1. Kuyt, man for all the stick he takes he's one of our best players so far this season, doesn't mean i don't think we need better though, or see Babel replace him, lol! 2. Carra, didn't put a foot wrong all game. 3. Fernando