Rafa's playing style

[CHRed]

Where is the hard working passing Valencia style gone. Rafa screemed in the the summer for money to buy the players he wants. He got the money, now where is the style?

[alias75]

posted a thread about this after Marseille, all the players talk about how hard they work on the training pitch moving as 1 entity whether attacking or defending, at Valencia they were such a well oiled machine, the way they pressed all over the pitch we've seen glimpses of it here where we've looked unstoppable unfortunately those performances have been the minority not the norm.

 

there really doesnt to be a pattern of play at the moment at the start of the season that high tempo pressing game was there all of a sudden we can't string 5 passes together. Obviously 2 of our better passers are injured so that could be a factor but at Valencia when someone was injured or rested there didnt seem to be a problem.

 

i still think the balance of the team isnt right, our wide playes arent good enough and we lack a real top quality number 10 to play with Torres. Gerrard is our talisman and hes not performing to the level he should be.

[Nebraska Red]

It's posts like this that drive me mad.

 

What do you think Rafa says to the players before the game? go out, give away the ball, play with little composure and make sure you let their strikers, who is smaller than our CB, beat you in the air, then let their other striker get between you in the box.

 

I'm pretty sure he gives out instructions as to what he wants to see and assignments for individual players.

 

No way, this result can be laid at the feet of Rafa, he had the best team available out on the pitch, and many of them let him down as well as the fans and themselves.

[alias75]

It's posts like this that drive me mad.

 

What do you think Rafa says to the players before the game? go out, give away the ball, play with little composure and make sure you let their strikers, who is smaller than our CB, beat you in the air, then let their other striker get between you in the box.

 

I'm pretty sure he gives out instructions as to what he wants to see and assignments for individual players.

 

No way, this result can be laid at the feet of Rafa, he had the best team available out on the pitch, and many of them let him down as well as the fans and themselves.

 

I agree with that, theres not a lot Rafa can do about individual errors or players not able to pass the ball to a team mate (although he does pick the team and he must know this is a weakness in someone like Sissoko) BUT for me its more about our style of play. Rafa has a clear philosophy he likes his teams pressing high up the pitch playing at a high tempo, that hasnt been there the last month, we know the players work on this during training why arent they translating that on the pitch?

 

Of course having to play Hyppia has meant we've had to defend deeper and thats affected the way we play at our best, pressing high up the pitch and when a team comes to defend with 10 men behind the ball you cant play that way but the frustrating thing over the last few weeks has been its not until we've gone behind that the team has shown any urgency and when we have shown that urgency we've looked uch a good side. Why dont we start games with this attitude?

[Earl Hafler]

It's posts like this that drive me mad.

 

What do you think Rafa says to the players before the game? go out, give away the ball, play with little composure and make sure you let their strikers, who is smaller than our CB, beat you in the air, then let their other striker get between you in the box.

 

I'm pretty sure he gives out instructions as to what he wants to see and assignments for individual player

 

No way, this result can be laid at the feet of Rafa, he had the best team available out on the pitch, and many of them let him down as well as the fans and themselves.

 

Why not ? He prepares them, he sets the training, he sets the tactics etc

 

Your definition of a manager is what exactly ?

 

The result today is an extension of the poor form shown in recent weeks. Rafa is responsible, aswell as the players.

[Dan]

Why not ? He prepares them, he sets the training, he sets the tactics etc

 

Your definition of a manager is what exactly ?

 

The result today is an extension of the poor form shown in recent weeks. Rafa is responsible, aswell as the players.

 

Utter b*llocks. So every defeat regardless of circumstances is down to the manager as much as the players? Wake up. Individual errors cost us today.

 

Yeh Rafa has made some mistakes in the past few weeks imo but he couldn't do anymore today than put out his strongest 11 - which arguably he did.

[Guest Sabre]

Personally I would just like to see Gerrard get stuck in, getting right in the face of the opposition and driving the team forwards. That would be a start.

[Guest RedLegend]

It's posts like this that drive me mad.

 

What do you think Rafa says to the players before the game? go out, give away the ball, play with little composure and make sure you let their strikers, who is smaller than our CB, beat you in the air, then let their other striker get between you in the box.

 

I'm pretty sure he gives out instructions as to what he wants to see and assignments for individual players.

 

No way, this result can be laid at the feet of Rafa, he had the best team available out on the pitch, and many of them let him down as well as the fans and themselves.

 

Well it's the eternal argument isn't it? Is it the players fault or the managers? I remember in Houllier's last season plenty of people saying that Ged wasn't making them go out there and play crap but play crap they most certainly did no matter what he was saying to them.

 

Individual bad performances can be put down to the players but if these bad performances persist then the spotlight will quickly turn to the manager. Just like it always has at every club.

[Cam]

He was on the radio today saying that the performance against Marseille wasn't that bad because it was the game in which the players ran further than in any other this season.

 

Mental. This and the revelation that the rotation system centres on kilometres covered per match and you have to wonder if Rafa would be better off coaching an Olympic athletics team.

 

Football, and certainly styles of football, don't matter.

[Cliff M]

It must stop with the gaffer. How else can cit-eh be doing so well with a squad which we'd take so few of given the chance?

[Cam]

Sven?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

That's to do with the feel-good factor. Getting rid of Pearce for a qualified manager is a plus point. As is dumping Joey Barton and eliminating the threat each player felt in training ("if I tackle him he'll knife me"). But mainly the pointless bump a side gets when a billionaire takes 'em over - the feeling that their glorious destiny is no longer 15th place but 12th.

[Guest Kaizer]

It must stop with the gaffer. How else can cit-eh be doing so well with a squad which we'd take so few of given the chance?

 

I would take Elano in a heartbeat, take him out of the City team and imagine how they would look like then.

[windy city red]

He was on the radio today saying that the performance against Marseille wasn't that bad because it was the game in which the players ran further than in any other this season.

 

Mental. This and the revelation that the rotation system centres on kilometres covered per match and you have to wonder if Rafa would be better off coaching an Olympic athletics team.

 

Football, and certainly styles of football, don't matter.

 

Erm, didnt he say that was one of the worst performances from us EVER? Its funny that you are not the first person who's saying Rafa seemed delighted with the Marseille result...I just wonder if something's lost in translation.