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Rafa on Net Spend and Squad Players


hamstrung
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He obviously reads the forum

 

When I arrived maybe I didn't realise exactly how big a job it would be, but once inside you learn little by little the things about your club that nobody knows.

 

It has been slower than we like because the others are so strong, but last season was the best squad we have had, and this year could be better.

 

It has not been ideal, because we have had to bring in maybe seven or eight players a year, and that can't help you win things.

 

The squad we had at the start did not have a very high value, and this squad is the equal in value to the other top teams. We have been spending big, but selling big and the net is less than the other big clubs.

 

They were spending to add to very strong squads already, where we have created a totally new squad.

 

There are only three or four players now from when we arrived, but they are very, very good players and we have a very, very good squad. Maybe our European success hasn't helped us, because it made people believe we were ready to challenge for the league when we were not.

 

Now though we are in the position we always wanted to be. You can say its the starting point in a way, but we have the benefit of learning from the mistakes of recent seasons and we are at another level now

 

Fighting talk (from the mirror)

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No, no, no Rafa. In the past two weeks you have spent more than Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal. You must be able to win the league now!!

 

Hes a wise man is Rafa, Im sure that was his role in the school nativity. He now knows the squad is almost there, and just needs a few real quality players added to it to be able to realistically challenge on all fronts.

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Agree, Al.

 

He has pretty much everything in his squad now; depth, a world class core, lots of cracking young talent, Prem experience, variery and strategic flexibility.

 

I was looking at our actual squad last night and didn't realise how deep it looks all over the park; the only way of strengthening it further now would be to sell Voronin, Itandje and maybe Pennant and add that to the Barry "money" and add a highly gifted, hungry attacking left footer.

 

That may yet happen and if so, we really do need to deliver a proud title bid.

 

*Shivers*

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This will turn into another Rashfest.

 

He'll struggle* to get past my work there, Dave...:no

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He'll ignore or rip it to pieces. I am aware of this.

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This will turn into another Rashfest.

 

Probably. Ever the optimist, I'd hope for a bit of self awarness, and the recognition that things said before don't need saying again.

 

I only really posted it because its the first time I recall Rafa mentioning these things outright.

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Probably. Ever the optimist, I'd hope for a bit of self awarness, and the recognition that things said before don't need saying again.

 

I only really posted it because its the first time I recall Rafa mentioning these things outright.

 

Hahahahahahahaha. A blindman cannot see himself.

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His NET spend in his time here has been higher then Arsenal and Manchester United but TEAMS net spend if probably far lower so he has in fairness had to create a team to fight them starting off with a shit base. The issues some of us have is this "Rafa has no money and has shopped in the bargain basement". Now unless you want an Abramovich (which many of you have said you don't) - then competing with United money wise in the time he has been here is pretty fair.

 

My issues are that he could have kept some of the Houllier players as squad players and improved the first team then slowly shifted out the shite. e.g. I'd have kept Cisse than buy Benayoun, Voronin, or even Pennant given the system he wants to play - as he is quick, scores goals and loves it here. Kuyt doesn't apply here as he was bought as a frontline striker. Once we had the money to get a top class right handsided player then sell Cisse and buy one with the extra cash. I am not saying Cisse is good enough but some of those who have played in his position have not been significantly better.

 

Anyway he hasn't done that, he has done it his way, he admits the squad is now equipped so we can expect a title challenge at last. I find that article is like a post on TLW forums by Rafa and fair play to him - it's a good post!

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I agree entirely with what he says. It is nice to hear him sounding confident too. Not only has he rebuilt the first team, we have a far better batch of youngsters. The whole club has had a shake up and is in far better health. I don't care if KevieG thinks it is shit, as there is real reason for optimism. Of course it might not pan out, but right now my belief is bulletproof. And mongproof.

 

Bring it on!

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Is asking you your age highly personal? Are you a 12 year old girl?

 

I think asking someone's age and then suggesting they may be 12 is a little insulting Dave. It's also nothing to do with this thread and you are usually the first to point the finger at people who ruin threads. Bit of consistency eh.

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I agree entirely with what he says. It is nice to hear him sounding confident too. Not only has he rebuilt the first team, we have a far better batch of youngsters. The whole club has had a shake up and is in far better health. I don't care if KevieG thinks it is shit, as there is real reason for optimism. Of course it might not pan out, but right now my belief is bulletproof. And mongproof.

 

Bring it on!

 

Its not quite RiSproof though..

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What part? Genuine question, as I really can't see anything wrong with what Rafa said. A weak squad has been strengthened over the past few seasons, now it's game on. (My paraphrase, but that's essentially how it reads).

 

The part I have a problem with is that United rebuilt their entire squad/first team in that time for a similar cost and from a similar base(open to dispute from some but i stand by that). Rafa to me seems to be trying to justify the revolving door of shite policy but thankfully he seems to also be saying that he's seen the error of his ways.

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I don't neccessarily agree with what he says. There's been times in the past where he's obviously gone for quantitiy of quality and and a lot of players that have been brought in have not been better than what has left. For example, Cisse, Pongolle and Baros are no worse as a group of players than Crouch, Voronin and Kuyt.

 

The signing of Torres last summer and Keane this summer has seen that change and for the better in my opinion and is what we should have been doing from the start.

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My issues are that he could have kept some of the Houllier players as squad players and improved the first team then slowly shifted out the shite. e.g. I'd have kept Cisse than buy Benayoun, Voronin, or even Pennant given the system he wants to play - as he is quick, scores goals and loves it here.

 

Nail on the head.

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I don't neccessarily agree with what he says. There's been times in the past where he's obviously gone for quantitiy of quality and and a lot of players that have been brought in have not been better than what has left. For example, Cisse, Pongolle and Baros are no worse as a group of players than Crouch, Voronin and Kuyt.

 

I'll give you Voronin, but Crouch and Kuyt over Baros and Cisse any day of the week.

 

The part I have a problem with is that United rebuilt their entire squad/first team in that time for a similar cost and from a similar base(open to dispute from some but i stand by that).

 

They really didn't have a similar base.

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I'd disagree but as I say its open to dispute.

 

Its open to dispute because its inaccurate.

 

I don't really have time to get into the detail because I am at work, but if you look at some of the crap he had to get shut of, against some of the players they had at the time, its nowhere near "a similar base"

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