Sunderland Match Thread (17th October 2009)

[Megadrive Man]

But but... what happened to those 20 mill we usually have every summer?

 

plus the 15 million from selling Keane back to Spurs in January?

[JohnnyH]

if I was Benitez i'd rush Aquilani back for the mancs, he originally said 8 weeks, we're well over that now.

 

No need. We'll have Torres, Gerrard and Mascherano back for the Manc game and we'll hammer them. They were blessed again to get 3 points today.

[Megadrive Man]

What league campaign?

 

Our race for the Europa League next year?

[old skool tom]

he's been here 5 years and the squad (and tactics) simply isnt good enough.the only reason i'd be sad if he got the sack would be because of the 5 year contract we'd have to pay him.but then again,maybe that would help make the yanks to sell up?

 

i honestly beleive the players dont trust him and want to play for him.after he slated the 'senior' players (whove bailed him out 100s of times) after the villa game,its obvious that there are major problems.coupled with his decision to keep playing shite like lucas,they arent going the extra mile for him and the lack of fight and team spirit is there for all too see.

 

tbh,i dont think he he looks that arsed now? he knows if he gets the sack now he'll walk away with about £10m because of the ridiculous five year contract he was given.

[liverpoolsno9]

To everyone who is defending Rafa, prob the same people who were defending Houllier until the death coz its not "the liverpool way". He may well have had his hands tied regarding transfers.......... But 5 years into his tenure i would expect to see some fruits of his prolific buying of young talent. Fuckin nothing, Spearing, a local lad. Where`s all the other talent he`s supposed to have invested in? Running a club is not just about the 1st team, its about the whole set up. Unfortunately, Rafa has got to be held responsible for that shit this afternoon. Ok, were without 2 world class talents, but that shit was just not good enough

[old skool tom]

he's been here 5 years and the squad (and tactics) simply isnt good enough.the only reason i'd be sad if he got the sack would be because of the 5 year contract we'd have to pay him.but then again,maybe that would help make the yanks to sell up?

 

i honestly beleive the players dont trust him and dont want to play for him.after he slated the 'senior' players (whove bailed him out 100s of times) after the villa game,its obvious that there are major problems.coupled with his decision to keep playing shite like lucas,they arent going the extra mile for him and the lack of fight and team spirit is there for all too see.

 

tbh,i dont think he he looks that arsed now? he knows if he gets the sack now he'll walk away with about £10m because of the ridiculous five year contract he was given.

[coop]

We all know where the £20m Rafa normally gets on transfers is supposed to have gone (contract renewals).

 

Whether that is the reality only the guys who run the club can tell you that.

[coop]

To everyone who is defending Rafa, prob the same people who were defending Houllier until the death coz its not "the liverpool way". He may well have had his hands tied regarding transfers.......... But 5 years into his tenure i would expect to see some fruits of his prolific buying of young talent. Fuckin nothing, Spearing, a local lad. Where`s all the other talent he`s supposed to have invested in? Running a club is not just about the 1st team, its about the whole set up. Unfortunately, Rafa has got to be held responsible for that shit this afternoon. Ok, were without 2 world class talents, but that shit was just not good enough

 

Is this from the same Academy Rafa has only just this summer been allowed to have control of.

[Megadrive Man]

No need. We'll have Torres, Gerrard and Mascherano back for the Manc game and we'll hammer them. They were blessed again to get 3 points today.

 

I think i'm right in saying that when they're at home we must be away if we play on the same day?

 

Its strange how they always have a nice home fixture after an International break or tricky away champions league game.

[torrific]

people need to stop defending a manager who has had money, but spent it rashly. im fucking sick of the piss taking texts week after week. chelsea, under mourinho, always got results (maybe not by pretty play but thats not the important thing) and won 2 leagues. a champions league and an fa cup in nearly 6 years aint fucking good enough, but the owners wont sack him, theyd have to give him a big pay off an the cunts will never do that.

[RobbieOR]

We spent nothing this summer Robbie.

 

We lost Alonso and replaced him with the injured Aquilani. Lost Bob and replaced him with the superior Glen Johnson.

 

Back to net spend are we....:whistle:

[Red Nick]

He needed to sell Arbeloa mate as he wanted to superior Johnson and also we can not afford to lose out on the cash Arbeloa made us.

Replacing Alonso with Aquilani so far is what costing us as its meant we have had to rely on Lucas and Mascherano in midfield and thats not going to be good enough even over a short period of time.

 

Thats a totally different argument to one you were making earlier

 

Rafa didnt have to buy Aquialani and Johnson but chose to do so which is the point I am trying to make.

 

As I said I am delighted with Johnson and the question is which first 11 would be stronger

 

 

-------------------------Reina-----------------------

Arbeloa--------Carra---------------Agger---------Aurellio

 

----------------Gerrard------------Maxher----------------

Kuyt----------------------Benayoun--------------Silva

---------------------Torres-----------------------------

 

or the best 11 from the current squad

 

This side would be defensively stronger IMO and I think would be as good offensively as the current team and Silva might just have made a difference in tight games

 

There was an alternative which shouldnt be dismisses out of hand

[coop]

people need to stop defending a manager who has had money, but spent it rashly. im fucking sick of the piss taking texts week after week. chelsea, under mourinho, always got results (maybe not by pretty play but thats not the important thing) and won 2 leagues. a champions league and an fa cup in nearly 6 years aint fucking good enough, but the owners wont sack him, theyd have to give him a big pay off an the cunts will never do that.

 

You don't think that the few hundred million spent by Abramovich may have helped that a little.

[coop]

Thats a totally different argument to one you were making earlier

 

Rafa didnt have to buy Aquialani and Johnson but chose to do so which is the point I am trying to make.

 

As I said I am delighted with Johnson and the question is which first 11 would be stronger

 

 

-------------------------Reina-----------------------

Arbeloa--------Carra---------------Agger---------Aurellio

 

----------------Gerrard------------Maxher----------------

Kuyt----------------------Benayoun--------------Silva

---------------------Torres-----------------------------

 

or the best 11 from the current squad

 

This side would be defensively stronger IMO and I think would be as good offensively as the current team and Silva might just have made a difference in tight games

 

There was an alternative which shouldnt be dismisses out of hand

 

We tried for Silva to be our first summer signing but couldn't afford him and moved on.

[Michael]

We all know where the £20m Rafa normally gets on transfers is supposed to have gone (contract renewals).

 

Whether that is the reality only the guys who run the club can tell you that.

 

So our 20mill are all gone to gerrard and torres' (Kuyts+beny) new contracts? Thats a lie... we all know where the money has gone.. to pay down the yanks debt.

[Mendoza]

I'm going out now to get cunted on booze and cigs.

[Megadrive Man]

The problem we have this year, is that we have a poorer squad than United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, and Man City.

 

Without Gerrard and Torres, you could argue that we are also behind Villa, Sunderland and Everton.

[Unrighteous]

You don't think that the few hundred million spent by Abramovich may have helped that a little.

 

We can bang on about that, Coop, but Mourinho made that squad BELIEVE.

 

Ferguscum does it. Wenger manages it. Capello has done it with England.

 

That's what top managers do.

 

Rafa might be tactically brilliant, but I've never seen a squad with less confidence than ours, right now.

[Red Nick]

We tried for Silva to be our first summer signing but couldn't afford him and moved on.

 

Avoids the point entirely

 

What your saying is also widely open to interpretation and debate as what we wanted to pay was nowhere near the true valuation of the player.

 

Rafa wanted Johnson first and paid more money for him than was offered for Silva etc etc

 

This argument goes round in circles

 

The bottom line is Rafa did have alternatives as to how he could have spent the money.

[coop]

We can bang on about that, Coop, but Mourinho made that squad BELIEVE.

 

Ferguscum does it. Wenger manages it. Capello has done it with England.

 

That's what top managers do.

 

Rafa might be tactically brilliant, but I've never seen a squad with less confidence than ours, right now.

 

Without a doubt mate you need to have faith in your manager and during his tenure at Chelsea Mourinho at times had his players prepared to run through a brick wall for him.

 

If Rafa has lost the players then there is only one way this will end and we will start the rebuilding process again but this time £245m in debt.

[Red Nick]

The problem we have this year, is that we have a poorer squad than United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, and Man City.

 

Without Gerrard and Torres, you could argue that we are also behind Villa, Sunderland and Everton.

 

I was saying this after the Spurs game and got laughed out of court so to speak,

 

Put Gerrard and Torres into the Spurs or Arsenal teams and they would have every chance of winning the PL

[coop]

Avoids the point entirely

 

What your saying is also widely open to interpretation and debate as what we wanted to pay was nowhere near the true valuation of the player.

 

Rafa wanted Johnson first and paid more money for him than was offered for Silva etc etc

 

This argument goes round in circles

 

The bottom line is Rafa did have alternatives as to how he could have spent the money.

 

I think Valencia were wanting £30m+ for Silva.

[Red Nick]

Without a doubt mate you need to have faith in your manager and during his tenure at Chelsea Mourinho at times had his players prepared to run through a brick wall for him.

 

If Rafa has lost the players then there is only one way this will end and we will start the rebuilding process again but this time £245m in debt.

 

And the reality is until the club is sold we will continue to go backwards so much so it would need Man City levels of investment to get us back in the CL

[kalasoma]

We have now lost more matches after only 9 games this season than for the ENTIRE 07/08 season. Those figures aren't lost on anybody. We're playing catch up once again and I'm not sure that (what with all the matches + International duties) we will be able to pull this one out. Gutted. Absolutely gutted at the fact that we can't play without Stevie or Nando. I'm back on the "Babel-is-useless" bandwagon. Srsly, he should stop crying about not getting on the first team. He's not good enough, in my honest opinion. I'm seriously having my doubts about who this team is week in, week out.

End rant.

[Unrighteous]

Without a doubt mate you need to have faith in your manager and during his tenure at Chelsea Mourinho at times had his players prepared to run through a brick wall for him.

 

If Rafa has lost the players then there is only one way this will end and we will start the rebuilding process again but this time £245m in debt.

 

The squad sure doesn't think they can win. Some senior players don't trust Lucas. Our backline is a shambles, and very shaky.

 

It's just depressing.