Benitez 'guarantees' top four finish

[RedKnight]

Most people in the ground on a matchday would join the consensus that we suck at corners.

[Guest PurpleNose]

Of course we can improve. I think the general point is that you look like a bit of a tit shouting from the rooftops how completely abysmal we are at corners when we're not really that bad compared to the teams we're competing with.

 

I think the general point is that you look like a bit of a tit if you try and pretend we're not rubbish at corners.

 

Tomkins has spent the entire season trying to justify various things we're shite at.

 

We're 6th in the league, 21 points off top. It just doesn't wash.

[05 Milan]

Most people in the ground on a matchday would join the consensus that we suck at corners.

 

Well I guess it's more fun to have a moan. Not the same ring to it when Gerrard hits the first defender and you say to your mate "we're pretty average at corners aren't we? Not the best, but not the worst either".

[Antynwa]

I would like to inform you all that I have checked in to the nearest psychiatric unit after realising that the corners aren't as bad as I seem to believe they are.

 

Apparently, I've been seeing Gerrard unable to beat the first man, when in actual fact they are near perfection.

 

I'll see you when I'm better.

[05 Milan]

I think the general point is that you look like a bit of a tit if you try and pretend we're not rubbish at corners.

 

Tomkins has spent the entire season trying to justify various things we're shite at.

 

We're 6th in the league, 21 points off top. It just doesn't wash.

 

Are you being serious? This has nothing to do with our league position or Tomkins deluding himself about our current strength (which he does). Here he just adresses the myth that we're rubbish at corners. If having an average return from corners is rubbish, and teams above you are the likes of Stoke and Blackburn, then that's not "rubbish" in my book. But then I find it a bit boring to be brash and over-dramatic about stuff I can't back up with anything other than my own biased eyes.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Most people in the ground on a matchday would join the consensus that we suck at corners.

 

Every red I know, match going or not certainly agrees with this.

 

I hate it when we get a corner as I always feel we might as well let the opposition take it, as they always end up with the ball anyway.

[05 Milan]

I'll tell you another thing though. If Daniel Agger didn't have a finishing prowess that would make Jason Scotland break out in hysterical laughter, then we would be close to the top in the set-pieces table. The amount of sitters he has wasted this season is just unbelievable.

[Guest PurpleNose]

Are you being serious? This has nothing to do with our league position or Tomkins deluding himself about our current strength (which he does). Here he just adresses the myth that we're rubbish at corners. If having an average return from corners is rubbish, and teams above you are the likes of Stoke and Blackburn, then that's not "rubbish" in my book. But then I find it a bit boring to be brash and over-dramatic about stuff I can't back up with anything other than my own biased eyes.

 

He's been addressing apparent myths all season. If you believed everything he said you'd be genuinely suprised we're not top by 15 points.

 

An average return from corners is rubbish in my opinion. I think its rubbish that we've got no-one who can taken a decent corner.

 

Biased eyes? You think I enjoy us being shite?

[05 Milan]

He's been addressing apparent myths all season. If you believed everything he said you'd be genuinely suprised we're not top by 15 points.

 

An average return from corners is rubbish in my opinion. I think its rubbish that we've got no-one who can taken a decent corner.

 

Biased eyes? You think I enjoy us being shite?

 

I know about Tomkins, but this time I don't see him much in the wrong.

 

As for biased, I wasn't directing that at you specifically, it was a general point, and goes for me as well. We watch the game with the "eyes of our own opinion", if you know what I mean. If I watch us through an entire season and make the conclusion that we are hopeless at corners, and then see a stat where we are about average, then that means I haven't been able to properly judge our ability compared to other teams, because, quite naturally, I haven't watched all other games in the PL.

 

I see it as quite logical to measure our skill compared to others. Barca are the best passing team in the world because they pass the ball better than all others, not because they pass the ball well period. Any strenghts is only visible in comparison with what you're competing with.

[05 Milan]

I hate sounding like Spock when I talk about this stuff...

[Guest PurpleNose]

I know about Tomkins, but this time I don't see him much in the wrong.

 

As for biased, I wasn't directing that at you specifically, it was a general point, and goes for me as well. We watch the game with the "eyes of our own opinion", if you know what I mean. If I watch us through an entire season and make the conclusion that we are hopeless at corners, and then see a stat where we are about average, then that means I haven't been able to properly judge our ability compared to other teams, because, quite naturally, I haven't watched all other games in the PL.

 

I see it as quite logical to measure our skill compared to others. Barca are the best passing team in the world because they pass the ball better than all others, not because they pass the ball well period. Any strenghts is only visible in comparison with what you're competing with.

 

Is being average at corners acceptable for you?

 

Even if we are just average at corners, rather than the worst in the league, that is shite for me. We should be better than that.

 

You don't need to look at stats to see Barcelona are good at passing the ball. You don't need to compare them to anyone else either.

 

Stats are misleading. Tomkins tries justifying our style of football by looking at pass completion rates of our holding midfielders. This ignores the fact that they do a lot of their passing in our own half, achieving nothing.

 

Ignore statistics for a minute, do you think we're good at corners?

[Brownie]

I think people go way over the top when moaning about our set pieces. We've actually scored a few goals from them this season as well as missing plenty of chances from them as well.

 

All teams are similar with set pieces.

[05 Milan]

Is being average at corners acceptable for you?

 

Even if we are just average at corners, rather than the worst in the league, that is shite for me. We should be better than that.

 

You don't need to look at stats to see Barcelona are good at passing the ball. You don't need to compare them to anyone else either.

 

Stats are misleading. Tomkins tries justifying our style of football by looking at pass completion rates of our holding midfielders. This ignores the fact that they do a lot of their passing in our own half, achieving nothing.

 

Ignore statistics for a minute, do you think we're good at corners?

 

Being average at corners is acceptable for me if our top rivals are average at them too. If this is the case, and teams like Stoke, Villa and Blackburn are top, then that tells you all you need to know about the merits of striving for better set-pieces.

 

Of course, the only implicit positive is that by not focusing so much on set-pieces we are training more on playing patterns, passing and movement. On this season's evidence we are not, and that is worrying.

[Royal Family]

Firstly, what about goals conceded from set pieces? Funny how he doesn't mention that.

 

Secondly I'd love to know what Tomkins defines as as 'a goal from a corner'. How many touches are allowed?

 

Tomkins is like Gordon Brown (and not just in the sense of both being full of absolute horsesh*t although that's self-evidently the case) - like Brown, he thinks that if you quote enough statistics, you can win a point. What he doesn't realise is that football, like life, is about so much more than meaningless statistics - it's about quality and about perception.

[Guest PurpleNose]

Being average at corners is acceptable for me if our top rivals are average at them too. If this is the case, and teams like Stoke, Villa and Blackburn are top, then that tells you all you need to know about the merits of striving for better set-pieces.

 

Of course, the only implicit positive is that by not focusing so much on set-pieces we are training more on playing patterns, passing and movement. On this season's evidence we are not, and that is worrying.

 

Agreed. I can understand us not concentrating as much as the rugby teams on set pieces as long as we're playing good football in open play. We've got better players than them. Better technical players. But this also suggests that we should be better at striking a deadball. We don't have much height in the team, or many good headers of the ball, so missing chances from good deliveries is understandable. Its hitting the first man from a corner, or the wall from a free kick, that I find unacceptable. We've missed Aurelio a lot in this regard.

 

Without trying to make stereotypes about different footballing qualities regarding nationality (thats exactly what I'm doing), I think its worth noting we have a lot of Spanish and South American players. Neither of which are well known for producing players with great strength, height, jumping, or heading ability.

 

A lot of other teams have many Scandanavian, Eastern European, African, and indeed British players. All of whom seem to be better in that regard.

 

We miss Hyypia and Sissoko a lot at both ends of the pitch. Even when they weren't scoring, they were causing problems for the opposition.

 

Daniel Agger is of course the exception to the rule. He should have 10 goals this season.

[Brownie]

Martin Tyler just said that the Mancs haven't scored from a corner away from home in the league all season. Yet they're chasing the title.

 

Set pieces are a factor in football, but we go well over the top about them.

[Liverpool lad]

Martin Tyler just said that the Mancs haven't scored from a corner away from home in the league all season. Yet they're chasing the title.

 

Set pieces are a factor in football, but we go well over the top about them.

 

Tomkins apologist

[Chinandeler Bong]

IF we beat West Ham , and Citeh lose to Arsenal and we beat Burnley we level on points, albeit played a game more.

[caracaracara]

Let's go out with a 'shackles off' attacking line up against west ham and burnley and improve the goal difference - I am still keeping the faith and if results go our way then it could come down to goal difference.

 

Parker is suspended on Monday so get Aqualani in for Lucas. Dirk up front and Babbel left side.

[Monster Masch]

Only three positions away, eh Rafa?!

 

If we had have managed a win, a place where BURNLEY won 4-1 a few weeks ago, we would have finished 6th. It would have gained one less round in the Europa League plus 800k which would have left us with only £15.2M of your pay off to find.

 

So sickened. Thank the lord it ends today.

[stringvest]

I don't blame Benitez for trying to be bullish about our chances, so I don't think it's fair to have a pop at him, no matter how deluded he was. There's plenty of other rather more serious stuff to chide him for - this is irrelevant.

[Crazyhorse7778]

Only three positions away, eh Rafa?!

 

If we had have managed a win, a place where BURNLEY won 4-1 a few weeks ago, we would have finished 6th. It would have gained one less round in the Europa League plus 800k which would have left us with only £15.2M of your pay off to find.

 

So sickened. Thank the lord it ends today.

 

Speaking of Burnley I heard earlier that we've only scored one more away goal than them in the league this season.

[Mark M]

the mistake that was made when he made that "gaurantee" was we never got it in writing.. ;-)

[Hermes]

the mistake that was made when he made that "gaurantee" was we never got it in writing.. ;-)

 

7th is the new 4th.

 

Did he say it though, or was it "senior sources" within the club?

[stringvest]

7th is the new 4th.

 

Did he say it though, or was it "senior sources" within the club?

 

no, they said 8th.