Rafa: We will try to attack City.

[Carra_is_legend]

And no one put a gun to his head to come up with this latest big fat lie!

[Sarb24]

And most people with a brain cell saw through it and knew we would play for a draw. At least he is consistent

[Carradona]

Well we didn't even try. If that was them trying to attack, then I'm even more worried than I already was.

[SiliconeSoul]

Rafa: We will control the game and draw, no.

[Guest TK-421]

Is Eurogoals still showing on Eurosport? Y'all could watch that instead. They just show the goals from every game, none of that boring football stuff in between.

[zigackly]

If you saw some football yesterday TK, you were watching the wrong game.

[2pak]

Lucas is a decent passer of the ball and if encouraged to attack more instead of 'control', I think we'd see a lot more purpose around the box. You can see he's trapped with fear in case he strays from the ever so rigid gameplan

 

Disagree. I think he is too slow (in thought and action) and would be caught in possession far too many times. Besides he just doesn't look a goal threat, boot or head.

[Carra_is_legend]

Is Eurogoals still showing on Eurosport? Y'all could watch that instead. They just show the goals from every game, none of that boring football stuff in between.

 

We make their itinerary simpler by not scoring any.

 

We need a new program called EuroControl or EuroCompact.

[SiliconeSoul]

Disagree. I think he is too slow (in thought and action) and would be caught in possession far too many times. Besides he just doesn't look a goal threat, boot or head.

 

I've seen a few clips of him at Gremio and he looked quite assertive going forward. Maybe Benitez has coached it out him, who knows. He looked far better when he first arrived than he does now and that has to be down to tactics and approach.

[Guest PurpleNose]

We make their itinerary simpler by not scoring any.

 

We need a new program called EuroControl or EuroCompact.

 

Euroverwhelminglylikelytofindthisquitedull.

 

I'll admit its a bit long winded.

[Carra_is_legend]

Euroverwhelminglylikelytofindthisquitedull.

 

I'll admit its a bit long winded.

 

With a warning:

 

"The next 10 mins of our program might make viewers bored and sleepy"

[Spanish_fan]

Lucas is a decent passer of the ball and if encouraged to attack more instead of 'control', I think we'd see a lot more purpose around the box. You can see he's trapped with fear in case he strays from the ever so rigid gameplan

 

At Gremio he had total freedom to join the attack. I am not saying that Lucas is good enough for a top side, but he is certainly playing a much more defensive role than he was doing in Brazil.

 

 

Four defensive midfielders across the pitch (that is how I se Maxi and Kuyt) fullbacks overlapping very little. Centerbacks never joining the attack. Remember Agger during his first games at Liverpool? Only Torres and Gerrard to a certain extent are freed to attack without watching their backs. No wonder Liverpool look so turgid. The problem is that Benitez doesn't know any better. He will never sign an Aimar type of player no matter how much net spend he is allowed to have. Just think how he spent his 28 million two summers ago. Roy Keane, a back-up striker or God knows what, and Riera who is not even a winger but a wing back (the cheeaper Malouda). But of course, Benitez knosw what he is doing, filling the pitch with his defensive workers and buying cheap creative players like Luis Garcia or Benayoun so that he can bench them in the tougher games against the Stokes and Boltons of the league.

[Anny Road]

He is undoubtedly playing for fourth spot and has been for some time. Nothing wrong with that now but I feel that that was the target all season well after half a dozen games in anyway.

As a result the most important thing about yesterday was not to lose.

Thats how he sent them out. Do not lose.

Makes players nervous does that.

[Carra_is_legend]

He is undoubtedly playing for fourth spot and has been for some time. Nothing wrong with that now but I feel that that was the target all season well after half a dozen games in anyway.

As a result the most important thing about yesterday was not to lose.

Thats how he sent them out. Do not lose.

Makes players nervous does that.

 

He is playing a very dangerous game though. He is expecting not just 1 team but 3 teams to fail in pursuit of 4th place.

[Anny Road]

He is playing a very dangerous game though. He is expecting not just 1 team but 3 teams to fail in pursuit of 4th place.

You know what though mate I recon we will scrape it. I don't know how to feel about that. I would hate to see Rafa giving it the smug I told you so after the huge success of qualifying for the qualifiers of the CL

[Carra_is_legend]

You know what though mate I recon we will scrape it. I don't know how to feel about that. I would hate to see Rafa giving it the smug I told you so after the huge success of qualifying for the qualifiers of the CL

 

I don't know if we get it or if Rafa will lap it up but I don't certainly expect him to admit that this season has been a failure.

[zigackly]

You know what though mate I recon we will scrape it. I don't know how to feel about that. I would hate to see Rafa giving it the smug I told you so after the huge success of qualifying for the qualifiers of the CL

 

Forza Juve.

[SiliconeSoul]

We'll get 4th and he'll go to Juve. Nailed on.

 

That's the best possible outcome anyway.

[Carra_is_legend]

Forza Juve.

 

*fingers crossed*

[Guest TK-421]

We'll get 4th and he'll go to Juve. Nailed on.

 

That's the best possible outcome anyway.

 

Yeah, for Juventus.

[WaltonRed]

I wish it was the summer.

[Anny Road]

We'll get 4th and he'll go to Juve. Nailed on.

 

That's the best possible outcome anyway.

 

Best for all concerned I think.

[Section_31]

I wish it was the summer.

 

How come? We won't be buying shit.

[Carra_is_legend]

How come? We won't be buying shit.

 

We bought shit in the last 2 summers.

[WaltonRed]

How come? We won't be buying shit.

 

Because I think we'll get the fresh start we need.

 

Hopefully we'll get fourth, either way Rafa will go to Juve and we'll move on.

 

Its dire, its shite and its utterly depressing that yet another grand master plan which seemed so brilliant at the beginning has fallen apart again ala Houllier