Tonights games (30/1)

[NipHolmes]

Benitez won two League titles at Valencia. He can't be a bad manager, but he has an impossible situation at Chelsea. Brian Clough, the greatest ever, went to leeds at the wrong time

Valencia was a long time ago. He is not a good manager any more. He plays a left back in left wing when he has a left winger on the bench. He plays an impotent striker ahead of Ba, who was keeping pace with Robin van Persie when he was at Newcastle. He substitutes a defender for another defender for no apparent reason at the same time in every second half whether we're ahead or behind. The team has capitulated and blown 2 goal leads to teams in or around the relegation zone on three different occasions.

That isn't even an exhaustive list. He is a terrible manager. I don't care how good he used to be. Torres used to be a world-class striker. Try calling him that with a straight face now. Opposition fans only want us to keep him (understandably) for all the wrong reasons.

Your a very level headed fellow and honest. Fair play.<br /><br />-- Wed Jan 30, 2013 10:44 pm --<br /><br />

Roberto (heavily disguised as a flowerpot man) was at the Emirates spending a lot of time on his phone.

Think he was telling platt to call in the corner shop in the morning for some fruit pastilles..

"Sorry Bobby, they've only got wine gums."
"Fa'ckinell Da-vid, jus' go get me them, don't bring problem, bring me pastilles, only theeeez."

 

[FrostyNRG]

Valencia was a long time ago. He is not a good manager any more. He plays a left back in left wing when he has a left winger on the bench. He plays an impotent striker ahead of Ba, who was keeping pace with Robin van Persie when he was at Newcastle. He substitutes a defender for another defender for no apparent reason at the same time in every second half whether we're ahead or behind. The team has capitulated and blown 2 goal leads to teams in or around the relegation zone on three different occasions.

That isn't even an exhaustive list. He is a terrible manager. I don't care how good he used to be. Torres used to be a world-class striker. Try calling him that with a straight face now. Opposition fans only want us to keep him (understandably) for all the wrong reasons.

I know a few Chelsea fans that are annoyed by the belief that they simply don't accept Benitez as manager, when they actually have genuine issues with his decisions. Your comments seem to reflect that. On the Torres/Ba issue, do you think it is possible that he is "under instruction" to give Torres x amount of playing time?

 

[Castiel]

I know a few Chelsea fans that are annoyed by the belief that they simply don't accept Benitez as manager, when they actually have genuine issues with his decisions. Your comments seem to reflect that. On the Torres/Ba issue, do you think it is possible that he is "under instruction" to give Torres x amount of playing time?

I honestly don't know. I can't see how anyone can be playing Torres ahead of Ba. Ba should be getting every single minute until he either needs rest or picks up an injury. I know RDM was sacked when he gave up with playing a striker altogether and used Hazard as a false 9, such was the level of his frustration; but it's hard to say whether that was because he basically told the board that he'd rather play without a striker at all than use Torres, or because he lost to Juventus and got us knocked out. Probably a combination of both.

People talk about RVP carrying United and Suarez carrying Liverpool. Mata has 15 goals and 20 assists for us so far this season, we are a one man team. I dread the day he gets injured.

 

[ohfk]

Southampton are looking decent too. Another tricky game for us in feb. This month is huge for us

St Marys is a nice big pitch though which I think will suit us - think we struggle at tight grounds

Fairly sure all premier league pitches have to be the same size as of this season. I'm too hungover to check though :)

 

[FrostyNRG]

I honestly don't know. I can't see how anyone can be playing Torres ahead of Ba. Ba should be getting every single minute until he either needs rest or picks up an injury. I know RDM was sacked when he gave up with playing a striker altogether and used Hazard as a false 9, such was the level of his frustration; but it's hard to say whether that was because he basically told the board that he'd rather play without a striker at all than use Torres, or because he lost to Juventus and got us knocked out. Probably a combination of both.

People talk about RVP carrying United and Suarez carrying Liverpool. Mata has 15 goals and 20 assists for us so far this season, we are a one man team. I dread the day he gets injured.

One could understand some rotation between Torres and Ba, but it does appear like it's a dogged persistence with Torres regardless of how well he (doesn't) play. What doesn't make sense is why Ba was signed (presumably with RA's sign off) if he wasn't going to be used. Unless it was perhaps a case of getting to make sure no-one else did??

Mata is one of my favourite non-Spurs players. We were linked with him at the time, if you remember, and I was relatively annoyed by you lot getting him. Even more so now. Didn't realise his stats this season were that impressive, but on the times I've seen him (particularly against us) he's been head and shoulders the best on the pitch. Not sure you'd be dead in trouble without him, but you'd definitely miss him.

 

[silverback]

BBC Match Stats Rags v Saints
Possession 50/50
Shots 11/ 21
Shots on Target 7/10
Corners 4/8

Goals 2/1


I posted some stats in the Mancini's weakness thread and they show Utd are far more clinical in front of goal from less chances created, than we are. They are not convincing though in overall play and have been eeking out these results all year. No one has outplayed us in the league. Long way to go. We'll be breathing down their necks all the way.

Liverpool (A), arsenal (H), swansea (H)....You have been outplayed several times mate

Safe journey back to London.

 

[MSP]

How the fuck is team so inferior to us 7 points ahead is fucking mistery.

It is a disgrace to lose title to them.

Short memory! We were shocking at home to Reading.

And that's it, you may find one or two more when we did not bossed game completely.

They have been outplayed in half matches this season.

It's bloody frustrating to see us dropping points with QPR barely sniff on the ball and them winning week after week after teams bossing them for long parts of games.

 

[Deleted member 52846]

Southampton are looking decent too. Another tricky game for us in feb. This month is huge for us

St Marys is a nice big pitch though which I think will suit us - think we struggle at tight grounds

Fairly sure all premier league pitches have to be the same size as of this season. I'm too hungover to check though :)

There are big differences in pitch size. They all have to be over a certain size but some are five milimetres over and others are five metres over.

 

[bluemoondays]

I know a few Chelsea fans that are annoyed by the belief that they simply don't accept Benitez as manager, when they actually have genuine issues with his decisions. Your comments seem to reflect that. On the Torres/Ba issue, do you think it is possible that he is "under instruction" to give Torres x amount of playing time?

I honestly don't know. I can't see how anyone can be playing Torres ahead of Ba. Ba should be getting every single minute until he either needs rest or picks up an injury. I know RDM was sacked when he gave up with playing a striker altogether and used Hazard as a false 9, such was the level of his frustration; but it's hard to say whether that was because he basically told the board that he'd rather play without a striker at all than use Torres, or because he lost to Juventus and got us knocked out. Probably a combination of both.

People talk about RVP carrying United and Suarez carrying Liverpool. Mata has 15 goals and 20 assists for us so far this season, we are a one man team. I dread the day he gets injured.

We really missed a trick there, we could have probably bought Mata instead of Nasri in 2011/12. Whether he'd have come to us over Chelsea is another mata (lol) but maybe David Silva could have convinced him as he'd already been with us for a season. Imagine a 4-2-2-2 line-up below.

...............Aguero.......Dzeko............ (or swap Tevez for Dzeko)

...Mata................................Silva....

...............Barry.......Yaya.................

 

[ohfk]

St Marys is a nice big pitch though which I think will suit us - think we struggle at tight grounds

Fairly sure all premier league pitches have to be the same size as of this season. I'm too hungover to check though :)

There are big differences in pitch size. They all have to be over a certain size but some are five milimetres over and others are five metres over.

Damn it man, you made me check. ;)

Standard size pitches this season. 105mt x 68mt Rule K.21.

Only exception being if the make up of the ground prevents this. Rule K.22

I've no idea if any premier league ground has this problem