There was a feel-good factor around the ground prior to kick off to mark the club’s 125th birthday, and although Joselu gave us the lead after just 4 minutes, it quickly turned sour as Leicester inflicted our third straight home defeat to deepen our relegation fears.
Before I get started on the game itself, let’s just take a moment to appreciate the incredible scenes inside St. James’ Park in the moments before kick off.
An incredible spectacle on our 125th birthday, making it all the more deflating that the result couldn’t do it justice:
Now to the game itself. I’m scratching my head at what I’ve seen from us over the past week weeks and once against yesterday. What happened to the compact, difficult to break down side that we saw earlier on this season?
We’ve conceded FITEEN goals in our last 5 games. It was said over the first few months of the season that our big problems was goals up front. Ironically, both our strikers netted last night but it was our leaky looking defence that let us down.
I loved the way we came out the traps. In their faces and right up for it, but those energy levels were unsustainable and we were picked off all too easily. Our 4-4-2 system can look great when we’re on top, but Merino and Hayden have a huge amount of work to do. Any mistakes or over commitment in that area leaves our back four so exposed.
Time to revert back to 4-2-3-1 I think. We can’t go on conceding cheap goals like this and must try and regain the discipline, determination and organisation that saw us at least compete in most early season encounters.
Rafa has real work to do on this team and his tactics, but Lascelles and Dummett’s return can’t come quick enough.
On the plus side, it was good to see Gayle and Joselu get on the scoresheet. We’re not blessed with great options up top, but they’ll take confidence from that – the most important trait for any striker.
Clutching at straws a little, but good to see Joselu & Gayle on the scoresheet⚽️⚽️
Great ball from @JacobMurphy95 in the build up! ?? #nufc pic.twitter.com/v31X0SlyJ5
— Black&WhiteBarmy (@BlackWhiteBarmy) December 10, 2017
With two of our next four games being against Arsenal and Man City, a win against Everton on Wednesday is badly needed – but this one does nothing for our confidence. I can see Staveley’s interest being shelved until the summer if we see another bad result in that one.
Talking of confidence and current form, it’s not just our system that looks all over the shop. What’s happened to Ritchie? To Lejeune and Clark? Yedlin? So many players are offering so little (struggling to know what Hayden did at all yesterday) who had been doing a very decent job not so long ago.
The lack of quality in the squad falls on Ashley’s door and that was evident today. I honestly don’t know if a single NUFC player would get into that Leicester side right now and that sums up where we’re at in that respect.
That old chestnut can’t be our excuse every week though. It’s a valid point and the reality of our overall situation, but we Benitez and the boys still have a job to do on the pitch each week and they’re not doing it well enough at the moment.
We must wake up soon or we could quite easily find ourselves in the relegation zone come January – a month that could make or break our survival hopes.
Guys, i know it ‘s depressing. But I just want to point out something, something maybe positive other than what Olly mentioned. The task of this season, one thing for sure is to survive, but if we can get Ashley out of sight and survive, it will be a super successful season. It will give a start to this club to a much brighter future. If 1 point of 7 games, or 8, or even more can push Ashley to sell the club, it will be a huge breakthrough for Toon Army. Otherwise, it will be another relegation fighting season, just like many of the previous 11 years. Believe me, if we can properly strengthened during the winter window, we will survive. So let’s hope the depressing defeats are blessing in disguise.
funrafa(Quote)
Well Sharpy had a right old rant and I don’t blame him. I am no football expert just a fan with views on how I see things. Rafa I admire a great deal. He conducts himself so well but I do find it difficult to follow his actions sometimes. Anyway this what I thought I saw yesterday. First there was a lot of criticism on here of Merino saying he was hiding. I was at the game and I was not aware of that. What I did notice was that his partner Hayden was very poor. He looked lost. He didn’t defend well. He didn’t get forward. His reactions were slow and I don’t recall him winning any fifty-fifty balls. Both full backs were poor. Yedlin made some good forward runs but as Kim pointed out his defensive qualities are poor. One of the poorest right backs we have had in recent years. Manquillo offfers nothing , not even a decent throw in. Clarke is a good defender of the old fashioned type. Hit it any where. Lump it aimlessly forward or sideways or back to the goalkeeper. I do not deny that there are times when this has to be done. However the game has moved on and playing the ball out from the back is the way to play now Ritchie can always be relied on to give 100% and yesterday was no exception. Unfortunately his passing and retention were awful and it was no surprise to anyone that he was subbed. Joselu is never going to frighten any defence but his link up play was alright. Gayle was very good. Never stopped running and worrying the defenders. Summarising our overall play our passing was awful. We give the balll away too much. High long balls are usually gifts for the opposition. This game was a mirror image of the games against Man U and Chelsea where we deservedly go ahead then sit back. You could see that the opponents would eventually score and then we would panic. Our players look frightened on t ball. Most predicted line ups yesterday included Mbemba. For gods sake he didn’t even make the bench. He has made the occasional error Who hasn’t? But in spite of not gettting regular playing time he has not had a bad game yet featuring highly in players’ rankings. He is one of the best passers of the ball. Can’t understand his absence.
Groucho(Quote)
While I am in a mood to have a gripe why do we have to keep on choosing between Diame or Pérez. Why not one of the reserves. At least put one on the bench to give them encouragement. No wonder Gibson left us for Everton when the youngsters can see no progression. It is easy to say that there is no one goood enough. How do we really know until they have a chance to play with ten first team players. Needed to get all this off my chest this morning. Feel better for it even if fellow bloggers don’t. Sorry about that.
Groucho(Quote)
I know it looks like I single him out but the amount of diagonal balls in behind yedlin yesterday was frightening.
And for our sub to end up scoring their winning goal just about sums us up at the moment. All the same I cannot be mad at Perez at least he was back trying to prevent a certain goal unlike our defence.
Mitro on for 5 mins – really, wtf pointless.
Have no chance of survival unless we ditch 442, we don’t have the players to effectively play it at present.
Of course had Gayles shot gone in at 2.0 I do feel we’d be discussing a different game today.
Defence was beyond awful yesterday.
plus points, Joselu took his goal well, Gayle looks brighter and so does Murphy .
kimtoon(Quote)
Groucho – on reflection I standby everything I said yesterday – only maybe I would have used less swear words to make my point – sorry if it offended anyone.
It’s like this. I always say to my son ‘I don’t expect you to be the best, but I DO expect you to always try your best’.
I expect the same from my team – it’s that simple.
I said after Chelsea last week that I never expected a win at Stamford Bridge. I accept we lack quality. But what I can’t accept a lack of hard work – and the same happened yesterday.
When we were at them yesterday and moving the ball quickly – we looking very good and had we built on that first goal rather then sit back and let them come at us, I think we could have won comfortably.
Sharpy17(Quote)
This team is also physically weak as water. Hayden’s a big cissie who feigns injury at least once every game. Lejeune falls down every time anybody challenges him. Perez and Murphy are easily nudged off the ball. Kante and Ndidi just completely bossed the games. Quick, determined and strong. That’s part one.
Part 2 is Rafa himself. Mbemba, Shelvey, Mitro, Aarons are among our best players. He won’t play them. It’s beyond normal comprehension and it now looks like Brighton may well bring our next point when we’re lodged in the bottom3.
georgio(Quote)
Kim – you watch Perez OG back, Okazaki runs past Perez who jogs back – then sprints when it was too late – it showed it on BT Sports yesterday.
Perez is someone who frustrates the hell out of me. He spends too much time on his backside looking at the ref for freekick – then throws his arms up in the air and twists on when it’s not given. Get up, win the ball back and get on with your game man!!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
In my opinion we are watching a very young side with almost zero confidence and a lot less talent than the teams they’re playing. That’s not a good combination.
The only positive I have is that after losing 6 out of 7 games we’re still 2 points out of the bottom three and with a run like that we can expect we are due a win or two.
For the future, it’s really up to Ashley now. Does he want to gamble that his asset is worth only £100m instead of the £280m he could probably extract from Stavely? It’s a massive **** up and it’s down to Ashley to sort it out. Don’t hold your breath!
Stuart79(Quote)
Sharpy, fair point BUT where was our defence, Perez is not a defender.
kimtoon(Quote)
spot on Stu, nail on head.
Ashley, do the right thing, for the love of god man.
kimtoon(Quote)
4 weeks ago we could look forward to a point at least v the toffees, not now. Fat sam knows how to organise a team and what’s more he hates Rafa and nowt would give him more pleasure than beating him/us.
Gonna be a miserable xmas on the football front cause Arsenal will kill us and West Ham look to have woken up too.
kimtoon(Quote)
And now it’s snowing 👿 hate snow
kimtoon(Quote)
Merino gave away a sloppy pass that directly led to Leicester goal. Then about 5 mins after that I think it was Hayden that picked up the ball in defense and carried it out. He was expecting players to come and support. Merino just slowly walked from the box – giving him no option. No urgency and clearly did not want the ball. I watched him specifically after this because I found that disgusting. I watched him pass backwards instead of forwards and at one stage and then another tine he had a great opportunity to move into space and instead walked towards the player with the ball with Leicester players closing him down. He intentionally did that so that he was not given the ball, because he was hiding. It was a shocking lack of desire or fight from him. Truly awful.
shamrock(Quote)
Kim my kids are desperate for snow here in Dorset. Not happened properly for 5 years. My daughter does not know what it feels like ?
shamrock(Quote)
I will put it down to Merino having a bad day. Maybe was sick or something. He is usually a good contributor. I think overall, he contributes more than Hayden defensively – although his actual output in terms of goals, assists and chances created is no better n Haydens.
shamrock(Quote)
Interestingly though, both Merino and Hayden have out performed Shelvey is almost every area that is matters this season..
There are some players that really need to step up. They could and should be doing better.
shamrock(Quote)
Stu – I think you are letting them off the hook a bit mate. Yes they are young, and yes lacking the talent against the likes of Chelsea & Man Utd – and Leicester to a lesser degree. But against all 3 we took the lead – and it wasn’t like it was against the run of play. We were playing better than all 3 in the opening 10-15mins of each game – that’s not a team lacking confidence.
Now, is that because of an instruction from Rafa – is that the game plan? – take the lead, sit back and invite them onto us then hit them on the counter attack.
If that is the case then it’s stupid!! – we don’t have the players to do that imo.
The reason I think it is is because Darlow said after the Chelsea game, the half time instruction was to go out and hold them until around 80mins and see how we go from there – at that time we were 2-1 down!!.
We have visibly sat back after taking the lead in the last 3 games – the emphasis seems to switch to trying to hold those 2 banks of 4 and be hard to break down – we are **** at that!!.
Take advantage of having a young squad with more running in their legs and encourage the pressing game. At times yesterday we were hunting in packs – 2/3 players getting at the player with the ball and they didn’t like it – they were giving us the ball and we looked good. Other times we sat back and let them play and they hurt us, and we looked vulnerable.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Kim – the fullbacks were high up the pitch looking for the winner. The CBs got dragged over with Vardy and Mahrez and Okazaki saw the space. For me, Darlow should have been shouting one of his CBs to stay in coz Vardy was no threat where he was.
But, every player is a defender for me. Perez had only been on a short while so can’t get away with being knackered and heavy legged. It’s not like Okazaki came from nowhere – he brushed shoulders with Perez as he ran passed him – Perez jogging – then decided to sprint back to turn it into his own goal. Had he followed his man it wouldn’t have been a pass Vardy would make and wouldn’t have been a goal imo.
Merino done a similar think with Hazard last week when Hazard got his goal. It’s got nowt to do with age, talent or confidence imo – it’s lazy and inexcusable.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy exactly mate, they were high up when they should of been protecting the point we’d managed to salvage. I could understand it if we was 2.1 down but the game was end to end and so finely balanced, to not be where they should be is a dereliction of duty, rubbish defending. As much as Perez was ‘ lazy ‘ he shouldn’t be the scape goat here. 4 defenders and a poor midfield all awol at that point.
kimtoon(Quote)
It’s distressing cause opening games of the season we were so disciplined defensively so it’s not an alien concept for them to get their collective heads round .
Need to ditch 442, it isn’t working .
kimtoon(Quote)
They don’t look anything like a benitez team at the moment, still you can’t make a silk purse from a sows ear.
kimtoon(Quote)
I think it is lack of effort and lack of confidence. They dont want to bust a gut for fear of looking stupid. Which is ridiculous. Get on it ffs lads. You are paid to run hard for 90 minutes and get on the ball!
shamrock(Quote)
Kim – I’m not making Perez the scapegoat – he was absolutely responsible for not tracking his man.
It was something Colback did on a regular basis – switched off and left his defence stranded- so Perez will come in for the same criticism when he does it. Okazaki didn’t come down the left or right flank – so the fullbacks can’t be blamed for that. He came through the middle – passed Perez, so he’s at fault.
If the fullbacks should have been back defending the draw, then Rafa should be instructing that – they weren’t and good – we should be pushing for a win at home when we are on top. But on the premise that players track back.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sham – I’d accept lack of confidence if we had fell behind in all 3 games – you loose a goal, you loose confidence. But we didn’t – we took the game to all 3 and took the lead in all 3. Surely that creates confidence doesn’t it?!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Apparently not mate because whenever a side steps it up physically or in an attacking sense, we fold like terrified little mice.
shamrock(Quote)
We are a championship squad with maybe 3-4 PL players, was anyone really expecting anything different at this stage.
A very nice set of opening fixtures got us an early chunk of points but I said weeks ago that if we got to jan with 20 we’d really done well.
Not the least surprised at where we are now, underinvestment will always lead you here.
kimtoon(Quote)
Saints beating Arsenal at moment
kimtoon(Quote)
Do we though mate, or is it an instruction to try and defend the lead?. That’s how it seems to me.
We seem to go from high tempo hassling and getting into the opponent, to taking the lead and becoming more focused on holding position and trying to be difficult to break down – and that’s just a matter of time before the equaliser comes – it also allows the opponent to build their confidence.
I tell you what I did see a lot of yesterday as well – very poor decision making in the final 3rd.
The pass that was clearly on, but not made. Holding onto the ball too long – it was school boy stuff at times.
Sharpy17(Quote)
And what of the B&HA match on the 30th will we even get anything from that ?
kimtoon(Quote)
If we can pull just one win even from next 5 that gives us 18 at start of jan and maybe with a little investment we could build a bit.
kimtoon(Quote)
Yeah I saw that too mate. Not looking up and seeingbte runs – then playing to the wrong side – or backwards. A lot of hopeful punts as well, just inviting the pressure on.
And then there was Schmichael playing to feet, even walking the ball out a third of the pitch before playing directly to Leicester players.
shamrock(Quote)
Kim – they are, and are still going after Arsenal – and look most like getting the next too. That’s the big difference between us and them imo.
Sharpy17(Quote)
off topic slightly but considering what a special date yesterday was, you would of thought the owner would of been present. Instead he was away to holiday in USA, only delaying departure to have a curry with mandy.
kimtoon(Quote)
Look at who we were pmying, Sharpy. If we’d took the lead against Bournemouth or WBA and then crumbled then I’d accept your point but Man Utd, Chelsea and Leicester are two brilliant teams and a very good team who’ve lost 1 in 11. When playing teams like that it’s not about confidence as much it’s just the quality.
Stuart79(Quote)
Kim – I prefer Gayle and Joselu to Joselu & Perez (which seems to be Rafas preferred pairing in that 4-2-3-1). Gayle obviously is a greater goal threat, but I think him & Joselu worked fairly well together yesterday.
However, there was a couple of times yesterday when Joselu did his closing down – but just ran at defenders who saw him coming and just knocked it passed him while he ran passed. He dived into a sliding tackle the defender saw coming all day long and just knocked it passed him – that kinda defeats the point really.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Lejune has been a bit of a liability from hat I have seen so far.
Cant wait to get Lascelles back.
shamrock(Quote)
Stu – we played better than all 3 in the opening stages of each game. We took the lead in all 3 – then shut up shop and invited them on to us.
WH beat Chelsea yesterday, Huddersfield beat Man Utd – they are excellent teams, but are beatable mate. The confidence gained from beating or drawing with them is as valuable as the points.
If we got beat in the last 10mins of the game having ran ourselves into the ground, then I don’t criticise that one bit.
But we seem to change our approach to the game when we take the lead. Actually, we change our approach when we go behind too – or we certainly did against WB imo.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Seconded mate.
Sharpy17(Quote)
well Arsenal have carved them open at last
kimtoon(Quote)
i thought S/hamton have defended really well imo,unlucky
icedog(Quote)
I’m really surprised that you seem to be honking we should be beating these teams as “they’re beatable” Just because WH beat Chelsea doesn’t mean we should. How many times do you think the bottom halves clubs will beat the top teams this season, Sharpy?
It’s worth pointing out that Rafa himself has said we couldn’t compete with any PL team in the summer. So what are you expecting? Apart from us going on to beat the top teams just because we take the lead. You don’t take into account at all the teams we were playing and the fact that they are going to have morenof the game regardless of whether we take the lead or not.
Rafa was desperate for a keeper – it’s now not hard to see why. Many of the goals we concede are down to average keeping. We’ve been playing centre halves at right back, right backs at left backs and don’t have a good keeper at the club at all. I refuse to accept that this is the fault of a manager who has won everything in the game and is amongst the best in the world.
Our current situation is due to years and years of under investment, two relegations and a complete lack of support for the manager in the summer after getting us promoted while making a profit in the transfer window. He wanted a keeper – he got none. He wanted a goal scorer – he got Joselu. He wanted a number 10 – he got none. He wanted a left back – he got none! Chickens home to roast.
Stuart79(Quote)
On another note we could do with Everton getting a right spanking today.
Stuart79(Quote)
Agree mate really bad luck but anything that keeps teams closer to us is fine by me.
kimtoon(Quote)
Stu – in every post I have said, I understand the quality of opponents and didn’t expect to win at the likes of SB. But you seem to be using the gulf in quality as the reason for defeat – I’m simply pointing out that the likes of WH & Huddersfield have beaten the same opponents.
Our players either don’t work hard enough over 90mins, or they are following a flawed game plan – but god forbid I question Rafas tactics like.
Sharpy17(Quote)
It was a very poor window yet again this summer. We were left with a lack of quality all over the pitch.
shamrock(Quote)
Just look at Everton today against Liverpool. They haven’t even taken the lead and they’re being forced further and further back by Liverpool. That’s what happens when one team is much better than the other.
Stuart79(Quote)
Of course you can question Rafa. Doesn’t mean it’s right though. And please don’t use 2 results from 300 games this season as prove we should be beating g the best teams. WH are below us in the table as are WBA, Swansea and Palace. So Rafa is over achieving – there can be no doubt about that.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu – I don’t disagree, but they also aren’t chasing Lpool down mate. They are holding the 2 banks of 4 and letting Lpool come at them – try to break them down – and surprise surprise it hasn’t worked.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Again, I’ve never said we should be beating them – but we should be performing better, and giving them a tougher game.
I think Rafa is getting some things wrong. I also think that the players are making some bad decisions on the pitch. I also think we lack quality. But Rafa is not absolve of fault – not in my eyes anyway.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I dont think we can claim Rafa is over achieving until we have played 18 games and all our competition has played all the sides we have.
Guess we will see just where we are in 3 time. Regardless of a sale, we need serious investment in this team. Not more Rafa specials like Joselu, Diame, Selz, Gamez etc. Waste of space. Like somebody else, play the promising reserves and save the money for proper signings that come with big price tags. We need game changers.
shamrock(Quote)
Another thing. For the first 8 or 9 games we were in every game we played. Either won 1-0 or lost 1-0. Everybody was complaining saying he should go 4-4-2. He does that and then we start leaking goals left, right and centre. What he needs to do is go back to 4-2-3-1 and get tight and **** the moans from the fans about it being boring.
Stuart79(Quote)
Sham, he may of signed them but I bet they was his 6th 7th choices mate. Left with no option by a feckless owner who frankly needs hounding out.
If he still owns us end of the season then fans need to not go to games and take back at least some control.
kimtoon(Quote)
Funnily enough class shows in the end…
Stuart79(Quote)
Spot on, Kim. If anyone thinks Rafa really wanted to sign the likes of Joselu and Manquillo then holy ****!
Wasn’t it mentioned that only Lejeune and Merino were Rafa’s first choices. Both will need time to settle in England too. So Rafa has been shafted like every other manager.
This is the worst PL squad we have ever had.
Stuart79(Quote)
No, we are 16th and 2 pts off bottom 3. I’m not having over achieving either.
Huddersfield and maybe Burnley and Watford can claim over achieving. We are where I’d expect to be – maybe 3-4pts worse off.
Sharpy17(Quote)
NUFC Index Retweeted
NUFC Index @NUFC_Index · 5h5 hours ago
More
Mikel Merino v Leicester:
Most passes
Most successful passes
Most chances created
Most possession wins
Most interceptions
Most tackles made
Most tackles won
Most headed duels won
bit surprised at that tbh
kimtoon(Quote)
Of course it does. Which is why you have to give yourself the best possible chance – by not sitting back and giving them all the time in the world. Instead you need to hound them, snap at their heels and make them make mistakes. Everton aren’t doing that – and we looked vulnerable when we weren’t doing it either.
It’s not difficult. You lack quality, you work harder. It may not result in success – but it certainly improves your chances.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Also cost us a goal and all his passes were backwards. He was ****. But so was the rest of the side tbh.
shamrock(Quote)
My point on Joselu etc is that I have no doubt they were 4th or 5th choice – butvthey are a waste of a shirt and a drain on the salary budget. Should have bypassed them and stuck with the academy. Held onto the money for some proper players.
shamrock(Quote)
Sham , aye, I wasn’t impressed with him yesterday, but then as you say the whole team were poor.
kimtoon(Quote)
Yeah it was Kim. With that atmosphere as well…
Not a lot of hope at the moment. Good to see Gayle hitting his stride and Lascelles coming back should help. A lot…
Shelvey needs to get his sh** together.
shamrock(Quote)
game on now then
kimtoon(Quote)
Rooney on 8 for the season now.
shamrock(Quote)
I’m sure people on here will also be expecting better from our players after Jan when every other team has improved their squad and we haven’t.
Can anyone tell me which players we bought in the summer improved our Championship team? And why we should be doing better than WBA, Bournemouth or Watford for instance. That’s what people seem to be saying. The fact we’re doing better than West Ham, Palace or Swansea is in itself an achievement considering the better quality players they have. Yet we should be mid table apparently
Stuart79(Quote)
Another good question; If we’re under achieving I would like you to tell me which manager would get more out of then than the world class manager we have?
Stuart79(Quote)
Lot of unhappiness about today not surprisingly. It will all disappear if Ashley sells up soon.
Groucho(Quote)
Nah Stu I think we are just about where we ought to be. We did not strictly have a completely Championship side when we came up.. Shelvey, Lascelles, Ritchie, Mitro and a couple of others were proven to some degree in the top flight.
I agree the new signings have been poor on the whole and it was Rafa who signed them off when all is said and done. A drain on our resources.
After 18 games I expect us to be hovering between 16th to 18th, which is about to be expected. Not overachieving, not underachieving.
I just think if we had not signed Joselu and Manquillo, but played the likes of Sterry, Roberts, Heardman and Aarons – would we actually be any worse off? We could have used that money to buy an actual game changer instead of a load of duds – or had it in the bank for the winter window.
shamrock(Quote)
To be fair City deserve that, much the better side here
kimtoon(Quote)
game on 1.1
kimtoon(Quote)
Sham – I think given the U23’s results and performances this season we’d probably be bottom of the league with the likes of the players you mentioned. They get consistently beat by Div one and Div two teams. Another legacy of the Ashley era.
Stuart79(Quote)
Its not all of them Stu, just the most promising ones. I think Sterry could do a job instead of Manquillo or Gamez for example. Joselu? Well there is Mitro for a start…. But I think Heardman is a canny young player who needs senior game time.
All that said, we can look at Armstrong, Campbell and more to see that promise does not translate into success… However, Joselu and Manquillo have never pulled up any trees so why would anybody think they will now? And on their wages? Waste of space. Sterry and Heardman every day of the week for me – and a game changer brought in for good measure on the dough that has not been wasted on duds.
shamrock(Quote)
Wouldn’t mind giving Freddie a shot in goal either tbh.
kimtoon(Quote)
My god what a double save that was
kimtoon(Quote)
Stu – I think your ‘good’ question is a hyperthetical one mate – absolutely no way of knowing.
But what I would say is that Rafa himself wanted 20pts from the 1st half of the season & 20pts from the 2nd half – that was his aim, which he reiterated in his press conference just the other day.
So he’s on 15 just now with I think
3 games left of the 1st half – that’s why I reckon we are about where we should be. I think we could be 3-4 points better off coz imo we should have been beating the likes of WBA, Huddersfield and Brighton – or certainly taking more than 1 point from those 3 games.
See where we are in 3 games time though to say how we are perform by Rafas own expectations.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sham – I understand your point on the signs. I think maybe Rafa thought he was at least buying some PL experience in Manq & Joselu. He was maybe also hoping for pedigree in Lejeune and Merino.
I guess the biggest monetary risk was Murphy – who hasn’t been awful.
I don’t think Merino has been awful either to be fair.
I would Lejeune is probably an upgrade on Hanley. But could we not have just given Anita a new contract instead of getting Manq – Anita was a player with PL experience and could probably cover fullback as well as Manq.
Certainly I think Rafa should be utilising the likes of Mitro, Mbemba and Aaron’s more than he has been.
For the record, the newbies have not blown me away at all.
Sharpy17(Quote)