Newcastle were very poor tonight in what was an abysmal performance.
Rafa was somber in this interview, and he knows it could be difficult in the league since we play Manchester City and Arsenal in our next two league games.
We only had one shot on target tonight, and in 4 games we have scored only 3 goals – 2 from Joselu and one tonight from Rondon.
Nottingham Forest players celebrate late goal tonight
Here is Rafa’s Sky Sports interview after tonight’s game.
We’ll just have to stick together and keep the faith.
Comments welcome
25 comments so far
catchy in norway
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:02 PM
Comment #1Rolando
no, not at all, you can ask whoever took that prediction thing last year, i said 12th,
and this year if he played a more attack minded football, 10-8th.
read my posts over the last week, i said one of his better signings was D murphy whobhe let go and bought joselu. we only made a profit because he sold our best CF. he did not need to, and all we have ended up with is a temp replacement.
Ashley never sold him Rafa did. he also sold IMO one of our best CD in Mbemba.
West lancs
Lascelles is not our best CB, Indont rate the kid. i think his positioning is terrible, more often than not he is the last man, his passing anything over 10 yards is woeful, he is Steven taylor in disguise.
jimiley
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:05 PM
Comment #2I stopped going 4 years ago because of Ashley. Its the only way to get him out. Very sad after 50 years but I made my own stand.Got dogs abuse for it but some are starting to see the light. Leave the ground to Ashley and Mr Wise. Get relegated but STAY relegated. Ashley does not mind relegation. Thats when he invests to get us back up straight away. If the ground is half empty and we do not get promoted he will sell for 150 million. He cannot advertise his tat in a half empty ground in the Championship. Too embarrassing. It is simple really but you have to stay away until he goes. He loves mug punters who will take any old rubbish he serves up. Its what has made him a billionaire. But I am no masochist for him.
Aces-of-Eights
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:05 PM
Comment #3People really need to think hard before praising the top 10 finish last season. We were bottom 3 in December. The reason we got 10th was because last season was a freak season where 10 teams were in a relegation battle. Any other season and we would not have finished 10th. People forget we were shit all season and after we confirmed safety we went on a 4-5 game winless run where no team could catch us up because there was a lot of crap teams last season in that FREAK season. Sometimes we give rafa too much credit.
I look at the longer bigger picture which is rafa still hasnt got us playing fluidly. His tactics is compact but teams always seem to cut as apart and create chances. We are supposed to be a defensive team yet our defensive play is so crap. We are just too slow all over the place. No game plan. Rafa hasn’t sorted out how to play going forward with us over past year. We are clueless playing football. Championship teams give us a lesson in passing football.
SPRINGY
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:05 PM
Comment #4Is it that these players are so shit scared of the embrassment of losing against lower league opposition that it makes them freeze on the nyt or is it that they think they just have to turn up like a bunch of big time charlies show up with a half arsed attitude then it goes tits up….its every year in the cup man….every team we face in the cup must have absolutely no fear factor when playing us….the horrifying thing is if we were to play the unwashed in the f.a cup later this season we would probably get beat again….this is embarrassing to say but probably true….players need to grow a pair and change there mentality….or its just a case of they are not good enough? ….only positives from 2nyt for me was longstaff canny performance in places and rondons first goal….other then that embarrassing,talentless, spineless…not something i like to say.
catchy in norway
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:06 PM
Comment #5Rafa won’t walk because he has to pay to leave the club, so i read not long ago.
i think he is looking for the sack
jimiley
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:06 PM
Comment #6Rafa reminds me of Wenger.
A great manager but past his sell by date.
jane
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:06 PM
Comment #7“Rafa was somber in this interview”
i didn’t think so
ronaldo aarons
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:07 PM
Comment #8Catchy
I remember actually you saying that quite recently. I actually put us to finish 13th last season and 10th this season because i was in an optimistic mood.
In a way though, with us finishing 2 places higher than you predicted, that’s over achievement lol. But yeah, we finished about what you predicted. Do you not think that it’s worth sticking with Rafa rather than call for the sack after 4 games.
I imagine you predicted us to get out of the championship in 1st place. So that’s 2 years running he’s met your expectations. Why is a four game run suddenly enough to call for his sacking. I’m all for people thinking what they want but I really feel you’ve been a bit ott recently about Rafa.
Aces-of-Eights
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:08 PM
Comment #9I mentioned a while ago. Some fans are scared they will lose their seat and opportunity for season tickets in future if they cancel season ticket So I suggested buy your season ticket to reserve your seat but if everyone boycotts a sky game and shows empty stadium that’s one way of protesting. Another is walk out early? Another throw trainers onto pitch disrupt game like vs West Ham? He cant ban everyone. Come into stadium late?
Aces-of-Eights
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:09 PM
Comment #10Everton had VAR but we didnt?
West Lancs Geordie
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:10 PM
Comment #11Catchy . You’ll get your wish with Lascelles in the January window who will be sold for megabucks to one of the BiG SIX but he won’t be replaced . The brass will go to finance the purchase of Debenhams or M&S perhaps.
Manxpie. Do you think we can keep the margin down to within Four this weekend against City? Would that be a result?
jimiley
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:10 PM
Comment #12Springy
Not good enough. A good Championship team.
My god Chelsea wanted 25 million for Kennedy. We got 27 million for Mitro and he could not get a game. 5 mil Joselu kept him out.
20 million gets you very little and our record buy of 16 mil is still intact. 13 years ago.
Club is not fit for purpose.
Aces-of-Eights
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:11 PM
Comment #13People are calling for rafa sacking for his crap boring tactics and not having a fluid style of play even though he has had same players over a year. Also no plan B. In game management is crap.
manxpie
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:14 PM
Comment #14Well hopefully keeping it to the last few minutes with a better referee west lancs
manxpie
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:15 PM
Comment #15manxpie
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:10 PM
Comment #22
Its the absolute hope sucked out of the club from 1 man that is all and it needs to be extinguished the fans the stadium and the manager are there but the fat cockney kernt gets away with it every televised game
Transfer Sage
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:15 PM
Comment #16I’d like to see us attack more as I think we are more dangerous and can pin teams back but it’s not Rafa’s style, especially with the players we have.
The whole worrying about goal difference thing I don’t get. Even if we lose 10-0 against city, Liverpool and Arsenal by being attacking, if we get an extra point against say Chelsea because of it, that 1 point is worth more than any amount of goal difference.
I’d not want to replace Rafa though under Ashley as other than Rafa he’s made nothing but bad appointments. Rafa may not be the most entertaining but he’s far from dull (the majority of the time) and he has had 2 good seasons results/final place wise.
jimiley
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:16 PM
Comment #17Fat man will not sack Rafa.
1. He does not mind relegation
2. He will not pay compo
3. He will use relegation as stick to beat Rafa
4.He will get a new manager and give him 100 million if necessary to get us promoted and stick it to Rafa.
Jail for Ashley
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:16 PM
Comment #18Ashleys Ambition Laid Bare!
Blame Keegan, Hughton, JfootinK, Hughton, Shearer, Hughton, Pardew, Carver, McLaren, Rafa.
There’s one constant in thiscexcuse for a direct rots team!
West Lancs Geordie
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:17 PM
Comment #19Let’s face it guys this great club with the best supporters in the land has underachieved for the past 50 years but has got progressively worse in the past 10 years under Ashley’s ownership.
From a business point of view it doesn’t really matter which club name is over the door, it’s whether it’s adequately financed to sustain a Top Six finish and it’s owners/investors have ambition for the Club. Ours sadly haven’t!
West Lancs Geordie
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:20 PM
Comment #20Jimiley – Who is this new manager Ashley will get if RAFA goes? Nobody in their right mind will want the job under this regime
catchy in norway
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:21 PM
Comment #21Rolando
I would have got rid of him end of last season.
i don’t like how he is 2 faced, he did not put club first, he put his personal feelings over Mitrovic ahead of what was best for the team, he benched Shelvey for far to many games,
Mbemba was doing great at LB then he dropped him.
i think his transfer dealings have been crap simply because he does not know how to use them, it’s a bit like pardew in that he buys attacking players then turns them defensive.
and my last point, i think this style of play made famous by himself and Jose has been found out, more and more attack minded coaches are taken over all the top clubs now, best form of defence is attack. Karanla taught him that again tonight.
forest played with fluidity tonight. we play like stif old men
Transfer Sage
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:21 PM
Comment #22Jail
The problem always has been Ashley.
Players and managers over the years take some blame but ultimately when you scrape the bottom of the barrel (with the odd exception) then you can expect wonders.
There are definitely worse owners than Ashley who have done significant damage to the clubs but that doesn’t excuse the shambles he has going here. The sooner he goes the better.
posada
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:23 PM
Comment #23Kenedy
Dreadful. 2nd minute let their full back go straight through him like he wasnt there. Stood flat footed with a gormless look on his face as he crossed for the goal. Last minute gave them the ball for their 3rd. Not much better in between.
Why is he so bad suddenly.
Bladey
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:25 PM
Comment #24ASH OUT
RAFA OUT
posada
Aug 29, 2018 at 11:25 PM
Comment #25We have a difficult away fixture in the cup.
The senoir pros should want to play during a difficult spell.
To take responsibility.
We put Sterry and Longstaff in. Why ?
Seems to me it was to provide a ready made excuse for failure.
That’s not the way to introduce young players.