It's a point I've been thinking about for a good few weeks- and I think I said it on here the other day as well; that I'd have rather us lost a couple more games and won a few more... as these results were the reason we didn't challenge last season when we should have (I think we lost 3-4 games last season- less than the Mancs and same as Chelsea I think. Arsenal lost the less I think?)
The performances, in general, haven't been great this season either really- but I've put that down to Torres being out for so long and that awkward period at the start when Gerrard was severely off form and Keane was just woeful.
We've certainly looked like we can play league winning football but it's been very much stop start and spluttering. We can demolish Newcastle and Bolton by some amazing free attacking possession football, beat Man Utd and Chelsea with a complete and fierce tactical discipline, yet find ourselves drawing against relegation fodder. It's these games that perhaps Rafa needs to think less tactical and appreciate the English game more- these relegation battling teams will be all fight, passion and direct football- no use trying to go overly tactical on these lot- perhaps sticking Hyypia on instead of Agger/Skrtel to take care of the long balls is fair, but to overly analyse their game? Nah... let them worry about us and just overwhelm them with the quality we have. We look very average against these teams, and indeed, at times, they look on par with us. Against Stoke we barely had a sniff of goal and didn't deserve to win- we lost points and they outwitted us completely. We've seen it several times this season... and yet, we look every inch the PL winning side for this season when playing other top teams and those who aren't top teams but try and play more open football (hence the Newcastle and Bolton wins).
I think though, that Rafa needs to be given the benefit of the doubt. I don't always like the way he doesn't go for the kill or takes a few more risks (I think we should have gone for the win against Arsenal when they went a man down, and of course these shite 0-0 draws), but I think if he did do that, he wouldn't be Rafa.
What I mean by that is, is that Rafa's got a set philosophy of football- how he wants his team to play and to go about winning games. He's not going to change that in my opinion and that's fair enough. The last couple of seasons we've had the squad to challenge for the title. I don't see much difference from this season to last except that the Mancs and Chelsea have lost points as well as we have from those draws. It's put us there or there abouts in the opening phase of the PL. Last season, we were immense in the 2nd half of the campaign. We do that again this season and we're there in May.
I've still got the confidence that we're going to do it.