Cheers, Milky. Good now, for a while. Passed a gall stone & infected the bile duct. Not pleasant. As it's the 3rd time, going back sometime to get the bugger excised. Serves me right for being a crapper before. At least it wasn't kidney stones again! FFS, makes a gall stone seem like a party! Re. Bielsa. I think I've taken it so badly because I've met him a couple of times on a one-to-one basis. Related one of the times before, and that time I got to see a part that few will ever get to see. He's got a tremendous sense of humour & the first time I shook his hand to thank him, the bugger wouldn't let go, & squeezed tighter, with a marvellous maniacal smile on his face. I can imagine any manager going through the motions when meeting fans, but how many would issue playground torture & laugh. I didn't know at the time that he understood every word. A moment that I'll never forget & elevates him to a higher level for me, which is quite something considering the elevated level he was already on for his achievements. That's why I'm finding this so hard & haven't really engaged with the JM regime. Still behind the team, but smarting from the obvious US manipulation to make us have a 'special relationship'. We all know where that leads to. I'll get there eventually, & still rabidly for the team & players, of course. Apart from Roberts, but that's another well-worn subject. Think it was the black power salute that killed it. I think we all know about Aaronson, but is he 'the' signing. I know absolutely nothing about USasian players. Is he the biggest we can hope for? Dunno. Will he be the only one? Dunno. How many do the 49ers need on the books to capture the US market? Dunno. Did Orta suggest Aaronson or was he told? Dunno. Is this big business totalitarianism the reason Bielsa was leaving anyway in the summer when they (allegedly) take over the reins? Dunno. But I'd like to know these answers.
I think a few of those we’ll never get the answer to fella. Re 49 ers- The aaronson link is too obvious to be a coincidence with marsch being his ex manager - but I think he was a genuine talent that would have worked for bielsaball too. I don’t imagine they’d want a team of yanks, but I’m sure a. Leading player and manager Would suit them. your bielsa story reminds me of my graduation - they’d wheeled out some frail looking but obviously important old boy to dish out the gongs and press the flesh. When it was my turn I shook his hand and he leant forward and said something to me… but I couldn’t make it out, so I asked him to repeat it whilst continuing to shake his hand. He replied but he had a faint voice and there was some background noise. I leant closer and again asked him to repeat it. At which point he shouted in my ear ‘ please stop squeezing my hand so hard’ . Bit embarrassing - poor boy still had another few hundred ‘shakes’ to get through with crushed arthritic fingers
The club behaved very professionally in the way Bielsa was dismissed How could it have been done better ? The club gave Bielsa every chance possible to extract the team for a relegation dog fight but we were in free-fall and it seemed that he'd lost the team Results had gotten beyond embarrassing If the club is at fault at all, it is because they waited too long and should've fired Bielsa in December.
Exactly and the way we played pre season was an indication of what lay ahead. The club have every right to hire and fire who they like.
Glad you got sorted WJ and like you I still find it hard regarding Bielsa, but I accept its happened and am behind JM. On ghe Aaronson front not thinking about conspiracies but he seems to be the closest player on the planet to Connor Galagher in every respect. Bielsa wanted Gallagher badly, failed but Orta found the next best thing. Will we still want him? i do beleive however Orta will be fast off the line with the type of players JM wants. Bielsa was too keen to agree the type of player but then refuse to accept them
… doc, I think the natural presumption is marsch recommended or at least gave evidence for aaronson. He’s a Duracell bunny, so suits bielsa or marsch - I’m sure (combined with his US passport) if we stay up he’d be in the mix
Bielsa went without the cloud of relegation to tarnish the record of his success at Leeds. We all should be thankful for that.
Think the stumbling block will be price, as we started at £10m and went back with £15m and I expect his price to be nearer £25m now maybe more?
Think a bigger stumbling block maybe the JKA debacle, doubt they'll want to do business with us again, unless it's for silly money, I believe they came back with £60m when we enquired.
Whoever the 49ers sign its got to be better than Rodrigo scored 3/4 goals since arriving and the Norwich one was a deflected fluke , glad it went in but it was still a fluke the ball was going well wide as usual with rodrigo , also tommy Cooper will be back and upto his old magic tricks can he save the day , its like hoping Norman wisdom and tommy Cooper will keep us up , ha ha LOL
