We haven't had a manager in the truest sense for nearly a decade. All head coaches since Silva. Most other clubs haven't either. Did Ranieri win the league with 'his' team? No, they were just ****ing delighted to have got rid of Nigel Ostrich-Cleansheets after being put together by Sven and Claudii allowed them to go and 'play'. We aren't in that position. They already had a team. We have a collection of individuals still and that's likely going to be the case for some time to come. Patience needed all-round.
Manager consideration - I’d have a look at Leam Richardson at Wigan. Seems to have done a good job and they’ve already got 16 points in 10 games versus our 11 points in 11 games. He’s even managed to make Will Keane look like a striker, which is unbelievable.
Reading Phil Buckingham's article in The Athletic the other day, it sounds like the back 3 vs back 4 was at least part of the disagreement. Shota suddenly went to a back four at Swansea and brought in the previously untrusted Vale. We were ****e and according to Buckingham, Shota then spent the international break preparing the team to play a back 3 again against Luton, with Docherty included in the midfield, but of course on the day of the game he was sacked and we ended up discarding that plan and playing 4-2-3-1 again. Sounds to me like Shota wanted to be pragmatic to get us out of this rut and Acun wanted him to go balls to the wall instead.
Excellent championship manager, out of his depth in the premier but will learn from this experience I’m sure
I suspect this is close to what happened, some on Twitter saying it was because of Acun having too much influence in the signings, but Shota knew what he was coming into on that score when he joined, so I think what you have said is closer to the truth.
I don't agree with this. I think if the chance comes to go up, you have to try and take it. You never know when it might come again. Its what you do with it that counts. Preston lost two play off finals in the early 2000s, not to mention Bristol City. They've never got that close again. But I do think you're right about the risk of losing your players. You need to use your promotion to tie down the best of the team you've come up with to longer contracts and recruit carefully.
You're right as well, I think there's an element of both. I suppose when I say 'going up too quickly' it's the notion of an owner blowing his wad thinking if he spends big he can keep the club up, and in doing so actually do more damage than good. So in that sense, it's not actually the issue of promotion, it's how you handle it. Bristol City could well have gone up and then come right back down like Blackpool who aren't close to going back up again. People would argue the year of memories is worth it and maybe it is. I wonder how much Forest are enjoying getting thumped every week while Lingard picks up 200k.
Well Baz must know something that the bookies don't?He's now 1/5 favourite with sky bet(basically un-backable)...Bookies very seldom get these things wrong.
Hmmm I was just getting use to him been out next manager, I wonder if someone else has grown their hat into the ring…..or he’s had a better offer
