This is what I don’t get mate, Nuno Santo or Gerrard it’s a no brainer, I’m hoping he’s only being linked by lazy journalists who are using the McAllister as assistant assumption
The bookies making serious dosh here. Make someone hot favourite for the Leeds job, wait for loads of mug punters to lump on (because the bookies are never wrong - right?) take their money and wait for the inevitable ‘tumbleweed moment’ to pass. Then install the next ‘hot favourite’ and repeat process. Stay well clear. No one has a clue - including the bookies.
I've been saying for weeks and weeks, be careful what you wish for. It's easy to keep saying "sack the yank!" but there's a secondary issue to deal with once that's done. My worst fears are now slowly becoming a reality. (Not particularly aimed at you bucks, just your post sums up the problem)
You’re not handling all the speculation very well are you Emu ? Perhaps try some breathing exercises or if that doesn’t work maybe get yourself a snickers bar as the Diva in you is taking over.
So guys I’ve read all this next manager debate with interest. Seems few can agree on who would be a good choice -some even advocating skoobs because of a point at old Trafford. That point was Won with a battling performance but also one where we got an own goal and the opposition missed a stack of chances. Consensus was we played with a new freedom, but our articulate teenage Italian says we did nothing different. Let’s see how today goes. We all watch games and see different things and we’re all subject to some degree of confirmation bias where we see what we want to see. So my question to the forum with all this ongoing debate where managers are hailed or derided with sweeping statements is how qualified do you feel you are to judge what makes a good manager?
I’ll go first. I’ve been a football fan for 50 years, but was never much of a player. I've never coached at even kids level. I’ve always been sports mad and have played other sports to varying levels - enough to feel I understand enough about sport in general and football to offer a general layman’s opinion on football. I also know a few people in the pro game, and a few grass roots coaches that I chat footie to quite regularly. In short, I’m probably pretty average level football knowledge for a fan. But in my view, the truth is I know just enough about football to know how little I really know (i'm sure that comes as no surprise!). For example I generally follow the ball when watching on tv so I don’t always twig subtle variations of formation and strategy. I may occasionally watch bits of games back to spot things but generally can’t be arsed. And when it comes to managers? I don’t feel results are always a fair indicator over short or even medium term. Read emu’s excellent post on ‘skill v chance’ the other day for why. In short, barring the obvious, I don’t feel I can tell who is a ‘good’ football manager…they all generally have good spells and poor spells compared to expectation - and many are successful in certain circumstances and seemingly a disaster in others. Without being in the dressing room, watching them work, comparing them to others… I don’t think I’m qualified. Take Stevie G being discussed a bit here. Derided for being a failure at Villa and relying on his number 2 in Scotland. Yet when I watched Villa under him this season (not often admittedly) they seemed a bit unlucky… seems they played well at home but we’re often terrible away. Not a ringing endorsement but they were capable at times. Whereas super coach emery comes in and they appear to have fluked a fair few points playing poorly. The Leeds game being a case in point. Can we say Gerard is definitively rubbish off a poor season, or was it just growing pains for the team? I’ve no idea. Would we all think arteta was sh*t if he’d been sacked… as a significant number of arsenal fans wanted last season? The people in the game I know who I referenced earlier, think most fans who haven’t played the game to a decent level are usually pretty clueless about what they’re watching. I personally think that’s a generalisation, I’m not saying it isn’t valid to hold an opinion in a sport you’ve followed for years. However. I can wire a plug but I wouldn’t tell an electrician how to wire my house. Yet I find myself happy to shout on a forum that the manager who’s been involved in the game for years, risen to the top of his profession, watches the players in training every day… should take player A off and replace with player B. Personally I feel it’s easier to spot if a player has ability than whether a manager has, given all the variables
I think he’s handling it with a fine sense of irony myself jamster. As you are generally the forum’s queen of panic-ridden knicker-twisting, I can only commend you for your current que sera sera attitude on the subject.
good man wakey. Two more than I have so your opinion carries 3x as much weight as mine. Do you have a hat as a well?
I've still got an 'Arthur Graham is lightening' silk scarf. Not sure what that qualifies me as, or even if I should have divulged this.
As far as Im concerned anyone will be a better option than Marsch, he was shocking. Reading what Rich is saying is giving me a headache as obviously there is nobody that’s good enough. We ain’t getting Poch or Tuchel we are at a different level, but we do need someone who can take us to that level so slagging everyone off is pointless. If its Nuno we will have to buy his contract out too but if he comes then fine because he had a pedigree once. But bigging him up for his championship team is a bit out of order as he had a prem team paid for by mega money owners. Wolves also had the second top agent in the world on the board so he was moving loads of his top talent in from Barcelona, Real Madrid, Benfica, Porto etc declaring cheap transfer fees but supplying better talent to those teams in exchange. In short the books were being cooked to get around FFFP rules. He did well in the Prem with Wolves right up to the time his player got his head smashed. Looked like he had a breakdown then and he should never have taken the Spurs job…
Excellent post that Milky. Is Klopp the best manager in the world for winning everything with Liverpool or the worst for hovering mid table with such an expensively assembled squad?
