This is the weird thing: I'm sure there's a section of our fanbase (mainly on Twitter, methinks...) who probably hope Paratici's appeal fails so we get a different DoF Because that'll speed up our manager search, having to appoint a DoF first...
That's kind of what worries me about Enrique. He isn't exactly what you'd call a 'progressive' coach and in all honesty of the shortlist of perhaps 6-7 genuine options, I'd place him rock bottom in terms of how good a match he will be for the club. Go and Google who he was working with as members of his all-conquering Barca sides and then imagine him doing the same with the likes of Sessegnon and Richarlison. I wouldn't be dead against it, but my early money would be on him not getting the backing he needs and then the same crash and burn as we had with Maureen and Conte. Enrique can be every bit as combustible as they can.
If his appeal fails then I’d imagine Levy will just focus solely on the manager first and foremost, will probably also have Munn working behind the scenes before he officially starts too, just as we all knew Paratici was before his official appointment. And as I’ve said, it really shouldn’t be a tough job for whoever it is to find a good progressive coach at the moment, if we manage to balls this one up then I give up.
Enrique isn’t at the top of my list but I do think he’ll play a brand of football that fans would largely enjoy and that alone is enough for me to get behind a potential appointment. Give Enrique/ Poch/ Slot/ Nagelsmann/ Frank/ De Zerbi/ Kompany/ Potter etc players like Kane (if here), Son, Kulu, Perisic, Gil, Bissouma, Bentancur, Skipp, Porro, Romero, Udogie and Reguilon and I reckon with a few of their own additions we’d get a team that’d be enjoyable to watch once again. There is some considerable talent at the club, even if you have to wade through a few clumps of **** to reach them.
Mate he played that brand of football with the following starting XI: Bravo Alves Pique Mascherano Alba Rakitic Busquets Xavi Messi Suarez Neymar And a bench including: Ter Stegen Mathieu Bartra Iniesta Rafinha Pedro Good luck replicating it with our shower.
No one's expecting him to replicate a prime Barca side though, just getting more out of the players we've got as well as adding some of his own. Many of our players have been stifled playing in a style that suits more rigid, route one type players. Enrique, or any possession-based/ progressive coach should in theory get a tune out of an XI looking something like: GK Porro, Romero, CB, Udogie/ Reguilon Bissouma, Bentancur Kulu, CAM, Son Kane With the three additions to those players in the XI, that's a technically sound looking team and we'd hopefully have Spence, Perisic, Gil and Sarr plus presumably some others to be able to call upon. There's a ton of **** at the club and out on loan but there is also some quality, it's just been massively held back.
The one thing we have going for us right now, aside from Harry Kane's borderline insane levels of loyalty, is the solid crop of youngsters we have at the club - all of whom you've mentioned. We also have a couple of bright sparks coming through the academy which we cannot allow to be neglected in the same manner as the last cohort was To that end, it is more important that we bring in a good coach than a good manager. Someone who is good at working with youngsters nurturing their talent. Mourinho and even more so Conte were appalling at this. The former at the very least made an effort to attend youth team games and can be credited with giving Skipp and Tanganga their first proper runs in the side. By all accounts, the latter essentially viewed the youth teams as spare props to be used for lengthier senior training sessions. This must be fixed until such a time as we can spend enough money every window to circumvent a reliance on youth. Enrique has almost zero experience or track record in this regard. He led a youthful Celta Vigo team to 9th place in just their second season back in La Liga, which is respectable, but he left after one season and went to a Barca side absolutely purring with established talent. It's a widnae from me, sorry. All of Poch, Glasner, Slot, De Zerbi and Nagelsmann have done significantly more with young teams that he has.
Also I'm being a pain the arse here but Enrique's style is not possession-based. It is rapid counter-attacking, which tends to be possible when you have Xavi, Rakitic and Iniesta servicing Messi, Neymar and Suarez, with Pique and Mascherano playing out from the back.
He has a bit more than almost zero experience with working and utilising youth. He managed Barca B for three seasons and the Barca side you mention purring with talent he found time to give debuts to a few La Masia prospects during that treble winning season. You only have to look at his Spain squad at the World Cup too and you could argue it was too young, over a third were aged 22 and under and over half were aged 25 and under, the average age of the squad was the fourth youngest at the tournament, so I don't think playing and utilising youth is something we'd need to worry about should he be appointed. No one will be as bad as Conte in that regard.
Paratici's appeal is scheduled for today. Whether the outcome is going to be disclosed quickly isn't clear. Despite it leaving just Daniel's hand on the tiller, I reckon the sooner we know his fate, the better.
Gianluigi Longari says that Paratici has met with Reims' Will Still That's the Fabio Paratici who is a little preoccupied at the moment The Will Still who is costing Reims £22k a match by managing them without the relevant coaching qualifications By Gianluigi Longari The only way this story could be any more bollocks is if it was tattooed on an elephant's knackers in Comic Sans
I disagree. the fact that we’re supposedly talking to a manager without the relevant qualifications sounds about right. Levy can use this to hammer down his wage, knowing the £22k fine we have to pay after each Match is still cheaper in the long run!
Somebody at the club agreed to loan Doherty to Atletico, despite it being clearly outside UEFA's rules...at which point, I wouldn't discount anything.
I wonder, will Will Still still be a good enough candidate for our managerial position by the summer, or will Will Still still be manager at Reims even if we approach him as Will Still may still see Spurs as a bit of a circus if we continue ballsing up under Conte-lite?
He has them in 8th place, above Nice and within touching distance of Lyon. Rather embarrassing for Ligue 1, considering he's basically playing Football Manager. I expect him to sell of the whole team in the summer and buy a bunch of cheap, unknown world beaters.
I wonder: by the end of the season, will Will Still's skill still fit the bill with Stellini over the hill, or will Stelllini still make Will Still look unfulfilled? Also, since he got to France has Will Still been to the Bastille?
If their defensive partnership next season is a pair of 17 year old Greeks, I'm assuming he hacked my Steam account
Whatever happens, I will still support Will Still should we instill Will Still as our manager. Whether Will Still will still be manager in a year, is still up for debate.
