Great Expectations!

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I am convinced that we can't keep sacking managers.
In the past 23 years we've had;

Bloke in a coat (sacked a week before a semi final)
Hoddle (sacked in September...lasted 2 and a half yrs)
Pleat (an 8 month caretaker)
Santini (quit after 10 games)
Jol (success. sacked after being undermined for 3 months...lasted 4 years)
Ramos (sacked in October...lasted a year)
Redknapp (success, sacked after 3 and a half years)
AVB (sacked in October...lasted 18 months)
Sherwood (lasted 6 months...glorified caretaker)
Pochettino (sacked after 5 and half years)
JM (sacked a week before a cup final...lasted 18 months)
Nuno (lasted 10 games)
Conte (lasted 18 months)

The only managers that left us in a better state than when they arrived were Jol, Redknapp and pochettino. They are also the only managers to last over 18 months bar Hoddle.

We have employed ex international managers (hoddle and santini) ex players (hoddle and Sherwood) "proven winners" (JM and Conte), fashionable names (avb) all unsuitable in terms of footballing style (hoddle was a very poor man manager).

The managers that worked are managers that were good man managers, had a style of attacking play and bonded with the fans.

Arsenal have done well by sticking with their manager. Many wanted him gone 2 years ago, and some last year...yet they stuck to their plans and this season they produced some of the leagues best football.

I have no idea if Ange is the right man for the job but I do know that we can't keep sacking managers.

I can see what his football philosophy is and like it.

I also have no idea who could come in in.

If Ange goes then Levy needs to have no say in who is our new manager.

Hope that makes sense.

bro my problem is statements like the one I’ve highlighted get made time and time again.

Project after project, none get completed

and it is Levy calling the shots
 
sacked Jose before the cup final

In a one off game back then I would pick Jose over almost any other manager in that game

Levy sacks him

why?

all the Levy lovers can’t explain this sufficiently enough

brush it under the carpet

Levy will **** our team over to save a quid

Why should a manager brought in to primarily get the
team at a minimum to top 4 incumbency, and
utterly failing to do so, have his ego pandered to
in the lesser domestic cup final ??
 
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Tired? They’ve only played 38 games so far this season. They will never have a less busy season in their lives
Most of the other top sides have the ability to rotate, sub players etc. They are able to control the game better which means less is demanded of them. The comparison is with the top 8 or so teams. From what I’ve seen, recent games involving Spurs have been very open and some key players have not been as effective as they were in the early part of the season.
 
sacked Jose before the cup final

In a one off game back then I would pick Jose over almost any other manager in that game

Levy sacks him

why?

all the Levy lovers can’t explain this sufficiently enough

brush it under the carpet

Levy will **** our team over to save a quid

Maureen was sacked then because Levy was in deep **** with the fans because (the day before the sacking) the ESL had been announced and the fans kicked off.

Sacking him then was beyond moronic. Should have been sacked at least 3 months earlier.
 
Spurs played city a few weeks before their cup final and it was abject. Levy’s made plenty of mistakes but sacking Jose wasn’t one.

For a cup final to be replaced by Ryan free kick coach Mason?

id rather have a cardboard cut out of Jose managing that 1 game tbh
 
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Maureen was sacked then because Levy was in deep **** with the fans because (the day before the sacking) the ESL had been announced and the fans kicked off.

Sacking him then was beyond moronic. Should have been sacked at least 3 months earlier.

certainly not on the eve of a cup final

our fans get what they deserve if they think it made any sense whatsoever to sack Jose when we did
 
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Why should a manager brought in to primarily get the
team at a minimum to top 4 incumbency, and
utterly failing to do so, have his ego pandered to
in the lesser domestic cup final ??

Why not?

deserved it more than Ryan Mason

I detect far too much ant Jose bias

just because he managed Chelsea

no other reason
 
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Yeah that makes sense. I agree with everything you say about changing managers. The only thing we differ on (a big thing) is that I feel Ange isn’t the right man to fix the issues and I’m yet to see how his approach will yield results.

I do get your point...you've not been particularly sold on him all season tbh.
I wouldn't have hired him cos I don't rate Scottish football but do like his approach to football.
 
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Getting battered again and losing for the fourth time in a row to then say “today was more like ourselves” is a really bad look.

Out of interest, what viewpoint do you have on that to say you’re happy with it?
I saw somebody post a thread on Twitter the other day that sums it up: what we're seeing isn't Angeball being found out (though the DM question can't be ignored in that regard) but instead we are seeing the difference between players who can instinctively play the tactics we set out to play and those who are, for lack of a better term, playing along

When things are going well it almost doesn't matter which players are in the starting xi as the entire team is working in unison so if a player not suited is in the team they get carried along by the rest of the team - however when things aren't going well is when you see the disconnect between those who instinctively know what they're supposed to be doing and those who are effectively playing catch-up because then you see the different wavelengths players are operating on, for example Hojbjerg reverting to a lot of backwards passes, or when we see Bissouma or Bentancur strolling when out of possession instead of chasing down the ball as they're instructed to, and that disconnect is where problems arise

While I don't believe the sensationalist version of what Ange said the other day being a call to potentially kill our darlings, as plenty of Twitter feeds are suggesting as obvious engagement bait, but it certainly came across as saying several players had their chance this season and they just weren't up to the task and will be joining several of this season's first team loanees out the door
 
I do get your point...you've not been particularly sold on him all season tbh.
I wouldn't have hired him cos I don't rate Scottish football but do like his approach to football.
He’s got more out of the same group of players less Kane and brought in some good players (if he has a say in transfers). He’s not performed miracles but has improved things
 
I do get your point...you've not been particularly sold on him all season tbh.
I wouldn't have hired him cos I don't rate Scottish football but do like his approach to football.

Yeah I’ve had question marks about him from day 1. Celtic fans loved him but even some of the lads I work with questioned if he could cope in the PL because of his approach.

I guess time will tell and I genuinely hope I’m wrong about him and you can all remind me when Ange is lifting a trophy.
 
He’s got more out of the same group of players less Kane and brought in some good players (if he has a say in transfers). He’s not performed miracles but has improved things

Defensive play is my biggest concern with Ange. The team can score plenty of goals even without a decent striker. But the amount of goals conceded is horrific. A better midfield will help slightly but it looks like it’s going to be the same personnel in goal and in defence next season and them constantly conceding goals can’t be doing anyone any good.
 
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Why should a manager brought in to primarily get the
team at a minimum to top 4 incumbency, and
utterly failing to do so, have his ego pandered to
in the lesser domestic cup final ??

That right there though is a huge part of the problem in football culture nowadays.

Belittling a trophy in favour of finishing top four.

I’d happily never finish top four again in my lifetime if we won a domestic cup every season.
 
I saw somebody post a thread on Twitter the other day that sums it up: what we're seeing isn't Angeball being found out (though the DM question can't be ignored in that regard) but instead we are seeing the difference between players who can instinctively play the tactics we set out to play and those who are, for lack of a better term, playing along

When things are going well it almost doesn't matter which players are in the starting xi as the entire team is working in unison so if a player not suited is in the team they get carried along by the rest of the team - however when things aren't going well is when you see the disconnect between those who instinctively know what they're supposed to be doing and those who are effectively playing catch-up because then you see the different wavelengths players are operating on, for example Hojbjerg reverting to a lot of backwards passes, or when we see Bissouma or Bentancur strolling when out of possession instead of chasing down the ball as they're instructed to, and that disconnect is where problems arise

While I don't believe the sensationalist version of what Ange said the other day being a call to potentially kill our darlings, as plenty of Twitter feeds are suggesting as obvious engagement bait, but it certainly came across as saying several players had their chance this season and they just weren't up to the task and will be joining several of this season's first team loanees out the door

As of right now there isn’t a single player seemingly playing like they know what they’re doing though. The whole team looks completely lost and bereft of any ideas. Our keeper’s forgotten to save shots. Our defence can’t defend. Our midfield can’t do a damn thing. Our forwards look like they’ve forgotten they need to be shooting and getting into the box. There isn’t one single bright light, the POTS vote this year is a tough one but not really for good reasoning.

To then make the need for change statement Ange said - which was actually very refreshing - only to then select the same players who’ve been letting him and us down for months, it was basically a “doh” moment. He’d buy a lot more good will if he actually showed desire to change it up. Get Dragusin in the team, reward Donley, Santiago, Lankshear and co for their excellent seasons and go from there. They won’t do any worse than the senior players stinking it up and it won’t break any of their confidence that so many seem to imply will happen either because if they see the senior stars being **** then they don’t have any expectations to live up to. We might see some actual umph and desire to play for the shirt with some of these young lads too.
 
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Why should a manager brought in to primarily get the
team at a minimum to top 4 incumbency, and
utterly failing to do so, have his ego pandered to
in the lesser domestic cup final ??

Because he was the best chance got up to win the cup?

Why would you handicap yourself to prove a point to a manager who failed in his main sun but replace him with a complete rookie.
 
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Defensive play is my biggest concern with Ange. The team can score plenty of goals even without a decent striker. But the amount of goals conceded is horrific. A better midfield will help slightly but it looks like it’s going to be the same personnel in goal and in defence next season and them constantly conceding goals can’t be doing anyone any good.
I think our defence will improve as the players gain experience. Romero is the the leader with experience but VDV is still very much learning as is Udogie. Poro has dramatically improved form his start at Spurs. A lot is being asked of them and as you say the midfield is not working properly yet. Bisouma declined after his red card and his African tournament. I was beginning to think the malaria had scuppered him but he seems to be improving in recent games. I had a friend who got malaria and it never goes away every so often he finds himself ill and weak. Reports said the malaria he caught does not have lasting effects. I hope that is right. I thought Bisouma was going to be our midfield enforcer but that has not happened so far. I think you can see Vicario adapting and getting more robust. I think he was just shocked that he received no protection from the ref, and so was I.