Because managers are arguably the most important person at the club. Our first bid of £3m + Onomah was also made before the takeover began.
I'm not sure what you are disagreeing with me about tbh. I clearly want Ange to be given time and have said so time and time again. I have no faith in Levy to choose another manager if Ange is sacked. Since 2019 Levys mistakes include: Sacking Pochettino after spending over £130m on his preferred signings Bringing in JM Joining the ESL Sacking JM to distract from ESL backlash The farce of a search for our next boss Nuno Conte This along with getting rid of pensioner concessions and feeling priced out and announcing that low paid would get furloughed on 80% of their wage during covid is why I think he should no longer have a say over the footballing matters. As for other clubs, we are supposed to be the 6th richest club in the Premier league so a comparison with Wolves, Sunderland West Ham and Everton is a bit ott imo. Villa are likely to have some very difficult times coming their way financially speaking due to their spending, particularly on wages. Man Utd are in a weird position cos they dumped Jose months after winning a european trophy and coming 2nd, LVG after winning the fa cup and Ten Hag after winning the League and FA Cup. Think this is more about them wanting to be back where they used to be than what the managers are delivering. The fans detest the owners and also want attractive winning football. But Newcastle have a pretty unfashionable manager who lots of people thought was going to get the sack last season when they were ravaged by injuries but they not only stuck by him, they have got players he wanted and gave him time. This is his 3rd full season in charge and he's been there for 3 and a half years. Only two managers (Redknapp and Pochettino) have been given that amount of time under levy. We've had 3 who've lasted less than a year Santini, Ramos and Nuno, 5 if you add in Sherwood and Pleat. Ange is the first manager we've had since the 2018-19 season that has completed one whole season as our manager. I am not a fan that demands trophies and am willing to give managers a chance. But that doesn't mean I agree with Levy having that say so over footballing matters.
Importance isn't the issue. The buyer would prefer the important people to be in the dark over the negotiations. The only people who normally know are the Board and key Finance staff who can crunch the numbers. I don't think the dates were revealed.
Spurs didn’t realistically expect to sign Guehi. Let’s see if they go back for him in the summer. So many other deadline days bids for ‘big’ names never get followed up by the club.
One thing I will say, how silly will Levy look if he has to make Ryan Mason caretaker manager for the third time Also as much as I don’t like or rate the bloke, it would be a bit harsh to sack him just as multiple players come back. At least if he ‘fails’ when he has the bulk of the team it will take away the what ifs The damage of this season has been done and probably too late to sack him now, might as well leave it until the summer barring falling into the bottom 3.
We were never getting him and will never do so...mostly because "at least we tried" is an absolute whopper. It's an old favourite from COYS Daniel's playbook and reflects his contempt for the 'customers'.
There were reports he’d be sacked if we lost to Villa but they came from crap sources. I think the fact he’s not been sacked already means the club probably are gonna keep him til the summer or when we get knocked out of Europe.
I don't mean this as a personal dig at you KH as you called our Ange for what he is months before anyone else did, but your position here strikes me as typical of the easily-pleased no ambition making-do attitude that the whole club stinks of. Has the damage been done? Can we say that with so much finality? I'm looking beyond the horizon of this season to next season. If the plan is to 'make do' until the summer as you say and sack Ange then, is he the right person to set up the next candidate with as strong a hand as possible? Do we have any confidence that we could finish in a respectable position with him still in charge? More importantly, do we have any confidence in our chances of winning the EL under his leadership? I certainly have none. But both of those are still salvageable. A top-half finish and winning the EL would be huge for us given the context not just of this season but of the past 24 years. With a bit of respectability restored and CL football to offer, the next manager gets the strongest platform any 'new' manager has inherited probably since Mourinho was appointed. There is a lot still to fight for, not least of all pride and identity. And I don't want us throwing in the towel on this season just because it's easier to wait until the summer. For me, the only acceptable reason he hasn't already packed his bags is that there aren't any suitable candidates available.
So looks like Ange is living to fight another day. I guess the club are really banking on a big turnaround when players get back fit (and more importantly actually stay fit!) I do think though that it’s been left too late if he was going to be sacked. Just seems like once you get past the transfer window, the season is on the home straight and managers at clubs currently doing better (the ones I would expect us to look at) will want to see how well they can do rather than jump ship knowing that the job will probably be available at the end of the season but they might even get a better offer from somewhere else. Only point against that is we are still in Europe so may make it a bit more viable with a guaranteed go at winning the Europa league. Maybe if he had gone in January (I’m thinking post Everton) something could have been done. Therefore with no suitable options available, I see the only question now is do we think we will do better with Ange or with Ryan Mason? Personally if that is the option, I would rather risk it with Ange till the end of the season.
The drift on Ange's position is just more of the same ****. We've been drifting for years. There's no plan. That's been ****ing obvious for years. We try the same **** and expect better results. Unsurprisingly, that's not been the outcome. As the failed coach list has grown longer, the likelihood of anyone who can improve things taking the job grows less and less. No European football next season (we're not winning the EL), paltry returns (relatively) from our PL finishing position and shrinking sponsorship revenues mean that player recruitment will be 'on the cheap' and likely to result in our stock in trade, an unbalanced squad. This means the process of decline becomes further ingrained throughout the club. We need new blood in the boardroom, new thinking and new intent. Levy's done. If ENIC want to invest in something, do it in paying him off and leave him to count his riches and get in someone who deserves £6m a year. Get Paul Barber in. NOW!!
Add in the buy option for Tel and obligation for Danso totalling to roughly £80m, it’s hard to see us doing much in the summer at all. We don’t really have a single player right now we could sell for a huge profit either.
Romero should bring in a bit. Otherwise, we're looking at sales of the young players who are our future...or should be. We're on a run of 4 straight coaching failures. We've a so-so, unbalanced squad and a falling income. Basically, we're becoming Everton. Next stop Allardyce, Dyche and then Moyes.
I just think it’s too late to sack him now, a new manager would have no transfer window and a threadbare squad to deal with. I don’t think a top half finish is happening and winning the Europa is so unlikely. Wait til the summer and then you can say to Ange, that he’s had his 2 seasons and not done enough to earn anymore. If he did somehow win the Europa then he would keep his job anyway imo.
Remember when the media used to talk about “the big four“? Liverpool, Utd, Arsenal and Everton. How things have changed.
I don’t think anyone has said they aren’t an issue. They’re not the only issue though. And his style of play causes a lot of them.
