The players with most reason to thank JHT are all in the younger age group -- Fisher, Crnac, Mahovo, Dobbin, for example. I'd expect to see posts from them shortly now that the experienced Marcondes has gone public and given a lead.
What communication DH? I've never heard/seen any club statement to the effect that promotion was an aim for this season. All the messaging early on was that promotion within three seasons was the aim. As Riddersholm said in the summer, promotion this season would be fantastic, but nobody should expect it. I've never even heard top six put out as an official aim.
I agree and I think the communication that DH is talking about is what Zoe Webber said in the matchday programme for the Portsmouth game about failing to reach the aim of top 6. This is the first time this season I think that I have heard that being the aim, as you have said Robbie, all the communication was seemingly transition and if we had to put a position on it - midtable.
"Promotion in year 1 would be unbelievable, in year 2 would be really good, in year 3, it would be expected"
Thanks Suffolk; I don't get to see match day programmes. Webber putting that out in the programme leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. The idea that a playoff place was within our grasp developed as the season progressed. I recall Thorup saying at some point that the team were ahead of where he'd expected them to be, and after the away win at Watford, the sense that we were indeed genuine contenders for a playoff place became fixed in people's minds. But I never remember a single occasion on which the club publicly stated it was an aim.
Paddy Davitt raised Webbers comments after the Portsmouth match in the post match press conference to JHT and he looked a bit taken a back. I agree it leaves a bad taste in the mouth, it’s almost as if the board have moved the goal posts mid season.
Apparently there are rumours going about that Farke is fighting to save his job at Leeds, and that they are going to sack him days after he got them promoted to the Premier league.
In a heartbeat, we should never have sacked him. If he does become available he'll have plenty of options, can't see us being one of them.
I like JHT, but I've never felt that he was a natural motivator or inspirational leader. His placing the blame on players for loss after loss suggested that he'd lost the dressing room (shades of Dean Smith). The appointment of Wilshere might well have had an effect - friend of Knapper and all that. It'll be interesting to see what happens on the final two games, but I'm also not sure that he has sufficient experience to take over permanently.
Feels telling that (as far as I can tell) Fisher and Marcondes are the only players to post anything thanking JHT on social media. There have been rumours of him losing the dressing room, so perhaps something there which has pushed things over the edge. Don't love the idea of player power dictating things under this ownership though.
Especially when you consider that half the dressing room is likely not to be here next season, and the other half were probably brought in under JHT
Half the dressing room might be a slight exaggeration, Suffolk. The current squad stands at 30 players including Hills returning from loan. The 3 loan players (in brackets) will leave for now at least and a few out of contract players may go, as might some players sold, but final decisions may have to wait until the new Head Coach is appointed. Time is of essence. GK: Gunn Long Mair Reyes RB: Stacey Fisher LB: Crisene Mahovo CB: Duffy McConville CB: Córdoba (Doyle) Hills DM: McLean Sørensen (Wright) CM: Núñez Slimane Gibbs WR: Jurásek Forson AM: Marcondes Schwartau WL: Sainz (Dobbin) Hernandez Forsyth ST: Sargent Crnac Jones The other factors are Knapper and the new owners, who will also have a big say in what happens. The big question is how long all that will take.
