Selles

For starters I never said we couldn’t have gone up but throwing money at that season financially irresponsible. Enough called it at the time as well. Given we just found form at the end of the season had we snuck in we may have done ok.

That being said even if we had snuck in the only way for the manager to keep his job was quite clearly promotion. That was an incredibly hard task.

The squad overhaul was coming but why not keep some consistency and allow the manager that just got you seventh and highest finish since relegation from the premier league another crack. If he started out like Tim then sure he goes.

The issue is the owner is purely boom or bust. Theres no long term strategy on the playing side. No investment into the youth team (the very same thing that allowed him to spend all this money I should add).

If we don’t get promoted then what’s the legacy? Being in the same league the Allams left us in but with more debt and a worse academy? How is that sustainable for a club our size?

 

I recall feeling a few times like we were still in the play-offs because we seemed to get results falling our way to keep us there when we dropped points ourselves.

We generally struggled to put anything resembling a good run together and were still bobbing in and out of 6th place because all the other teams were similarly inconsistent. Eventually we dropped out and never got back in when Norwich put a run together.

 

I have to agree the word "dross" decribes it perfectly. Under Selles we have seen some of the worse football that I have seen City play. No wonder Acun is thinking about a change, he must be ruing the day he fired Liam. I feel for the guy. If he doesnt fire him are we going to continue to see the same "dross" football, if he does he is going to the guy "that turned City into the new Watford with perhaps another failure and also incur the wrath of a large percentage of supporters, . Hope is advisors have a handle on it and if they do decide on a change the choice of a new man is driven not by the seat of their pants but data.

 

I think it comes down to the risk/reward. Leicester and Ipswich had the best starts to a Championship season in history. Southampton and Leeds were that good they still managed to catch them. You could make the case that those 4 teams were collectively the greatest in the second tier.

We'd have had a chance if we'd have made the play offs, sure, but anyone with a proper footballing business brain would have seen that the likelihood was that we wouldn't make it and consolidated the squad we had for a longer term push in the next season.

It was stupid to go all in especially considering this season has been significantly weaker (as predicted at the time). Next season also looks like its going to be a bit stronger (with the three that went up coming down and Birmingham and Wrexham coming up) so we've potentially really stuffed ourselves.

 

Next season really is an enigma. You’ve got the lowest possible amount of teams on parachute payments but as you’ve said you’ve got these white elephants coming up from league one with cash to burn.

That being said I can’t see a lot of teams that are nailed on to go down unlike previous years. Wednesday, Watford and ourselves look like the candidate basket cases so far

 

I'd be concerned for Preston, Stoke and Derby too, though Derby do have Eustace.

 

They all have decent managers and some sense. They’ll struggle but I can’t see the trap door just yet

 

Thing is you've also got the 3 teams coming down that were really strong when they went up.

Ipswich bought the best of the Championship and will have more money when they sell Delap, so I think they'll be strong. Leicester I think will probably be OK. Southampton might be a bit weaker than last time but I still think they are both big and have parachute payments. I don't think any of them will be like Luton.

This was the season to capitalise.

 

he'll either be sacked or Acun is pissing off Selles.
surely such a position as manager should be able to be decided before the end of the season and in a private way
then everybody, including Selles (if still in charge), would be able to carry out a review of what players are needed

 

Please not data!
Decide based on footballing reasons.

 

Leicester by all accounts are probably going to be sanctioned on their way down. They’re not going to be the Leicester that were in the champ 2 years ago.

Ipswich are probably my early favourites. If they keep McKenna and the squad together they’ve got a very good champ squad already they can add to. Southampton should be ok as they’re well ran and will likely get Rohl in.

There is an opportunity to push for it next year for some clubs but I don’t think we are one of them. One of the 3 clubs that loses the playoffs would be my favourite to get autos next year.

 

Don't see Cov or Sunderland challenging top 2. Playoffs again probably. If Sheffield U bottle it then they could.

 

I think Cov will reload and go again. Lampard will have some sway in getting some high profile loans as well. Sunderland I’m unsure of but keeping that young squad together another year probably helps.

 

That's something else that is simply not true!
There's been no end of trialists, and at different levels, with players brought in from all over the country to add to local talent.
The fact that it hasn't yet produced a gem or two is not down to 'no investment into the youth team'. It does however add to the need to conduct a thorough top to bottom review of footballing operations. If I was Acun, I'd have big questions ....

 

If I were Acun I'd be listening to Baz's advice and trust the people he employs to do the job as opposed to them doing one thing regarding recruitment and him doing his own thing.

 

If the rumours of the financial situation is true a season of struggle will ensue

 

Having trialists in isn’t great investment. When questioned about the youth set up at a Q&A by myself Acun stated that it’s not a priority.

So tell me again where I’m lying?

 

There's no conflict between what I said and what Acun said in the Q&A! To say there's been no investment into the youth team just simply isn't true. If that were the case, there'd be local lads only, no continued investment in coaching staff, etc etc.

 

Having trialists means he’s invested in the academy… Jesus wept.

There’s been almost no investment in infrastructure or the academy. Despite all the bollocks he spouted about FFP restrictions, he’s barely put a penny into the stuff that is exempt from FFP. Our training ground is that outdated, it’s pretty much a meme. League Two clubs have better facilities than us.

He’s put money into transfers but it’s not even his money. He’s not converted any debt into equity, he’s not written off any loans etc. He’s gambled and failed.