Considering we were 4th for a number of weeks, I for one was not happy with where we finished. We had a bad run in the 2nd Half of the Season and if we had kept consistent. We would have been home and dry in the Play Offs.
But at the beginning of the season, you probably would have predicted to finish where you did. We expected to at least finish in the play-offs.
Our owners voiced at the beginning of the Season that Play offs was the target of the Season. Realistically, I was aiming for Play offs. Therefore in the board's eyes, this Season was a failure as we had the play off spots, with games in hand and threw it away. You were favourites for automatic simply based on money spent and players bought.
...and that we had a team that had actually made the play-offs the season before last, to which we added so big money signings. I'm surprised your board made promises like that. They clearly weren't ambitious enough to hold onto Pearson.
Ambitious enough to hold onto Pearson? They refused you the right to speak to the boring Judas prick, he himself asked to speak to them, therefore leaving them with no choice. Don't want to say no to him and have him sob now do we?
But money talks, I'm sure if you'd offered him more money he may have considered staying. I think Pearson's leaving definitely cost you a play-off spot last season. Not saying Pearson is the Messiah or that Barmby was a rubbish, but because the mid-season changes mean that the players have to adjust to different methods and the relationships are different. I knew as soon as we got rid of Sven, we wouldn't get promoted. We were probably right to get rid of him, especially after expensive gambles like Beckford and Mills didn't pay off, but doing it mid-season wrote off our chances of going up.
I can't predict what would have happened under Pearson, we were so inconsistent. The Allams insist on running the Club like a business and Pearson still had a contract to respect, so they wouldn't have offered him more money until the end of it. The players said they enjoyed playing under Barmby more as he allowed them to play freely. We played well until the Pearson-leaving hangover wore off and we couldn't score. I always knew the fact that we had such a lack of goalscoring prowess that it would come and bite us on the arse when it came to crunchtime. However, it's fair to say, happenings at the Club both made us for an unsatisfactory and unconvincing finish to the Season.
If the Allam's want to run the club like a business, then they should be aware that in business, you work for whoever can give you the better deal. That's what Pearson did. So instead of making childish public statements against him and our club, they should have offered Pearson an improved deal. You were inconsistent in terms of results because that's the nature of this league, but you were pretty consistently in the top 6 under Pearson. Like you, I predicted that you'll miss out on the play-offs under Barmby. Anyway, I think Hull under Bruce and Leicester under Pearson will both do well this season - providing we can both hold on to our managers for the duration!
Haha! Yeah, will be interesting this Season. Our Head to Head games may mean a lot more this year also. I'd say we have more change on holding onto our manager however. If results aren't going Pearson's way come December... Unless of course they do believe in him and give him January to turn it around but of coruse, with money, comes expectation. I'm going for: Automatic: Bolton/Blackpool/Leicester Play Offs: *one of the above 3*, Wolves/Middlesbrough/Sheffield Wednesday/Hull/Cardiff Relegation: Barnsley (About time they went down)/Leeds/Huddersfield/Peterborough Obviously it'll be a battle between the teams mentioned as 4 can't go down etc, but this League's so unpredictable. Huddersfield's Rhodes will be ineffective this Season in the Championship and Wednesday have Mandaric at the helm which is ambition and money. They'll make a few good signings and be up there I reckon.
Surely by Pearson wanting to join us then that means your owners were not ambitious enough to keep hold of him?
Obviously your owners are a lot more ambitious than ours as you have greater backing. Your board probably said, it doesn't matter if you don't get play offs this year, go for automatic next year. Obviously Pearson said to our owners, I won't accept a pay increase and left for more money, more transfer budget and a arguably greater chance of Premiership. Or he foresaw what the owners would be like and jumped ship when more money was offered and then laughed to himself when Barmby took the bait.
I could understand that being a contributing factor also. I for one didn't like his style. Way too defensive for me. He played a defensive side at home with one up front, and we had an awful home record in the 10/11 Season. It was brilliant for away games however, we went I think 18/19/20 games unbeaten away but couldn't win at home. The style was boring and we went back to the defence too much in a game. Way too negative.
Well we can't be sure. But you can't forget that Pearson is also loved in Leicester for steering us out of a black holes grasp. I daresay we could easily be in League one with ****e owners slowly destroying our club.
It's weird that. We're definately not too defensive at home. We play with 4 attack minded midfielders and two strikers. Wellens has to drop back and defend to save us from being skinned every game. We really need pace in our midfield and Danns offers that in our style of play. You can see why Pearson wanted to sign him when he was at Hull. Hopefully Danns and James will do the business for us.
Agree that the most likely way Pearson will leave will be by our hand... But if Bruce does well, he may attract the attentions of bigger clubs by the time the managerial sackings start...
Just because Pearson was a defender it doesn't necessarily follow that he deliberately sets out to create a defensive team. I think this was necessary at Hull because you were lacking upfront, and it worked well for you. At Leicester last season, we have some good attacking players, but were actually lacking at the back for me! I'm sure Pearson will sort this during the summer, and we will have a good balance next season.
Yeah, that's why I doubted taking Bruce as a manager, but he signed a 3 year deal, and I think he means business. He likes the fact that City have lots of talented youngsters and resolute owners that won't sell at the first time of asking. I think if we're doing well, and are in the play off picture firmly, he won't leave. However, if we're doing quite bad and another Club comes calling he may leave. Maybe we're being too cynical towards him. I have strong belief that he wants to remain here. I agree. I just feel sour because I experienced an awful home Season! We were very thin and still had some players on Premier League wages which we were (and still) trying to ship out. The Bullard saga was ongoing at that point too. He signed McLean and Fryatt, but McLean never really delivered and we ran out of time. However, both Bruce and Pearson have promising sides, and can look forward to what will be a promising season!
Nicky Adams along with Richie Wellens used to play for Man U When we signed Matt James he said the Man U staff have watched Richie career and still keep in touch
Jesus ! It's worse than the 'My dads bigger than your dad argument' why don't you grow some balls and **** off to your own board and let us have some serious conversations with grown up and intelligent fans. NOW **** OFF
