4 league matches under Monk so far... Home - 1 win, 1 draw Away -1 draw, 1 loss (came close to drawing with this year's potential PL champions) Europa - 12 mins away from getting passed Napoli, who were in Champions League and only just failed to qualify for knockout stages. FA Cup - should have done better I think most bottom half teams, and some nearer the top, would be more than happy with those sorts of results. What did the Monk-haters expect, that we'd get 7 straight wins? The Monk-haters seem like the sort who aren't happy unless they support a team with a "famous" manager. It doesn't matter how crap that manager is as long as most people have heard of him.
1 win in 7, and that was at home against the worst side we've played all season. Out of the FA cup and out of Europe. I'm not sure how anyone can put a gloss on that.
You can spin results whatever way you want really. Napoli Home and Away? [Lost out on Champions League qualification on points difference after defeating all the other group teams at Home including Arsenal] Liverpool Away [2nd in League possibly most potent side playing in Premier League]. Lost their 5-0 last season. Stoke a draw where we have never picked up a point before [including under ML] Everton away [who we have never beaten in our history [including under ML] Cardiff comprehensive win at Home against such an awful side that we tamely lost to them away [under ML] So take your pick matt or gloss finish?
"Monk-haters",well,I've not read any such sentiment on here,but perhaps I missed it. However,it does seem that you have become a Laudrup-hater,and that is very sad. Laudrup IS "famous",so at least you do recognise that. Monk,and I'm not having a go at him,can only DREAM of achieving ANY kind of fame.
Spot on. Also CP have taken something like 23points from 27 in their last 9 games against bottom half of the table sides, much more impressive than WHU 3/4 game win streak.
I seem to remember the likes of Stoke and Palace being described as "easy",with wins assured. Now,how did those games turn out,I forget!!!
But we get an easier game against WBA next P.S. I've never seen anyone label Stoke away as an easy game.
Aah but those who wanted Laudrup out had much higher expectations....even with lots of proper injuries (as opposed to a bug affecting 3 players...2 of which were able to start!). I do believe if I or someone like minded had written what you did above under the final days of Laudrup it would have been labelled an excuse If people can't maintain a consistent argument they just end up chasing their tail.
Come on Valley,surely you must remember the hopefuls who were saying that "all the upcoming games against teams around and below us were easy".Stoke fell into that category. There were some,(I was one),who marveled at such optimism,and naiivety.
I agree they were, however, there is no easy game in the PL. That said, I fully expect us to beat WBA in our next game.
That says more about them. Somebody being ill at half time cannot play a football game, thus Monk had no choice but to play Lita.
I'm not a Laudrup hater at all. I just don't think he was up to the job. Great player, but not such a great manager. There's always talk about the likes of Barcelona wanting him, but in reality none of the big teams seem to want him. Monk -you could be right. Too early to tell though.
The difference for me is that the form under Laudrup has been bad since we won the LC. So that's a whole season of bad form. Monk has been in charge for 7 matches. He's done ok so far. I'm not saying it's been fantastic, but I don't think Laudrup would have done any better. Laudrup had to go and now we have Monk. Whether he's good enough remains to be seen. He's showing promise though. I'm certainly not trying to portray Monk as some kind of wonderful manager, and he's not someone I would have chosen. But we have him and he's done ok so far. That's it.
Fully disagree. The run of games Monk has had were much tougher than the January run that Laudrup had, I.e. Stoke away much harder team than WHU, Napoli x 2 much better than United, Everton/ Tottenham on par, and we nearly drew with a Liverpool side that had just thumped Arsenal and Everton, not to mention the pressure of the derby match, all within a shorter time period too.
