Number 5: You have picked up on one small comment from a long post by Yankee. It's been well documented that Monk was involved in whispering to Jenkins about Sousa, and some say Laudrup too - I've no idea if that's true but it's understandable that some fans still refer to it. Most fans don't seem pro or anti Monk but like me question his credentials to manage for the first time at this level. That's a fair point imo even if we all back him. I also agree that results improved under Monk - but very briefly. This thread will inevitably turn into the usual Laudrup v Monk ****fest which is a shame because the OP has a valid question in asking why players are wanting out - even though the change in mananger is probably a huge factor whether we like it or not.
Pablo is a creative, sometimes inventive player. Michu can be creative and is a creative finisher. Poz is always looking to do something creative, he has skills, he grew from game to game. Not the biggest, nor the strongest, yet he was figuring out how to use his body and technique to his advantage. Ki is a creative player .... he's not a destructive player, or a player without class now is he. He looked every bit like he belonged on the World Cup stage. These are not second string players. These are players that can compete for, earn and at their best command a place in the starting line-up. When these players decide to stay at a club or leave a club it makes a statement; especially for a club like ours with resources that are more limited than other competition. Players like these don't need to leak opinions to the press, they speak volumes by who they sign-for, whether they stay or whether they go. Their agents are hunting for places where their player can grow and develop and accrue value. At the 30,000 foot level that's what it's about. From another point of view, if one player wants out then that could just be because that guy has or is a problem and he doesn't fit, doesn't want to fit etc. But when "half a line-up" decides that it's time to walk off the reservation ... they can't all be assholes.
Wait on. Dai will be along in a minute to tell us; "Training is going brilliantly, everyone is so happy...only the other day Chico was talking about what an honour it is to learn off someone like Monk....players are banging the door down to work with Garry. Next season is going to be our greatest ever. All hail Monk....etc." Yawn.
You must be a new plastic on the block RJ to say that. If you'd supported my club for longer than a couple of years, you would have experienced times that were truly bad; the never ending drudge of obscurity in the lower leagues, playing away at Carlisle, being below the bloobies for years on end, suffering the Petty Saga and of course our very near oblivion. Sacking a duplicitous manager, not only sacking him but banning both him and his scheming agent from our club, losing a few players is not our worst possible time. Problem as I see it is that we have a few plastic fans who have been spoilt rotten for so many years and, due to this, couldn't recognise a real hard time if it hit them in the face. Wakey, wakey RJ, it was HJ and our board who dragged us out of obscurity and steered us through truly terrible times. He and they gave us the focus and direction which has lead to the stability you have gorged yourself on. Our brand is spreading, our name is on posters in New York, our games are televised live in countless countries, our club is a stable and growing business, thanks to the courage of our board and particularly of our superb chairman Mr. Hugh Jenkins.
I wish we did have a mass exodus, as we have lots of second-rate players that we need to get rid of. Sadly, most don't seem to be going anywhere. So, what mass exodus are you talking about? According to a few on here Williams was a certainty to leave, but he's signed a new contract. You can't believe everything you read in the papers. Most of you know this but still believe it anyway. Plenty of players will be happy to play for us. It's not all about who the manager is.
Stumpy's absolutely correct on times past - nothing worse than watching Rochdale at home at night with cold cement under your feet and barely 1200 in the crowd. For all his luck and judgement in the past, HJ may be going through a bit of a rough patch however - time will tell. But, hearing a commentator on tv during the 3rd/4th playoff game of the World Cup saying that JDG of Swansea City in the Prem league .... blah, blah, blah ... and then the same for Vorm were two absolutely priceless moments.
Care to name names then. Why do we harp back t the so called bad old days. Short of the Petty saga, I have enjoyed every minute of supporting the swans. All the issues we have had or are having all relative. Having got us to the Pl i dont want our board to think it is easy and take their eye off the ball, which in all fairness they havent done till now. But, I am a little worried the direction we are going at the moment, the club didnt cover itself in glory a couple of times in recent times, with the in fighting, the way they dealt with the sacking of ML, (that is not the actual sacking, but the way they did it.) and getting the playing staff correct for next season is probably going to be their biggest test yet, I hope they get it right. Yankee I actually do miss those games and friday evenings. I miss the trips to York away and the like, when there were about 100 of us there. I love where we are now, but please dont do down those times. every win was precious, I didnt see an away goal for 2 seasons and when we did it was a Tony Bird goal to bring it back to 4 - 1 away at brentford. But loved every minute of it.
I've supported the Swans home and away at places like Brentford, Barnet and so on, and remember the 1,200 sized crowds at the Vetch, but I'm getting a little tired of the "Look How Far We've Come" brigade. Yes we should be proud of our achievements as a team and by and large the Board have played a blinder. But that's history. We're here now and just because we've done well to get where we are AND maintain our status doesn't mean that very same Board can't make a clusterfuck out of it. In business, top management boards at Tesco and others have taken their eye off the ball and our Board is no exception, so it's only right that we as fans voice our concerns on forums like this one rather than praise them to the skies even when we think they might have got it wrong. We can only hope they continue to get it right.
Ditto this. As the disclaimer goes .... "past performance is no indication of future results .....". Thought I read this in the program for the Cardiff game.
Jenkins dropped the ball at the worst possible time , not the lowest possible time . We could have gone farther than we ever had , in Europe , FA Cup and a higher placement in the Premier . But Jenkins , like a coward , ditched Laudrup when we were ready to give all 3 competitions a good honest go with a revitalized team . This is the single biggest reason players want out , and why some dont want to come .And stumpy , tell us what you think instead of your interpretation of what we think ...ok
All this conjecture without not one and I mean one shred of evidence to back anyones claims of what they think has happened ,carry on lads this board has become a bit like watching Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough gossiping over the garden fence ,Very entertaining .
Just read an article saying Siggy prefers to stay at Spurs .. anyone here hear anything about Routledge getting back to Garry on that extention yet ...
"We could have gone farther than we ever had , in Europe , FA Cup and a higher placement in the Premier ." Not entirely sure about this, I was proud of the way we played against Napoli, we were great home and away. The FA Cup, another story though!
