If I thought a loss tonight would be the catalyst for a change of management I'd willingly go for that. As it is, I'm worried (but still not yet convinced) that we're stuck with Slade & Co whatever unless we drop into the relegation zone - by which time it could be too late to do anything about it. Let's face it, from where we are now, we are very unlikely to go down and only very marginally more likely to go up. This season has mid table written all over it with average to poor performances against sides we should be able to bully if not dominate. This "all for one and one for all" much publicised ethic from "Slade and the boys" is counting for nothing in terms of results and is starting to do my head in. The whole set up needs a bloody good shaking from the top. Tan has a huge responsibility toward the club and supporters as well as just pointing out that he's pumped cash into it as he undoubtedly has done up till now. It's his mistakes as well as anyone else's that we are treading water and it's up to him to do something positive. The Slade/Young/Trollope triumvirate is out of its' depth even at this very average Championship level. To get anywhere this season the changes have to be made to that structure now - we've got nothing to lose. There are no guarantees that a new management structure will produce the desired results, but much more of the same under-performances from both management and players should be unacceptable to Tan. Happy New Year!!! (I hope )
Hi OS, I posted this post on another thread below: "The last 2 games have sort of shown why this football club is destined to remain in mid table with a manager who cannot manage a half decent squad, and coaches who cannot coach. Watching the Birmingham games on tv and listening to the MK Dons game on the radio, illustrated City playing some decent football up to the last touch but being fragile at the back.. A few months back, our defence was rock solid - now it is not. What has happened there? A few matches ago we were scoring 2-3 each game, now we cannot score (apart from long range effort). What is going on? What the heck will happen tonight? I have gone for a win in the prediction league but I did that before xmas, but who now knows which City team will turn up tonight?" I add on the points you make that without doubt the whole management/coaching team should be axed, and should have been after the stuttering start to the season, and onto the autumn period. Tan must be disinterested and decided to write off his investment in the club as why else would he not have spent more money on better players and management when doing so represents his best chance of getting promoted and a cash investment into the club to settle him up? The present set up will see City finish in the top third of the table but not top 6. The season is half way through; it is not too late to sort the whole football side of the the club out and have a decent stab at top 6. But it has to be soon, very soon. A win tonight would only be papering over the cracks. If I was Tan, I'd invest in Pearson or one of the out of works managers with PL or Championship experience plus Bellamy and bring in some decent players in the next window. Plus I'd move heaven and earth to sell Manga who like last season is costing City points.
Nin - I've read somewhere in the French football press that Marseille have joined Toulouse in looking at Manga. They're a much bigger club (financially) than Toulouse and aren't doing particularly well defensively by their standards at the moment. They could be prepared to make an offer for Manga that Tan would find very hard to turn down - I don't think Slade would have any say in the matter. EDIT - just found the link for that.......... http://www.footballclubdemarseille....e-une-ancienne-piste-defensive-reactivee.html
OK, signing off for the night before a quick bite to set me up for the game. Backing my prediction league result and just stuck £30 on City to win at 7/5. If you want a good longer odds bet, have a couple of quid on Leeds beating Derby tonight. I just stuck a fiver on that as well at 10/3.
Didn't get the chance remote - we were never in front to make the cash out worth more than the stake. I was sorely tempted to take a hit an get some of my stake back with 15 minutes to go - we were never going to score by then but what the hell, you tend to live in hope that someone would pop one for us last minute like MK did. No more to say other than to leave you with this................
