It's the last chance. To-date, I have never bought the line that it's too late to sack him. But post West Ham, it surely will be. If we lose that, we're gone. We could have Pep, Jose, Poch, whoever in charge thereafter, we'd be going down. So if he's to go, it has to be in the next fortnight. And realistically that means before the Wigan game. Firstly, because I've not sure that the Wigan game should impact on his position. Secondly, because it leaves a new manager with a maximum of five days - rather than up to two weeks - to get down to business. To be brutally honest, it either happens tonight or not at all.
There's nothing left for Pellegrino, he has to go. I feel sorry for him because he is a nice guy who wants to do well but was totally over-estimated by a clueless board. In the end of the day he's earning a truck-load of money by a board that just WONT SACK HIM. You can't blame him for that. He's not going to turn around and say "Sorry about all that, I'll be off then". He's going to keep giving what he 'thinks' is 100%. He's out of his element and he needs to go, but the board are showing to be more clueless than Pel' by continuing to place trust in him despite the thrashings, the unwillingness to change tactics, poor subs, lack of flair and complete lack of inspiration among the players. The fact he even told the media he was considering paterning Gabbiadini and Carrillo and then to bring on Long was just utter bonkers. Short version: Pell: Nice guy, needs to go. Reed: Utter-plonk. Needs to go.
For sure. I don’t disagree at all that things could go real bad, real quick. You’re right that obviously it rides almost entirely in the owner. I’m just saying I’m not assuming Gao only has bad intentions just because this season stunk. Not enough evidence yet. I’m nervous of course, but I’m willing to wait and see.
I definitely don't blame him for not walking, so I'm completely with you there. The fault at him still being in charge lies at the feet of the board, not with him. But equally, as I said, I'm not going to sit by the line that he's a good guy and I feel sorry for him etc. To walk away, to put the club and the fans before money, to hold his hands up and say "I'm not good enough, sorry". Now that is a good guy, that gets credit with me.
West Ham and a couple of other teams hitting self destruct and in free fall, still the only chance we have of staying up. We are not good enough to do it ourselves.
I've always had a soft spot for West Ham. No other club - including ours - has quite such a gift for ****ing everything up just as the future really should be looking bright.
Well that is not true. No PL team in the top 6 wanted them last summer. If we go down then all PL teams look attractive to the players. Could quite easily see a lot of our side at clubs like Burnley/Watford/Newcastle etc Plus there are top flight teams abroad.
Loads of teams. Because they'll be available as we'll be in the Championship. You think a team like Newcastle, Brighton, Palace etc wouldn't be interested in Lemina, Bertrand, Cedric, Gabbiadini, Romeu etc?
Some will move to other leagues. Whoever gets promoted will probably be willing to pick up someone. We won’t get much if anything for them, of course.
We could unload many of them, though not for massive sums. Forster, Hoedt, Carrillo, and possibly Long/Davis we'd be stuck with, though.
