Was gutted when AN left - feckin gutted!! Didn’t want TM as I thought he was anti-SAFC, too old, and brought in as a stop-gap appointment. I was utterly underwhelmed!! I’m now happy to say how wrong I was. I even think he’s morphing into a Mackem. Really hoping he takes us up and he gets another crack at the PL with this excellent team that he is moulding. Bart
Mate of mine here is a Stoke fan, he just sent me their last 10 games L L D L L L W L L L did make me smile that
Whatever the case things are just starting to fracture there. Their end of season lap of honour was played out to a virtually empty ground, they've been booed off this season and Neil's transfer window isn't looking too great ... ... a defeat at Huddersfield could see them a point off third bottom. Neil's honeymoon period is over, in fact I'd bet they're sleeping in separate bedrooms
Is some turn around that mate. I remember you being massively against Mowbray. Mainly down to the anti-SAFC thing, I'm sure for first few months you would beat him with that stick everytime the lads lost. But that has stopped, must be the shock of the fantastic football on display! I never thought we would see that from TM, I was convinced it would be boring grind out results stuff.
I suppose he didn’t have to go and could have fought for his place. So he mustn’t of thought he wasn’t as good as what was replacing him.
Yep, you’re bang on!! Happy to be proved wrong, even more so when I never expected it to happen. I even think he may have fallen for SAFC because of his time here. Long may the love-in continue. Bart
Mowbray anti SAFC before he came?, I doubt it And as for his ( old ) age that should have very little to do with his talent as a manager He is is a lot younger than he looks He has lots of experience, he knows the game and the division etc. I get a bit tired of people wanting a young manager, where is the benefit in that ? You should take each candidate on their abilities, not their age Klopp is just a bit younger than TM I think ( just checked, 3 years younger)
For me Age does not have that much bearing on it I am more interested in style of play and ethos of the manager. Klopp came into the job at Liverpool and said." it is not my job to do everything and I cant do everything, what I can do is find the best people to do these jobs to the best of their ability. I want the best coaches, best physio, best nutritionist and the best tea lady" basically if they have the best they can get doing the jobs he can put together the best team he can to do that job, build from the bottom stable foundations and make everything the best it can be. Pep is very similar and very demanding of his squad and all the other caches and staff to be the best they can be. If a manager has that drive and ethos then his age would not really matter too much. I like Nagelsmann, I still like Potter, begrudgingly and I hate my fingers for typing it but as manager I like Eddie Howe. there are good managers who have transfomed clubs and there are good managers who have transformed players. Was not too keen on TM appointment but was never vehemently opposed to it either, I was probably in the safe pair of hands category. Now I have a lot more respect for him and his coaching style and (apart from Stoke last season) his tactical awareness and believe he should be getting a lot more credit than he does in the national press and by presenters and pundits.
It's a forward looking manager a club needs, not not necessarily a young one. Neil is twenty years younger, but if they were judged on their approaches to the game, you'd have it the other way round.
