I've set mesel up for a massive fall with 'the hairy potato' by declaring he's such a poor coach ... ... I'm dreading his post-match interview with him saying, 'Errrrr, stick that in yer pipe and smoke it Smug, yer arrogant twat!'
It’s still relatively early days for Rooney. Plymouth fans in general seem pretty positive about what they’re seeing from him and what he’s doing.
While there’s truth in that, I’d be more forgiving of that idea if we were changing from a way of operating as a club that had provided any sustained success in any of our lifetimes.
What a good point. I'd prefer not to go back to the good old days of worries about our massive debt, seasons in the third division and paying fortunes for players who clearly had no wish to be here. KLD has increased the value of the squad to more than he paid for the entire club ... ... and brought us some of the best football I've ever seen. That'll do for the moment.
People don’t like change but it’s not like we’d be changing from anything that could even remotely be described as successful. I guess im surprised that there isn’t a stronger, more sustained appetite from the fans for safc to do something different.
Agh right. I think there is it’s just people always want things yesterday. Modern world I guess. Makes taking them “on the journey” important.
I agree with that but another aspect, in my opinion, is the following. Let's say the 24 Championship clubs are pretty similar with similar players and similar transfer targets. To a degree it's like picking teams at school football from the same pool. And, having Championship players means you're unlikely to be PL ready if you are promoted. It's possible we'll peak this season, or next, arrive in the PL with a talented side used to playing together ... ... unlike the ball chasing rabble we ended up playing with, and against, at school
Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton are three examples in recent times of traditionally smaller clubs closing the gap and becoming successful and in all of those cases they retained the bulk of their Championship team in the first couple of seasons in the Premiership, and did alright too! Whilst we have our own model I'm sure we're seeing what can be gleaned from those clubs. Going up and coming straight back down isn't a guarantee.
I was told when I first joined the cops that there two things cops hate. The way things are and change. Probably the same for a lot of SAFC supporters.
Interesting that the Palace owner came out other day and said, re Olise ‘if we don’t let talent go, we will stop getting it’ Palace are a very well established PL club with some genuinely brilliant talent. They don’t have our ceiling. It is a path to growth, if you grow enough, then players only leave for super clubs. If we got to Palace level, for example, we aren’t losing many players to PL clubs, how many clubs are bigger than us? If we finished say 10th PL in 3 years time (not suggesting we will), and say Jobe, Rigg still here, then there’s very limited clubs that’s a step up and they’d have to pay Olise money. The one thing against us really is time. We have to get to the PL in the next 2 seasons. There’s no pot of players with the potential of Rigg. There’s not a load of Jobes. I think come the end of this season, say we got up, we’d have Cirks, Hume, Neil, Jobe & Rigg who could continue in the PL. Highly likely Roberts could, that ball holding ability is ‘any level’, Mundle if he continues as he has he’d be close. The PL is tough, but that first season you have to beat 3 teams to survive. Do we have the money to add 4-5? Have the players we’ve got developed enough I the next 42 games to be good enough? It’s actually a bit of a mad time really, as several of these players may well be PL level ready by end of season, and settled in the club. We could, in theory, go up with a settled team that has developed into a PL side together. I’m not sure that’s happened before teams that have survived have bought survival. Palace actually a good example of having a core that stepped up and adding to it without going crazy. 42 games is a long way to go, so probably need to look end of January and see where our players are. It’s really exciting but riddled with ‘maybes’. The ace up the sleeve of course is new investment or even new ownership if we get up. The profile from the Netflix documentary might be a massive appeal to the American market if we had PL status. Just no ****ing Saudis thanks, and ideally KLD Mam hoys shim a few quid to do it himself
I'm currently reading a book about a 1740 British Naval expedition to sail round Cape Horn. Following a shipwreck, the crew of one of the ships in the squadron, the Wager, staged a mutiny. There was also a mutiny amongst the crews of the Spanish ships that were sent to intercept them. Even if there is a good reason for doing something, once it becomes apparent that it won't be plain sailing and the crossing might occasionally be rough, there will always be some amongst the lower ranks who turn against those responsible for steering the ship because they think they know better.
Even as we are, in the Championship, there'll be people monitoring the club. We have virtually everything a buyer would want ... ... massive support home and away, great stadium, academy, facilities and an improving city that just needs a few more hotels and venues for music and the arts which would bring restaurants and more visitors. Plus huge untapped potential and lovely people
All true mate, It's also part of the reason why Mrs ab and I are moving back home next month after more than 25 years of exile. Can't wait to be able to get back from home games within an hour. Away days will be trickier mind....
This is why I cringe a bit when people keep posting 'sack this person, sack that person' and 'that's me done with the club until blah blah blah' ... ... I know people are just frustrated and firing off but it makes us look poor imo. There's criticism and opinions, then there's the other stuff.
Hope you love it mate. I'd be closer to Durham if I could but I have a senior rail card and a bus pass so it's OK
Certainly hope to be mate. Right on the coast is us living our dream after being landlocked for the last quarter of a century....
