Parkinson went straight from being a player to being a manager/head coach whilst taking an academic approach to coaching senior pros. He thought he knew it all at Colchester and was too stubborn. He lost the dressing room at City because the senior players didn’t like or respect him or his outlook. I think his relative success at other clubs since us is evidence that he’s not a bad coach. His failure at City was probably what made him a better coach. He was only in his mid-thirties when he got the top job at Colchester and got them promoted. He was very similar to what Russell Martin currently is now.
Amongst the loads of rubbish spouted on Twitter about some of our players, some of the stuff posted about us losing Macca and now Alfie has irritated me even more than normal. Apparently it's fine to lose Alfie because, quote, he was a 4th choice centre back behind Hughes, Egan and Ajayi. I've liked what I saw of Egan but he's only so far played a handful of games and will be 33 before we're half way through the season. Ajayi will be 32 around the same time and has been injury prone. So for me the jury is out on both at this stage. It's probably the same with all fan bases, but some of ours seem fixated on the idea that new players we bring in are automatically better than players who have served the club consistently well for a number of years. Probably those who think Jones was a 4th choice centre back also assumed we would sweep to promotion with a team including Pelkas, Traore, Tetteh and Sinik.
It’s ‘new toy’ mentality. Unfortunately, that attitude isn’t just limited to our supporters as it’s shared by the owner as well. For me, Egan is experienced and is probably a better defender than Jones in terms of positioning but he’s older, slower and not as comfortable with the ball at his feet. Ajayi is good with the ball, quicker than both Jones and Egan but he’s been plagued by hamstring injuries. The new lad coming in, Famewo, seems a big unit but he’s also injury-prone.
From HDM… “Ilicali says his media group, Acun Medya, has pumped £3m into the club this month to help cover outstanding costs”. Coincidentally, it’s the exact amount we’ve supposedly just got for Jones.
As I understand it our debt (technically owed to Acun Medya) was £66 million at the end of the 2024 accounts. Acun only gets his money/some of it back when he sells us. I don’t think taking the £3million to pay off some of this debt makes any sense. He is struggling with cash flow to keep us afloat, so needs all the cash he can in the clubs coffers. Not that we got £3million up front anyway - half of this if we are lucky.
3 ****ing million??? We might need to consider deploying the lifeboats...We've started sinking!!! Ric,restringing my violin for an upper deck rendition of 'Nearer my God to thee'
But people on here though Burns would start above Alfie too last year. People do think that new = better but that's just the excitement of new signings. I have no doubts that if Alfie and Macca were both still here, they'd both have played 30+ games next year. Letting them go is a risk, no matter how people want to try and spin it.
Wrexham are after Eriksen. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cj3r3pk8k1yo "Christian still wants to play in a first-tier competition and he absolutely wants to stay in Western Europe." Does he know where Wrexham is?
Or jump in a Biffa bin full of ice Or getting them to jump in a Biffa bin full of ice, apparently Barmby told him to get ****ed. The views expressed in my posts are not necessarily mine.
In the latest HDM article, it says that we have plans in place to strengthen the squad before the transfer window closes on Sept 1st. Are we writing August off again then - like we did last season?
Acun said his job at Fener didnt affect him at City once he left Fener he said that now he'd left he would be able to devote more time to City I suggest you make your own mind up and dont go by what he says
Lundstram is an Acun signing and Acun still wants McBurnie. Jakirović clearly wants Frigan. I don’t think we’ll get either. Frigan is desperate to come but McBurnie is playing silly buggers with his salary demands. I know which one I’d prefer.