Just putting this out there lads. No doubt Paolo is in trouble here, and some of the responsibility has to stop with him. But for me it's PDC scapegoat time. It would be Naive to think imo that changing a manager will make everything ok. Here goes. Paolo- Grateful for what he did last year, love his ethics but his team selection and and tactics have been very suspect. Di Fanti and Angeloni- Was very excited at their reputation when they came in. But Paolo has said he hasn't got the right players in and wasn't offered the right players as choice. It's clear from a fan perspective that a lot of us aren't overly impressed with a large chunk of the signings. The Players- We can't give it the old 'formation porn is well and good but doesn't really matter, it's the players' routine then blame the tactics when we get beat. Players will always have a responsibility in a losing team. Weather they're playing for the manager or not. They are professionals, and have a professional obligation to the club and fans. The fans- It's understandable we feel the way we do but the team losing the fans is the equivalent the manager losing the dressing room. Like them up the road, we aren't afraid of venting frustration. Not saying we're wrong, quite the opposite, however, to pretend it won't have a negative effect on team morale would be insane. Ellis Short- Love him for the chance he's taken on us and the previous money he's spent. But he's a naive owner who's still learning. But that doesn't mean fault doesn't lie with him does it? We've sold Mig and Sess, off loaded Alfie, failed to bring back rose and try to sell Catts, not one has been adequately replaced in any sense of the word. Not to mention insane contracts that has resulted in the failure to move on any of our deadwood on a permanent bases other then the lads who were out of Contract. In summary. We need to look at the bigger picture here and understand the club is still in a massive state and the responsibility lies at many many outlets. Fixing one won't fix anything. Be gentle with me.
The club isnt in a bad position off the pitch, only on it. The buck stops with the "head Coach" im afraid, i know you like you proof before people state "facts" bri, but im writing this on me phone and my 2 year old daughter jumping on my legs and my 6 week old on my shoulder, but didnt PDC say at the start of the season that it would be the head coach that would get the sack and the recruitment style and backroom staff woild remain? This to me isnt a sign of a naive owner, but a long term plan for the club that is sound. PDC will be sacked this season, as much as i hate to say it, what we need to see is swift action from short.
Well Bri, my verdict. Good post and shows the real quandary we are all in. Me and my pal (30 years going to games together and for 15 of those home and away) were talking at a friends daughters 18th birthday party last night and he came out with something very similar. Did we all just get carried away in the summer thinking this new regime was going to be the catalyst for better times or whether we should have just taken a step back and asked was this all really right for SAFC? When in our history was introducing an Inter Milan/Udinese Italian style club in Southwick ever really going to work out? What was Ellis Shorts thinking in introducing Di Fanti and Angeloni as a Continental style DoF and Scouting network? What did we think was going to happen? We would become Inter Milan? I'm sure Ellis thought we would not be bottom with 1 point after the fixture list came out in the summer. He must be hugely disappointed too. I'm pretty sure PDC didn't think we would be so poor either and as fans we all thought (hoped in some cases) we could smooth over the cracks about the managers unpredictable nature. Results would be the decider of how it would go and tbh, its collapsed very quickly. Our club has overseen the most remarkable transformation in a short few months and perhaps we didn't think it all through completely before throwing all our eggs in one basket and then expecting a novice EPL manager, with a questionable temperament, to hold it all together after a very inauspicious start to his management career last season. However, we are where we are now and we are faced with some difficult questions as fans and owner. Already there are pockets of disagreement forming (just read these and other websites/twitter accounts etc) and we are at odds with each other. Unless we turn Liverpool and Man Utd over in the next 2 league games and beat the Posh on Tuesday, the mood will not lighten much in the next few weeks and its not entirely guaranteed which way Short will go. Does he dismantle the new set up after a few months with Di Fanti and Co? Unlikely. Will he stick with Di Canio or cash in and seek other options? Could be. Will he himself decide enough is enough and move on with a new manager? God I hope not as that is a nightmare scenario for everyone. I am convinced PDC has to go and a new head coach/manager sought if we are to pull this round. For others I concede they will want him to stop and be given more time. I guess thats what opinions are all about. Whatever happens though, I just hope it works out this time as its not good to keep coming back to this point time after time and not be moving any further up the food chain decade after decade.
Sacking Paolo may be the right thing to do it might not. But all these problems contribute. Those of the long term restructure may correct themselves in time and probably will, but they were always for long term and could always hinder us in the short term. This was always a risk, many threads over the summer expressed the concern of short term benefits as it had none. It was relevant then and it's relevant now, I'm just asking for it not to be forgotten as it is still an issue at present. Previous ecpensive contracts ment we're stuck with dross that we can't get rid off. Dross any manager is going to have to work with, not just Paolo. This is fact. We are all saying some of them are not good enough so what makes them good enough under another manager? To think our problems will end with a change of manager and a new set of tactics is insane. Our squad is quite poor, flooded with overpaid deadwood and the simple fact that decisions of the past, present and for the future has our squad in this position. We new it was going to be a tough year. Our failure to improve our squad next level quality is clear but the reason for this is the wage bill but fair do's but it reverts back to the point I underlined Everything is mess. from Public Relations to the team sheet. It's going to take time and we knew that and may not even work as we all acknowledged the risks.
I've always known the risks but admit I got carried away, mostly on the reputation of the recruitment network. I think that got us all carried away at some point and somewhat shaded the reality of our situation. For what it's worth I think the clubs decisions for the future are for the best for us, but I forgot it would take years to bear fruit, I also forgot it does very little to help us presently. The Bruce and O'Neil contracts have bitten us in the arse big time this summer and I think Ellis needs to accept responsibility because without doubt it prevented us selling the players we should have and prevented us signing the players we should have. Paolo has said all the preseason has been flushed down the ****ter because he didn't get the players he needed. Hard to give him the benefit of the doubt on the back of his selection and tactics but I see some truth in it and I think the contracts of Vaughan, Cuéllar, Larsson, DG, Alfie, Ji are contributing to our woes no end. They're on far to much money to move on and replace. Paolo time. If he want's to save his Job he needs to drop his 'vision' (which he says he has and they're working on something new. Remains to be seen) We need to go back to basics. We need to tighten up the defence, Protect it with a 5 man midfield until we lose the deadwood and add the quality. We're leaking far too many goals with this attack attack attitude which is failing in itself as we're not scoring enough goals anyway. We need to develop a MoN style counter game hope Paolo, or the next manager can succeed where MoN failed and drag us through this season when these contracts expire and we have the wage budget to bring the much needed quality we need. Another thing, imo the overseas signings need to sort their bloody English out sharpish.
With Fletcher's injury and possible 7 or 8 weeks out, we have little choice tbh than to go 4-5-1 for a while and use Altidore as the sole striker. Players like AJ, Giacherinni and Cabral will need to up their game too. Cattermole has to start and I might start to question the keeper who hasn't impressed tbh. Whatever PDC says he is going to do Bri, I fear his days are numbered and results will now dictate his fate. I can't see us winning again under him and 2 bad results in the next 2 league games will see Swansea as his swan song ( no pun intended but you can see the headlines) I think Bally could be caretaker for the derby game.
just put on Bri's 'Liverpool team' thread the same thing about Westwood. hasn't even got hands on some shots that are pretty close to him. Second yesterday was a weak punch, third was reachable. As was one v Palace, Arsenal,s second and no where near Fulham' s at his near post.
Neither keeper impresses me mate. Both okay but not top draw. We've been spoiled with The Mig for too long.
