I want to say at the outset that I think we are probably 50/50 to stay up this year, however even if the unthinkable happens GP must be given 3 or 4 years to build his own team and squad and develop them in his own image. If we do go down it will be thanks to the bad decisions of Bruce, O'Neil and Di Canio. I believe in GP's ability to build a good competitive tea but alongside money the most important thing he needs is time and the patience of us all, no matter how much at times we hurt on a daily basis because of our league position. I think we are showing the small signs of his influence already and the world will be a better place if we can win the next 2 home games and have 3 points and a semi final place. If we back GP in the long term we will all be the better for it. Happy Christmas all!
I'll defend Paolo here. Yesterday was the best we played since the Fulham game, which was paolo's philosophy (not too different from Poyets) It was the players who've seen us in the position we're in by doing their protesting on the pitch. Paolo's pre-season has seen us have an almost fully fit squad most of the season. A truly alien concept to us as we've suffered massive injury problems ever since Keane. Our whole mess goes back to Bruce as far as I'm concerned. The players he brought in were substandard, on over inflated wages which has led to a massive debt inducing wage bill with players we just can't move on. Paolo's only crime was trying to solve a major issue on professionality in the wrong way. If we do go down the blame lies with the players and the players alone. Agree that Poyet is the man to take us forward which ever league we're playing in (the Prem I'm sure).
I agree with the fitness issue during the pre-season when PDC claimed it would help over the season. Not hard to follow his logic there. But the players just didn't buy into the bigger picture and they let it show on the pitch. I guess it was the only way they could express themselves collectively until they had their chance that day to remove him for good. It's also difficult to blame a past manager because of the way players do or don't play for the next manager. Every manager buys players to suit their style of play. Just because players can't necessarily adapt to the style of the next boss doesn't make them bad players. They're just the wrong players. There'll be a clean sweep of the changing rooms soon for Gus to get those players more suited to his style of play. It may cost us safety and a season or so in the Championship, but I don't blame Bruce or Keane, or MoN for that matter. The blame lies with ES for some bad management decisions. Fortunately the blokes probably got balls of steel, you don't get to be a billionaire by accident, so I'm just hoping he doesn't write us off to experience, but sticks with us for the long term.
I think all the managers made massive mistakes which cost all of them their jobs and contributed to our present situation. Short has messed up too, As has Difanti as have Byrne, Miliband and Quinn. There's been big blunders from everyone at the club on every level and every department. Ellis seems to have wised up of late and we've found the right man in Gus. I can only see the club running properly from now on, unless of course there's a Gus-Di Fanti bust up. Anyway, now it time to get our house in order and hopefully look forward instead of back.
Bruce ****ed us. Luckily a lot of the ****e he brought in will be off in the summer. PDC shouldn't have been so public in his criticism, but imo he was right about what he said. About transfers he had little input into who we signed, he made it clear he wanted an English cm. Scott Parker and Huddlestone both moved on without us trying to sign either of them. Honestly I don't see the point in a DoF, and I pray Gus is given full control over who we sign, so he can buy players that will suit his style. Not just buying any ****er with a heartbeat
Time and patience is not in the current football scene. 3-4 years is too long otherwise we will just be like the other also ran's. If the worst happens the Sky parachute money will be a safety net to help us to return quicker than that. The first two managers you mention came to us with good credentials and DiCanio was a gamble that didn't pay off, so Poyet is in their range until he does the business. For me the possible salvation could be in the January transfer window.
Problem is, if we go down I doubt if we'll be back up for a couple of years at the least!, we have quality players but, they'll jump ship as soon as they can!
PDC is to blame for our current league position. The players are worth more than last spot, even those signed in the Bruce/MON era. He lost the dressing room with the way he managed the players. The basic ideas were right, but his implementation was wrong. Poyet is now cleaning up his mess.
Gus is 100% our man, **** or bust this season. If we need to go down and go again, I'm comfortable with that, we are perennial also rans as it stands, and a drop and clear out, like the Mags had 3 years back, would be a major godsend in my opinion. As it stands, we have players with no interest and heart for the shirt, I look at Southampton as the shining example of building season on season and having players with fight and gusto, we, under Keane, then Bruce, threw money at sub-standard players on long contracts, and ended up with unshiftable dead-wood. Players like Ba, Karlsson & Whatmore are an eye onto our future, properly scouted, something about them, rather than ageing, or unwanted **** for the sake of 'experience'. Bar Wes, our experienced players are dog ****. That simple. I see constant 'the squad is not bottom' craic, it's ****ing bollocks, only Giacc, Ki, Wes, Colback & Fletcher would have a look in at first choice any any of the bottom 10, Catts maybe at a push, and this is despite hundreds of millions spent, I know we brought most back in, but that isn't the argument, we spent what we spent. We've spent £6million on Gardner, not singling him out but come the **** on, list £6million players and rate them, it's a ****ing joke, Jozy, who I love, is a £3million player, we overpay, on average players, if we are gonna overpay, do it in ****ing style, pay 12 for an 8 million player, buy some class. Value for money in the last 6 years was Bent & Gyan, both gone, Mignolet was a snip, after that, the signings are appalling. I'm no scout, but I watch a lot of football Europe wide, and have seen a succession of players we could have had for under £8million go to clubs and double, maybe treble in value, the scouting is, or has been, beyond horrific. We aren't a top end club, but we should be lifting from the feeder leagues of France, Holland & Portugal for fun. We don't do this. We maybe need to fall out of the league to ever progress, and that is a ****ing joke in itself.
