Dobbie is a true Jack, what an example he sets, and he didn't exactly get treated right under Sousa either! Always liked the boy from the first time I saw him play for us!.............. please log in to view this image
I don't think so mate, as the defence was a shambles with Martinez, we needed somebody like Sousa to be the man in the middle of those two great managers we had and have, basically we needed to learn to defend, and as Sousa came from Italian football it worked well, even if I was bored lol
Yeah agreed Jager. Sousa was a necessary evil and steadied the ship ready for the full on attack on promotion that last season turned into. Watching some of the videos of goals from this season, how chuffed did Dobbie look with his first for us? The boy likes it here.
Popular misconception Jager , Martinez had the 5th best defense in the Championship his season in charge , hardly a shambles & we scored 63 goals & had a + 12 goal difference . Sousa had the 2nd best defense & a + 3 . Never mind where we sat in the table for scoring goals that season , you'd have to go back several to find a team that scored less .
Spoke to him in Morgans on the night of the Final. Told him that in my book he was MOM, regardless of Sinclair's three goals. I can see why others would disagree. I was very humble and said that meant a lot. Top player in my book.
breezy take a look at the stats about goals let in, how many times we came from behind, how we had to score at least two goals to win games, and you will see it there, no matter which way you look at it Martinez and Sousa and two opposing philosophies in regards to football, Rodgers has come in and gave us balance.
Don't pick your #'s Jager , look at the entire season sir . Sousa kept us from doing better , no doubt . Off to the mountains , have a great day !!
Sousa inherited a deficit of 40 goals from the loss of three players: Scotland, Gomez and Bodde; and no chance of acquiring players to replace that deficit. Our projected goal difference starting that season was a big negative number that matched us up with relegation teams from the season before. Sousa had nothing but offensive crap to work with and still pulled out a better final ranking, almost got us into the playoffs (team let him down IMO), etc. Sousa pulled off a miracle with the squad at hand - say what you want about it's entertainment value - from a purely technical point of view it was brilliant. Dont forget Rogers benefited greatly from the addition of Sinclair and Borini and a resurrected Dobbie - Sousa had to suffer with Beattie and the Finn (name escapes me right now) and Pintado and Trundle. Talk about the haves and the have nots.
It was kuqi mate, I liked him to be honest didn't do a hell of a lot, but was entertaining when he scored lol
Cracker I don't think Martinez would have been able to cope with the loss of Scotland and Gomez as well as Sousa did. You're also forgetting that by clearing out some of the backroom staff we got a new goalkeeping coach who turned Dorus from a liability into a solid, clean sheet keeping machine. There is lot's to take into account rather than just generalise it as "Dobbie helped Blackpool up, he helped us up, Sousa sent him on loan = Sousa kept us down". I thank each manager for their part in our success - from Flynn forwards. Each has taken the club to a new level during their stay, brought in good players and/or greatly improved a part of the team.
Thanks J, yes Kuqi - had a brain freeze as I was writing the post. Still, a player full of vim and vigor but short on finish - clearly not Scotland, Borini or Sinclair in any way imaginable.
I'm pleased to see that at last some Jacks are giving credit where due, and I've always said that Sousa could have taken us up, had he had the support that Rodgers had, water under the bridge as they say now, but it's good to see you lads recognising what he brought to the table, and it wasn't all bad!............... please log in to view this image
Scotland & Bodde were League 1 players that Roberto got the best out of in the Championship as far as anyone is concerned before the season started . Once we got to the Championship all Martinez got was Gomez on loan & Gower on the free . Later Martinez got Dyer for 300,000 then Dobbie on the free in the off season . Roberto had the worst injury problems also . Compare that transfer & table record to who followed him. You can't say Sousa had nothing to work with when he sends a player out on loan that did great when he came back . Beattie & Cotterill represented almost a million . It's all about opinions & watching Paulo actions for the season , I feel Dobbie was more of a Swan at Blackpool than Paulo was ever with us on the touchline !!
Breezy that's a fair comment to an extent, and that's why I said he wasn't all bad, the thing is there was a lot of flack and politics last season between Sousa and Jenkins, and it did the club no good, by the way who signed Beattie, and Cotterill? because from what I've seen no one has owned up to these signings, I don't think that these where Sousa signings, matter of fact it was reported that Sousa was asking amongst the dressing room, who this Beattie was! anyway I know Sousa was not easy to deal with, I have that first hand, but when you look at what he achieved with what he had, well you have to take your hat off to the man, and as time goes by, I think that more will come round to see what he did bring to the table, as Jager has previously mentioned!.............. please log in to view this image
By the way Sousa has gone as manger to Videoton FC in Hungary http://www.vidi.hu/2011/06/09/paulo-sousa-will-take-his-first-training-session.html
. Players are brought in under a managers reign , period . I wouldn't trust Paulo Sousa as far as I could throw him ,even if he did come into the dressing room asking such things . Imagine , what manager walks into the dressing room & asking the players who the " new guys " are? Think about the stir that would cause amongst the team even if it was true , but he always was one to cause a stir wasn't he , ask Leon & Huw !!
Breezy on the old BBC 606 I was the first to run an article on Sousa's arrogance, it didn't go down to well at the time with many Jacks, but it was nevertheless first hand facts from me, but as that season progressed, it became apparent that there were issues between Jenkins and Sousa, which did not come as a surprise to me, but as the season finished, there was a call for him to go, when he went, every man and his dog was blaming Sousa for everything, I with Samlet Jack found we where fighting a losing battle to see the good in Sousa, now there is an irony here, but good or bad, at least I was not going to make him a patsy, yes he was not easy to work with, but do you think these over inflated football player egos are easy either? for me he was always going to clash, having known his ego issues, but you can't detract from the fact that he got us our highest position in 27 years with no striker, and please don't mention the bull! By the way why did he keep Trundle on the bench all that season? maybe he didn't like our chairman calling the shots with players!................. please log in to view this image
Sousa can suck a fart as far as I'm concerned !! P.S. I knew Britton would come back when Sousa left , I said it on the old 606 & nobody believed me .
Well Breezy, I'm trying to understand your dislike of him, but I must admit I'm struggling! Sousa was forced out of our club, in my opinion very unfairly, Martinez on the other hand trampled all over us when he left, both have made a contribution to the Swans, I feel no bitterness to either, though it is fact that Martinez did us the most damage!!........ please log in to view this image
I don't agree with that Phil, yes damage in the short term, but if he didn't leave we would not be where we are now imo, the £4m ++ brought in by him leaving together with Scotland and the backroom staff helped us to kick on, it was needed looking back, when Sousa left he did us a favour also, the compensation from the foxes for him hasn't been determined
