Okay then lads the last couple of weeks have been interesting to say the least but, having seen all this sort of thing before I won't be booking the Red Arrows or getting the shiny shovel out until we are mathematically safe. There is however only one place left in the relegation spots so it is looking good for us. Okay then question is, Honeymoon period or good management? I think a bit of both up till now and the remaining games should give us a better idea of which it is. Either way beating the barcodes and our main bogey team in Everton shows that the players can do it. However we saw all this last year with MON, hopefully PDC learns from MONs mistakes and takes us on to that elusive next step and, that step being top ten regulars even dare I say it some sort of silverware.
A bit of both imo. He's lifted the whole place and certain players look like different players altogether. You can see how meticulous he is and he's always talking to the players and they are taking note. When you consider what would be considered success next year for us we arent really far off. I hope now that Villa go down as Wigan can't compete with us in the transfer market but I think if Villa survive they have the basis of something good there and like us are only a few players away from a top ten side with a good young manager. Plus id love to see the look on Darren Bents face
silverware is a bonus, i think most fans want to see the effort and team work that has been shown over the last three game splaying higher up the pitch etc.
Think compared to MoN its better management. Nicking a last minute winner againt blackurn the way we did in MoNs first game kind of instilled a false confidence imo. As did the qpr game. Under PDC we lost the first game then smashed the mags. This I think is a greater indicator of what the team is capable of.
As above, in our first few wins under Marty we rode our luck to say the least: Blackburn, QPR, Wigan and Man City. Only time will tell if PDC can keep us going, but he certainly has the fire in his belly, combined with the technical/motivational know-how to succeed.
I reckon the passion of the guy is infectious, he is making players believe in themselves and they are now giving an extra 10/20 %...He is a more offensive manager tactically as well. Under MoN we were more counter attacking. But whatever it is, I like it
Absolutely agree, I also think the difference is a sustainable improvement in performance that isn't just effort and drive and a bit of luck, its organisation and more organisation. the mags win was one thing but to make everton look average was a different level. I however also agree that we will know more when we have played the likes of the villa,stoke and southhtn. If we can play as professionally against the lower teams around us and get results we will know if this really is good management........ or just a moments pleasure!!
Absolutely agree, I do think the difference is a sustainable improvement in performance that isn't just effort and drive and a bit of luck, its organisation and more organisation. The mags win was one thing but to make everton look average was a different level. I however also agree that we will know more when we have played the likes of the villa,stoke and southhtn. If we can play as professionally against the lower teams around us and get results we will know if this really is good management........ or just a moments pleasure!!
Absolutely nailed by uni_mackem. Let's be honest, in the good run under MON several times we were still ****ing awful, we did have fortune, the Blackburn game in itself sums it up, we were awful for 70 mins till a wonder strike. I could imagine MON in the changing room being an 'I'm the manager' type, whereas I could see Di Canio being a 'you lads are the most important component' type, hence the players will love to play for Paolo as their ego's, and therefore there confidence, are boosted. Remember, we all agreed it was a shot confidence thing till about Feb, then we all decided the players were ****. Our players aren't ****, so we go back to man management, belief, confidence. MON couldn't give it, Paolo has, so Paolo is the man.
Theres no doubt about it that we will flirt with relegation again next season, we have to do a lot of work just to keep the same squad as this year. 1 - If we dont sign Rose then we will be weaker next season in this position, regardless of who we sign. 2- Keep Sessegnon 3- Keep Mignolet So these 3 things need to happen first before we can even think of looking into the top half of the table. To progress into the top half signings wise we need to do the following, 1 - Sign Rose and the lad who plays right back for Sporting Lisbon. 2- Sign Welbeck 3 - Sign Jonny Evans & Michael Dawson 4 - Sign a central midfielder
Look to the continent! Italy has some fantastic players. As does Germany. And Portugal. Don't bother with France as the skunks will be all over it spreading their filthy manifesto Zarate from Lazio would be brilliant. Watched the game against Udinese. They played ****, no sign of Cana or Zarate. Would love Pogba from Juventus, but thats just me dreaming. We need to stop buying over priced players from England. Young, hungry ones from the continent would be excellent. Look at Hazard, Oscar, Benteke, etc. That's what we need (Not saying same standard as those tho)
