HOW LONG DO WE GIVE HIM ?

We are currently 5 points of 6th place having lost the last two away matches 1-0.
In some of todays press Wagner is blaming the players for losing the Millwall match. Once the manager blames the players there is usually only one outcome.
I understand that his rolling contract is up at the end of the month, so if we lose badly to Southampton it is very possible that we will say goodbye to Wagner. Selling players may give management the money to make significant changes in January.

 

My understanding is that 12 month rolling contact just means that there is always 12 months on the end of it, not that it expires then we renew it for another year. Could someone clarify for us please?

 

Basically how I understand that too, otherwise it wouldn't be rolling.
We basically pay up 12 months in compo

 

I'll go with Russell Martin after his snub of Rishi.

 

I have already had my say on my views of Wagner and the financial situation facing the Club. When the parachute payments end we will have to be in a position where the wage bill etc has reduced by at least 25%, that figure will have to increase if there is a drop in season ticket sales and gates and we will still require a surplus of about £25m in transfers - just to break even. That is not scaremongering but an obvious assessment of the current accounts. I first went to Carrow Road with my Grandad in 1950 when I was 5 and was hooked. In 1957 I helped push a cart about collecting waste paper to earn money for the Public Appeal to save the Club going out of existence. In the 1960's I never missed a home game despite the standard of football being deplorable. I was on secondment in Australia when we played Sunderland at Wembley and I flew home, and then straight back, to be at the game. I maintained my season ticket right up to when I moved to France. Nobody can accuse me of being a fair weather supporter and even though I now have a season ticket at Nice my first thought and loyalty has remained with City even when, following Brexit, I was no longer able to remain a British Citizen.. Unfortunately I am reaching the end of my tether. The Club appears to be sleep-walking into a massive problem on and off the pitch with the financial position being driven by what is happening on the pitch. Apart from a couple of Clubs this league is, at best,average this year and with our current advantages we should be in the top 6 at least which, in itself, would greatly help the financial position. In fact I have little doubt that if Farke was still here we would be in the automatic promotion places. We have got a decent squad of players but as a team and as individuals they do not appear to have any idea as to their role and what the Coach wants them to do. After 12 months that is ridiculous and is entirely the fault of the Coach. His managerial record, especially the more recent, makes you wonder why he was appointed in the first place and whilst I appreciate the cost of getting rid of him I strongly feel that the cost of keeping him will be far higher. To say that my loyalty is being stretched to the full is an understatement and whilst that will mean nothing to the Club financially how many season ticket holders etc are feeling the same way. He has got to go and now before he causes even more damage to the Club.

 

Your understanding is normal and so probably correct (though as always it depends what the contract says as the devil will be in the detail).

 

Wayne Rooney is available

 

It would be daft to sack Wagner now just as Gunny Handley & Sargent have returned , the spine of our team when results were going our way.

The tactics are predictable the subs bamboozling most of the time & we tend to play lots of crazy diagonal Hollywood passes that don't come off or lump it over the top & hope someone chases it .

Farkeball this is not but we may fluke play offs .

 

We are not going to make the play-offs with this manager and/or this squad. The last 4 games have resulted in 4 points. Agreed, the return of Sargent and Hanley will possibly make a difference, but not enough to get us up to at least 6th place.

 

Tend to agree. To get play offs you need approx 1.6ppg (1.7 would be more comfortable though) across the season.

We are at 1.35ppg so far this season, so need over 1.9ppg for the last 20 games to average out at 1.6ppg. Basically we need automatic promotion form from here to even have a chance of scraping playoffs.

However, worth noting that our form for the last 11 games is just over 1.6ppg. And our form with Sargent on the pitch (excluding the match against Millwall where he got just a few minutes) is 2.4ppg.

And let’s not forget that eg Aston Villa a few seasons ago, with a squad similarly depleted after a failed promotion campaign the previous season, won something ridiculous like ten matches in a row at the end to make the playoffs as some teams stop having anything to play for.

 

Another problem is that the last 20 games include trips to Leicester and Leeds plus a visit from our friends down the road.

 

OK - after the tactics and motivation demonstrated by the last two games, I now think it's time we changed the manager

 

I agree, but I very much doubt Knapper thinks this is the ideal time. He'll likely have been hoping to delay making a change until the summer.

 

By then we will be still mid-table or worse; not what we are lead to believe is managements ambition.

 

What characteristics in a manager would you look for and are there any suggestions of potential candidates people have in mind?

 

A version of Farke. Young, enthusiastic, well organised, prepared to use all his squad, prepared to take no nonsense from any player and determined that his squad is fully fit. As for names - I won't enter that minefield but that is what Knapper is paid a lot of money to do.

 

Knapper appears to be in no hurry to resurrect our chances of a play-off place. No rumours of strengthening the squad or an alternative manager. Early days?

 

Now that Arsenal are out of the FA Cup perhaps some of their youngsters may be made available on loan.

Hwang is out for 6 weeks & has some dodgy legal issues hanging over him so hopefully we can send him back to Forest

 

Those wanting to get shot should ponder on who we might get. The Ipswich, Southampton and Hull results have kept us in touch with the top six. Although why we would want to go up for another season of ritual humiliation escapes me.