The likes of Boufal, Carrillo, Hoedt. Lemina, Mo El etc have cost good money but can we really say that they have offered good value, the fabled Black Box has been malfunctioning for quite a while now. For what we have spent, we should be a comfortable mid-table if we had bought wisely.
There is always the option of us giving the power back to the manager when it comes to making signings. But of course that is of no use if we're constantly changing managers. I've always been supportive of our strategy of letting the club sign the players, but as you say the signings in recent years just haven't worked (in the main). So maybe it is time to change that. We would though first need to ensure that we had the right manager in place - and I certainly wouldn't be comfortable with deciding on that man being Hughes. I don't think he's the right guy to be handing that sort of power over to. As it happens, if we were to appoint Sam in a firer-fighter capacity this side of 31 January, I think he would insist on such power. He would want to make multiple January signings, and for them to be his signings. I doubt he would accept the job without such an assurance. But that's a slightly different debate.
That said, next week could be the week. I don’t want to say our ‘Everton’ game as that didn’t actually kick us on. I think we will beat Watford, but failure to do so has to result in a change of Manager, enough will have been enough.
So for those who go slightly more often than me, do you expect an outbreak of anti-Hughes? I gather there wasn't really much v Newcastle but Hughes's job will be discussed in the papers tomorrow, and every week until results improve. Twitter/not606 is different to the stands, but the point of no return feels closer. Not that we should outsource our key decisions to the crowd, but you know.
I always said I'll give the new season a dozen games, but the stats are bad and these last two performances worry me greatly as we appear to be regressing. The Newcastle game worried me more though as Citeh are capable of destroying anybody and no goals from open play in 6 league games looks like becoming a trend that will be hard to turn around.
We can’t lose our **** about losing to City no matter how poor we were. The signs were already there though. Big, big game next week.
I love that type of game when I am busy. Had to rip up a carpet, lightly sand down some skirting and then paint the said skirting. The other half said you'll never get it done as you are watching football. My reply, after the first 10 mins was of course I will darling as I have the Falcons at the Redskins to watch later...want to watch that as it will be a good game. 14-0 atm to Falcons if you are interested at the end of the 2nd quarter. All in all, to be expected. Pissed off with the 6th in injury time as I had 5-1 in the prediction league and it was my joker too....
When Hughes got the job I didn't expect a return to the Pochettino era. I did expect to see good organisation and the development of a bit of steel and strength. He's failing. Pellegrino had us better organised. Hughes is showing his outdated understanding of the game and faith in old school formations and players who should be nowhere near the starting 11. We were never going to beat City. But, leaving with so little credibility and another morale crushing scoreline is so much worse.
Watford are a much better side than Newcastle (yes I know they beat them yesterday) so whilst it is a big game I have little confidence in us winning as we couldn't beat Newcastle. I fancy us to draw.
When they are in post, maybe, but in reality at our place, don’t think so. Our manager appointments have been poor for too long, either because the ambition is too little (Poch/Koenan)or the rush to appoint is a panic job. In this bracket the last three fall. MH is not a bad manager he’s just been given a less than PL squad to work with, let’s be honest. None of them know what it’s like to be really successful in the PL. WE HAVE NOT GOT A PL TOP MANAGEMENT TEAM, that’s the problem!!
Never understood NFL , to stop start for me , annoying American commentary, and it bores the tits off me!
