His transfer money gave Les a golden chance to bolster the team with real quality, but it was spurned.
We don't know that Les was allowed to spend the money....as I said earlier, we don't know who made certain decisions this season.
Whoever's decision it was, it could be that failing to spend a few pennies could result in the club losing several pounds and that is just poor business...
No, we're not the worst by any means. Living in North London, I have a lot of mates who are Arsenal fans. What a whingy, pissy bunch they've been for a few seasons now, and wouldn't we love their problems.
Unforgiveable in my book that, having decided to retain Pellegrino's services, we didn't then back him in the transfer market in January. That, among a litany of mistakes, has been the defining moment of this sorry season in my book.
He made a good job of pretending that he was going to spend it by going on a jolly to Russia and publicly stating that we were making a bid for Promes.
Obviously hoped to, but I think the club didn't want to sell him at what we were willing to pay. May be just as well if we are in the Championship next year....one less mouth to feed.
Don't get me wrong, the support has been shocking, and certainly hasn't helped. It is a little chicken and egg though. A good managerial appointment and an entertaining brand of football would have sorted that issue out within one game. It's a factor, but it's by no means the key factor as to our pitiful showing this season.
Thing is, we sort of did, with the misguided and hugely overpriced purchase of Carrillo, who was clearly 'Pellegrino's guy'. Then we sacked him. Which is another example of a higher level incompetence that would be comical if it weren't our club...
Maybe. But it's possible that Carillo plus either Walcott or Gomes might have brought the goals Carillo has been unable to provide on his own. As you know, I was happy enough to allow Pellegrino time to turn things round, if that was the board's decision, but keeping him on had to involve giving him the tools to work with. In other words, either sack him or back him, in January. In the end we did neither, until it was too late. None of it really matters now. The one thing we as fans can do is get behind the team. But I think we all know what to expect tomorrow, as soon as the first pass goes astray.
I dunno. I think the importance of the game and support will (hopefully) seep through to some of our more knuckle-dragging brethren.
Several things have contributed and a part is possibly the atmosphere at the games. This is not excusing the incompetence of the board, management and the players and it is not blaming the fans, it is saying that a strong supportive atmosphere CAN help the players perform better. Why is a negative comment about our atmosphere always translated as “blaming the fans for a bad season?”
I think that people are reacting to this comment which is basically blaming the fans for relegation (if it happens). I have made many comments about the poor support at SMS this season, but Dell is just ostrich like.
But it is a myopic argument to blame things entirely on a single element..... and that's the point. Same board took on RK (when MoPo did the dirty), they acquired potential upgrades (VvD, Mane and the like) and the club moved forward year on year. Now those same people (and virtually the same players as last year [8th + Wembley]) have hit the wall. Board need to answer some questions yes, but 100% responsible.... really?
Yep, tend to agree. But the crux of the manager issue is/was the timing factor, who was available and, more importantly, who would have accepted the role. Can't re-write that scenario I know; but, VVD aside, the squad have also let themselves (& the fans) down big style.
We are not talking about past success, we are discussing this season's rapid decline from last season's relative comfort of 8th place. What is different?, well the fans at SMS were pretty **** for most of last season too, so there is the sacking of Puel, the appointment and non sacking of Pellegrino (until the damage was done) and the failure to spend the VVD money on the quality that might've just saved us (we could still escape, but unlikely). All Board decisions. Blaming VVD is easy, but the Board also took the decision not to sell in the Summer too. I'm not saying that support of the fans cannot have an effect, but it was the same last year. The players have to take their share too of course, but they never chose who was going to manage them this season, which was the main catalyst for our position now.
Hallelujah, perhaps we DO agree to a degree that toxic atmosphere plays a part, players attitudes / form plays a part, manager's tactics (or lack of them) plays a part. On that basis, will have to agree to differ on the board being totally responsible for all those ills of this season. Seem to recall the board were being praised for taking a stand over the sulky VvD toy throwing stance. Hindsight is a wonderful thing ~ the what if bit doesn't help now.
