thfcsteff
George Hunt
Agree with everything you’re saying, of course!
I genuinely think Poch was that special. Both as a talented football manager but as a special person, someone who would put aside the idea of money or instant glory at Real Madrid to build something with us. He was that crazy. And yet, we still blew it.
He could have been our SAF. One of the reasons they succeeded over so many years was because of Sky money, and success that bought more money. But it was also their culture. His trust in young players, that floundered at other clubs as soon as they were away from his culture. His decisiveness in selling a good, big name player if it felt like that player was impacting the culture.
We so nearly had all of that, we so nearly has our own one. For a club that under ENIC will never have the most money, we so nearly had the culture that would be our competitive advantage. And we blew it. Levy’s view that Jose, or any manager, is a miracle worker was a terrible miscalculation. Levy’s head being turned, and either forgetting / not realising why Poch was succeeding means I too will never trust a managerial appointment he makes again. (I laugh at the idea he’s going to pitch the progress we’re gonna make under the new guy to Kane, when we’ve just sacked Poch and Jose...) I think he was too enamoured, and too much believed his own hype as someone that is always capable of making the ruthless decision, and doing ‘the right thing for the club’, but he just totally misdiagnosed what the right thing for the club actually was. The toxicity we are seeing now, from the unity we once had...Levy should feel embarrassed.
I would have done whatever it took to keep Poch here. Made it worth his while, whatever he needed. I’ve not heard a single good argument as to why we couldn’t have done that. It seemed like it wasn’t just about money as much as it was Levy actually starting to doubt his capability, which is just fudging crazy to me.
As you know mate, this is everything I believe and everything I said, albeit I think he should be utterly ashamed.
At the time I was distraught because I fudging knew. It was only the fact I support this club that made me try to see any positive I could in that clam who replaced him, however it gives me no happiness to say I knew he would blow it and I know Levy would blow it and fudge him with it. The Amazon puff-piece confirmed everything, what a sickening POS that is, a promo for two men in a relationship, one of whom thought his love was going to be returned, the other who was delighted to take a punt off the other's obsession.
If I was Poch I'd never ever consider walking back into this club even as a guest until that man is no longer part of things. Again, I can appreciate the excellent stadium Levy delivered, but that does not negate the stupid, stupid mistakes he made which cost us everything.
(I know we are just agreeing here...)