Reading this thread over is remarkable.
I think it's well worth taking stock of a few things.
Much has been made of how "unlucky" we've been, indeed, I have been one of the people harping on about how refs have fudged us over and cost us as much as 9 points with their bricky "offside" goal decisions and the double sending off which wasn't at Eastlands.
But let's also look at how much we HAD in our control (incidentally, I'd like to point out that for the first time in many months, 4th place is NOT in our own hands, we need a favor somewhere)...
We beat Saudi Sportswashing Machine 5-0 the week before the derby. Nobody bothered to pay close attention to a few key facts;
1) Saudi Sportswashing Machine were without Tiote and Cabaye, massive players for them.
2) They came and played 4-4-2
3) We still contrived to miss at least three sitters.
Pardew came out, held his hands in the air, said he fudged up and that the club would learn.
We went to the death star the following weekend for a match which should've ended Arsenal's season whilst cementing the confidence in ours. The concept was simple; play round pegs in round holes, do what we'd done away all season and play 4-5-1/be patient i.e. this is NOT new cash at home with a manager who's made a tactical blunder. Instead, Redknapp leaves Lennon and VdV on the bench and sticks with the Newcash side. I'm all for keeping faith but I'm also for showing a bit of brains. Having found ourselves in a 2-0 lead, but with the game passing us by, Redknapp doesn't make the tactical shift. We concede a goal, he still doesn't. We concede a second and go in 2-2 at HT, he brings us out second-half 4-3-3 when Helen fudging Keller could see and sense that 4-5-1, patience and some fudging BALLS would've likely seen us still go on to win the game. Even at 5-2 down, he leaves Parker on when the boy was on a yellow KNOWING we have Man U the following week. Kaboom. Red card. Genius. Post-match, he tells us that he basically saw it owing even when we were 2-0 up; why, pray tell, did he not fudging DO anything then?
His "friends" act with Fergie the next weekend made me laugh; does anyone here genuinely think he fired the side up for the match properly? Not me. Sorry. And since then, we've had to suffer a string of matches where players have been played out of position and the manager feigns increasing indifference. His squad rotation has been fudging useless, and as for his transfer targets and acquisitions, don't get me started.
You know what though? I would probably forgive him all of it if the bloke would just once, ONCE, admit that he fudged up and got stuff wrong. Just once. But instead it is always about something else and never about Harry. No culpability, no interest in holding his hands up. I'll go a step further...when Man U or Arsenal or even Mourinho Chelski got ONE poor decision in a game, they're up and at 'em in the press and in some cases will take a 3-match touchline ban simply to make a dual point; that if refs fudge with their club they'll hear about it, and to also let the squad know that he's prepared to take one on the chin for the lads. Now, call me bizarre but I just don't see Harry doing that. Ever.
I'll stop now as I'm getting fired up...
