K.D.D.D.D.Soc
Ian Walker
Loads of these at football matches
That is far from true (for Inter Milan anyway). In the season that Inter won the Champions league they had the 9th biggest income in World football and the second biggest in Italy (less than 7 million Euros behind Juventus).The champions league, Porto and Inter weren't top 10 in those metrics let alone top 6.
Trouble is squads on paper don't allow for any context whatsoever.
The split, as far as i can see, is between those that think the squad not being improved/refreshed for so long has finally caught up with us and this season is one too many for the manager to keep churning out results Vs those who think the manager should continue to perform at the same level laid down when the squad was at it's peak despit the squad not being improved over a 3 to 4 year period with regards to signings and having actually lost 2 important first XI players (and several others through becoming crocked and or old)
The first group want to see Poch get his long overdue squad refresh whilst the 2nd want to micro analyse every decision he makes with a squad that is clearly on the wane collectively.
No pretty much everyone agrees on how we got here.
I'd be happy enough for some 1980s style three year midtable rebuild but Levy isn't gonna put up with that.
If we remain 11th on the same form for the last 9 months Poch will be sacked.
Any rebuild will be hard. Nothing will change in the next transfer window.
The summer window will be the usual struggle to get players out (Rose, Aurier, Wanyama, Dier, Davies, Moura out) We will struggle to attract the quality of players we were able to after the Champions League final.
People invest a lot of themselves and it becomes personal, emotive.
Its also a business. Both on and off the field.
These two things sometimes gel together beautifully, but often times clash.
Steff is clearly very invested, very romantic about the whole thing. Its admirable, but its not always objective.
Some people are very objective, perhaps coldly so, and I can completely understand that not being to the more emotive types liking.
Me? Theres what I want, and what I get, and an acceptance they are not always the same.
And thats where this conversation gets messy.
Steff talks about wanting a manager with integrity, someone to build a legacy, bring glory the more emotive/romantic way - and I can buy every word of it. I mean, who wouldnt?
Problem is, the flip side is - Im not seeing what he is seeing.
So as romantic as I might like to be, my objectivity doesnt support it at this time.
Ive said so many times this season, Ill take bad results - providing I can see the plan/work/project in place and being enacted. I just dont see it at this point. To the point where I very much am losing faith in Pochettino and his ability to pull it together.
Patience for patience sake is not a virtue. Poch needs to be earning it as we speak, not sitting on past successes hoping things will turn. We need to see the fruits of his labour on the training field. And I reiterate - thats not a results thing.
The job of a manager, ultimately, is to get the best out of the resources he has. Theres much besides, of course, but thats really what it boils down to.
When we were mid table and brick but had Jol getting the most out of that team - was anyone complaining? Even when we lost matches? Had an iffy run? Not really. We could see the work coming through and the team performing near its peak.
When AVB took a better group of players and turned them into manequins - was anyone complaining? Damn right! He should have been doing so much more with the players at hand.
Results wise these guys had similar seasons, but the view of them was entirely different. The reason being, one was getting near as much as possible out of the squad, and one wasnt.
When Jol went, I thought it was right, I thought he had reached his limit - where we had not. No animosity, no hard feelings, just an acceptance that it was time. When Redknapp went I thought exactly the same.
Poch? Its starting to feel that way.
I REALLY want to see him getting a grip on things, showing some direction, getting us playing. I really do. But as it is, we are miles from our best under him - let alone improving on that. There are deeper issues at play than just "injuries" "want away players" etc.
Romantically, I want nothing more than for Poch to wake up and really show his stuff. Objectively, this feels very much like an end of an era IMHO.
Can't allow our players to go on international duty and blame fatigue.Any data doesn’t factor in
Under investment
Changes of stadium
World Cup and other tournament fatigue
Other teams improving significantly
Lack of experience
that’s just a few things I’m thinking of....
Can't allow our players to go on international duty and blame fatigue.
We have it in our power to stop them going and choose not to.
Levy is the big man, Levy is the key to everything.
Poch is good. He used to be excellent, but right now he is lost, making really poor decisions.
But Levy is the key to all this. What a performer, what an incredible turnaround in his 20 year reign. LEGEND.
Our budget is among the biggest, and its increasing - closing the gap.
I agree Levy has made lots of mistakes. But look at where we are versus where we were. Incredible skills.Levy has done brilliantly, but there is an argument which says he failed to jump all over the biggest opportunity to build and go we've ever had. Back in the summer many of us were saying n to only to get Lo Celso in but to really show intent and get Fernandes in too REGARDLESS of Eriksen. What we don't know is exactly why that did not happen.
Worked fine for Ferguson.POCH: Harry, Dele, it's Poch. So here's the story. You know that World Cup this summer? And the upcoming Euros? You're not going.
HARRY/DELE: Oh OK boss, understood (phone hangs up) He's a clam!
POCH: Jan, Toby, Christian, it's Poch. So here's the story. You know that World Cup this summer? And the upcoming Euros? You're not going?
JAN/TOBY/CHRISTIAN: Oh OK boss, understood (phone hangs up) He's a clam!
POCH: Sonny, it's Poch. So here's the story. You know those "Asian games thingies" that could save your career, oh and those World Cups and those meaningless games against commie neighbours? You're not going.
SONNY: Oh OK boss, understood (phone hangs up) I really like the boss but I think he is maybe being a tad unfair.
I can see the dressing room after a round of those calls.
Take a look at my post on the previous page that shows the actual facts (backed up by published accounts) and not perception.Do you ever look at the charts SteveAWOL posts from SwissRamble?
Note - you say "budget" which presumably means "net transfer spend and wage budget" which is in fact, tiny.
Do you ever look at the charts SteveAWOL posts from SwissRamble?
Note - you say "budget" which presumably means "net transfer spend and wage budget" which is in fact, tiny.
They are crucial information if you want to understand the PL and our position in it.Sometimes. Not always.
I agree that we should do more to limit the amount of minutes that our players get for England, especially in friendlies. However there was nothing that we could do about that at the beginning of last season where we had so many players going to the very end of the World Cup.Can't allow our players to go on international duty and blame fatigue.
We have it in our power to stop them going and choose not to.
We could simply explain how thoroughly pointless international football is.I agree that we should do more to limit the amount of minutes that our players get for England, especially in friendlies. However there was nothing that we could do about that at the beginning of last season where we had so many players going to the very end of the World Cup.
They are crucial information if you want to understand the PL and our position in it.
No pretty much everyone agrees on how we got here.
I'd be happy enough for some 1980s style three year midtable rebuild but Levy isn't gonna put up with that.
If we remain 11th on the same form for the last 9 months Poch will be sacked.
Any rebuild will be hard. Nothing will change in the next transfer window.
The summer window will be the usual struggle to get players out (Rose, Aurier, Wanyama, Dier, Davies, Moura out) We will struggle to attract the quality of players we were able to after the Champions League final.