20 Feb 2023 09:35:58
Just caught up on the post match from the weekend and I'm baffled with GPs comments.

Excuse after excuse. I don't see how this situation improves, it looks like it will carry on. Which means we'll likely finish the season closer to relegation than top 4.

I'm sorry, I'll back a manager until the end usually, the same as I did with Tuchel but I can not back GP.

If we don't get anything, against a poor spurs team on Sunday he has to go. Completely out of his depth. I know people go on about giving it time, too many signings, it took time at Brighton but realistically you would think after 5 month you might see small glimpses of his style. It's a mess!

1.) 20 Feb 2023
20 Feb 2023 10:48:13
Dan, as every poster knows I am a 100% supporter of GP but his post match comments made me more angry than the match itself.

I will continue supporting him but I have a feeling that the toxic atmosphere at the ground and on social media will get what they want.

To be perfectly honest, I can’t remember ever being so personally upset about a situation at our club. Some of the things said at the match are making me think I will give going to the bridge a miss until the situation settles down.

I am totally gutted.

2.) 20 Feb 2023
20 Feb 2023 11:06:23
Tom, I said from the start that GP’s post match comments were dull and uninspiring but lately they have become lame. He gives the impression of being a schoolboy being told off for smoking behind the bike sheds. Personally, I can’t watch them anymore.

3.) 20 Feb 2023
20 Feb 2023 11:20:41
They summed it up well on talk sport, potter talks as if his in charge of Brighton, not a club who don’t expect to lose,

4.) 20 Feb 2023
20 Feb 2023 11:26:59
The problem is that he is out of his depth.

But still pretends he has everything in Control.

He doesn't have the right attitude to be a top manager. After match like this he should have come guns blazing, telling that we were crap and that players will be chopped for performances like this.

Then he comes out and says we were playing good football 2nd half,

That's why Conte, JM, TT were good, as they were not scared to show the players who is the boss.

5.) 20 Feb 2023
20 Feb 2023 12:38:29
Lrdit, that is part of the problem, the players at our club have been the boss for far to long allied to some very poor signings over the last 4-5 years.

Jose is the only manager I can recall who hooked a senior player in the first 45 mins. According to JC that improved him as a player and it sent a message out to the other players. In my opinion that should have happened on Saturday.

Anyway none of this hindsight crap is going to improve the toxic atmosphere at the bridge for the foreseeable future. For that to happen we need results and performances.

I think I will dodge the pain and sit it out for a few games. I will probably change my mind closer to the game. After sixty plus years it’s hard not to go!

6.) 20 Feb 2023
20 Feb 2023 14:35:58
Conte tuchel and JM all fell out with players / owners and it cost them there jobs, so it works both ways, hence why there’ll always be classed as short term managers,

7.) 20 Feb 2023
20 Feb 2023 14:39:45
Lampard sent Alonso to Coventry after the game at West Brom (if i recall rightly) . Surely though it is a manager's job to manage, players more lkely - like schoolkids with a nervous teacher - misbehave when they think they can. The challenge is to gain respect and keep during difficult times which is what great managers/ managers at their peak can do.

8.) 20 Feb 2023
20 Feb 2023 16:18:19
What respect GP can command when he is haply with draws?

This result shows improvement, take this shot to your middle table teams.

9.) 20 Feb 2023
20 Feb 2023 16:36:32
“Respect”, it’s just a word to some folk.

It comes in lots of forms but what I was listening to at the bridge on Saturday showed zero respect.

I wonder if these people would give that abuse to a member of there own family?

And yes, I know it’s an emotional game, fans pay there money and they are entitled to vent there anger!

As I said before, I have never experienced such toxicity at any game I have been to at the bridge.

10.) 20 Feb 2023
20 Feb 2023 17:14:44
Tom B so don't you think that it's time to Tic Tac the manager then?

Toxicity would stop immediately.

11.) 20 Feb 2023
20 Feb 2023 17:32:53
“Tic Tac” is now a thing of the past unfortunately but no I don’t think giving GP the “tin tac” (sack for gola) is the answer to problems that are more deep rooted than this manager in my opinion.

Also, I have no problems fans wanting GP gone or booing the team (not a player) but I do have an issue with that sort of personal abuse that achieves nothing.

As I said in an earlier post, my guess is that the fans who want GP out will get there way and then we will probably go through this all again with another manager who isn’t good enough for another group of fans!

12.) 20 Feb 2023
20 Feb 2023 20:19:47
I am on record many times on this site over the years saying I've wanted a long term CFC manager and an end to managerial round-about. Managers need to be given time. I have hoped this in terms of many managers not least first incarnation Mourinho - I was strunned when he left the first time - Carlo, Conte, Tuchel and yes even Lampard. And he had advantage GP doesn't of having been wa club legend as a player, and took over CFC when there was a transfer ban a= not a 600 million spend - and got us 4th place in first season against most expectations including mine at mid-season point. And while bringing through many youngsters. He got the Tic Tac in second season with a better record to that point than GP has to this, but his replacement in TT steadied the ship after v poor run abd got us a UCL win plus top 4 place.

The problem for GP is that he did come to CFC without having managed a big club or winning any big trophies. But though nervous because of this - as I was with Frank's lack of experience - I like most others on here I think was willing to hope, saw that he had done good things with previous clubs and believed the hype that he could be a great long term coach if we were patient. I liked the fact that he seemed calm rather than a histrionic diva on the sidelines, though though a bit more passion at times may have helped his cause with fans, a bit more of a combo of Klopp's hugging players but bared big teeth on the touchline from time to time perhaps. But also realise/ d that he had big problems with injuries and a bloated squad with some who were bound to be disgruntled through lack of starts or much game time at all.

The problem is that it is hard given his rather modest cv in terms of most other top team managers for most fans to have faith in these times when his win record is the worst since Danny Blanchflower's. I don't know what is going on behind the scenes at CFC and whether he is slowly improving players or being sabotaged by some . but then he should drop them, has to be tough, and names may need to be mentioned. All we fans see is how the tream is playing and doing, and it has been a hard watch.

We can still hope, and keep fingers crossed. But he and team and fans so badly need some morale boosting wins to keep the faith: starting with Spurs then Dortmund to boost fan and player belief, and perhaps Ted Boehly's too.

13.) 21 Feb 2023
21 Feb 2023 00:10:47
JBS, well balanced post about the situation. I suppose the first issue is whether it is worthwhile to try to bring in a coach for a lengthy period. Most top clubs in Europe change coaches regularly. The days of Ferguson, Wenger are long gone. There is nothing wrong with having a long term vision, from a footballing perspective but is a specific coach integral to that. If it is, I believe the board have backed the wrong horse. As I said, I think the board will persist with Potter, so as not to lose face and the issue will drag on into next season which is not something I am looking forward to as I don’t see Potter dramatically improving things.

14.) 21 Feb 2023
21 Feb 2023 02:49:32
Back the team . the players . GP
We need some voice and atmosphere.

The players will give it their all against spurs

Those who don't know and understand change cannot accept it.

GP is the man for Chelsea.

See arteta make a fool of himself on the touch line while GP has shown a touch of class, calm and set an example how to conduct oneself

Eddie is doing the same at Newcastle and ETH at United.

15.) 21 Feb 2023
21 Feb 2023 05:23:58
If we don't get anything against a poor spurs team lol there 4th how arrogant to expect that.

16.) 21 Feb 2023
21 Feb 2023 06:59:18
Nobody expect that gg quite the oppositie. But Potter badly needs something to restore player and fan belief. Southampton looked an obvious game to get a result in but it didn't happen. This piles on the pressure on GP plus team whetjher we like it or not. And it's been a very very very long time if ever before since CFC went into a match v Spurs with virtually no hope!

17.) 21 Feb 2023
21 Feb 2023 08:03:35
Or perhaps I should have said virtually no expectations. I think even when our heads not to expect gettinga result our hearts still hope for one!

18.) 21 Feb 2023
21 Feb 2023 13:00:20
Just adding my two cents on Potter, I have said previously that I felt there had been a slow improvement in performances over the last few weeks and this warranted patience with Potter, but the Southampton game was a horrible step backwards, a disaster from virtually the first minute. I wouldn't be shocked or really that upset if he was replaced, results certainly haven't been good enough and truthfully in virtually any other circumstance I would say a change in manager is required. However.

Suppose a new manager was to come in. Without doing any kind of research into historical trends, it is generally accepted there is often an immediate 'bounce' in performances but this almost always reverts back to the mean after a couple of games. Off the top of my head I can only point to Eddie Howe as an exception to that rule. So perhaps there is a very short term improvement, but given how bad Saturday was, it can hardly get much worse (very risky writing something like that, I know! ) . Said new manager is going to have to evaluate 30 odd new players which is almost certainly going to lead to inconsistent results between now and the end of the season, a season which is widely accepted to be write-off anyway. Does it really make sense to make this change now and not at the end of the season, if you were to make it?

Secondly, who are you going to appoint? Luis Enrique, who was only really successful when he had a front line of Messi, Neymar and Suarez all in their pomp, and a spine of Rakitic, Iniesta, Busquets, Pique, Dani Alves and ter Stegen? That's virtually a world 11, a team that had years of consistency behind it that all stemmed from Pep. It simply isn't comparable to Chelsea right now. Who else is there - Pochettino? Bielsa? Flick? Jose? After that you are left with the elephant in the room - Tuchel.

I loved him as boss and would never have sacked him, and yes I think he would get a much better tune out of these players right now than Potter. I'd also argue he never got the credit he deserved for steering the club throughout everything that happened last year. But there must be realism here, he fell out with the new ownership within 3 months of them joining. There must be close to a 0% chance of him coming back, perhaps ever. I think a large portion of the online discourse surrounding Potter currently stems from the fact that he has replaced such a beloved manager.

So I suppose what I am really trying to say is, who could come in now that would provide an immediate sustained improvement in performances and also satisfy the fanbase that still clings to the distant hope of Tuchel returning? I'm not sure such a figure exists and as such I would propose sticking with Potter until the end of the season, unless performances nosedived from here.

19.) 21 Feb 2023
21 Feb 2023 13:00:20
Just adding my two cents on Potter, I have said previously that I felt there had been a slow improvement in performances over the last few weeks and this warranted patience with Potter, but the Southampton game was a horrible step backwards, a disaster from virtually the first minute. I wouldn't be shocked or really that upset if he was replaced, results certainly haven't been good enough and truthfully in virtually any other circumstance I would say a change in manager is required. However.

Suppose a new manager was to come in. Without doing any kind of research into historical trends, it is generally accepted there is often an immediate 'bounce' in performances but this almost always reverts back to the mean after a couple of games. Off the top of my head I can only point to Eddie Howe as an exception to that rule. So perhaps there is a very short term improvement, but given how bad Saturday was, it can hardly get much worse (very risky writing something like that, I know! ) . Said new manager is going to have to evaluate 30 odd new players which is almost certainly going to lead to inconsistent results between now and the end of the season, a season which is widely accepted to be write-off anyway. Does it really make sense to make this change now and not at the end of the season, if you were to make it?

Secondly, who are you going to appoint? Luis Enrique, who was only really successful when he had a front line of Messi, Neymar and Suarez all in their pomp, and a spine of Rakitic, Iniesta, Busquets, Pique, Dani Alves and ter Stegen? That's virtually a world 11, a team that had years of consistency behind it that all stemmed from Pep. It simply isn't comparable to Chelsea right now. Who else is there - Pochettino? Bielsa? Flick? Jose? After that you are left with the elephant in the room - Tuchel.

I loved him as boss and would never have sacked him, and yes I think he would get a much better tune out of these players right now than Potter. I'd also argue he never got the credit he deserved for steering the club throughout everything that happened last year. But there must be realism here, he fell out with the new ownership within 3 months of them joining. There must be close to a 0% chance of him coming back, perhaps ever. I think a large portion of the online discourse surrounding Potter currently stems from the fact that he has replaced such a beloved manager.

So I suppose what I am really trying to say is, who could come in now that would provide an immediate sustained improvement in performances and also satisfy the fanbase that still clings to the distant hope of Tuchel returning? I'm not sure such a figure exists and as such I would propose sticking with Potter until the end of the season, unless performances nosedived from here.

20.) 21 Feb 2023
21 Feb 2023 14:05:34
RBD, your “two cents worth” is well worth the read. A most enjoyable and well rounded post in my opinion.

21.) 21 Feb 2023
21 Feb 2023 14:42:19
Thanks Tom, far easier to be objective when a few days removed from a game, especially one as turgid as Southampton. I was surprised to hear from you that the atmosphere on Saturday was worst in memory, I remember Swansea at home under Rafa being absolutely horrendous and that was sat at the top of the East stand!

22.) 21 Feb 2023
21 Feb 2023 15:16:52
I remember that game RBD and was also in Easrt Stand Upper that day. Quite a few chanting "He's just a F. S. W. er" as they did when he was LFC manager if I recall.

23.) 21 Feb 2023
21 Feb 2023 15:35:00
Lads I can’t remember that particular game but I do remember the same chants in the shed upper.

Maybe it was just the area I sit in but I can’t see the club letting me change seats mid season.

I know it’s a toxic passion from the fans and it will pass but I think it’s more about me feeling cowardly for not doing more!

24.) 24 Feb 2023
24 Feb 2023 06:57:33
RBD really enjoyed reading your post and as Tom said "really well balanced".
The Southampton game was one to make a statement, we didn't, which made things worse. GP's comments after the game added to the ill feeling the (some, well maybe a lot) fans have at present, why couldn't he just have said " I'm sorry for my, and my players performance today, it was unacceptable and the fans have every right to be angry, I've handed out mirrors to all the players so they can have a good look at themselves and see what they offer to this club", would've had way better effect than"we improved in second half", yeah you did, but you didn't score, you didn't change the game or the result against the bottom club in the league, games we expect to win in a canter tbh.
I want GP to be successful, but Chelsea is not BHA, time is not an option, results are everything at the highest level.
So RBD, in response to your query as to who could "manage, bring together" our bunch of misfits, at the present time, it would be Hansi Flick as a maybe (timing would be bad, due to non availability at present) or Carlo ( who played the best footy, but no CL, which was the prerequisite at that time) win the league and the FA cup and get sacked, Roman missed a beat there, Carlo imo is probably the only man that could mold these ego's into a championship/ CL winning team. The pieces are in place, and with next season too, Nnkuku and the lad from Lyon at RB along with Benzema on a free with Carlo would be perfect
I'm free to dream right!