20 Aug 2024 06:58:26
I assume Kepa, Chilly, Chalaboa, Noni, Gallagher, Sterling, Lukaku, Broja, Chuka (loan) Petrovic (loan) and Washington (loan) will be leaving over the next few days.
I wonder how our squad size will then compare with other clubs.
20 Aug 2024 12:06:32
In quantity or quality Tom? I guess our squad will still be on the lather side after the ten or four. more players are sold or loaned. On quality question would only comment when window closes myself. Am perhaps most concerned by relative inexperience of our new manager and fact that though he got Leicester promoted they only won 4 of last 14 games and because heceas sacked after only 14 games with Parma - then second tier in Italian league - having won only 4 of 14.
20 Aug 2024 12:39:33
But must as keep trying to tell myself and post on here keep hoping for the best and obviously always want a CFC manager to succeed.
20 Aug 2024 12:41:33
JBS, he wasn’t my first choice as our manager but I’m no more nervous for his job than I have for all our managers over the last twenty plus years!
Fuser put together a really comprehensive squad list about a week ago and I would like to think it prove to be fairly accurate. Also, at some stage we just have to say these players are experienced. Cucarella, James, Colwill, Caicedo, Palmer, Fofana and maybe a few I’ve forgotten all now have premiership experience. At some stage that excuse has to disappear.
This season for me is a real test of our players supposed quality. It’s also a test of the manager and the recruitment team.
20 Aug 2024 13:03:35
Well Maresca already favourite to be first manager sacked Tom but possibly you're right in implying that almost any CFC pick likely to be in among favourites.
What he has going for him in that recruitment team have really stuck their necks out in replacing Poch after just one season and replacing him with relative unknown and inexperienced manager. In other words the almost have to give him major chance to succeed . even if he were only to win 4 of first 14 perhaps? As it is if we were to count preseason matches - whichnis probably unfair - he has won only 1 of 7 this far.
20 Aug 2024 15:22:03
Wolves will be a big tell I think. Unfortunately maresca doesn't have the time on his hands to wait for results. We need results early and if he doesn't get top 4, I'm sure we will go to the drawing board once again.
20 Aug 2024 15:52:45
We've conceded 15 in 7 games. Albeit preseason, but it's not something you can simply write off.
Despite having Nkunku, Lavia and Fofana back, we looked significantly worse against City this weekend than we did at any point last season.
I want Maresca to succeed, obviously, but he's clearly got his work cut out for him. I think he's a good coach, the players have clearly taken on board what he's preaching, but is it actually any good? Once again, the SDs have thrown him a hospital pass with the fact that players are arriving late in the window and the squad is immensely bloated. It's all well and good saying that 10 players will leave in the next two weeks, but should it have been allowed to get to this point?
Wolves this weekend will be a very illuminating watch, for multiple reasons.
20 Aug 2024 16:10:38
JBS, although I wanted to give Poch more time to prove me wrong. In my opinion he was a massive mistake from day one.
20 Aug 2024 17:27:44
Why a massive mistake Tom (am assuming not just cos of Spurs connection) given he arguably did pretty well given having to gell huge number of new signings he may not have had much say in plus overall c young and EPL inexperienced squad then huge injury list? In final third of seasob the team was playing exciting and generally effective attacking football and hecwpn. last five league games in a row. My one major problem was his poor substitutes in Cup final and a couple of other games but I had the sense that hhe players liked playing for him and the side as a whole was on the up.
The other question is if Poch was to be replaced/ parted ways with who could we get who was available and better who would come to us? I would have agreed with ed002 that Slot one possibility but Maresca for me came out of the blue to the Blues so to speak as so inexperienced in top flight managemebt.
20 Aug 2024 19:30:34
JBS, I gave my reasons why we should never have hired Poch when it was rumoured he was going to be appointed and it had absolutely nothing to do with him being ex Spuds.
I have a theory that some managers are just nice guys who don’t make tough decisions. His spuds team lacked discipline and were mentally fragile and in my opinion that was down to him. Virtually every time his side got to a big game they bottled it.
When he became our manager I supported him and I also recognised he had a tough gig with a young inexperienced side. Also sadly we went through the worst injury crisis I can ever remember. For those reasons I felt the club should have given him an extra year.
My first choice to replace Poch was the Stuttgart manager and then the Ipswich manager. I have only wanted one manager out of our last five and yes that was Potter. So my track record on manager is at best hit and miss.
Whoever is our manager gets my support and I will give him what i consider to be a fair amount of time to prove himself and his methods.
20 Aug 2024 19:31:36
I don’t think we looked worse defensively against City than we did for most of last season. We lacked cohesion, but the structure looked okay.
21 Aug 2024 15:30:46
Tom thanks for reminding us of your doubts regarding Poch. You may be right but I thought that at least giving him a second season made sense after the good finish to last one and given the apparent gambling element to Maresca appointment despite ostensible strengthening of now largely fit squad.
21 Aug 2024 15:58:39
JBS, I thought I made it clear. I didn’t want him as our manager but I didn’t want him sacked and given the injury issues we had I think he deserved another season.
21 Aug 2024 17:55:43
Maresca is here to stay I fear.
21 Aug 2024 20:18:02
Tom, I was also against the the Poch appointment and like you nothing to do with Spurs, I just didn’t think he had a winning mentality. The fact that we improved in the last part of the season didn’t impress me, we had a pretty easy schedule in the latter part of the season. As for Maresca, I have no idea, he has had to make or defend some pretty difficult decisions at the start of his tenure.
21 Aug 2024 20:32:12
Nothing to “fear, ” it would be brilliant news.!
23 Aug 2024 07:25:44
I'm wondering if Roman's biggest mistake was sacking Carlo in the tunnel at Everton!