15 Feb 2025 09:18:20
I think it's safe to say that our direction has proven to be unsuccessful, no matter how you look at it.
There needs to be a change in management at every level, especially our recruitment process and staff and our manager.
We need both short term success and long term planning to be force like say Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.
I hope something changes soon and fast.
15 Feb 2025 09:56:31
Ashk, this is just my opinion but some experience at player level and at coaching level would help a lot. On the playing side nothing can change until the summer on that front.
I think it was Ed001 who suggested an experienced head alongside EM might be a good solution. That is a suggestion I can support.
15 Feb 2025 10:09:24
Yes Ashk a club must plan for now as well as the future. I fear that getting what you ask for and what we all would want might reuire a change in ownership as they are ultimately responsible for appointing SDs and manager and approving the transfer business.
What has worried all of us for a long time now is the inability of the club over several windows to fix the striker - lack of reliably prolific one though I'd not get rid of Jackson who offers plent ion attacg as his absence last night and FA Cup game v Brighton demonstrated - and ensuring a strong spine in the team back to the GK sprinkled with experience as well as youth. Plus owners/ SDs not ensuring sufficient back up for the likely invalids in the side (or predicting they not ever be quite as good as they were) RJ, Fofana and Lavia. And then the huge gamble in appointing a hugely inexperienced manager seemingly with the biref that winning anything any time soon didn't matter and nor necessarily did getting top 4. Vision 2030 rules: from owners'perspective when all the youngsters will have peaked and club chgallenging again and then they can sell it?
Yes oldies like me, Tom, Bill and Jimbo have seen plenty of bad spells and much longer times in CFC's history. But I think what makes this bad spell seem less excusable to most of us is the fact that the new owners have spent 1.5 billion without making us by Matresca's own confession likely to be able to challenge for titles for 5 to 10 years! Or putting it (more optimistically? I don't know) differently, all he/ we need to show is gradual improvement. Haven't seen much of this in last nine or ten games and most of wins before that against pretty lowly teams save a tired Villa a home - a v good performance by us that day (were Lavia and Fodana still fit then? I can't recall - and the great comeback win against Spours. but then Spurs have been worse than us so far this season in predictable and dangerous (wide open to the counter) tactics.
15 Feb 2025 10:37:25
Great post JBS.
15 Feb 2025 11:59:39
Totally agree JBS and perhaps the solution might be the owners selling the club.
We have a very good academy, one that produces decent players and we are big enough to attract star players. The recipe for success should not be that hard: buy PL proven and world class players and surround them by good squad players, like we did in the Jose era.
A blend of experience and youth, playing proper football and getting results, that's what we all want. Not just filling your team with kids and hoping some might turn out to be OK.
As for a short term solution: sack EM, bring in a manager with PL experience to ensure we are at least finishing in top 4 and also win that nonsense European trophy we are in.
Shouldn't be that hard.
15 Feb 2025 13:27:01
Ashk, i think the asking price for CFC would probably be huge and I could see our current owners moving on if they got a serious return on there investment.
There are probably reasons but if I remember correctly our current batch of youngsters don’t look that special although that doesn’t mean there isn’t a hidden jewel amongst them.
15 Feb 2025 15:00:06
Well Tom, you never know what might happen if they put Chelsea up for sale, maybe a certain Elon might be interested!
As for the youngsters, we don't need stars, squad players would do. Many of them are playing regularly for other teams, like Newcastle and Palace, among many other teams.
15 Feb 2025 16:11:13
Ashk, one or two more experienced players within the squad would probably help but I repeat and as Ed001 eluded to a good right hand experienced person helping EM might be a good idea as well.
I would bring back MG from Palace and Ake. In the last two games against Brighton they have scored two goals against us that were a complete an utter defensive shambles. It was total panic.
15 Feb 2025 18:58:33
Tom, EM requiring a right hand man would prove what a poor appointment it was in the first place. In any event, he is stubborn so it wouldn’t make any difference.
15 Feb 2025 19:41:15
Jimbo, you are echoing my point about apportioning any blame. The suggestion about giving EM some support was not my suggestion but if I remember correctly it was something one of the Ed’s recently suggested. I think it’s a reasonable suggestion.
The point about EM being stubborn is something I and others have been saying for some time. It is only I has he shown any tactical flexibility. I would have no way of knowing if he is too stubborn to take any help if offered.
15 Feb 2025 22:16:22
Tom, there is one academy player people are raving about: Rabbaj, 16 year old, scored incredible amount of goals in under 16 team now playing for under 18s apparently the new Messi: if only!
15 Feb 2025 22:43:57
Let’s hope he is a jewel in the crown. Of course we should remember that sometimes players improve beyond recognition.