27 May 2025 09:48:56
The decision to replace a serial loser in Pochetino with a young rookie manager in Maresca was a bold move by the club but quite clearly the right one. We have finished closer to first place than in ANY season since we last won it in 2017. That, whatever way you spin it is progress. A group of 26 players represented the club in the premier league with a hardcore 9 playing over 30 games each tells you that the coach knows what he wants. The starting line up against Forest was the youngest ever in premier league history and demonstrates that the major rebuild which was so needed has been achieved, a few loanees returning and 2 or 3 essential signings added and we can challenge at the top table again. The 3 recruitment guys (Joe Shields often gets overlooked) have done a pretty good job rebuilding an aged side but now have to go the extra mile to sign the right 2 or 3 players to make the step up with a new striker being the priority. I expect 10 or even 15 players to leave, sold or loaned and possibly some youngsters to come in and be farmed out to our sister club and/ or elsewhere in keeping with the new club model of hoovering up the best young prospects on the planet. I also expect a FOS sponsor on a greatly enhanced financial package due to the exposure champions league football brings (it was a gamble playing the long game but that is what makes these owners so successful, they are prepared to wait and play hard), next stop is adding silverware so let's all get behind the club and hope the boys can bring back the conference league trophy. KTBFFH.
27 May 2025 11:20:40
RBD, I enjoyed your well argued post.
27 May 2025 13:14:08
This can go either way can't it RPD. Either Maresca came in and did brilliantly, or our scintillating form at the beginning of the season was only the combination of his new ideas with the fantastic form of 'serial loser' Pochettino's team from the tail end of last season (I think Poch was brilliant for us, personally, and don't understand some supporters' antipathy besides the Spurs connection, although I would potentially question his training/ fitness methods and the number of injuries we suffered as a result) . In terms of recruitment, either our team of boffins/ statisticians are geniuses, and have revamped the squad with young exciting players, or they've got lucky a few times with a lot of misses and their scattergun approach has led to a lack of consistency and balance amongst the playing staff (looking at the decision to loan out Petrovich and keep Sanchez as our No.1 particularly, but also the clear lack of experience in the squad) . You'd also question why we have so many players who aren't just young, but have such petulant attitudes (Nkunku wasn't their buy, so can't complain about that) . But there are certainly young players around with more grit and determination than some of ours showed in tough moments – and they tend to come from a clubs' own academy system.
With the manager question, the worry was how our form nosedived so badly, and we went from title challengers to only just holding on to top four. Shouldn't be forgotten that for a large part of the season our form was relegation-worthy, and the style of football almost unwatchable. For having such a boring style, our defence was also still porous, though improved significantly by the recall of Chalobah (a classic example of a player who, whilst technically limited, is more than the sum of his parts – an excellent squad player/ dressing room leader the higher-ups have been trying to be rid of seemingly for the last three years and has, let's be fair, been treated horrendously) . It was also seemingly his choice to send Petrovich out on loan and install Sanchez as no. 1.
On a more positive note, Maresca’s brought through a really good number of academy players in the Conference League and sometimes in the PL, something that can’t be said for all managers even when given the opportunity (I remember Mourinho almost never playing academy players when given the chance in dead rubbers, even at the end of the season), and was apparently instrumental in helping resolve the Acheampong contract dispute that meant Josh didn’t play in the first half of the season. It did seem, during our period of awful results/ form, that the majority of the players were solidly in his favour.
Personally, I think it's too early to judge. Most takes this season have been purely reactive, including my own – super positive when things are going well, super negative when they aren't. With the money spent it’s clear we should be better than we are (though a significant chunk was wasted before Winstanley and Stewart – Sterling, Koulibally, Aubameyang) . I'll reserve judgement on Maresca until next season; possession-based styles notoriously take time to bed in (think of the Arsenal fan’s reaction to Arteta in the first couple of years), and having a bit of stability/ consistency in the playing staff will be crucial for this. In all honesty I still don't feel hugely optimistic, and certainly am not excited by the prospect of next season if it turns out to be the same stylistic dross (think about situations, also, in which going for the jugular would have given us a much better shot of winning big games – particularly the Man City game where we scored early) but will be happy to be proven wrong if and when. Maresca’s certainly arrogant enough to be a winner – arrogance does seem to run through the club at the moment, from the SDs to the playing staff. It would be nice if that entitled swagger could translate into not bottling big occasions.
27 May 2025 14:19:45
RPD and EdW, really enjoyed both of your posts. Some interesting views from both sides. Thank you both for the reads.
27 May 2025 14:21:06
EdW, I enjoyed your post.
When you talk about bottling big occasions Poch is the King and his teams to my eyes lacked discipline when the going got tough or if games were going against them.
I personally do not see any out of the ordinary arrogance in EM. When I think of the arrogance displayed by some of our managers he seems reasonable sanguine to me.
27 May 2025 14:44:37
EdW, I agree with most of comments. Obviously, we are all relieved that we have qualified for the Campions League but that is where we should be. We used to take the mickey out of Arsenal for that being the ceiling of their ambition. The next transfer window will be important for us to step up to a higher level. Most of us agree on the positions that need to be strengthened; the question is will the SDs bring home the bacon? I have my doubts after last summer’s disastrous window. Maresca is arrogant which is fine if you deliver the goods: getting into theChampions League on the last day of the season with our expensive squad is hardly an achievement.
27 May 2025 16:03:50
Some great posts above, but they all seem to be missing what I believe to be an important point. In our poor spell after Christmas, the side was crying out for a couple of older heads to guide the youthful squad and direct their passion. I still reckon that although stocking the side with good, up-and-coming youngsters who are hungry for success, it still needs a couple or three older, wiser heads to gel the side.
27 May 2025 16:53:22
Dempsey, you make a valid point but the age or so called lack of experience is something I struggle to buy into.
James, Cucarella, Tosin, Chalaboa and Colwill all have premiership experience as does Caicedo. Fernandez is a World Cup winner. This the second season in the premiership for Jackson and Nkunku and Sancho has played at the highest level.
I think the age/ experience debate can become a bit of a crutch if we are not careful.
27 May 2025 17:51:06
Tom, I understand your point but my issue it is fine bringing in young prospects for the future but we must also look to the heart and now ( next season) . We are bringing in ( hopefully) Willian and Santos to our squad next season. Leaving aside age/ experience I would like us to bring in a top class Keeper, CB and striker all of which improve the squad and ready for the starting X1.Nkunku will be off and as for Sancho pay the penalty and send him back to Man U.
27 May 2025 18:11:46
Jimbo, look at who we linked with and who is best in class. GK for me it’s Costa all day long, young and no premiership experience. ST Delap one season in premiership and young or Sesko no premiership experience and young. The CH we wanted who is now going to Madrid, one season premiership and young.
I just do not see us or many other clubs signing players over 25/ 26 in this window. I think it’s bonkers but it seems to be a trend.
28 May 2025 11:19:26
The other factor I took into account was the "Cole Palmer" factor. He was a sensation last season for Pochetino and I doubt we would of finished top 10 with him playing as he has this season. He carried us. This season Maresca has not had that advantage and had Palmer carried last seasons form into this season (whole season) we would of finished even higher than 4th.
28 May 2025 16:01:03
RPD your point about Cole Palmer begs the question of why he played with such confidence and sense of freedom last season and thus had such an utterly outsnading one whil tailing off badly in second half of this one? Perhaps Poch should get credit for that at least and/ or fact that with Caicedo and Gallagher - technically limited though some mighgt rightly think he is/ was - created so much space for him by working tirelessly in midfield. Gallagher also had the top position for winning the ball in final third of any player in Europe's top divisions. Likewise Jackson was more consistent than in this season with him and Palmer connecting well.
On the other hand Cucurella has played better than he ever has for us this season. So do we say that Maresca has had the benefit of that and eespecially his key goals and defensive work not least in crucial run-in games? Or perhaps it has to do with Maresca's confidence in him, ability to get the best from him, and playing him more than Poch (i'd have to check stats here though) .
I don't think there has been the massive improvement from last season - as yet - that some might think but am also very hopeful with return of some loanees plus wunderkids arriving - plus crucially if (and to take Demspey's point) we could add a couple of key strong minded top players to help boost morale if/ when bad patches come - we could kick on further next season.
Yes we might win a trophy tonight and hugely hope we do. But we did far better in the domestic cups last season than this without winning them (but a semi and a final) yet against far stiffer opposition. Only Real Betis perhaps of Premier League quality?
Likewise in Premier League last season Spurs and United were half decent. This season they did not present any rivalry to our CL qualification ambitions. Last season we had 14 first squad injured, This season Maresca had the benefit - but again he may well deserve credit for better training techniques and he/ medical staff taking more care whil players slowkly reintroduced - of James and Lavia fit for a significant number of games not least in the run in.
So I think I agree more with EdW but also agree that we should give credit to Maresca and staff for getting us over the line on last day of the season. Our young players - and the manager must take credit for this - played with resolve and courage at Forest even if Forest's form had usefull declined towards the end of the season.
So the quality of business we do in this transfer window is crucial and bringing in a top class striker and ideally CB and GK too - as Jimbo has said - could finally get us challenging properly for domestic trophies and more serious European ones again which we clearly haven't this season.
28 May 2025 22:58:32
Getting to finals or semifinals means nothing. If you don’t take home the pot it means nothing.
The only champions league final that we have been the better team in, we lost.
29 May 2025 08:24:38
Dempsey, I agree with you. One or two experienced winners would really elevate us – although Tosin looks like he's got a good head on him, and Reece is basically a veteran now in this team.
JBS, I think we're basically always on the same page I think. Credit to Maresca for the end of season run, and especially after half-time tweaks last night. The worry is we always seem to play better when the handbrake comes off (often when we're a goal down) – the handbrake-on style seemingly being the style he actually wants us to play.
Anyway, congrats to the boys. Looking forward to the Club World Cup and seeing if Estevao can possibly justify even half the hype.
29 May 2025 08:39:52
I think you hit the nail on the head JBS, Pochetino could not get over the line, he always bottled it, a serial loser who managed to blow a cup final against Liverpools under 12's. Maresca has got us top 4, and delivered a european trophy. He made the changes when needed and the boys delivered. We move on.
29 May 2025 13:47:49
Average age of CFC side was lower than Liverpool' s in that cup!
Great to win a Eurooean trophy and should do morale of our still v young team a power of good but we would all agree that we were firm favourites from the start to win it and we hardly had to play any decent teams.
That said I'm delighted we did win and got 4th place and warm congratulations to all at CFC on this. Now let's take next step up and be able to compete for EPL title next season!