22 Apr 2026 11:15:45
So if the players are to blame, lack of quality etc, etc which some are saying, does that mean we were over achieving under Maresca who had us sat comfortable in 4th spot off the back of winning 2 trophies and making the Champions League?
Or, are the players half decent and just lack basic structure in their play and confidence in the system caused by Liam?
If Liam stays, we will finish the season in the bottom half of the table and be tanked by Leeds on Sunday because of his quite ridiculous playing instructions. If he starts as our coach next season, we will be relegated. Yes, relegated. Look at the form, 5 straight defeats, no goals scored, lost 8 of the last 9 games.
That is relegation form.
He needs to go today. Put a temp in for the biggest game of the season on Sunday and let the players play how they did under Maresca, no silly, trying to be clever 3 at the back and playing through the centre of the pitch, no playing Moises out of position, no trying to be AVB in disguise.
Get to the Cup Final and try to win it, let the players have freedom and confidence.
Then, review who is available in the summer and make the right appointment, Chelsea is still a huge draw for managers and sometimes taking over when the chips are down is far more attractive than taking over from a club legend, think Man U and Alex.
22 Apr 2026 12:29:30
Greenaway
Whilst the current SD's are in situ, nothing will change, and, as Tom always says to us, an end of season review will take place.
The problem is that the SD's will mark their own homework.
22 Apr 2026 12:45:40
It's hard to imagine that the owners will not be asking the SD's some serious questions.
22 Apr 2026 12:48:32
Gotta say, I'm surprised he hasn't been sacked after that game. Wild to think we need so many reinforcements in so many positions after all the money spent. Club's a mess.
22 Apr 2026 13:12:09
I feel Maresca was probably at par, doing what he had to do without excelling. All the dirty linen about him talking to other clubs and criticising the medical team, etc, being played out in public, along with his own bad run of results, was the main reason he left the club - no need to go back over that.
Whilst some wanted Maresca to go (myself included), you won't find many who wanted Rosenior and thought the grass in that particular garden would be greener.
There is talk that he's been sacked, said his goodbyes after yesterday's game without doing a post match team talk. Although it's very much unconfirmed, the same report indicates that McFarlane will apparently run the show till the end of the season.
22 Apr 2026 13:14:21
Greenaway, Maresca had a string of poor results in the EPL before he parted ways because he was speaking to other clubs. We were 5th, not 4th at the time, and he was averaging only c 1.5 points per EPL game.
Yet I still did not want him to leave. He had shown tactical skill in the CWC final v PSG, and the players were used to his system, and Sanchez had shown considerable improvement.
I put a lot of Maresca's relative struggle in EPL games against 'lower' sides - and he couldn't beat City or Arsenal either for that matter - down to weakness in the overall squad. This remains a problem, surely beyond 8 to 10 players? But he may have prevented this from falling apart on the pitch we are seeing now.