I doubt very much that Guus has spoken to Conte or been given instructions relating to Conte's appointment.

His managing of the match yesterday was in keeping with the way he's managed the team since he arrived.

Manly underlined by bemusing substitutions.

Of course playing the youngsters and fringe players is in relation to Contes appointment and next season, why wouldn't it be? The club would be crazy not to use this opportunity to give everyone games.

Problem is Guus don't know a half decent sub if it slapped him in the face, I know one thing is he still wouldn't sub Mikel at half time if he scored a hat trick of own goals before half time.

To those complaining about yesterday's decisions, how do you think Guus could most help the club transition?

Now that there's nothing to play for, I don't think it's much help for Conte to see the same old stuff.

Instead, Guus can help Conte by giving him more "data" upon which to make his decisions.

Starting youth, playing players who haven't gotten many minutes, seeing how youth players handle new situations, assessing the game fitness of players, observing the "chemistry" between different players, seeing how well players communicate with each other on the field when they aren't accustomed to playing with that particular lineup, testing how the first choice goalkeeper handles being dropped for a game, seeing if a young player can bounce back from being subbed, watching how well players can shift between formations when alongside those they usually don't play with....

I have a feeling Conte prefers what Guus has done the last couple games rather than seeing Guus do the same things over and over.

Thats a good point. In the long run or from Conte's pov, it is better for him, and the team, to collect more 'data' on players he has to evaluate. One or two matches could mean staying in first team, being sold, or going out on loan for some of the younger players in particular.

Guus giving Youth a chance in the few remaining games is the correct thing to do ... It was a totally pointless exercise chasing that unbeaten run ... Fair play to Guus ... I think he's done the right thing ... and has done OK overall ... Much more refreshing than Jose it's sad to say ...

Guus giving Youth a chance in the few remaining games is the correct thing to do ... It was a totally pointless exercise chasing that unbeaten run ... Fair play to Guus ... I think he's done the right thing ... and has done OK overall ... Much more refreshing than Jose it's sad to say ...

Like I have said, you really think that was Guus's decision? It was a no brainier to give other players a chance and it could of been done a lot sooner when he was chasing the unbeaten run.

Like I have said, you really think that was Guus's decision? It was a no brainier to give other players a chance and it could of been done a lot sooner when he was chasing the unbeaten run.

 

I suppose the argument could be that he was still trying to get the team going for the Champions League and FA Cup.

 

Interestingly he completely failed against Everton, and in their 9 home league games going back to December they've won 1, drawn 2 and lost 6. They're a pretty awful team at home and were arguably there for the taking.

No home win in 2 months and people still think he's done a good job?

.

Edited April 16, 201610 yr by dkw

No home win in 2 months and people still think he's done a good job?

For me he has been every bit as disappointing as what went before him.

6 draws and 1 defeat in our last 8 home games since he came in. We limped out of 2 cup competitions and have been battered today.

He's a nice bloke but the team carried him last time, he had world class players in there.

All he really did was put his arm around these underperforming twats and make themselves feel better about themselves to turn a few defeats into draws.

No home win in 2 months and people still think he's done a good job?

yes- I still do anyway.

 

but not relative to what we could have expected before the season started.

 

given the circumstances when he took over I think he has done well- confidence was at rock bottom, we'd lost 9 in 16 and at no stage did we manage to go 3 games unbeaten in the league. we were 16th and one point above the relegation zone. within this limited context I am happy with him.

 

given that context he's done well. traore and loftus cheek have received more minutes than they did in the entirety of jose's tenure so the increased involvement of young players is also another small positive.

 

but I don't think he's done well enough for anyone to think he could be our manager long term (obviously that is no longer a question mark).

 

in games like today's or against psg we've played with two slow midfielders against 3 mobile players. the gap between the 'no.10' and the holding players has consistently appeared. they are totally untethered. there are so many structural issues with how we play under him that haven't been reconciled. both fullbacks push forward at the same time. midfield players don't move on or off the ball in any way that shows a discernable pattern of play. everything is off the cuff, as it often is under sides managed by jose. but under jose when the attacking play is left to the players a defensive structure is always firmly put in place.

 

he might say in his defence that he hasn't had a pre season, or put this squad together, or had that much time to work in terms of tactical coaching. but the fact remains, the problems are there and he is the manager.

 

the season is over for us and the players are clearly, clearly on the beach. just as I hold jose responsible ultimately for our form once the title and top four were gone, I think it is fair to hold guus ultimately responsible for how we're playing now our one target left (not getting relegated[!]) has been met.

 

what he has done is free the players mentally simply by not being jose mourinho. he obviously lifted a few of the defensive restrictions imposed as well but in the main he's not changed much. in doing that he has done well. not amazingly- this remains a hugely talented, underachieving squad- but well.

 

in november abramovich got the paramedic we needed. the plasters were applied and the bleeding largely stemmed. but to return to serious competition we need a surgeon. and applying a plaster does not a surgeon make.

 

so yes I think he has done well. it should not be forgotten how bad we were. guus will go with thanks, but we can't wait in the purgatory of accident and emergency forever. 

 

p.s. I think he has been a fantastic manager in his career. and I think jose probably remains one. it's time to move on anyway.

Edited April 16, 201610 yr by g3.7

I think he's like the rest of the team, lost any passion now that there's nothing to play for. And as he's retiring, there is nothing to work for in terms of his personal career.

Nice to see youth getting meaningful playing time and starts. I'm not sure Jose would have done the same in that situation.

Guus has done fine, not great but satisfactory, for his employers in achieving the tasks he was hired for as an interim manager. Both sides made it clear that a longer appointment was out of the question.

Most of the team packed their holiday gear in September. Gus had no chance.

One league win at home in four months is worse than Mourinho's record

Edited April 17, 201610 yr by The Brit

One league win at home in four months is worse than Mourinho's record

Yeah but Jose had lost the dressing room. Clearly all the players needed was a cuddle from Uncle Guus to turn it around.

Oh.

The problem is, guus just isn't a top coach. He is good for steadying the ship, but last time he had lamps, drogs, ballack, essien and terry amongst others in the team and we were still in a better position than we are now. However he's come in this time with a lesser team and in near relegation zone which has made the job harder too. However, like I said I don't feel he's one of the top coaches in Europe, just an average one. Tactically he is probably way behind the other top coaches too, and if this was a different coach the formation and tactics may have been tweaked to see if we can work on something different, we just seem to continue with same personel over and over, with the same formation.

Edited April 17, 201610 yr by enigma

2 quality managers have both done badly with our squad of tremendously talented and dedicated players...? Wow, what a coincidence

 

No home win in 2 months and people still think he's done a good job?

So you thought a different manager like Pep or Ferguson would have taken us from a point above relegation zone with a half of the season left and then miraculously turn us to a team contesting for the title? Did you forgot we lost to this same City team under Jose? We even f**king lost at home to Bournemouth!

It's obvious Guss isn't perfect and some of his substitutions are really strange but to say nothing has changed since he came when it was obvious we were heading for the relegation zone and yet still lost to Bournemouth under Jose shows you have short memory and you are ungrateful. Pathetic fans!

So you thought a different manager like Pep or Ferguson would have taken us from a point above relegation zone with a half of the season left and then miraculously turn us to a team contesting for the title? Did you forgot we lost to this same City team under Jose? We even f**king lost at home to Bournemouth!

It's obvious Guss isn't perfect and some of his substitutions are really strange but to say nothing has changed since he came when it was obvious we were heading for the relegation zone and yet still lost to Bournemouth under Jose shows you have short memory and you are ungrateful. Pathetic fans!

 

Ungrateful for what? Saving us from relegation? We weren't going down. Hiddink inherited a team in mid-table, and we're still mid-table. He's won one home league match in four months. Jose did better than that. The only thing that changed is under Hiddink we've simply been playing not to lose, hence all the draws which is why our league position is still sh*t.

when did away form cease to matter lads?

 

I thought it counted as much as home form in terms of points and goal difference etc.

 

could it be that it does matter as much, but if it was factored in nobody could make this ludicrous argument that things have stayed the same or that jose has a better record?

 

nah- no-one could be that disingenuous, surely?

 

oh.

Don't forget Hiddink brought us back Mikel, come on don't hide the excitement ;)

Ungrateful for what? Saving us from relegation? We weren't going down. Hiddink inherited a team in mid-table, and we're still mid-table. He's won one home league match in four months. Jose did better than that. The only thing that changed is under Hiddink we've simply been playing not to lose, hence all the draws which is why our league position is still sh*t.

Why was José sacked if you think we weren't going doing down after losing to Bournemouth and a point above the relegation zone? Or probably we were giving top four a good chase when Jose got sacked.

Why was José sacked if you think we weren't going doing down after losing to Bournemouth and a point above the relegation zone? Or probably we were giving top four a good chase when Jose got sacked.

 

Do you think we'd have been relegated under Jose? If so, I disagree. If Hiddink is getting props for saving us from relegation then he's done what Jose very likely would have done anyway, especially if he went into damage limitation mode where loads of draws were acceptable. Hiddink has won six games to Jose's four, which isn't to me a substantial improvement.

On the other hand we could lose every remaining game and he'd still have won more points. And lost fewer games. Isn't that an improvement?

Edited April 17, 201610 yr by g3.7

As someone who believed that the club should have kept Mourinho and started selling and buying a few new players in the winter transfer,I don't see the need to put the blame entirely on Hiddink for our what happened in the past couple of months.Saying that,the attacking did improve somewhat since Mourinho left (also the reason why we had more draws than loses),but the defense and midfield is as bad as it was 6 months ago.

 

Imo the players and the board are at least 90% to blame for what's happening.You can't go from being 1st in the premier league the entire season (literally) last year to losing at home to Bournemouth and finishing in mid table below west ham,stoke and probably watford too considering we have tottenham,liverpool and leicester in the next 5 matches who are all looking for points,while our players have just thrown the towel and are waiting for the season to finish,since there is no way to get in the relagation zone or top 6 and there isn't that much difference in fishing 8th or 16th for them.

 

I hope this summer the club stops buying random players that had one good season in whatever one/two team leagues and that they get rid of the people that don't care about winning and are here just to collect a paycheck. Otherwise we might find ourselves in another season like if the players get fed up with Conte and he gets the Mourinho treatment.

even Jose couldn't keep a title winning squad to perform on their best, what makes you think Hiddink can turn a squad worthy of relegation to a world beater?