I suppose some fans don't have a sense of entitlement and some do. I wouldn't mind 3 years below the radar playing at Wembley while the new stadium gets built, having experienced the pain of relegation and the deep joy of promotion, I understand there is more to supporting a Club than just turning up for the trophy parade.

 

The truth is none of us really know what the future of the club will be, as Roman is an enigmatic Man who doesn't give interviews.

 

As for losing our old guard, we all knew this day was coming and you can't have a long term future plan, while still clinging desperately to old players (I would give Terry and extra year myself, but I maybe the board or the new Manager if they've spoken to him, have different ideas. Or maybe Terry's agent is muddying the waters)

No offence guys but until I see evidence saying otherwise, past trends suggest that Roman is all about the here and now rather than for the future.

 

I'll be happy to be proven wrong but the events of the last few months haven't changed my views on this.

Of course you're right, he's open to criticism ( maybe a little appreciation also :)). As SHELLY diligently pointed out he seems the calculating type, has long terms plans and the club best interests at heart ( I pray so). We have to look beyond this gloom of a season, hopefully we have the best season ever in 2017. Sorry if offended by my choice of words. Hardly ever mean what I write most especially in an argument. Cheers mate.

 

I love the man. I love that he seems to enjoy owning a club and that he goes to so many matches. That's rare and it's something endearing. 

 

And no worries mate. It's a stressful time and the club aren't helping. Yes you could say that it's overreacting and I get that, but I think some of us could see this coming, or at least have 20/20 hindsight.

 

Roman wanted one thing, he hired Jose who gave him another and then didn't actually give him a whole lot of backing in the transfer market in real terms. It's this muddled thinking that is more worrying than anything. I think we'd all be ok with the club dropping down a bit if we were giving a young manager a chance to implement a new style with young players from the academy, but instead we're constantly stumbling. 

 

Roman as owner is brilliant but I think he just needs to step-back and put people in charge with proven track records and vision.

No offence guys but until I see evidence saying otherwise, past trends suggest that Roman is all about the here and now rather than for the future.

 

I'll be happy to be proven wrong but the events of the last few months haven't changed my views on this.

 

The "here and now" is still preferable to living in the past though isn't it?

Shedender91 who would be your choice of Manager next ?

The "here and now" is still preferable to living in the past though isn't it?

and looking too far ahead...

I suppose some fans don't have a sense of entitlement and some do. I wouldn't mind 3 years below the radar playing at Wembley while the new stadium gets built, having experienced the pain of relegation and the deep joy of promotion, I understand there is more to supporting a Club than just turning up for the trophy parade.

 

The truth is none of us really know what the future of the club will be, as Roman is an enigmatic Man who doesn't give interviews.

 

As for losing our old guard, we all knew this day was coming and you can't have a long term future plan, while still clinging desperately to old players (I would give Terry and extra year myself, but I maybe the board or the new Manager if they've spoken to him, have different ideas. Or maybe Terry's agent is muddying the waters)

 

If anyone should have a sense of entitlement then it's Roman, but he seems happy employing yes-people. Supporting this club is about going with your mates to see a team with an identity you identify with. That is embodied in people like JT, the old guard and Jose. Now, not so much.

 

As Jezz says though, Roman traded a long-term plan for short-term success when he appointed Jose for the second time. He's never stuck with a plan and seems happy to scrap plans when things go wrong so that idea of flying under the radar probably doesn't appeal to him.

 

As for the new manager, it would be nice if we had one lined up but I'm not so sure myself. Maybe it'll be the Chilean bloke or maybe it'll be Simeone or Conte.

 

Fact is we have so little identity left as a football team that it's not exactly like you could have a guess based on that.

Deary me... an awful lot of dramatic reaction to City getting pep.

 

I wasn't ever that fussed about him coming to Chelsea, but I do believe it is a massive appointment for City, a club who despite all their resources have never retained the Premier League and never done anything of note in Europe. Pep is a man who can potentially deliver on both fronts, certainly the latter, and he raises the profile of a club who are yet to make any impact in Europe. In a certain sense, he puts them on the map. It's undoubtedly a great appointment and an exciting time to be a City fan.

 

But lets all calm our tits down a bit. I see people announcing they will automatically dominate the Premiership for the next 3 years, sign Pogba, sign Stones and we will all just look on like fools as they show everyone how it's done. It's complete hyperbole. They have got themselves a world class Manager who they (and Roman reportedly) wanted. That's it for now. It's a 3 year contract and after that, he will leave. Perhaps this is City's turn to dominate the Premiership for a few years, like they are yet to do. Perhaps they will create a team capable of rivalling our team of 04/05 which broke near enough every record going and remains the team with the highest ever points tally after 38 games, i.e. the best team in Premiership history. Maybe they will, maybe they won't, but the balance of power swings in football and maybe it is there time to enjoy a few years of being the top dog while we rebuild, who knows, but if that is what happens, so be it. We have done alright over the last decade.

 

I get the hump seeing so many people having a dig at Roman and in turn licking City's backside, bigging up how they are run as if they have done everything right and we are fools who are being "shown up" by the marvel that is City and their board. Yes, City have certainly won the "Pep battle" and fair play to them. They have also spent hundreds of millions on their squad over the last 7 years, including some terrible acquisitions along the way, and their trophy count pales in comparison to ours. They have the most expensive squad in world football (I think) and have never reached a Champions League Semi-final. How many have we reached on top of the two finals and one trophy we have racked up?

 

I know it's not all about success measured in trophies, but let's keep some perspective if we are going to suddenly declare the way City do things as the blueprint that we should have followed.

 

At the end of the day Roman is not perfect and I have disagreed with plenty of his decisions over the years but it has been a rollercoaster and it's one I have, on the whole, loved.

There is plenty to sort out at Chelsea at the moment, not least our current league position and future Manager, but I can't stand the whole "doom and gloom" attitude which seems to have set in just because City have got a Manager who some wanted.

 

Get over it.

 

We have acquired world class players and managers throughout Roman's ownership. Players and managers 90% of teams could only dream about.

 

Like I said, I don't always agree with everything Roman does but on the most part, I take the rough with the smooth, and City getting Pep really doesn't bother me in the slightest.

Edited February 2, 201610 yr by mclovin83

Why oh why are we beating ourselves up again? London club supporters where is that Blitz Spirit?

Deary me... an awful lot of dramatic reaction to City getting pep.

I wasn't ever that fussed about him coming to Chelsea, but I do believe it is a massive appointment for City, a club who despite all their resources have never retained the Premier League and never done anything of note in Europe. Pep is a man who can potentially deliver on both fronts, certainly the latter, and he raises the profile of a club who are yet to make any impact in Europe. In a certain sense, he puts them on the map. It's undoubtedly a great appointment and an exciting time to be a City fan.

But lets all calm our tits down a bit. I see people announcing they will automatically dominate the Premiership for the next 3 years, sign Pogba, sign Stones and we will all just look on like fools as they show everyone how it's done. It's complete hyperbole. They have got themselves a world class Manager who they (and Roman reportedly) wanted. That's it for now. It's a 3 year contract and after that, he will leave. Perhaps this is City's turn to dominate the Premiership for a few years, like they are yet to do. Perhaps they will create a team capable of rivalling our team of 04/05 which broke near enough every record going and remains the team with the highest ever points tally after 38 games, i.e. the best team in Premiership history. Maybe they will, maybe they won't, but the balance of power swings in football and maybe it is there time to enjoy a few years of being the top dog while we rebuild, who knows, but if that is what happens, so be it. We have done alright over the last decade.

I get the hump seeing so many people having a dig at Roman and in turn licking City's backside, bigging up how they are run as if they have done everything right and we are fools who are being "shown up" by the marvel that is City and their board. Yes, City have certainly won the "Pep battle" and fair play to them. They have also spent hundreds of millions on their squad over the last 7 years, including some terrible acquisitions along the way, and their trophy count pales in comparison to ours. They have the most expensive squad in world football (I think) and have never reached a Champions League Semi-final. How many have we reached on top of the two finals and one trophy we have racked up?

I know it's not all about success measured in trophies, but let's keep some perspective if we are going to suddenly declare the way City do things as the blueprint that we should have followed.

At the end of the day Roman is not perfect and I have disagreed with plenty of his decisions over the years but it has been a rollercoaster and it's one I have, on the whole, loved.

There is plenty to sort out at Chelsea at the moment, not least our current league position and future Manager, but I can't stand the whole "doom and gloom" attitude which seems to have set in just because City have got a Manager who some wanted.

Get over it.

We have acquired world class players and managers throughout Roman's ownership. Players and managers 90% of teams could only dream about.

Like I said, I don't always agree with everything Roman does but on the most part, I take the rough with the smooth, and City getting Pep really doesn't bother me in the slightest.

Well said over reaction it's a culminating of Jose getting sacked, Pep going to City and Terry leaving.

Shedender91 who would be your choice of Manager next ?

 

Simeone. If he says no then I'd go with Sparky.

 

I think Pellegrini, Conte and Allegri are much of a muchness and would simply be here for two years before Roman wanted something new.

 

I think the club won't spend as much as the bigger clubs so we either need to go for Simeone and hope he can do what he did at Atletico or go with Sparky and hope he becomes a world-class manager. Both fit in with Jose's model of football but I don't think Roman wants that.

 

If he wants to go another direction then Pocchetino is a decent shout but he'd need time.

 

Either way I think we need a shake-up at the top of the club. Get a director of football in who has a comprehensive vision of what he wants and understands what Chelsea Football Club is and then Roman needs to stick to writing cheques.

To be honest Shedender I don't really see that City have much of an identity at the moment. Our older players were always going to leave, we can't hang on to them forever, and we can't just replace them over night with a shiny new Chelsea legends mark2 team.

We are in for a few years of rebuilding on and off the pitch, and I for one am looking forward to seeing what happens next. Never a dull moment and all that.

 

 

That was in reply to your earlier post re: identity.

 

My quote button never works on my p.c.

Edited February 2, 201610 yr by SHELLY

Deary me... an awful lot of dramatic reaction to City getting pep.

 

 

I never wanted Pep but I respect that City had a plan, laid the groundwork to achieve it and then made the change from a position of strength. Even if they didn't get him, they had a team in charge who knew exactly what type of football they wanted to play, bought the players they needed to achieve that and also had their academy playing the same way.

 

I wouldn't call that licking their bumholes, more appreciating a well-run club. That doesn't mean they'll automatically win everything but they've put themselves into the best position possible to achieve that outcome which is really all any business can do. 

 

They stated their aims, hired the best people available to do that and backed them. We haven't done that.

 

You can say it's doom and gloom to look at our situation and highlight the flaws. It's easy to dismiss unpalatable thoughts like that and you don't have to look far to see other examples of that in other areas but the best way to dismiss them is to present a more hopeful future.

 

Your points are that City haven't had our trophy haul (two less FA Cups and one less league cup over the same period, with this year's league up for grabs), we've signed world-class players over the last decade and that none of City's success is guaranteed. That's all true.

 

But where's the argument for our future being brighter than the 'pessimists' have suggested? 

To be honest Shedender I don't really see that City have much of an identity at the moment. Our older players were always going to leave, we can't hang on to them forever, and we can't just replace them over night with a shiny new Chelsea legends mark2 team.

We are in for a few years of rebuilding on and off the pitch, and I for one am looking forward to seeing what happens next. Never a dull moment and all that.

 

 

That was in reply to your earlier post re: identity.

 

My quote button never works on my p.c.

 

Well City have that spine (Hart, Kompany, Toure, Silva and Aguero) that reminds me a little of the one our success was built on, but they also have a clear idea of attacking football that filters down throughout the club. They're even integrating players like Iheanacho into the squad whilst maintaining trophy challenges. Plus they've got all that stuff going on off the pitch, but they're not perfect.

 

However they are instituting a model that is somewhat similar to Barcelona and Bayern's. It doesn't guarantee success but when compared to our apparently haphazard planning over the last decade, it's somewhat enviable.

 

But maybe this season was part of Roman's grand plan. Maybe relegation is. I just think there's a better way for him to run this club, but ultimately it's his toy to play with as he sees fit.

To be honest I can only think as far ahead as the Watford game. So worrying about the future is not really my thing.

 

That's probably why I'll never get a top job as Roman's right hand Woman.

That's the second time you've mentioned relegation being in his grand plan, I assume you are being jocular. I still see City as a club lacking any true identity of spirit to be honest.

 

Even basket cases like Us, Newcastle and Liverpool seem to have more of an identity than City.

To be honest I can only think as far ahead as the Watford game. So worrying about the future is not really my thing.

 

That's probably why I'll never get a top job as Roman's right hand Woman.

 

That's not a bad thing. I've known a few powerful men who have right-hand women. Occasionally they're left-handed too. 

That's the second time you've mentioned relegation being in his grand plan, I assume you are being jocular. I still see City as a club lacking any true identity of spirit to be honest.

 

Even basket cases like Us, Newcastle and Liverpool seem to have more of an identity than City.

 

City's identity was always as the 'fall at the final hurdle' team, who would ultimately f**k up. Now they're remodelled themselves as this huge multinational club with a desire to play attractive, attacking football. They wanted to be Barcelona and they hired the Barcelona men. 

 

Off the pitch it's hard not to be impressed with what they've built although that's much easier in Manchester. They're just a very professionally run, modern outfit.

 

Our identity at the moment is basically Roman I think. We're very beholden to his whims and you described him as enigmatic I think. Well that's not always a great thing for any type of business to be beholden to. I think instability is quickly becoming our defining characteristic.

 

Think about it, when we won the Champions League we finished 6th in the league having sacked a manager, and six months later we'd do the same. It's almost funny when you think about it and there will be highs and lows, but I think we can do better.

 I find City rather soulless to be honest, they're very much a club I struggle to care about, I never even disliked them even when they won the title. That says it all for me.

 

Clearly you think their model is a good one and it may well prove to be successful, time will tell I guess.

 

As for what they've built off the pitch I can't really say. They were handed the keys to the City of Manchester stadium and like us, are very much a rich mans play thing.

 

At least we will have a stonking new stadium in our traditional home maybe that will define our identity, owners come and go as you say, but we'll always have Stamford Bridge, whichever new form it comes in.

 I find City rather soulless to be honest, they're very much a club I struggle to care about, I never even disliked them even when they won the title. That says it all for me.

 

Clearly you think their model is a good one and it may well prove to be successful, time will tell I guess.

 

As for what they've built off the pitch I can't really say. They were handed the keys to the City of Manchester stadium and like us, are very much a rich mans play thing.

 

At least we will have a stonking new stadium in our traditional home maybe that will define our identity, owners come and go as you say, but we'll always have Stamford Bridge, whichever new form it comes in.

 

I can see that soulless argument. People said the same about us too though, and United. I think it's just modern football is soulless in a lot of ways.

 

Stamford Bridge is so important to us as a club which will make the time away from it even tougher. Not to sound even more pessimistic but I think things will get worse before they get better and being a mid-table team in the soulless bowl that is Wembley is going to be sh*t. But just like Roman, we're simply passing through the club and in six years time we might have a great squad playing in one of the best stadiums in the world.

 

It's just that tiny bit in between we've got to get through.

Embrace the change Wembley is lucky for us so who knows.

 

It could be worse you could live in Moss side.

Hardly!

We are in a seriously good position.

We may not have the best mix at the moment to fulfill the potential we have, however we are financially sound and whether you like it or not we are a global team now, with income streams constantly being built to rely less and less on our  owner.  Not to mention the talented youth bursting at the seams.

Yes, as I mentioned, we might not have the best mix of coaches to bring through the youth, or players in the right age bracket etc to get things running as smoothly as it could, but it's a all a learning curve and I really do think Roman and the club are getting there.

Give us 30 years of trying, failing, trying, winning, failing, trying and we may yet look like Barcelona.  But for me that's not what it's about, it's just about getting the right people to get the most out of all the good that the club has because of Roman, because of the players, because of the success and because of the fans.

He's just gone and bank rolled a new stadium as well so let's pump the brakes on the Roman bashing.

 

I love Roman and without him there's no doubt we wouldn't have won what we have, not a chance!

However sacking Jose was a huge mistake but for me even bigger than that was the pressure to change our style of football, which must have come from him.

I used to love the way we played, all about pace and power. Physically teams just couldn't live with us. We showed the world how to beat Barca then decided we wanted to copy the way we played.

I'd love us to go back to trying to build a team like that and I think Simeone would be the perfect manager to do it that's why I'm not overly fussed Pep went to City.

If the money is no longer there to spend big we need to stop buying mediocre players and finally bed in some youngsters. I'd be happy to fall behind for a few years if we had a long term goal. Nothing suggests that we will do this though.

Personally I don't give a toss about City or Pep, and I expect him to have a real wake up call when he arrives and realizes that perhaps allegedly being the best manager in football is one thing, being a manager in the Premier League is another.   I have been supporting this club since 69 and before I relocated I tried to go to as many games as I could, yes I have seen turmoil before but at least we knew back then what we were getting and we had an identity.  Yes I am grateful to Roman for his cash and bringing us to the forefront of European and world football.  We had gained a real identity when Jose first arrived, a strong powerful spine, a powerhouse midfield a dominant attacking force.....so what happened? Why did this all collapse?  Why did the owner change direction? Why did he sack Jose when he was successful?  We started to gain some identity back with Carlo and then the wheels fell off again....we recover, bring back Jose, get back on track....and then the wheels fall off again.  It's a never ending saga and a business model that is not sustainable in the long term.   I am not jealous of City, Utd or Arsenal etc....I just want my club to get it sorted!! 

Gotta take the rough with the smooth!