4 hours ago, JM7 said:

Heard on numerous podcasts that Roman was regularly in the dressing room, especially in the early days. Obviously it waned as the older he got. But it’s not unusual for owners to be there. Even more so in American sports. 

Totally off topic, but when i hear this it just reminds me of -

'Doc, I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home.' 'That sounds like Tom Jones Syndrome.' 'Is it common ?' 'Well, It's Not Unusual.'

35 minutes ago, Nibs said:

Surprised you have that view Scott. I don't see it that way at all.

Well, maybe not quite as bad, but certainly close to it.

2 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

Well, maybe not quite as bad, but certainly close to it.

No, just don't see it. 

Rafa was the enemy for a while because of the run in with Mourinho and them beating us in the CL semi finals and the fans dig with the plastic flags. None of that with Pochettino and he has always been quite a likeable bloke, unlike Benitez.

I'm actually getting quite excited about next season which is largely down to the appointment of Pochettino.

Agree with that @Nibs Pochettino has always kept himself to himself with us, even kept his cool at that battle of the bridge match when it all went off!

Rafa didn't say that about plastic flags though, it was some scouser putting out fake news as a quote from him. He did go into Drogba that time though!

Doesn't matter who we bring in anyway, it will be amiracle if they turn this sh*t around. The new ownership has come in and completely f**ked this club.

3 hours ago, OriginalS said:

This one wasn't great...

Honestly who cares? Also, was he wrong? 

4 hours ago, nonotnowjim said:

entitled new money..... spot on

Hard to argue with this, and the slightly unsettling thing about it is that if we’re honest with ourselves - collectively we kind of deserve a comeuppance. A crash is the most fitting ending to what has basically been a fairytale. The hope then - or the thing that makes me think maybe it won’t turn out so bad - is that real life is more complicated.

Any manager taking this job wants a quick payday for sure.

8 hours ago, dkw said:

Ken Bates used to go in to changing rooms to tell managers who to play 😅

He used to make everyone call him Master...

He may have lost today, tired legs from the FA Cup defeat + Forest fighting for their lives to avoid the drop. However, his influence is similar to when Conte arrived here with us, in regards to systems. And before anyone says anything, Pep has already came out and credited him for this; so it’s very far from reaching.

We are witnessing the next elite manager, his next move will be a game changer, let’s see if Brighton can keep hold of him.

Thank the heavens. 
 

 

1 hour ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Thank the heavens. 
 

 

Well Lamps and the boys are setting the bar really low for him ahead of next season. Gives him a leg up at least.

8 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Well Lamps and the boys are setting the bar really low for him ahead of next season. Gives him a leg up at least.

"Hold my beer" he says as takes the reins 😉

16 minutes ago, forbzy said:

"Hold my beer" he says as takes the reins 😉

He would be smart to insist on waiting till the summer. Arsenal, City and United away anr Newcastle at home, an unfit squad mentally gone.

He has nothing to gain by starting early and would only see himself on the back foot when we lose all those games.

5 hours ago, axman2526 said:

He would be smart to insist on waiting till the summer. Arsenal, City and United away anr Newcastle at home, an unfit squad mentally gone.

He has nothing to gain by starting early and would only see himself on the back foot when we lose all those games.

Yep agreed thank god for the first few games we won early in the season as otherwise we would be knee deep in a relegation battle. 

8 hours ago, axman2526 said:

He would be smart to insist on waiting till the summer. Arsenal, City and United away anr Newcastle at home, an unfit squad mentally gone.

He has nothing to gain by starting early and would only see himself on the back foot when we lose all those games.

Yes, it's a no-win situation for Pochettino or whoever the next manager to take charge the remaining games, Imagine getting beaten 4:1 against City ( which would be kind to us based on recent games), pundits would call out manager's faults, and he's getting judged even before he had a chance to assess the team. If by some miracle the new manager gets a couple of wins against those teams, all the sudden expectation would raise for next season.

10 minutes ago, icecoolguy22 said:

Yes, it's a no-win situation for Pochettino or whoever the next manager to take charge the remaining games, Imagine getting beaten 4:1 against City ( which would be kind to us based on recent games), pundits would call out manager's faults, and he's getting judged even before he had a chance to assess the team. If by some miracle the new manager gets a couple of wins against those teams, all the sudden expectation would raise for next season.

It's increasingly likely it would be a no-win situation no matter when he takes over. I'll genuinely give him a lot of credit if he takes this on.

It's already toxic. By the time Arsenal, City, United and Newcastle are through with us it will be radioactive. General consensus is that he failed at PSG so if he takes us on and fails here as well he'll be done for in terms of being a candidate for the top clubs. And with our current owners, set-up and the squad they've built I don't think anyone succeeds right now. The fact that we desperately need a Top 4 finish next season or else be in deep sh*t financially doesn't help anything either.

Seriously hope Pochettino does not take charge until after this sh*t-show of a season is over. Let him start with a clean slate. We have six games and I honestly can't see us getting 1 point out of any of them and big losses to City, Utd, Arsenal and Newcastle would not be a good baptism.

If he's appointed next week, let him have access to whatever he needs and sit in the background and watch the games from the stands (through the cracks in his fingers!), but don't tarnish his record before it get's going with these last six games - let Lamps see it out and earn whatever we're paying him.  

Pochettino is stepping into third dysfunctional big business/football environment in a row (Spurs, PSG and now us). I kind of feel sorry for him. 

(Still hoping Clearlake will get their sh*t together though.)

3 hours ago, Nibs said:

Seriously hope Pochettino does not take charge until after this sh*t-show of a season is over. Let him start with a clean slate. We have six games and I honestly can't see us getting 1 point out of any of them and big losses to City, Utd, Arsenal and Newcastle would not be a good baptism.

If he's appointed next week, let him have access to whatever he needs and sit in the background and watch the games from the stands (through the cracks in his fingers!), but don't tarnish his record before it get's going with these last six games - let Lamps see it out and earn whatever we're paying him.  

I agree Nibs, I'm just worried if things start to get embarrassing. 

I don't want us to be having a game like Tottenham had the other day, 5-0 down in 20 minutes. Because with the way we are playing it's completely possible. I'm extremely convinced we aren't winning another game this season, I just hope we at least lose respectfully.

Jesus have the standards dropped this season... 

1 hour ago, NestorGarde said:

Pochettino is stepping into third dysfunctional big business/football environment in a row (Spurs, PSG and now us). I kind of feel sorry for him. 

(Still hoping Clearlake will get their sh*t together though.)

For every good that they do, they take 3 steps backwards. 

 

Back Tuchel

Fire Tuchel and bring in Potter before appointing a technical director. 

 

Buy Fofana, Badiashile and Enzo

Buy Aubameyang, Sterling, Cucurella, and Koulibaly. 

 

Invest in the future. 

Ignore the present (Midfield and STs)

 

Give a manager time. 

Give the manager far too much time and are now bottom half. 

 

Sack Potter

Appoint an even worse manager in Lampard. 

 

Appoint Pochettino

Insert stupid thing that takes us 3 steps backwards here. 

 

1 hour ago, Sconnie Blue said:

For every good that they do, they take 3 steps backwards. 

 

 

That has been the way with Chelsea FC for as long as I can remember - even someone as old as @lozwill tell you that.

Over the years we have had great managers and great sides - only to hit a self destruct button and it all implode. Going back to the times of Docherty and then Sexton, with that great late '60's early '70's squad before it all went pear shaped. Then Eddie McCreadie putting a decent team together led by Ray Wilkins, only for the club to not back him. 

In recent times we have had great success but instead of building on it like City have done, bad decisions have been made and we are where we are now. No long term vision - always on the "we need success NOW" basis. For me, getting Mourinho back second time was a big mistake and we are still paying for it now. We had the chance to build with a great looking squad but sold our soul for 1 PL title and instead (indirectly) gave two rivals, City and Liverpool the players who would excel for them (KDB & Salah).

That said, I am confident Pochettino is the right man for the job and let's hope he is backed 100% and we get back amongst it.

 

Edited April 27, 20233 yr by Nibs

9 minutes ago, Nibs said:

That has been the way with Chelsea FC for as long as I can remember - even someone as old as @lozwill tell you that.

Over the years we have had great managers and great sides - only to hit a self destruct button and it all implode. Going back to the times of Docherty and then Sexton, with that great late '60's early '70's squad before it all went pear shaped. Then Eddie McCreadie putting a decent team together led by Ray Wilkins, only for the club to not back him. 

In recent times we have had great success but instead of building on it like City have done, bad decisions have been made and we are where we are now. No long term vision - always on the "we need success NOW" basis. For me, getting Mourinho back second time was a big mistake and we are still paying for it now. We had the chance to build with a great looking squad but sold our soul for 1 PL title and instead (indirectly) gave two rivals, City and Liverpool the players who would excel for them (KDB & Salah).

That said, I am confident Pochettino is the right man for the job and let's hope he is backed 100% and we get back amongst it.

 

I said it yesterday but it's crucial we stay steadfast behind the next man if the underlying metrics are pointing to sustainable progress. My worry however is if Pochettino is 7th or even 4th we'll get "f**k Pochettino ball" ringing around the stadium.

And when it's club legends like Mou or Lamps we go too far the other way when they quite clearly had to go. Makes me worry the only way this gets sorted (in terms of leaving the boom and bust behind and building something more sustainable) is getting an ex player/manager who the fans won't turn on who also actually has the ability to do a longer build and will hold his nerve to complete it (ie not panic and look for a short term fix not naming names Lukaku).

Who falls into all three categories right now? Jose and Lampard falls short on the last two hurdles, i feel Pochettino like Sarri and Tuchel will have to do bits to win general approval and the last part is what ultimately saw to Tuchel so who? The only person I can think of who might tick all three boxes is Hernan Crespo but that's another risk aswell as legacy we'll be putting on the line.

3 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

For every good that they do, they take 3 steps backwards. 

 

Back Tuchel

Fire Tuchel and bring in Potter before appointing a technical director. 

 

Buy Fofana, Badiashile and Enzo

Buy Aubameyang, Sterling, Cucurella, and Koulibaly. 

 

Invest in the future. 

Ignore the present (Midfield and STs)

 

Give a manager time. 

Give the manager far too much time and are now bottom half. 

 

Sack Potter

Appoint an even worse manager in Lampard. 

 

Appoint Pochettino

Insert stupid thing that takes us 3 steps backwards here. 

 

As much it would be nice to have a shiny new stadium, I’m far from convinced moving out of the Bridge for 5 years is the correct decision. 

10 minutes ago, charierre said:

As much it would be nice to have a shiny new stadium, I’m far from convinced moving out of the Bridge for 5 years is the correct decision. 

Depends on where really.

I can live with Twickenham if we can somehow pull it off as given there's no other football and it's only 9 miles away we could hopefully make it feel something resembling home.

But yeah Wembley or the London Stadium for that long, do not want.