3 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

The injuries excuse I've learned to accept as a hinderance (despite of the 12 out only James and Nkunku would start for us), but the biggest thing for me which has lost all my confidence in Poch, is the poor game management which directly contributes to our lack of progression. The players being young excuses wears thin when we are 18th in the league based on 2nd half performances. 

W Fofana was one of the best defenders around when we signed him, he's potentially as important to us as VVD is to L'pool. 

Just now, Llangennech said:

W Fofana was one of the best defenders around when we signed him, he's potentially as important to us as VVD is to L'pool. 

He's suffered an ACL tear in one leg and a broken fibula in the other. 

I'd say the chances of him suffering the same regression as Kurt Zouma highly more likely than him being our VVD. 

3 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

He's suffered an ACL tear in one leg and a broken fibula in the other. 

I'd say the chances of him suffering the same regression as Kurt Zouma highly more likely than him being our VVD. 

I know of players who have come back from bad injuries and done very well and others who haven't. 

19 minutes ago, Nibs said:

Sex Pest?

 

A reputation hard earned from his days at Barca. The chief shagger.. 

His players also seem to get his vibe. The Benjamin Mendy case was grim reading for footballer behaviour, there's also the conviction of Dani Alves, and lets not forget Kyle Walker... Anyhow, I call him the slap headed sex pest. 

 

 

2 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

The injuries excuse I've learned to accept as a hinderance (despite of the 12 out only James and Nkunku would start for us), but the biggest thing for me which has lost all my confidence in Poch, is the poor game management which directly contributes to our lack of progression. The players being young excuses wears thin when we are 18th in the league based on 2nd half performances. 

Its a massive red flag isnt it, has he actually managed to change ay half time defeat into a win? It cant be many. And as for the injuries and poor squad, I dont agree that what he has to work with is bad enough to have us at 10 wins and 10 losses in this league.

"Why can't the manager who's attacking options from the bench this season have been Mudryk, Madueke, Broja and Washington change games"?

A team suffering so much with injury we've often had 2 keepers on the bench and benches that would embarrass the newly promoted sides.

How is any manager supposed to change a game with these tools?

Edited March 11, 20242 yr by Whats_The_Mata?

4 minutes ago, Whats_The_Mata? said:

"Why can't the manager who's attacking options from the bench this season have been Mudryk, Madueke, Broja and Washington change games"?

A team suffering so much with injury we've often had 2 keepers on the bench and benches that would embarrass the newly promoted sides.

How is any manager supposed to change a game with these tools?

Maybe if he wasn't constantly playing a one man midfield and a deep lying playmaker as an auxiliary left winger he wouldn't find himself in the position of needing to turn around so many games in the first place.

Imagine trying to convince someone that Fulham, Brighton, Wolves, Bournemouth, Everton, Palace, Forest, Luton, and Brentford have better 1st team and squad options than us to change games. 

 

15 minutes ago, Argo said:

Maybe if he wasn't constantly playing a one man midfield and a deep lying playmaker as an auxiliary left winger he wouldn't find himself in the position of needing to turn around so many games in the first place.

I wonder what Peps excuse is given City have conceded first 10 times this season.

I wonder if he'd have been able to turn as many of those results around if he had the attacking "talents"  on the bench Poch has at his disposal.

Poch can do better but this clearly isn't a squad built with the experience or quality to turn things around

Edited March 11, 20242 yr by Whats_The_Mata?

The same attacking talents that have better g/a per 90 this season? Oh poor Poch. 

 

Mudryk 154m minutes per goal contribution 

Doku 154m minutes per goal contribution

Madueke 160 minutes per goal contribution. 

Bobb 170 minutes per goal contribution

6 minutes ago, Whats_The_Mata? said:

I wonder what Peps excuse is given City have conceded first 10 times this season.

I wonder if he'd have been able to turn as many of those results around if he had the attacking "talents"  on the bench Poch has at his disposal.

Poch can do better but this clearly isn't a squad built with the experience or quality to turn things around

And now imagine how many times he'd have gone behind and how many times he'd have turned it around if he was playing Rodri as an auxiliary left winger, Ruben Dias as a literal fullback, Ake on the left wing, having Nunes cover half the pitch by himself while playing Kova at number 10 week in week out no matter what.

Board/Squad tax only applies if the coach is fulfilling his end of the bargain.

Ah yes Oscar Bobb truly the first name Guardiola turns to when needing to change a game from the bench.

3 minutes ago, Whats_The_Mata? said:

Ah yes Oscar Bobb truly the first name Guardiola turns to when needing to change a game from the bench.

I mean you are complaining about our supposed lack of depth when Pep has it just as bad. 

I'd wager Mudryk and Madueke have better g/a per 90 than the majority of squad options in the league. 

definitely poch out. But can wait until the end of the season, no point sacking now just to get another pointless interim for a few months

13 hours ago, SHrIT said:

definitely poch out. But can wait until the end of the season, no point sacking now just to get another pointless interim for a few months

So who would you like to see appointed to replace Poch in the summer?

 

5 minutes ago, Nibs said:

So who would you like to see appointed to replace Poch in the summer?

The question for the directors is whether this team will really benefit from another 'project' manager? 

 

 

If Poch gets us a top 7 finish and another cup final, I may be inclined to give him another season purely for stability reasons.

I don’t think he will take us to top at all, there’s no chance of that happening but for the young squad to spend another season under same manager could be beneficial. It’ll help them settle and let them grow as players. Another managerial change would take the players back to square one and they have to learn a new playing system all over again.

It also helps that there isn’t many top managers out there at the moment. I’d take Tuchel back without thinking twice but unfortunately I can’t see it happening.

I wish Poch would talk less though, every time he speaks he manages to piss me off. Every time.

4 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

The question for the directors is whether this team will really benefit from another 'project' manager?

This place is sure gonna be interesting when Eddie Howes name gets linked to us after Newcastle sack him.

7 minutes ago, Sheva said:

This place is sure gonna be interesting when Eddie Howes name gets linked to us after Newcastle sack him.

Pretty much every other "candidate" has hit full on banana skin mode recently as well LOL.

3 hours ago, dansubrosa said:

If Poch gets us a top 7 finish and another cup final, I may be inclined to give him another season purely for stability reasons.

That's fair. 

4 hours ago, Nibs said:

So who would you like to see appointed to replace Poch in the summer?

 

Out of people who are/will be reasonably available in the summer I would go for De Zerbi or Alonso as my top options. Amorim not really too proven after only doing it for Portugal and other names we're linked with like Nagelsmann or something is just a no go

De Zerbi my top choice though - Plays good football, and also had experience with quite a few of our players already (😂)
Mudryk, Colwill and Caicedo, all 3 of which will be key. Not to mention that he's been in the prem for a while now, and actually shown when he has good players at his disposal, he can get them playing great football. Definitely had a mixed season this year, but he's lost some of his best players and had make do with worse replacements and deal with injuries.

Only downside I can really think of is that he can be a bit too stubborn in his ways sometimes, but I dont mind the occasional blunder if it means we are consistently near the top again

 

An outside shout would be Sarri, looks like hes leaving Lazio and made vague remarks about Chelsea and unfinished business. Him with this team can get them playing some liquid football, im sure of it. A lot of people on this forum I can tell would be against it though

17 minutes ago, SHrIT said:

Definitely had a mixed season this year, but he's lost some of his best players and had make do with worse replacements and deal with injuries.

Failed his audition then basically !

I'm repeatedly told those aren't valid reasons for performances that are below expectations LOL

4 hours ago, Sexyfootball said:

Failed his audition then basically !

I'm repeatedly told those aren't valid reasons for performances that are below expectations LOL

You only have to go back a mere 12 months when he took that Brighton team to european football? If thats not a good achievement I dont know what is.

He's still actually doing really well if you compare the squads and situation they're in vs the teams around them. Put him at Chelsea and i can see great things happening

14 hours ago, SHrIT said:

Out of people who are/will be reasonably available in the summer I would go for De Zerbi or Alonso as my top options. Amorim not really too proven after only doing it for Portugal and other names we're linked with like Nagelsmann or something is just a no go

De Zerbi my top choice though - Plays good football, and also had experience with quite a few of our players already (😂)
Mudryk, Colwill and Caicedo, all 3 of which will be key. Not to mention that he's been in the prem for a while now, and actually shown when he has good players at his disposal, he can get them playing great football. Definitely had a mixed season this year, but he's lost some of his best players and had make do with worse replacements and deal with injuries.

Only downside I can really think of is that he can be a bit too stubborn in his ways sometimes, but I dont mind the occasional blunder if it means we are consistently near the top again

 

An outside shout would be Sarri, looks like hes leaving Lazio and made vague remarks about Chelsea and unfinished business. Him with this team can get them playing some liquid football, im sure of it. A lot of people on this forum I can tell would be against it though

Alonso is a complete non-starter and I think many would be against De Zerbi - me included, for numerous reasons.

Sure, at times his sides do play good football. But I think he has been "found out a bit" this season, and results reflect this. When they lose, they often get completely battered. He also comes across as a bit of an arsehole and the thought of going back to Brighton yet again, and it all going pear-shaped AGAIN, is more than enough reason to steer clear.

 

Edited March 20, 20242 yr by Nibs

De Zerbi is just another version of Potter, maybe a little better but then again Potter built the foundations for him. He played good football when everyone's fit and Brighton is under the radar, as soon as other teams started to work him out a bit more results started to falter, and getting knocked out in Europa league easily is hardly a good ad if he's gunning for a big job. As said many times, if the owners have such a huge crush on Brighton, just use a shell company to buy them, only cost a few billions.