At this point sacking him would just be weird…

Would I support hiring him if I could go back in time and decide knowing what we know? Not sure. It took an awfully long time to click and another manager might have done better. *Might*

But right now when good things are finally happening, individual players are improving … why on earth would you swap for an unknown?

16 minutes ago, _Ilya_ said:

At this point sacking him would just be weird…

Would I support hiring him if I could go back in time and decide knowing what we know? Not sure. It took an awfully long time to click and another manager might have done better. *Might*

But right now when good things are finally happening, individual players are improving … why on earth would you swap for an unknown?

I agree he now deserves half a season and see what he can do more with players coming back from injury.

players like Madueke and Caicedo seem to be really thriving now.. Jackson and Mudryk are also showing slight improvement. He might have even salvaged Cucurella..

let’s see .. I vote for stability now.

If there’s a better coach available and willing to come, yes sure, sack him and let’s start playing great football from the start of the season. My problem, and that’s been like that all season long, is that I’m not sure who is there better. I don’t want Conte nor Tuchel. I don’t think Amorim or De Zerbi will work out better. Michel? Any of the German coaches, the Stuttgart coach? I don’t know, but I think Pochettino has underachieved this season.

8 minutes ago, RMH said:

If there’s a better coach available and willing to come, yes sure, sack him and let’s start playing great football from the start of the season. My problem, and that’s been like that all season long, is that I’m not sure who is there better. I don’t want Conte nor Tuchel. I don’t think Amorim or De Zerbi will work out better. Michel? Any of the German coaches, the Stuttgart coach? I don’t know, but I think Pochettino has underachieved this season

We were never going to finish ahead of City or Pool. Would have been very difficult and all things clicking excellently to finish ahead of an Arsenal team that have had 4 seasons of consistent progress that has now seen them back as serious challengers for two seasons in a row. 

That leaves Villa, Tottenham, Newcastle and Man utd. Villa and Newcastle are punching however the former have a seasoned manager that has won things and managed big clubs and the other a younger manager with potential and ready to be financially backed, though also punching above his weight in the manager class. 

United are gash and have been for over a decade despite the money they've spent, good players they've had as well as managers that have been appealing to a wide section of big clubs around the world. Lots have been confounded that they haven't fallen lower than where they are and it's either luck or just the quality of players the money they have has kept in the team have naturally found a level where they are just in and around the conversation of top 6.

Tottenham had an out of character quick start with a new manager bounce that has now faded and questions started to be asked about his tactical acumen after he came up against Poch first time around and who incidentally coached Spurs back to a level where they, the rats they are, could start to squeak so loudly they got noticed by the cats and have now been in and amongst the top 6 since he was there. 

It does seem on closer analysis, we are just around where we should be given everything that has gone on this season. We just need to progress and push on when we have a full complement of the squad and it looks like that will have to be next season. 

Still definitely out.

Interesting. 
 

 

I have been, and remain, critical of Poch, for his failure to form an identity within the team over the season. Too many times we have been slow, passive and badly organised.

Today was a really good performance and a definite positive to take away, but let's not get carried away.

We could still easily (easily) have shipped 3 goals from those chances that hit the bar, and then we would have seen how the team reacted or crumbled. Would we still have scored 5 if that first wet spam chance had gone in?

We looked like world beaters today, playing a West Ham team who looked like they had well and truly checked out of the season - and had nothing to play for. But even then, in a game we dominated, we still gave up 3 big chances where they hit the bar. So it is all about context. If Poch gets credit for having us play well going forward and scoring 5, then he should also get the blame for our still atrocious defending where we were so close to conceding 3 against a piss poor west ham team.

 

Meh. We limited West Ham to just moments. At no point were they in the game nor did we ever allow them to be. It’s improvement there. 

Sacking him now would be totally stupid but inline with how this management make decisions.

Poch in.

Absolute madness to sack him now or at the end of the season.

It’s not his fault we are light in probably the 3 most key positions. GK, CB and CF.

We’ve had horrendous injuries and our marquee signing has been playing most of the season in pain (Enzo).

Sure there have been absolute horrendous results especially in the first part of the season but there is definitely progress being made. 
 

One things for sure though is that the players are definitely playing for him.

Edited May 5, 20242 yr by 19seventyone

3 hours ago, abister1 said:

We were never going to finish ahead of City or Pool. Would have been very difficult and all things clicking excellently to finish ahead of an Arsenal team that have had 4 seasons of consistent progress that has now seen them back as serious challengers for two seasons in a row. 

That leaves Villa, Tottenham, Newcastle and Man utd. Villa and Newcastle are punching however the former have a seasoned manager that has won things and managed big clubs and the other a younger manager with potential and ready to be financially backed, though also punching above his weight in the manager class. 

United are gash and have been for over a decade despite the money they've spent, good players they've had as well as managers that have been appealing to a wide section of big clubs around the world. Lots have been confounded that they haven't fallen lower than where they are and it's either luck or just the quality of players the money they have has kept in the team have naturally found a level where they are just in and around the conversation of top 6.

Tottenham had an out of character quick start with a new manager bounce that has now faded and questions started to be asked about his tactical acumen after he came up against Poch first time around and who incidentally coached Spurs back to a level where they, the rats they are, could start to squeak so loudly they got noticed by the cats and have now been in and amongst the top 6 since he was there. 

It does seem on closer analysis, we are just around where we should be given everything that has gone on this season. We just need to progress and push on when we have a full complement of the squad and it looks like that will have to be next season. 

You’ve said it all. We should have been up there for fifth position given how crap Spurs and Utd are. Newcastle and Villa have fallen but they were genuinely better coached teams. With a proper coach like Emery, we could have been in the mix up there rather than leaving it to the end of the season. Having said that, I’m buzzing that we have finally clicked in the last two games, let’s hope it keeps going at Forest, Brighton and against Bournemouth.

Think if we beat Forest we are set. Toughest fixture remaining. 

10 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Meh. We limited West Ham to just moments. At no point were they in the game nor did we ever allow them to be. It’s improvement there. 

and yet our horrendous defence set up and organisation, meant that they still almost scored 3 goals - we were literally millimetres away from conceding 3, against a west ham team that didn't even seem to try!

Edited May 6, 20242 yr by nonotnowjim

I'm not prepared to blame Pochettino (or the players) for our defensive issues because I don't care about them. I stand by what I said at the start of the season, and that is that Pochettino had the hardest job in all of world football in that he needed to teach a team to score goals. Anyone can make a team have a tight defence, but very few managers have successfully shaped a team to improve in attack. For that, Poch deserves a lot of credi, albeit he is merely returning the team to baseline.

However, by that same token I stand by saying that his failure to win either the League Cup or FA Cup should count heavily against him. I haven't seen anything from this team to date that would change my mind about this being a team lacking a ruthless winning culture, and with the likes of Sterling, Chilwell, and Silva possibly moving on it is possible that we go into next season with only Enzo Fernandez and Reece James being players who have won a trophy. I didn't see anything in our losses that suggested we were hard-done by, or unlucky, in fact both cup defeats came against teams who were arguably at their lowest ebb this season. I think Poch is a good coach, but I can't see anything that suggests he is a trophy-winning manager. He's a Ranieri waiting for a Mourinho, a Scolari waiting for an Ancelotti, a Lampard in need of a Tuchel. 

The only question is whether there are suitable candidates now (I think so - Simone Inzaghi and Ruben Amorim come to mind) and if given a further year, will there be similarly suitable replacements available then? 

44 minutes ago, SydneyChelsea said:

I'm not prepared to blame Pochettino (or the players) for our defensive issues because I don't care about them. I stand by what I said at the start of the season, and that is that Pochettino had the hardest job in all of world football in that he needed to teach a team to score goals. Anyone can make a team have a tight defence, but very few managers have successfully shaped a team to improve in attack. For that, Poch deserves a lot of credi, albeit he is merely returning the team to baseline.

However, by that same token I stand by saying that his failure to win either the League Cup or FA Cup should count heavily against him. I haven't seen anything from this team to date that would change my mind about this being a team lacking a ruthless winning culture, and with the likes of Sterling, Chilwell, and Silva possibly moving on it is possible that we go into next season with only Enzo Fernandez and Reece James being players who have won a trophy. I didn't see anything in our losses that suggested we were hard-done by, or unlucky, in fact both cup defeats came against teams who were arguably at their lowest ebb this season. I think Poch is a good coach, but I can't see anything that suggests he is a trophy-winning manager. He's a Ranieri waiting for a Mourinho, a Scolari waiting for an Ancelotti, a Lampard in need of a Tuchel. 

The only question is whether there are suitable candidates now (I think so - Simone Inzaghi and Ruben Amorim come to mind) and if given a further year, will there be similarly suitable replacements available then? 

Sorry but I disagree regarding the league cup final. It might not have been the free flowing football we are now seeing but Poch set that team up to win in normal time and if we took any of the countless chances we would have won easily. It was a freak result, that’s a game you win 99% of the time.

People sloooowly coming around.

I voted on the Fence beginning of Feb and I'm edging towards in.  Don't rate the job he's done too highly but who do we bring in that will do a better job? He's never had a fully fit squad to choose from and the majority of these players are not as good as their price tag makes out. I still believe the medical and recruitment team need sacking first.

Still definitely out, the only difference in the last few games is the opposition haven't taken the chances we kept gifting them, other than the Arsenal shambles. A few decent wins doesn't change the shambles of a season.

16 minutes ago, dkw said:

Still definitely out, the only difference in the last few games is the opposition haven't taken the chances we kept gifting them, other than the Arsenal shambles. A few decent wins doesn't change the shambles of a season.

On that note, if we'd of taken the chances we create most games then we would be in the top four at a minimum.

There will always be chances for teams regardless of their level, it's taking them that counts.

I wonder what @POCH OUT thinks? Be interesting to know where you stand on the manager being sacked

I am more a fan of poitín myself

Was on the fence in February and still am to a degree although maybe leaning towards giving him another year but i guess that could change in the remaining three games.

At the beginning of the season, I’d of said 6th was the minimum requirement so if he can get that he probably deserves another go. There has been some mitigating circumstances in terms of injuries and taking over a team that had just come 12th and in a mess.

I do think them Liverpool and wolves games in late Jan/early feb were a bit of a nadir and things have improved since then.

I have been out for a while but we are playing better and he has tweaked things (better late than never I suppose).

If he makes Europa League then TBH I’d be prepared to give him another chance next season and see how we start off.

Our only buying under 25 only rule was ridiculous/extremely naive and would make any managers life tougher.

I still don’t think he is an elite manager with an elite managers mentality but we are improving so he does deserve some credit for that.

Europa League in, Europa Conference League or lower out as it stands from my point of view at the moment.

8 hours ago, nonotnowjim said:

and yet our horrendous defence set up and organisation, meant that they still almost scored 3 goals - we were literally millimetres away from conceding 3, against a west ham team that didn't even seem to try!

So 3 shots that were technically off target? 😉

24 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

So 3 shots that were technically off target? 😉

And missed a sitter, where they literally walked past our defence..

Edited May 6, 20242 yr by guddy69