Yes but the problem will be that fans may have been OK with a 14th-17th spot (I wasn't - I felt that the squad was capable of around the top 10,it being the most capable squad in the last 10 years IMO) but the indications were that we could have been a top ten side this year, especially with a couple of tweaks in January.
A solid defence and a playing style that suited the capabilities of our players generally pleased the fans. All that most of us wanted this season was steady progress - for the owners to run a steady ship, evolution on the pitch and to restore pride and hope to the club. They did it too, and I'm very grateful to them for it.
I'm not trying to rewrite history and pretend that JE was a managerial God, because I remember writing before the Huddersfield game that the next week would be crucial for him IMO but as it happened, the club was on a high after the Albion game.
Rightly or wrongly, that's the situation that we were presented with after that coupled with a simmering annoyance at the lack of class shown by the club. I should add though that the club has shown plenty of class in other things that it's done.
As ever though it's all about the successor, and a popular successor could have overcome that antipathy. I've never known a manager receive such a terrible welcome which was sad to see, and unfair on him. I didn't particularly welcome the appointment but, well, you've got to back the club the manager and the team haven't you?
Rooney could have overcome the negativity with some encouraging, or at least consistent, performances or style of play but after (only) eight games, there seems to have been a complete regression in terms of ability, belief and confidence throughout the side.
Can it get better? I bloody well hope so but I think that the toxicity of a few more bad results would see him gone before the results would. I'd love him to succeed, but he's not carrying much goodwill with him, and goodwill towards a manager can buy a lot of time.
Agree with all that Tam. That last point about the goodwill is really important I think - for any new manager in that situation it would have been difficult (not much to ‘turn around’ when you’re sat in sixth), but the board created factors that made it even worse: 1) they seemed weirdly unaware of the Zola saga and how fans would perceive a ‘repeat’, 2) they needlessly trashed the last manager and ramped the pressure up with the ‘no fear’ soundbites and 3) they seemed to massively overestimate how popular or otherwise Rooney would be. All so frustrating as everything else they’ve done has been really positive and sure footed. As others have said, likely the best owners we’ve ever had - but I think if anything that makes the frustration more palpable (the last lot could have appointed anyone and most would just shrug).
As you say, it would all be trivia if he’d come in and it looked to be working and we were getting results, but he was always going to more prone than most to a bad start. It needs to change quickly.
NOGS74johnthefenceCan’t see more than a single point before then. Coventry Cardiff and Plymouth away and Leicester at home.
Stoke are shite, if that goes bad ways the fans will turn big time.
Rotherham were supposed to be shite too.
They were shit. We were equally as bad, if not, worse. The point is we won’t be winning games with performance levels like yesterday.
Yeah Ipswich should be the standard of performance with maybe less intensity so high up the pitch in the press to conserve legs late on. We’ve got nowhere near that type of performance since whether by choice or application
Stoke will have another manager by then so likely be on the bounce!
Rab C NesbittYeah Ipswich should be the standard of performance with maybe less intensity so high up the pitch in the press to conserve legs late on. We’ve got nowhere near that type of performance since whether by choice or application
I’d say the first half of that game is the only one that’s looked like what I imagine the new philosophy is supposed to look like. The more the games pass the more it looks like a bit of a freak performance.
Stoke will have another manager by then so likely be on the bounce!
Appointing a new manager doesn't always give you that "new manager bounce" ...... source = er .... us.
The majority of the first half against Blackburn was good tbf.
Kumars Fashion SenseNeed Tigger to make stoke bounce, they are truly awfulStoke will have another manager by then so likely be on the bounce!