Davvo

Leave it with this will you, it's utter nonsense. He was hawking Xabi for 18 to cover MON's asking price.

You too, contributions like that are the equal of Mr Biscan.

I thought you'd be able to be more constructive when people are having a frank discussion.

Gotta love most of that. The modern day manager appears to be too clever for such reasoning however. Your first point particularly, get the players f***ing smiling for christ's sake. It's the same in any environment, a happy employee is more productive than a miserable one.

If things turned sour (eg no Europe, no money for Rafa), then they'd quite rightly change their minds. Take footballer's at their word in your peril, infact that's probably insulting to footballer's, it applies to anyone in an industry with so much money at stake. I, as much as anyone, love it when the likes of Pepe show their love for the team we've loved all our lives, but at the end of the day they have to look after their career's too. The words missing from the statements of Pepe and Torres, are 'all things being equal'.

I just can't subscribe to that way of thinking. I'm a fan of the club first and foremost, and this season's league position is the only thing I am interested in right now. Things change in football very quickly, so accepting failure, and planning on rebuilding in the current climate (s**** owners vs rich clubs fighting for our coveted position) is foolhardy. This is it you know, these owners are not going to splurge on transfer funds, so if our current manager can't get us out of this hole, then we have to find a willing and able alternative. I still hope Rafa can do it, but the end of the season is too late to judge I'm afraid. If we fail to make top 4 this year, I fear for the future. If you are hanging your hopes on a change in ownership, disappointment is virtually assured for the time being.

Any theories on who it might be ? I haven't seen any discussion from anyone on here to that end.

Then I'd imagine them having a discussion. At the end of the day they are employees, and it may well end with one or both saying 'look, if you are going to sack him, then Gary Megson* is your best bet.' * Or alternative top tier manager

soft a***

Honestly ? I think Klinsman was the only football man they(or at least GG) knew, and they sought his input. They didn't know or trust anyone else within the sport or the club. What's different now ? Dalglish and Purslow.

If he went on the last day of the season, after failing to get us into the top 4 (or Europe at all), then I'd agree. Do it mid season and you get a little bit of time for the new man to win over the likes of SG/Torres/Reina etc.

Can't imagine anyone being thick enough to start such a thread, nor indeed trusting them with anything.

Top tier ? No not for me. Down with the likes of Pardew/Curbishley et al ? No, if only for the fact that he's a legendary International player with the personality to put some confidence in players. Whether he'd be any good beyond the initial impact, I'm sceptical at best.

What would you do/advise ?

I've zero faith in the pair of f***wits, but I'd still be astonished if the replacement wasn't from the top tier of available replacements. Of course, whether we all agree who is or isn't in the top tier, is another issue. Robson and Pardew in particular are serious exaggerations, SCS, Svennis, Jurgen are revered by some I'm sure, but certainly noone with a brain. On that point, we could encounter an issue I grant you, but I see no reason it wouldn't be from the Maureen/MON/Hiddink bracket. I don't actually have a hard-on for any of the possibilities to be honest, I'd need convincing when whomever arrived, but those 3 and others would I'm sure generate the lift required to push us back into the top 4 for this year. Beyond that ?

Oh come on, get a grip.

No, but it may aswell have been. If you think you know who Mourinho, or any other manager for that matter, would or would not go to, you are mistaken. You don't think there are many, especially those who have crossed swords with Rafa before, that would love the opportunity to replace him and do better with the same squad of players ? I think you are misjudging the impact of ego in all of this.

= journo " would you fancy replacing the drunk at united ? " maureen "yes" tabloid exclusive "maureen only has eyes for fergie's job" He'd love it if H&G offered him THE job in football, love it I tell ya

Imagine the team talks Who'd translate for the overseas guys ?

You are his agent, or some other confidante I presume.

Better off ? clearly. Significantly so, to the extent the current squad would be full of confidence, and playing good football, creating chance after chance ? I'm really not so sure. Our footballing problems run much deeper than the adequate replacement of last season's 4th choice centre back, and a 'potentially' top class attacking addition.

That's some heavy duty champ manager nonsense right there. Doyle ? According to Rafa's comments, he wanted Turner instead of the Greek, and ONE more player, variously reported as Silva or ?Jovatevic? . I'm not sure that would have been such a massive improvement on what we have now ? It would also have represented around £20 mill-ish net.

He'd never take it on permanently. He'd be nothing more than a sticking plaster til the new boss was available. I suspect the long term successor has already been identified.

Not crazy at all, and I agree with you. However, I have yet to see a sign of it happening (4 months into a bad run), and am not sure we can afford to give them another 6 months. If there is no upturn in fortunes in that time, you'd be recruiting a manager to come and coach a side not even in Europe next season. Not only that, but the best 2 or 3 players would have been sold, and little of the proceeds would be available to re-build. The point at which change is needed is close in my opinion, if it isn't here already. Change need not necessarily mean a new manager, just an attempt by Rafa to change things around tactically, take some risks, try and kick start a revival, instill some confidence.

Nonsense, the attacks on Kev and Mr Biscan were keyboard warrior stuff. I didn't agree with the regularity of thread's being started on the same topic, or indeed 90% of the views expressed by them. Some of the repeated abuse they got was equally as dull however, and twice as pathetic, given their was the option to ignore. The thread's only became multi-pages because of the vitriol expressed in the replies. The personal stuff was just immature, unnecessary, textbook keyboard warrior stuff. If they were looking to spam and get a rise, they succeeded.