The next 8 months

[domlfc]

Don't think it can be underestimated just how important these next 8 months are going to be, taking aside the state we are currently in we need HUGE investment. Investment is something the two present owners can not give us, I will accept Rafa has made some huge mistakes this season to go with some god awful luck. But, how would we be going along right now if Rafa had got his target transfers and players who are/have been getting a lot of game time this season were merely squad players eg Lucas? Make no mistake as long as the two characters running our club remain we are in the s***

[Chili Palmer]

totally agree, the long term should never be forgotten but tbh I can't see past the next 8 games, we've been f***ed long term for a while now, I thought we would have been fine short term, how wrong was I?

[Frosty Jack]

there's every chance that we will have a worse manager, a worse squad and no change of ownership or reduction in debt by this time next year. this is why, regardless of results i think any talk of a new manager before the end of season is premature unless a genuine replacement is identified and there is a guarantee of funds for new staff and transfers.

 

otherwise we're f***ed. maybe we're just f***ed anyway and should get used to it.

[domlfc]

there's every chance that we will have a worse manager, a worse squad and no change of ownership or reduction in debt by this time next year. this is why, regardless of results i think any talk of a new manager before the end of season is premature unless a genuine replacement is identified and there is a guarantee of funds for new staff and transfers.

 

otherwise we're f***ed. maybe we're just f***ed anyway and should get used to it.

As I have always said, Rafa deserves at least one full season with proper backing. Do wish he would f*** off playing Lucas and Masch together, don't think I have ever seen a positive in that pairing

[CarraLegend]

there's every chance that we will have a worse manager, a worse squad and no change of ownership or reduction in debt by this time next year. this is why, regardless of results i think any talk of a new manager before the end of season is premature unless a genuine replacement is identified and there is a guarantee of funds for new staff and transfers.

 

otherwise we're f***ed. maybe we're just f***ed anyway and should get used to it.

 

Yep, this new genius we are meant to be hiring if results continue is going to need funds to build the squad aswell, funds we dont currently have and we'll be even skinter after paying off Rafa and his staff. Basically, we dont have much of a future at the top level under these two.

[domlfc]

Yep, this new genius we are meant to be hiring if results continue is going to need funds to build the squad aswell, funds we dont currently have and we'll be even skinter after paying off Rafa and his staff. Basically, we dont have much of a future at the top level under these two.

We go into next summer with these two owners and we can say goodbye for a very long time to CL football never mind NO19!!

[Nebraska Red]

whilst we have these 2 clowns in charge of our club, I do not see an end in sight for our current situation.

 

these are guys who have failed at running clubs over here and are now failing at running a club overseas.

 

sure, the current economy has not helped them and they may have been unlucky with timing, but they have to realise that running a soccer team is almost the same as running a hockey or baseball franchise.

 

if you want to compete with the big boys like Detroit/Pittsburgh in hockey, or the Yankees/Redsox in baseball you have to spend big money to get the best players. the same thing applies in the Premier League otherwise you get exactly the same results as you did with your USA franchises, no trophies and no success.

[Alonso]

As I have always said, Rafa deserves at least one full season with proper backing. Do wish he would f*** off playing Lucas and Masch together, don't think I have ever seen a positive in that pairing

Yeah but we beat Utd at Old Trafford 4-1 with those 2 in CM.

[Malcolm X]

As I have always said, Rafa deserves at least one full season with proper backing. Do wish he would f*** off playing Lucas and Masch together, don't think I have ever seen a positive in that pairing

 

Agree, one season just one season where he is allowed to go for his first choice players not 3rd choice.

[Rimbeux]

Agree, one season just one season where he is allowed to go for his first choice players not 3rd choice.

 

 

Like 2007?

 

It's a bit of a naive call, any manager would love to have a season where he can sign any player he wants

Edited December 20, 2009 by Rimbeux

[domlfc]

Like 2007?

And because of that look what happened last season, we were so so close. He has had nothing since and we are seeing the fallout from that right now

[Rimbeux]

And because of that look what happened last season, we were so so close. He has had nothing since and we are seeing the fallout from that right now

 

 

Really?

 

I think you have your years mixed up, starting two years back in summer 2007 we've bought a whole team of new players. We lost in Athens, Rafa and the new owners do some hard talking and he gets a serious amount of backing to bring in Torres, Babel, Lucas and Yossi as well as Voronin on a free. Then while making his representations on what to do in the Jan 08 window there was the mass fall out, the Klinsmann s***, followed by big money spent on Masch and Skrtl in the window. We finished 4th that year, lost to Chelsea in the semi of the CL.

 

We then go on to last summer and Rafa brings in Keane for huge money and also decent fees on Dossena, Riera and Cavalieri, as well as Degen on a free. He is frustrated in attempts to first replace Alonso with Barry, and then sign Barry anyway when it becomes impossible to get either Villa to lower their demands or Arsenal and Juve to raise their offers for Alonso. This causes more issues with talk of Rafa having players forced on him. Keane is a huge failure shipped out in Jan and not replaced, Alonso has a great season, we finish runners up with only one of the summer signings making any impact.

 

Last summer we replaced players who left and didn't bring in anyone over the top of that and spent no money. We're now mid table.

Edited December 20, 2009 by Rimbeux

[domlfc]

It is not that I have my years mixed up. I was allowing for the general improvement of the team over the first season they were together, and arguing that last season was a direct result of those purchases in 07. This season is a direct result of the 08/09 summer transfer dealings or lack of. The Barry saga would have been dealt with very early on had the funds been made available, and not many would have been too bothered at that point in time at losing Alonso. I think, correct me if I am wrong, it is well known that Parry paid well over what Rafa wanted to pay for Keane who was duly shipped out at the first oppurtunity. I know we have been linked with some top drawer players in the last couple of transfer windows and nothing ever comes of any of them, why? Even trying to get Shawcross or Turner in was too much for the current owners finances and we ended up with the greek.

[Rimbeux]

It is not that I have my years mixed up. I was allowing for the general improvement of the team over the first season they were together, and arguing that last season was a direct result of those purchases in 07. This season is a direct result of the 08/09 summer transfer dealings or lack of. The Barry saga would have been dealt with very early on had the funds been made available, and not many would have been too bothered at that point in time at losing Alonso. I think, correct me if I am wrong, it is well known that Parry paid well over what Rafa wanted to pay for Keane who was duly shipped out at the first oppurtunity. I know we have been linked with some top drawer players in the last couple of transfer windows and nothing ever comes of any of them, why? Even trying to get Shawcross or Turner in was too much for the current owners finances and we ended up with the greek.

 

 

It's an interesting take and there might be something in that. However would it also follow that Barry would not have been able to match Alonso last year, but may have this one? How do you untangle that one, the pitch was supposedly that it was a break even deal at worst, but we could neither get Villa to lower their demands or other clubs to raise theirs for Alonso. What really seems to have irked Rafa is that the club were able to agree a fee with Spurs but not with Villa. The subsequent campaign to sign Barry regardless, with talk of him being for the left, his priority, the 'club' buying Keane, was pretty brittle stuff. We can only speculate as to how much if at all that influenced Keane's time here

 

 

I agree that the Keane debacle is still hanging around not least because he's never been properly replaced, and I'm not sure it has ever been a priority to do so for the manager given the way we ran in last season. Never a serious link to a striker since, not even a Greek style effort when the money dried up. And with the Greek, it wouldn't have been an issue if we'd got a player who was better in the air than Skrtl, who is now looking an odd fit.

[domlfc]

None of us new or even had the foresight to see how good Alonso was going to be last season, I do however think that Barry would have been a brilliant player for us and am sure he would have settled straight in. In general I think we agree, that it is much more important for us to be rid of the current owners over the next 8 months than it is for Rafa to be sent on his way? I just want us to have owners that love our club and can back that with some investment that enables us to at least challenge

[Rimbeux]

None of us new or even had the foresight to see how good Alonso was going to be last season, I do however think that Barry would have been a brilliant player for us and am sure he would have settled straight in. In general I think we agree, that it is much more important for us to be rid of the current owners over the next 8 months than it is for Rafa to be sent on his way? I just want us to have owners that love our club and can back that with some investment that enables us to at least challenge

 

 

Alonso was a big reason behind our season last year, not least cos he held it together in talent and influence whilst Gerrard and Torres were injured. Could Barry have done that? I dont think he's that (Alonso last season) good a player personally, he's certainly better than Lucas though.

 

On the ownership front, it's not them v Rafa for the fans, or at least it shouldn't be, and just their continuation doesn't excuse or explain everything that goes on pitchwise. We are going to have huge issues competing if we continue to have the same financial issues at club level we've had in 2009, which are completely the owners fault and domain. The only light ahead is that something has to give on that front pretty soon. I dont think we could cope with the nuclear option of going bust and I just want an orderly restoration of our real financial position and progress toward the stadium.

 

With Rafa, I think many of his current issues are of his own making in terms of the players he has bought in and what he wants from them or thinks he can get from them. It's been my view for a number of years that he's at best unfocused and at worst careless in the scouting of players and seems to prefer to deal in a high turnover of players ready to ship them out as quick as they came, rather than being discerning and choosy and certain. If anything the result is a less balanced squad as time has gone by, probably since 06.

 

This season he's having issues with his traditional strong points, defence and organisation, that have led into or been influenced by a significant loss of faith/confidence amongst the players that would previously have ridden out the injuries we've had. I think there is clearly a hangover from not winning last season and a lack of belief that it can ever be done by this group which might have been altered by a big summer signing or maybe Aquilani being fit enough to make a £20m impact. Currently we're digging a deeper hole by trying to go back to basics, a mindset that wont take us anywhere as I see it, especially when we've seen last season what can be done when we take the game on.

[Metro]

And because of that look what happened last season, we were so so close. He has had nothing since and we are seeing the fallout from that right now

 

 

Yeh, and since then he has sold Alonso. 'Nuf said.

[domlfc]

No Barry could never be the player Alonso was for us last year, great post by the way. Thouroughly agree with all your points, fingers crossed we can get 4th this season get some new owners in before the summer and see this as a blip.

[domlfc]

Yeh, and since then he has sold Alonso. 'Nuf said.

If he had got Barry in though......

[oli-marson]

maybe there is something we arent seeing here, maybe the situation of the club is affecting the players, their futures at the club is uncertain.

[CaptainXabi]

maybe there is something we arent seeing here, maybe the situation of the club is affecting the players, their futures at the club is uncertain.

Or maybe they're feeling sorry for themselves and their manager is letting them. I think that's far more likely.