LDN Blue

With Ranieri it was quite obvious that Pearson just wasn't right, continuing the trend of failing English managers. Hiddink's lucky if you think about it, he doesn't have to commit to any longer than he's signed up for. He'll have 'new manager syndrome' kick in at just the right time and could inspire something great. He's going to to have to win over this team though, from his last tenure only Terry & Ivanovic remain. He seemed to 'fix' Drogba in 2009 and now maybe he'll have the same effect on Costa.

It's amazing when you think the backlash Leicester got for sacking Pearson initially and then eyebrows raised even more when Ranieri was appointed

For sure, Ranieri is proving his stripes once again but it didn't come as a surprise. Although I've noticed he's less of the 'tinkerman' this season, he's not really chopped and screwed with LCFC (albeit, that down to lack of personnel perhaps). Hot and cold appointment though, hasn't had the best of luck around since leaving Chelsea. Did well to get Monaco promoted and iirc, he did it in style. But that's when they were boasting a huge talent load (damned tax havens). For the life of me, I don't remember how his Juve and Inter stints were.

That's why Simeone isn't my number 1 choice to Chelsea. It seem he would come in under the shadow of Mourinho, known for developing a hard working team with a tight defence.. Sounds familiar, right?

Agreed, but I think the first managerial appointment sets the tone so to speak of how that club will develop, imo. True that Ranieri is technically our first manager under Abramovich, and he did well in recruitment, but Mourinho was the first one picked by the club and he did wonders. Hughes was always going to be out of his depth when managing talent that cost that amount of money. I mean I've made no mystery of the fact I think the modern manager's role is one of a coach now. Rarely do managers have the level of control usually associated with such a position. Martinez does to an extent at Everton, but once they reluctantly lose their top talent he's hardly likely to stick around.

Ah yes! Always proof-read kids

It's revision time, so I'll be doing anything to procrastinate. I'll mull something over and send a draft to either @Jim or @BlueLion to have a look over!

Wow man, the media is actually slightly obsessed with this aren't they? Why on earth this will 'open the door' baffles me. Eva's gone, whether right or wrong we really should move on from this whole fiasco. It was unneeded and savage, but ffs the woman is suing us!

True, But I do offer the case of City and their very late ascension to the elite. They had to wait a considerable amount of time, compared to Chelsea, to get to where they are. Inflation and all accounted for, you can argue that they spent even more to just try and match our credentials. In 7 years, since their take over, all they can boast is; PL x2 and the FA Cup x1. They've only made it past the Champions League GS twice too. By comparison, Chelsea were on their way to a PL x3, FA Cup x3 & LC x2. While you can argue that perhaps we spent the most wise, Mourinho did help shape what was to become the Chelsea core for 8-9 years before we had a clear out of that guard he'd helped us built. That's where City went wrong, you can argue, under Hughes they never built that core & it meant they spent close to £1bn before they touched their first PL title. While I agree with the overall premise that the role of the manager is diminishing now, I do think we should say Mourinho was an important part of the club being as successful as it has become. Most manager's can't make that claim. Perhaps Pep is the next best for re-branding/working on Cruyff's model but otherwise Mou sits in a league of his own with the likes of Sir Alex & Wenger.

Tbh, whether it's for the right reasons or not the club did try. They've never been so patient with a manager as they have thus far, it was only going to ever get to a certain extent. It would've been inconceivable that the club would let things get so irreversible and then act, I'm sure we would've all been furious over that more than anyone would be now. They are guilty of a lot of problems we're currently facing, but their intentions to see out this "stability" thing was there to see. I do feel sorry for Roman that it hasn't worked, like the AVB project, we seem burdened to go through managers like the ghost of Christmas past. Perhaps, just perhaps, it's worth the club now offering minimum 2-year contracts, with an option to extend based on performances. It seems the only way Roman's going to avoid paying ridiculous compensation fees

@Liquidator, don't have it!

Well I don't think that's necessarily true. Klopp went to Liverpool without them attaining CL football, same with Van Gaal. Regardless of how their tenures have gone, they're world class coaches with ambitions to see their clubs back in the Champions League. Money also talks.

Poch would be great, massive fan but Levy's a cunt and would see hell freeze over first. Tuchel needs some seasons under his belt at Borussia before he's ready to step up to the next level imo.

I may be mistaken, but I'm sure Faria was dismissed along with Mou. Holland remains, he'll probably take charge versus Sunderland.

So.. Are the dudes from the OP still around?

Just saw Ronald Koeman's name on the poll, Any thoughts?

My question is, what state will we find ourselves once Pep goes? Guardian reported today Guardiola feels we're at least 10-players short of where we 'need to be'. Once we sign these players for astronomical figures, will we be left in the same mess we were when Mourinho left in 2007? For all of Van Gaal's flaws, it's noted that United are looking at a bigger picture. They're already thought to have been preparing for 2017, post-Van Gaal. That's the sort of attitude our board needs to adopt. Not by looking for a long-term manager, but by creating a long-term plan. In the modern game, esp in England, the manager in now a coach. Less power over transfers and general day-to-day club-related activities, more just take the squad you're given and do something with them.

Precisely. I was discussing this with my friends before and I said once Wenger goes, that's it for this longevity myth. Even they will struggle to keep to the 'one manager a decade' philosophy.. For now it's a case of ignorance is bliss.

It's that whole unwritten rule 'don't bite the hand that feeds you' hey? We don't have the grounds to really not be a fan of his. He hasn't taken out huge debts against the club nor is he leaving us in any sort of financial risk or ruin. It's a shame that we use that as the current measure of what makes a successful owner and not other mitigating factors. On the face, it does seem the sacking was Roman's own to bare. Perhaps a bit of structure needs to be brought in now. That ageing board could do with a freshening up perhaps. Wasn't it rumoured Buck was next to be going after Gourlay?

Nah, bullshit lol. Don't kid yourself mate. How many times have we said that over the last decade? Scolari, Ancelotti, Villas-Boas, we all said the same thing about 'fresh start' and all that rhetoric. We're either in 'transition' or 'starting fresh', but neither project ever comes to fruition. The project is flawed. I call it a project, ya'll call it 'identity'. Nothing changes. But is that so wrong? I mean our current model keeps us successful lol. New managers bring fresh ideas, agreed, but the same people are being put in charge of recruitment and failing considerably. I don't mind not matching City & United's spending, we have a good squad that needed tweaking, not overhauling (as Guardiola seems to have alluded to). Mourinho shoulders blame, but you're naive if you think our Board has learned anything. Roman, himself, decided on Villas-Boas and soon abandoned that project. He then had a personal interest in bringing Mourinho back and that project was abandoned. As will project Guardiola, Simeone, etc. F*cking nonce. How this man is given a spotlight I'll never know. I mean, I get why everyone jumped on him today but let's face the facts.. He's just a yes man lol. The board have used him as communications medium right now, so he's naturally going to end up the scapegoat. Emenalo has nothing to do with this Lmao Styles you remember when Emenalo was a the centre of hatred when Mikel was equally hated. What did fans come out with? Because Emenalo was Nigerian, that's why Mikel remains . The funniest one was he conspired to have Wilkins sacked so he could overthrow Ancelotti and have his own way in the board . The Right Honourable Michael Kevin Emenalo will go down in history as 'that' guy' :lol:

Empathise with him more than any other manager we've had. He really did care and it's a shame the fairytale couldn't go on. Wonder how he bounces back

From Guardian.

Club is slowly running out of 'leaders'..

Hahaha well it had to be something enormous to bring you back here.

Capello would be interesting. Hasn't managed club level in England but he's the disciplinarian this squad is crying out for I guess.. Tactically proven and in my opinion one of England's best manager's recent times.