The Doubters

[strong centreback 157]

I dont know for sure that carlo is the right man but I know for a fact from whats on offer that he is certainly the best man for now, that might well change in the future, guardiola wont leave for another year even if he accepted a job offer from us, jose will not leave madrid before he has won the league/fired, hiddink will not come back as manager although may come as DoF, villas boas I dont think would come here after first hand seeing how jose was treated, so if the options are van basten, rijkaard, the fat spanish waiter or other managers of that ilk who have been out of work since being fired then I think you would have to be a moron to sack carlo and then bring one of them in.

Ancelotti has a year left on his on his contract and if the first/second choice replacement is not available, than why get rid of carlo for getting rid ofs sack? in the grand scheme of things is this season that bad? its not like finishing 14th under ian porterfield is it? we look to be on course to finishing 2nd as arsenal will blow it and maybe even with some luck sneak past man utd in the run in.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Fixed it for you

LMAO hopefully not

[spuz 143]

In my opinion, the double last season masked over problems. As has already been pointed out on here the FA cup was as straight forward as you're ever likely to get. The premiership last season,we lost a fair few silly points/games and despite beating Arsenal and Man u twice we still only won the league by a point on the last day. Also despite the record amount of goals we were still very poor at times and in my opinion fortunate. I know people don't like us being described as fortunate but it's true,last season could easily have seen us finish empty handed if we had drawn a game last season with Man u rather than won, would that make Carlo any worse a manager? Because that would make it 2 years (presuming we don't win it this year) without the league. I could see this season coming last season or even judging by his Milan record way before he even joined us.

Of course last season if I was to come on here and say we fluked it,I would soon be shot down. Like I said,people see the 2 shiney trophies and don't look beyond that.

If i didn't sing when we were winning I'd be accused of being a man u fan or something so you can't really criticise when we're winning.

As for the squad being too small,he still had Anelka and Kalou aswell as Sturridge up front. Aswell as Kakuta,Bruma etc.

Granted it's a blow losing Drogba and Lamps but we still had enough in the squad. I can't believe people think Deco,Ballack and Cole are a miss. and why does Carlo state he wants to stay if Roman is interfering so much.

As for the ageing squad thing,I thought we'd offloaded all the pensioners in the summer so our squad isn't that old really.

The things that worry me are the amount of losses this season (more than Grant and Scolari put together). Being knocked out of the CL as soon as we come up against a decent team. This year against Man u we had a fully fit squad to choose from so no excuses there. Poor team selection,poor subs etce etc,the stuff you've heard a million times before.

This season is what I correctly predicted and feared and feel next year will be much of the same.

[zolayes 14,489]

In my opinion, the double last season masked over problems. As has already been pointed out on here the FA cup was as straight forward as you're ever likely to get. The premiership last season,we lost a fair few silly points/games and despite beating Arsenal and Man u twice we still only won the league by a point on the last day. Also despite the record amount of goals we were still very poor at times and in my opinion fortunate. I know people don't like us being described as fortunate but it's true,last season could easily have seen us finish empty handed if we had drawn a game last season with Man u rather than won, would that make Carlo any worse a manager? Because that would make it 2 years (presuming we don't win it this year) without the league. I could see this season coming last season or even judging by his Milan record way before he even joined us.

Of course last season if I was to come on here and say we fluked it,I would soon be shot down. Like I said,people see the 2 shiney trophies and don't look beyond that.

If i didn't sing when we were winning I'd be accused of being a man u fan or something so you can't really criticise when we're winning.

As for the squad being too small,he still had Anelka and Kalou aswell as Sturridge up front. Aswell as Kakuta,Bruma etc.

Granted it's a blow losing Drogba and Lamps but we still had enough in the squad. I can't believe people think Deco,Ballack and Cole are a miss. and why does Carlo state he wants to stay if Roman is interfering so much.

As for the ageing squad thing,I thought we'd offloaded all the pensioners in the summer so our squad isn't that old really.

The things that worry me are the amount of losses this season (more than Grant and Scolari put together). Being knocked out of the CL as soon as we come up against a decent team. This year against Man u we had a fully fit squad to choose from so no excuses there. Poor team selection,poor subs etce etc,the stuff you've heard a million times before.

This season is what I correctly predicted and feared and feel next year will be much of the same.

you are such an optimist try saying these ,,,,KTF ... KTBFFH....

we have had many worse seasons ,,,and many worse managers ...

[Madmax 9,219]

Many will remember (particularly Madmax)

Why me?

Top post btw, Alex. We're just saying the same things over and over again so I'm getting very bored of these threads now.

One thing though - what all of this shows reaffirms is that football is a results business. We were playing shit well before Wilkins was sacked, infact I don't remember a convincing performance all season long (except Sunderland away) and yes, it includes those 6-0 and 4-0 games early in the season, but we didn't see all this speculation then simply because we were getting the results that mattered. Notice how the 'Ancelotti out in the summer' thread was started on the day of the Liverpool defeat at the Bridge.

[Krypt 241]

In my opinion, the double last season masked over problems. As has already been pointed out on here the FA cup was as straight forward as you're ever likely to get. The premiership last season,we lost a fair few silly points/games and despite beating Arsenal and Man u twice we still only won the league by a point on the last day. Also despite the record amount of goals we were still very poor at times and in my opinion fortunate. I know people don't like us being described as fortunate but it's true,last season could easily have seen us finish empty handed if we had drawn a game last season with Man u rather than won, would that make Carlo any worse a manager? Because that would make it 2 years (presuming we don't win it this year) without the league. I could see this season coming last season or even judging by his Milan record way before he even joined us.

Of course last season if I was to come on here and say we fluked it,I would soon be shot down. Like I said,people see the 2 shiney trophies and don't look beyond that.

If i didn't sing when we were winning I'd be accused of being a man u fan or something so you can't really criticise when we're winning.

As for the squad being too small,he still had Anelka and Kalou aswell as Sturridge up front. Aswell as Kakuta,Bruma etc.

Granted it's a blow losing Drogba and Lamps but we still had enough in the squad. I can't believe people think Deco,Ballack and Cole are a miss. and why does Carlo state he wants to stay if Roman is interfering so much.

As for the ageing squad thing,I thought we'd offloaded all the pensioners in the summer so our squad isn't that old really.

The things that worry me are the amount of losses this season (more than Grant and Scolari put together). Being knocked out of the CL as soon as we come up against a decent team. This year against Man u we had a fully fit squad to choose from so no excuses there. Poor team selection,poor subs etce etc,the stuff you've heard a million times before.

This season is what I correctly predicted and feared and feel next year will be much of the same.

In the Premier League we beat all top 4 teams ( i know liverpool didnt finish top 4)

But you dont do that and not deserve to win the league.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Why me?

I just remember when I last mentioned it, it was to you haha

[spuz 143]

you are such an optimist try saying these ,,,,KTF ... KTBFFH....

we have had many worse seasons ,,,and many worse managers ...

You mean pessimist? I know we've had many worse seasons and managers,but we've not had much better squads and individual players,not to mention opposition for the title being awful this season.

If we were still a pauper side I could understand it. But I can't get why or how we've been bad all season.

[zolayes 14,489]

You mean pessimist? I know we've had many worse seasons and managers,but we've not had much better squads and individual players,not to mention opposition for the title being awful this season.

If we were still a pauper side I could understand it. But I can't get why or how we've been bad all season.

I was being sarcastic just one of my faults

[spuz 143]

Why me?

those 6-0 and 4-0 games early in the season, but we didn't see all this speculation then simply because we were getting the results that mattered. Notice how the 'Ancelotti out in the summer' thread was started on the day of the Liverpool defeat at the Bridge.

That 6-0 wasn't that the game where Ferreira was made a mug of several times by some player but we still hammered them.

That's my point about 'Carlo out'. After a 6-0 win you can't post on here and say you want Carlo out, people will think you're mad. Anyway most of the time against lowly opposition it's normally a straight forward 3 points,it's when we come up against a real test we are exposed.

I remember at the start of the season,Fergie along with many others were saying how easy our start to the league had been. I didn't believe them and thought it was sour grapes. Then sure enough as soon as the frist tough fixture(Man city away) comes along we lose.So maybe they had a point all along.

I was being sarcastic just one of my faults

Well i'm neither,I think more a realist.

[Krypt 241]

That 6-0 wasn't that the game where Ferreira was made a mug of several times by some player but we still hammered them.

That's my point about 'Carlo out'. After a 6-0 win you can't post on here and say you want Carlo out, people will think you're mad. Anyway most of the time against lowly opposition it's normally a straight forward 3 points,it's when we come up against a real test we are exposed.

I remember at the start of the season,Fergie along with many others were saying how easy our start to the league had been. I didn't believe them and thought it was sour grapes. Then sure enough as soon as the frist tough fixture(Man city away) comes along we lose.So maybe they had a point all along.

Well i'm neither,I think more a realist.

We did have an easy start to the season compared to most , i think this is where complaceny crept in , also some players might of thought they just had to turn up to win . confidence is great but cockyness is not i feel we underestimated some teams.

[GodZola 630]

Ancelotti's position has promoted so many debates on this site, across many threads and for the large part been intriguing to read apart from some of the cheap shots that were totally unnecessary, i would like to add my final two penneth on his future.

I can see both sides of the argument and there has been some logical defence from both sides on several threads, i think that there are many fans on here that are like me that are right on the borderline that cannot separate a cigarette paper in terms of him staying/leaving but are steering slightly to one side or the other. I actually criticized him last season, although i cannot back that up with evidence but i can also state that i ate a large slice of humble pie at the end of last season concerning his management skills and Malouda's form as both proved me wrong and i was man enough to admit it on the forum where i post and will do the same if Mikel becomes the player that Jose thought he was! (that ones for you eldo, LDN, Styles, clevemayer amongst others :eyebrows: ) but i will still favour a change even if by some miracle we win the league this season.

My point is, if Ancelotti stays then i WILL give him my 100% support next season, he won us the double last season so he deserves credit because those achievements have been forgotten. However i say this with regret that i am actually in favour of a change of management because i do not see us winning the CL under Carlo as i think when it comes down to it against teams that are as good as we are, with a very capable manager Ancelotti gets out thought, yes i know he has beaten Utd before with us in the league but this is a knock out competition where there are only 2 games to gain qualification not 38. I accept we cannot win the league every season but with our expensively assembled squad i think its a minimum requirement to qualify for the CL, which we are on course for. However for me Ancelotti has failed miserably in the CL, our performances against Inter and Utd back that up in the last 2 seasons and i don't see that changing next season unless he improves his tactical awareness and stands up to the hierachy so he ensures that it is HIS decisions on everything concerning football matters. It doesn't help either with Ancelotti now contradicting himself by saying that squad wasn't big strong enough as he has stated that he was happy with those decisions and said he wanted to bring down the average age of the squad and start using our youth players only for the likes of the very talented Sturridge to go out on loan?! Ancelotti cannot use any excuse about the squad as he is at the helm, he is the one that should made those decisions like Jose did mainly before a seasons end, instead he has waited til now almost the end of April and possibly the worst under Romans tenure to admit the squad was not strong enough when he is the person who was/IS responsible for making those decisions, and again he is the person in the chair then he MUST stand up to his superiors and ensure those decisions are made at the right time.

Lastly i will gladly eat more humble pie if he stays next season and delivers the CL and turns our fortunes around, i hope those on here who are in my boat will do the same and like wise to those pro Carlo fans if he remains and we do not improve next season.....................tick tock!