Manager Watch: Ange Postecoglou

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

Yet we didn’t sign a single player on £150k a week with a transfer fee. Actually, when was the last time we did? Ndombele maybe.

Perisic

 

[cliff jones]

But that is the reality - and it's not just under ENIC. Looking at the similar dissatisfaction at Newcastle despite their wealth and United despite their spending, it's the reality for most teams in the league. Only so many teams can win per year, and only so many signings actually make an impact. Yeah I'm annoyed at the expense and the lack of success, but I'm annoyed at most aspects of modern football, and Ange is one of the few things that's actually cut through as honest and worthwhile, which is probably why I'm so defensive of him/needing this to work.

I'm still Ange in, but Palace was bad, really bad. We had no answers. They roughed us up.

But last summer was hugely disappointing, no?

We don't win any year, under ENIC.

I don't buy this peering over the fence malarkey. Just make an objective assessment of whether our Football Club can be successful on the field under this owner. Realise the answer is no, accept it, and pray someone pays the money and he fucks off

 

[RuskyM]

In Conte's second season there was approx 20 mins of flowing, dominating football and approx - 30 minutes of sounding like a statesman with a desire to drag us to greatness.

We have seen ample evidence of both under Ange this season. The consistency isn't there yet but at least when it clicks it gives us a glimpse of where we're (hopefully) heading.

We've scored the fourth most goals per game (third most goals generally), conceded the fourth least goals per game (joint fourth least conceded generally), 2nd on xG scored, 5th on xG conceded. The underlying numbers are good and suggest something's there, as annoying as games like Newcastle were or shite performances like Palace are. I think over the course of the season we'll end up being about 4th or 5th, which is probably about where we should be.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

“Poch had next to no impact. No more than Sherwood, Jol, AVB, Nuno, Harry, Ramos, Jose, Conte or Ange”

Sorry what lol.

That is the widest statement i've read on here for a long time.

2 losses out of the last 8 matches and some of you have lost the fucking plot

 

[RuskyM]

I'm still Ange in, but Palace was bad, really bad. We had no answers. They roughed us up.

But last summer was hugely disappointing, no?

We don't win any year, under ENIC.

I don't buy this peering over the fence malarkey. Just make an objective assessment of whether our Football Club can be successful on the field under this owner. Realise the answer is no, accept it, and pray someone pays the money and he fucks off

It was. But most teams have games like that - Liverpool against Forest earlier this season, for instance.

I mean I've seen us sign players I was really excited for and they've gone to hell and I've seen us sign no one and reach the European Cup final, so it's a bit difficult to make a decision on that aha. Football's weird. I think way too much is made of new signings personally because I always feel the majority don't work out for one reason or another. Obviously it's annoying when coaches clearly have a plan - Eze this summer, Bastoni, Dybala, Mane and Moutinho in times gone by - and they then carry the can for an unideal squad not performing, but again, I feel most teams have this unless you're Real Madrid.

And fine, but if that's the case and you've accepted we're not going to achieve anything, why put so much stock in it and let it get to you?

 

[cozzo]

We may not win any trophy this year, but I need to see a proper assault on them. No faffing around with the team

 

[Styopa]

Perisic

I don’t believe there was any transfer fee involved for Perisic.

Maddison, however, is likely earning around £150k a week. I doubt there are many others on that level—probably just Son and Romero. If we had signed players like Gallagher or Neto, they would easily have ranked among the club’s top two or three highest-paid players.

 

[easley91]

 

[cliff jones]

It was. But most teams have games like that - Liverpool against Forest earlier this season, for instance.

I mean I've seen us sign players I was really excited for and they've gone to hell and I've seen us sign no one and reach the European Cup final, so it's a bit difficult to make a decision on that aha. Football's weird. I think way too much is made of new signings personally because I always feel the majority don't work out for one reason or another. Obviously it's annoying when coaches clearly have a plan - Eze this summer, Bastoni, Dybala, Mane and Moutinho in times gone by - and they then carry the can for an unideal squad not performing, but again, I feel most teams have this unless you're Real Madrid.

And fine, but if that's the case and you've accepted we're not going to achieve anything, why put so much stock in it and let it get to you?

again I'm not buying the comparisons you make. Quoting one shock result doesn't prove any point. What I was trying to convey, on Ange, is I can live with reverses like Brighton. I grew up on stuff like that, those inconsistencies- even in the better years in the 80s.

We just looked entitled, moaning at the ref. We were lucky to get nil.

Every fan has the right to expect fight, commitment and bravery. Wherever we are in the pecking order. It wasn't there.

If you're one of those posters assuming superiority over others who " let it get to them ", I believe you have no right to look down.

 

[RuskyM]

again I'm not buying the comparisons you make. Quoting one shock result doesn't prove any point. What I was trying to convey, on Ange, is I can live with reverses like Brighton. I grew up on stuff like that, those inconsistencies- even in the better years in the 80s.

We just looked entitled, moaning at the ref. We were lucky to get nil.

Every fan has the right to expect fight, commitment and bravery. Wherever we are in the pecking order. It wasn't there.

If you're one of those posters assuming superiority over others who " let it get to them ", I believe you have no right to look down.

Isn't this a strong reaction at one shock result though?

And I'm not assuming superiority over anyone - I'm just constantly confused by how fans can be so vocally pessimistic and yet still seem hurt and surprised when things go the way they said it would. It just seems exhausting.

 

[cliff jones]

Isn't this a strong reaction at one shock result though?

And I'm not assuming superiority over anyone - I'm just constantly confused by how fans can be so vocally pessimistic and yet still seem hurt and surprised when things go the way they said it would. It just seems exhausting.

Yep, but it was that bad. The performance not the result!!! I've explained why, did you watch it, and draw another conclusion?

It wasn't us bombarding a low block and coming up short. That's an incorrect characterisation.

Why allow yourself to be constantly confused- that sounds exhausting

See ya

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

Ignoring everything posted here in the last few days, we are potentially 4 games away from our first trophy in almost 2 decades.

If Ange and the boys can get past City tonight, our chances are 25% better than they are for the moment at winning the Carabao.

That’s all I’m focusing on for now, the next game and its importance.

 

[Jamturk]

Play Mikey Moore, Play Bergvall, play the next shiny toy they say but are not prepared to accept the inevitable defeats that go along with that.

It's the same idiots.

 

[only1waddle]

I agree with that and I wish they had backed Poch when he was getting nothing spent because of the stadium. I think we'd be in a different position now if they had.

Just not sure that Ange has earned that yet - last season was pretty mediocre outside of the first ten games (and I think the match against Villa) and this one has started the same way. I think he needs to show he can work with what he has first before I complain about him not being backed.

It's not about Ange "earning" players if the setup is all about Tottenham and decent ideology succession planning, it should be about creating the strongest squad possible regardless of who the coach is, like Brighton, who succession plan with intelligence, I suspect Levy has definitely had a them v him attitude with coaches without any long term plan in place for squad development.
Our problem as a club is we pivot from on extreme to the other, even now with our new approach we've fucked up leaving ourselves short in the wide areas in favour of chasing potential.

 

[Gassin's finest]

At least Poch got his boys Ndombele, Lo Celso and Sessegnon

And then got sacked before he got a chance to use them. We'll never know how good or not they'd have been with him.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

[/QUOTE]

Thing is signing players in their early 20s is still building for the future. Look how good VdV has been. Even Udogie for a while but just struggling this season. Although that also shows even at that age they're still raw. I don't think signing say Neto at 24 is moving away from that? Nothing wrong with signing teenagers for the long term too but we seriously lack in the first team at the moment.

But do you really think we should have offered a player with a history of injury problems a 7 year contract. Because that’s what we would have needed to do to compete on that deal. I personally don’t believe the shot about baulking at wage demands. If we targeted him we would have known the wages he was expecting very early on in negotiations.

 

[mil1lion]

But do you really think we should have offered a player with a history of injury problems a 7 year contract. Because that’s what we would have needed to do to compete on that deal. I personally don’t believe the shot about baulking at wage demands. If we targeted him we would have known the wages he was expecting very early on in negotiations.

[/QUOTE]
Neto is just an example though. If that's not possible you get another similar profile and age to him. Instead we got someone 6 years younger. We went from going for a starter to a potential future starter.

 

[Mr Pink]

Be really, really surprised if he doesnt go strong.

Expect, Porrio Udogie, Drags and one of Romero/VDV

Bentancur, Sarr and one of Madders/Kulu

Fully expect front three that did United...Johnson/Dom/Werner

We need to take this seriously.

I get we need to use the squad to keep players ticking over, but this represents a great chance at a trophy if we progress.

Ill be disappointed if the line up has too many of the youngsters in it, despite their quality...we need an experienced side out there tonight

 

[rossdapep]

Yea VVD & Allison is a better example but to spend £100 mil on Rice and £60mil on Havertz and £40mil on Timber in the same window is intent.

Will we ever have a window like that or like the one Liverpool had when they signed VVD & Allison, I doubt it and without that we won’t go up many levels very fast.

We could have an excellent team with very little weaknesses other than a 'gamechanger' type and 100m+ in the account and Levy would still prefer players with potential.

Let's face it, Levy and ENIC prefer to buy players based on their MO which is to buy something and make it more valuable.

There is no value to them in signing a 100m player on relatively big salary because there is no profit at a later date, the value has already peaked.

To the team, the value could be astronimcal but they will never see it that way.

We don't even shop in the 70m plus range for serious quality, which if you want to achieve something, you have to do today.

 

[Joshua shepherd]

But do you really think we should have offered a player with a history of injury problems a 7 year contract. Because that’s what we would have needed to do to compete on that deal. I personally don’t believe the shot about baulking at wage demands. If we targeted him we would have known the wages he was expecting very early on in negotiations.

[/QUOTE]

There wasn’t only one option after not being able to sign thought was there, it didn’t have to be try for neto and if not get an unproven 19 year old instead.