Post Europa Cup Big Ange Poll

[muppetman]

I think there is a difference between prioritising the Europa and throwing the league. I'm sure everyone playing was trying their best to win every game but it is a lot tougher when missing some key players.

 

[THOWIG]

He has to stay. Can’t sack him now surely

I think next year could be a whole different story personally. I think there are so many factors this season that people are overlooking.

I would like a few changes with the coaches and 4 or 5 top players coming in.

 

[bubble07]

It's such a tough call. But what must happen is a decision very soon. I think I'd only let him go if Poch was coming back. Otherwise he deserves a third season

 

[C0YS]

I don't get where this "he went against the board to prioritise the Europa League" narrative has come from.

Can someone point me to some examples of games this season where he didn't play the strongest XI available to him, aside from perhaps just before the semi final?

I can't think of any.

Which means he must have put his strongest XI out in the league, but told the lads to go out and lose.

It's just more of the same nonsense from a small, shrill crowd who have an excuse for absolutely everything.

Gladly.

Villa (L)- Only Sarr started who started the final. Son played. 9 players rotated

Palace (L)-only Sarr, Bentancur and Porro who started played. Deki would have been in contention: 7 players rotated

West ham (D)- at least 6 players rotated.

Liverpool (L)- at least 4 players rotated. 3 of the back 4 and a midfielder.

Notts forest (L): rotation could be argued. Johnson and Solanke on the bench. But could be argued it was the best team we thought to play on the day. (A game we shouldn't have lost either btw)

Wolves (L)- at least 2 rotated. Van de ven and Porro

Southampton (w) 1 rested at least.

Chelsea (L) arguably one or two but may have been tactical. Lets say it was the best team.

Fulham (L) - at least 3.

Bournemouth (D)- at least 3.

Man city (L), a lot of injuries arguably one but we will say we it was tactical.

Ipswich (w), we are definitely in our injury crisis here. I would say its the full team.

Man utd (w), Lots of injuries we will say best we had available.

Brentford (w) - assume that is our best team but, a lot of injuries there.

Thats up to early january. I assume before that it is more or less the same: constant injuries and shifting teams, so not much intentional rotation.

So since the end of january. Out of 14 games 9 have seen clear rotation. I don't think we have had the same team played back to back a single game.

Record when rotating: 1 win 2 draws 5 loses.

Record when strongest available: 3 wins 3 loses.

Obviously we can look deeper in january but some games the rotation was significant. Other times it was little. Porro, Van de Ven and Romero were clearly very protected and barely got minutes outside the europa league. It is wuite clear what happened.

But also prioritising the europa league often means more than players. It means what you do in the training ground is geared to those particular games, while little attention is payed to the games in the league. But is redundant, because quite clearly rotation is demonstrated. In my examples I am being generous too. I am assuming some things are tactical if you could argue this player is starting out of merit even if I personally am skeptical (Porro for Spence for example, Odobert for son, and Richie for Solanke are all examples of things I didn't count as rotation based on when the matches were played and the possibility they were purely tactical. But I am not sure how true it is).

 

[VDV11 Fan]

I've been a defender of Ange for as long as I could be. However, I told myself when I watched Liverpool tear us apart at will to win the league a few weeks ago that I wouldn't allow myself to be reeled back in if we won the EL.

We just look so poor in league games. 22 times this season I've had my weekend ruined watching us lose. Both seasons we've had an unprecedented injury crisis and I can only see another with him at the helm next season.

I'll always think fondly of him for delivering that trophy and it felt better than I imagined it would but I think it's probably best if he leaves now with his reputation intact.

The next manager won't have the same goodwill that ange would if the season starts badly so hopefully we can get that right.