[Archived] BIG SAM GONE

[Bobby G]

Who plays the most high balls? Stoke?

You know that is something to discuss. We rarely succeeded with the long balls or long throws. Oh well.

[LeChuck]

Just heard John Williams and Tom Finn quit stories may have something in them...

Been a meeting since early doors.

Oh dear.

Meltdown.

So we're going to be left with the Raos in total control with Kean managing?

Not a single bit of PL experience in their given roles. Terrifying.

How do Venky's benefit from bending over with their trousers down for Kentaro?

[BuckyRover]

So much for the loyalty of JW/TF.

Loyal to the Truat and not BRFC and the fans it would appear.

Very disappointed (if it turns out to be true)

[Majiball]

So much for the loyalty of JW/TF.

Loyal to the Truat and not BRFC and the fans it would appear.

Very disappointed (if it turns out to be true)

Wake up and smell the roses.

You've obviously never met him and your assumptions over his reasons for leaving clearly show this.

You do the man/men a disservice.

[slough_rover]

Who plays the most high balls? Stoke?

You know that is something to discuss. We rarely succeeded with the long balls or long throws. Oh well.

Yea Stoke were top but I believe their long balls were more successful than ours. Looking at those stats shows our football was kind of like an insect continuously flying into a window over and over again trying to get out and just once in a blue moon it would succeed when someone could be bothered to open the window for it.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Just heard John Williams and Tom Finn quit stories may have something in them...

Been a meeting since early doors.

Oh dear.

Meltdown.

Nicko, in your opinion do these guys have the wedge to buy themselves out of the very big hole they are digging. Think I may have asked before but were the likes of NZogbia on Sam's list or kentaro's?

[BuckyRover]

So this is loyalty to the fans?

Strange way of showing it.

Wages 90% of turnover, chronic under investment, poor players on expensive contracts, Paul Ince etc.

It's not all roses. I'm just providing an alternate viewpoint.

[nicko]

Finally some proper feeling and input from you on this nicko.

You've been on the fence for far too long on the whole thing.

Disastrous.

Hold the phone.

I broke the fact that Kentaro were involved - and what might happen down the line.

I prefer to give people a chance first. If they do something wrong, then they cop it.

This could yet be inspired if a successful new regime comes in.

Until then it is all very strange - something the owners and their mates need to sort out fast.

[DaveyB]

I keep reading this assumption that Venky's are wanting to do things on the cheap, probably based on the rumour about Geovanni and Boyd (and it is just a rumour remember), but something doesn't add up to me. If they really did just want a yes man, and to do things on the cheap, run us into the ground etc, then why sack Allardyce? Why not just impose their players on him and tell him to get on with it? Sure, he would have stomped his feet and sulked a bit, but ultimately what could he have done about it? Other than resign, of course - which surely if he had bigger ambitions for us than the owners did he would have done, and would in the process have saved the owners the compensation money, but of course that's not what happened.

Of course, if they're telling the truth and they really do have big ambitions for us, bigger than BFS then the sacking makes sense...

Seems logical to me, but then logic never seems to figure very highly in some of the posts round here - far better to hysterically react in a knee-jerk fashion to every bit of rumour and gossip that you hear, eh? We're doooomed, doooomed I tell you!!!

[nicko]

Nicko, in your opinion do these guys have the wedge to buy themselves out of the very big hole they are digging. Think I may have asked before but were the likes of NZogbia on Sam's list or kentaro's?

N'Zogbia was a Sam idea.

We shall see now how much the owners have...and I still hear it is plenty.

Got to say I thought it was significant that Steve Kean may be in charge for the next couple of months...that includes the window.

So that is going to be interesting and revealing.

[Bobby G]

They handed over a club that was mid-table, and relatively stable in the running. That's the bottom line. What happens next is the new owners responsibility.

[Majiball]

So this is loyalty to the fans?

Strange way of showing it.

Wages 90% of turnover, chronic under investment, poor players on expensive contracts, Paul Ince etc.

It's not all roses. I'm just providing an alternate viewpoint.

Promotion back into the premier league. Winning the league cup. Finishing in the top 10 more often than not. Appointing Souness, Hughes, Sam.

Backing the manager and squeezing every penny he could in difficult circumstances. Wages yes where at 90%, but now they are nearer 75-80% after the summer clearout.

JW cannot be held responsible for the trusts choice to stop funding for transfers.

Since you banging on about another viewpoint, here's one:

Which shows more loyalty to the fans? The man who keeps his gob shut, sits down and does as he's told keeping the truth away from us. Or is it the man who stands up for what he believes in and leaves, revealing the truth to the fans.

[AJW]

WTF is happening at the club i love?

[BuckyRover]

We will see what is revealed then.

[nicko]

So we're going to be left with the Raos in total control with Kean managing?

Not a single bit of PL experience in their given roles. Terrifying.

How do Venky's benefit from bending over with their trousers down for Kentaro?

The Raos ARE in control. They bought the club.

Kean IS in charge for the time being - and possibly beyond.

I have said all along that Venky's and Kentaro are joined at the hip.

Now comes the big test...and the possible unveiling of what it is all about.

The identities of the next 'chairman' or 'director of football' is going to be the final proof of that.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Got to say I thought it was significant that Steve Kean may be in charge for the next couple of months...that includes the window.

So that is going to be interesting and revealing.

Significant as in we will get all the kentaro dross - or alternatively they can play the "we haven't appointed a manager yet, so no funds are available" card

It's also worth noting that there are no entertaining English managers out there..

[Gav]

How do you work that out? We're doing about the same as last season. I don't know how you can expect improvements with a £0 budget.

To say you're "delighted" is completely insulting to the job Sam did in saving this club after the Ince nightmare, and keeping our reputation as a top half club intact despite negative funds.

We have gone backwards from last season, even a blind man can see that LeChuck.

I don't expect miracles on £0 budget but to go backwards is unacceptable.

We played some decent stuff towards the back end of last season, that has disappeared, and we’re back to the percentage football and not bothering away from home which is criminal for me.

The defence, which has been our strong point, look some weeks like they’ve never played before, and clearly the owners have seen this, many of the fans have seen this and that’s why I’m delighted he’s gone.

Just so you don’t get confused:

I respect and applaud the job Allardyce did in keeping us in this league, but his time had come to leave, he’d taken our football club as far as it could go.

[Bobby G]

I dont think any proof of anything more is necessary. We've seen enough for a lifetime in this 24 hours.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

We have gone backwards from last season, even a blind man can see that LeChuck.

I don't expect miracles on £0 budget but to go backwards is unacceptable.

We played some decent stuff towards the back end of last season, that has disappeared, and we’re back to the percentage football and not bothering away from home which is criminal for me.

The defence, which has been our strong point, look some weeks like they’ve never played before, and clearly the owners have seen this, many of the fans have seen this and that’s why I’m delighted he’s gone.

Just so you don’t get confused:

I respect and applaud the job Allardyce did in keeping us in this league, but his time had come to leave, he’d taken our football club as far as it could go.

You must agree that to sack him now is stupid if there is no imminent appointment. To sack him at the end of the season when we're safe from relegation is a different issue.

Was Sam the man for the long term future of this club? No. Was it wise to sack him in the middle of December??? No

Sam has done a great job with the team he has. We've been floating between 12th-8th this season which is exactly where id say this squad would rank in the league.

It would be a miracle if we remain in midtable for the rest of the season

[Bobby G]

We have gone backwards from last season, even a blind man can see that LeChuck.

I don't expect miracles on £0 budget but to go backwards is unacceptable.

We played some decent stuff towards the back end of last season, that has disappeared, and we’re back to the percentage football and not bothering away from home which is criminal for me.

The defence, which has been our strong point, look some weeks like they’ve never played before, and clearly the owners have seen this, many of the fans have seen this and that’s why I’m delighted he’s gone.

Just so you don’t get confused:

I respect and applaud the job Allardyce did in keeping us in this league, but his time had come to leave, he’d taken our football club as far as it could go.

Gone backwards?

We have 21 points. How many did we have at this point last season? We have about 4 games coming up of which at least 2-3 are winnable. So potentially under Sam we would have had 28 points if not more after about 20-21 games. And that is backwards? On a summer where Benjani has been the star attraction.

If anything we have played better football on the whole this season. We look more comfortable against teams in and around us too. Confidence was back that we should be winning games.

Backwards I dont buy.

[nicko]

Significant as in we will get all the kentaro dross - or alternatively they can play the "we haven't appointed a manager yet, so no funds are available" card

It's also worth noting that there are no entertaining English managers out there..

The Rao folk put the money down when nobody else did. They used the advice and knowhow of Kentaro all along the way.

Now comes the crunch.

Can they attract the profile manager or 'figurehead' they want?

Can they attract and afford the players they want?

By the way, the statement about 'British' managers is not the full story, Mrs D immediately added it could be a tp quality name from anywhere.

Major days ahead for the new regime.

[DaveyB]

I dont think any proof of anything more is necessary. We've seen enough for a lifetime in this 24 hours.

What exactly have we seen in the last 24 hours? The sacking of a manager who a decent percentage of our fans are more than happy to see the back of. What else, other than lots of half-baked rumours and uninformed opinions??

[BuckyRover]

If you read the comments on Phil McNulty's blog on the BBC website. You will see that the general population are not too disappointed or surprised by his sacking.

Most think he is laughing stock. Not saying their perception is correct.

[Ozz]

Nov 26th

Dec 14th.

Not only white men that speak with forked tongue.

[duffbear]

Nicko - what is you opinon on Steve Kean do you think he is capable of being caretaker manager?