devostash wrote:
Curbs ..............his scouting network doesn't seem to venture outside of our shores.
Nani ...............I was left very much unconvinced with his appointment.
But hey Rome wasn't built in a day and hopefully the board are in long term
Getting rid of the manager will only cause instability and has proven in other clubs to be a bad policy.
The following gets a bit ranty (its me) and is not aimed directly at you Tash.
Mucho respect to you.
Wahey I would qualify Curbs scouting further saying it dosent even venture to Scotland or the Championship. I half-seriously think he scouts on MoTD. But Im a faultfinding pesimist
Nani - its so left field so unconvincing (the dude was working in putting together the Italian Motor Show until he married the Brescia owners daughter and got the job we just took him from - with the father-out-laws blessing!)
It must be genius. Nani is so odd it reminds me of Wenger WHO! joining Arsenal - Oh how we laughed. But Im a hapless optimist
Rome was not built in a day. In fact they are still building it. (puts finger tips together and arches hands while raising eyebrow). The board are in long term, but the window of opportunity is not long term.
When we got promoted (behind Newcastle) the Premiership was formed and since then (Harry and Pardew being the exceptions) only 5 clubs have come close to winning the FACup.
The same 5 teams have ownership of the top 5 league places.
With mega money coming in at Citeh, Villa, and maybe Newcastle. Sound stewardship like that exhibited at Birmingham is no longer enough. Blackburn and their trust fund, Pompey and their small time Russian have no hope. Spurs backers might be panicking and upping their investment (we will see this summer).
The window IMHO is closing. Bar a QPR scale intervention, if West Hams owners do not establish West Ham in Europe within 2 seasons, they will most likley be faced with not just a unassailable top 5, but an unassaialble top 7.
They will be faced with havwe have to ing perpetually dramatically lower income than the Euro qualifying clubs. With those big 7 clubs carrying on building their own empires, we will be locked; out Barbarians at the gate. Cashed up but still not feasting at the private orgy. The orgy that our owners bought West Ham to gain admission to.
If we dont pull our fingers out - we will be Middelsborough.
This may be better than being a yo-yo club, but it is not what the current owners had in mind.
Sounds crazy doesnt it, But Everton in the FA Cup and Champions League aside there are only 4 clubs doing owt. So Everton (one of the traditional big 7) makes 5 clubs in a league of their own. Objective fact.
Villa - Spurs - Citeh also members of the traditional (post war) big 7 now all have rich owners and managers with European success.
Add one from Newcastle, Pompey, and Blackburn to the mix, and thats at least 4 clubs looking to secure and then consolidate a position behind the big 5.
If we dont get our skates on the gates of Rome will be shut bar the sort of spending Abramovich made.
Jack Walker gatecrashed the tiltle some years back. He wouldnt be bale to these days. Times changed and they are changing even further in that direction.
----P.S. It has been proven that keeping (euro Cup Winner) Fergie at Man U was sensible but directors like Bobs Charlton could see what Fergie was doing. It has been proven that knee-jerk sacking Alardyce was at least in the short run a mistake.
On the flip side Arsenal sacked Rioch fast which was correct,and England should have sacked McClaren earlier.
Understandably all managers tell the press "my mate needed more time" as it helps them to get it themsleves.
Often they do need time. But I think history is ambivelent on that.
Chamberlain gave Hitler too much time to arm,
Reagan gave Gorbachev time to disarm
Kinnock was given too long by Labour,
Hague was not given long enough by the Torries.
Cleese axed Fawlty Towers fast and in good time
Only Fools and Horses was given too long
Roeder got too long,
Time was up for Billy Bonds and (due to circumstances) Macari in time.
I accept some people believe Curbishley should be given longer.
I wont accept as a reason "he needs more time just because its to early to judge him"
If people think his transfers and tactics are good they should say why.
The usual reasons seem to be - 1) because Tevez kept us up after Curbs had further damaged our position, and 2) - because after buying all those experienced players and playing in a league that includes all time rubbish like Derby we are 10th chasing 11th.
Now I accpet these are 2 strong points in favour of Curbishley but I still ask
What about his transfers and tactics, whyb does anyone think his transfers and tactics will get us in to Europe?