Football team
Is that where we are after spending 1 billion + on buying a new squad, 20 months into it, on our 4th manager?
All this stuff about, give it time, it's a process, it's a project, it's down to the injury list , their gifted but fragile what ever ?
All that may be, but by now we should have the foundations of a solid consistent side, able to control a game over 90m, against the majority of the league, bar the the top 4 in form sides.
After 19 months, 3 transfer windows,30 new players in, a similar number of players out, 4 managers and unprecedented spending at 1.1 bln, the squad is still unable to consistently hold its own & grind out results.
We now go into the final run of games to end 2023 and reach the halfway point of the season.
Wolves, Palace & Luton, clubs all of which have not had an embarrassment of riches thrown at them as CFc have had, but we find ourselves mid table a hand full of points separating us, closer to a relegation fight than to a top 4 place.
It simply is not good enough, hopefully this run of matches will see the club finish on the year on a positive note and in the semi finals of the C/cup.
COY Blues!, KTBFFH
Talented Individuals > poor
posted on 17/12/23
I would love to see*
posted on 17/12/23
I remember when bring back Jose was the rallying cry. Pep would take a while to sort us out now.
I don't entirely blame the owners either, the end of Romans final season was not pretty. It is also worth remembering that Roman selected these guys yo drive us forward.
posted on 17/12/23
Yeah
Agreed that After 2017, Roman did seem to take his eye off the ball, literally with the squad.
Personally, a lot of the poor transfer decisions happened whilst Maria Granaski was in charge.
Tbf,the squad was in a highly dysfunctional state when the club was sold.
I think the visa thing did put his nose out of joint.
As i recollect the club under Roman said that at the10 year point , the club would be run within FFP compliance.
Which i believe it was ( bar the incomplete reporting between 2012 > 2019 , for fees paid) whoopps!
posted on 18/12/23
No hiding from the fact that theses owners have made us a laughing stock in world football. A top 4 team becomes relegation fodder after spending a billion.
posted on 18/12/23
Imo , the issue is the owners have come in , they have restructured the club, wage bill, contracts, & squad.
They have spent / invested an unprecedented 1.1 bln on bringing new players, on the 4th manager in 20 months.
The result is they have focused first on youth prospect player banking opposed to ensuring that the club maintains its ability to compete at a top 4 level.
We have a huge bloated squad of 30 available players, but we are light in strength, depth, experience & leadership.
We may have many talented prospects, but we dont have 24 players who can maintain a top end of the league level of competitiveness 6th to 4th place, irrespective of who is injured.
That is where we seem to be at, hopefully we will improve and finish the season stronger, building a spine.
Where we finish is not important, imo, its how we finish the season.
Imo, to state this is not being impatient, it just simply recognising where we are as we come to the midway point of the season.
COY Blues
posted on 18/12/23
Biggest reason for our position is injuries, has been for the last 3 years with far and away the most injuries to key players of any team in the league and Europe.
That cannot be understated.
Past that, I feel the opposite, I think we have been well coached (certainly under tuchel, and now under poch) but repeatedly miss huge chances.
We have the most big chances missed in the league this year and over the last 3 years have had werner, havertz, jackson, sterling and others missing for fun.
posted on 18/12/23
Nick, im not even in disagreement regarding the coaching.
For the life of me, im dumb struck as why the club did not balance the buying ensuring we do have enough strength in depth, experience and leaders in the dressing room to get the younger players through the difficult times as they progress.
Personally i would have preferred that they had brought in 2/3 players who were experienced in the EPL , who could take a game by the scruff of neck and set the standard.
Call me old fashioned
posted on 18/12/23
I was calling for maddison and JWP signings too. Whatever metric our scouting team are using, its not paid off yet thats for sure
posted on 18/12/23
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posted on 18/12/23
Absolutely,
Imo, these guys should have been an ideal group to run the club.
They are extremely wealthy , they have experience in American sports , they have balls, but imo they have read every major decision incorrectly.
I think that they got carried away, they didnt take the time understand how finite decision making must be.
I think they have suffered with arrogance, but id bet the impact of what they have done will slow them down.
What they have done to the club that they have invested 3,5 bln , will not reflect well on them in their day jobs.
Id have a bet Cfc today is not valued at more than 1.5bln, & they owe 1bln .
But they do have deep pockets and will be able to ride it out, providing they learn .
Imo it when 7its up when the club lost its C/L status.
These guys are money men, not experienced football brains, especially at the this level.
Imo they are running the club from an accountants perspective.
Also the EPL & Uefa footballing system is not like the American draft/ tied in leagues.
In the our system the risks are real and huge, as they have found out.
They more than likely will sack the sporting directors(rightly so ) & Poch , hanging all of the fallout on them.
Essentially the next sporting director they bring in must know what they are about, because imo they can just about get over this cluster fck, but twice? i cant see it.
After which get past the FFP issues, stay in the EPL and then hopefully take up where they were in May 22 and build the club that they had the aspiration create.
With the contracts, i would not be surprised if they didnt have some type of get out clause for both parties?
I dont know, but its the type of thing these type of operators could well think up.
Even though they have behaved like idiots , they are not fools .