Back to this article though - If we should be grateful for what we have and keep it down to the odd moan, it wouldn't make sense to get rid of Harry or for anyone to even want to. He had done what no other manager has done in this generation and delivered us consistent 4/5th finishes, finishing above establisent sides and billionaire-backed sides in the process. We have punched above our weight, which is 6th if you look at it logically.

^ That's not my view though, as I saw room for improvement. That's not the view shared by the majority either. I apply the same criteria to any manager we have from now on, any compromise in expectation would be silly in my opinion.

It's certainly got a bit out of hand, and for my part I apologise.

The reason I agree with article, and support AVB is that we were always going to lose Modric. Ledley was always going to retire. Without the money and the fame of the CL our options both on and off the field were limited. With the double whammy of it meaning Chelsea could spend even more I suspect any manager would have a job on taking us to fourth again.

With that in mind it's not AVB's fault he took the job. Who would you have preferred in his place?

Go on then, I dare ya ...

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I dont think its two very polar camps, I think most people are going to give the new manager some time to settle before making their call on him whilst some have already made their mind up. I wont claim to be either "pro" or "anti" AVB as he hasnt done anything either way to make me decide, although we are doing better points wise than we were under Harry at this stage last season (albeit having probably easier opposition upto this point)

As for Harry, he had to go. He was more interested in the England job, so in a way he was disrespecting the fans and the club, I think some people dislike AVB because they liked, or at least respected Harry and cant see a world where those opinions dont conflict.

What I didn't want to do earlier in the article is turn it in to a hypothetical Martinez one as it inevitably would have. He may have won every game, we may have been bottom, we may have exactly the same ponts as now - we will never know.

Who was your first choice when Redknapp went?

I was also swayed towards both Rodgers and Lambert. I think we definitely dodged a bullet with Rodgers now though - he is a cringe-bucket. A cross between David Brent and the teacher in Kes

Can't argue with that really fella but it does back up my suspicions that you just don't like the guy. That's fine, you don't have to, but I would argue that we should judge him on results for us - which have been pretty good so far.

Martinez would've been a good shout however I seem to remember him ruling himself out of the Liverpool post. I'm not sure if we went in for him.. too expensive maybe? He's got a great job at Wigan and I agree that in time he'd do well at a big club.

I'm wary of flash-in-the-pans though. Coyle was widely touted as a potential candidate when Harry for England first reared it's head. His heroics with Burnley were rightly heralded yet his time at Bolton has been a disaster.

Rodgers earned all the plaudits last season for keeping Swansea up while playing great football.. look at Liverpool now.

AVB knows how to win trophies. While i'm not confident that we'll finish top 4 again (i've predicted 5th) I am confident that given time and money he will win us silverware. As you say - he lives football and that studious approach is something we've been crying out for.

HRH

"A cross between David Brent and the teacher in Kes"

now that strikes a very disturbing image in my mind

Get off the fence oddiY!

Who was your first choice when Redknapp went?

--------

Blanc was my first choice, right before Chelsea went and spoiled it all

I've always thought AVB was a good manager though, I actually argued his case with Chelsea fans all that time ago

Standings after 7 games:
2009/10 - 16 points
2010/11 - 11 points
2011/12 - 13 points

currently we are on 14 points

So we arent a million miles away, I know its only 7 games so not a lot can be read into it, but there isnt anything too negative there - we are also the form team in the league with the following sequence:

L/D/D/W/W/W/W

so on those stats he hasnt fcuked it up (yet?)

there is my off the fence moment Bales - cold hard stats - not emotional nonsense

Im neither a lover nor a hater of him tbh ...I dont think anyone can say "you cant be anti AVB as he hasnt had time to show what he can do" and yet say how good he is based on the same few games - as we cant dismiss his time at Porto and yet take his time at Chelsea into account when slating him or vice versa when complimenting him ...we have to see how he does

so based on that ...this is a very comfortable fence and this is where i am remaining perched for the forseeable

STATS

The football played to get those results has been poor at times - there's no denying that. But there's also been flashes of brilliance.

There's also been clear signs that AVB is not afraid of making changes to effect the result, and more importantly he's getting it right. What we all need is for Levy to splash the cash on a NEW STRIKER - then we'll see what he can do.

Points-wise we're in good nick, agreed. We've had a nice run of games though to be fair, United and Newcastle aside, and four of the seven (five of eight after Chelsea ) have been at home. After 15 games we had 40pts last season so a little run of results aren't indicative of much on their own, performance has to be looked at too.

I won't deny I come from a position of doubt from the off, as I did with Redknapp.

I take your fence oddiY, and I admire it

You're right the general debate is at a crossroads and the career stats won't help us. But as your stats illustrate nicely it's all about the football and this debate is brought up on a game to game basis as HRH rightly pointed out.

Having to defend your own manager to your own fans after the first win at OT in your memory is a sign it's gone too far.

You wouldn't see threads like this about one of our players while they were in good form.

I dont think we have the creativity in the middle of the park to ping it around like we did when we had Modric and VDV to be fair .Persoanlly i think its coming, there have been signs and we are playign to our strengths which at the moment is pace, but we need to retain the ball better especially when we are 2-1 with 15 minutes or so to play when we just play a 9-1 formation

spot on Bales ...we would never "diss" a player after 7 league games, we would be looking for the signs of brilliance and all buzzing and convincing ourselves what a great prospect he is.

Agreed oddiY, although I think we've got a gem in Dembele Dempsey is a much more direct, physical player rather than the touch of class that was VDV. Still, will everything going on with the squad I think we've performed well.

With Lloris in goal we can play 0-0-10

Lloris? Not Friedel.......

Oh dear

My original wish list was Blanc and Lloris - good combination I thought at the time. I made an article about it once, think it was on the other side though..

oddiY

I'd like to think so, in fact i'd hope they'd get even more support if the media was on their back.

As I say, i'm not against the opinion. Just hearing it all the time.

That is where Ardiles went wrong with his formations ..if only he had Lloris in goal

I cant berate AVB for our win at the cost of style tbh ...he is astute enough to know you need to rack some points up and get a few wins to rais the confidence - then when the players are puffed up, he can introduce how he really wants them to play

I'm still firmly in the wait and see camp, it's not like the fella has had much time yet. Regarding the team, I can't help feeling that we seem to have a bit more graft throughout but at the expense of the individuals able to add the odd bit of brilliance.

Lloris in goal, Caulker at the back - sorted

I guess you're right oddiY and the players seem to respond to him. If beating United doesn't puff them up a bit nothing will.