Chrysalis

Not a fit for the club, we cant go back there. If we got promoted as champions everyone would still be claiming lucky every game, squad quality did it etc. In all my time following the club I think he is easily the most hated manager, even over managers who were a complete train wreck like Sousa (and Ruud ironically).

Top prepping 10 year contract as reward for the 2 goals.

How bad were the odds?

I didnt say they will survive. The picture also still shows them in right box, so they not that fast and direct.

For those who are bothered by it, Forest are CL I think as its top 5 this season. It needs a pretty big shift to push them out.

I find this interesting, so the promotion fighting clubs are doing the opposite of whats needed at the top level. Based on this Sheff Utd will do the best out of the promoted clubs next season if promoted.

If only was no promotion, he would be in heaven.

We dont have a proper contacts circle.

Whats the plan, to look intricate whilst getting promoted in the championship? Or something more sustainable? You said it yourself if he were to get us up, it wont work. Sadly I feel its inevitable we are paired with him next season, he is ideal for the type of football Top wants.

I see it the other way. I think the standard has gone up a lot in the EPL from around 6th in the table down to about 17th. This is why teams like Spurs and Chelsea are suddenly struggling more, Manchester United having spent a lot of time in the bottom 8, and its easy to see why. Teams that would historically be say safe but bottom half can now attract better players and managers, this has led to the standard increasing a lot. By the standard I mean the qualify of the defending and scoring, as in truth things like possession and intricate play are not that important. Manchester City now affected by it as well. Years gone by you would have at least 3 or 4 established clubs fighting the newly promoting clubs for survival, likes of pardew, bruce et. managing these clubs. Now days the standard is higher, meaning the gap is higher to the promoted clubs. Palace, Everton and Wolves started badly, but Palace were then able to go on a good run out of nowhere once their confidence improved and both Wolves and Everton were like a rocket ship as soon as they got better managers. This is why as well, our experienced EPL players who were previously good enough for a European qualifying team are now considered of a poor standard as the standard required has gone up. Also the EPL has moved towards a direct, pressing fast transitional game, whilst we have laboured with intricate slow build up play. Ironically we nailed it in our title season, we played in a way that has become the future, but then deliberately moved away from it.

This is what I assumed, but looks like the £££ are the priority, because staying is harming his chances of a new job the longer it goes on for.

Yeah, the problem is I think there is little direction at the club other than Top's requirement we play like Man City. I do agree on a intelligent well thought out player recruitment policy, with the priority that the players are compatible with each other, have a good mentality, and have the attributes needed to supplement each other. But of course, right now it feels like we just throwing darts at a board for player recruitment, and the club is totally lost on good financial management for the player budget. Generally speak a pragmatic manager who doesnt try anything too fancy would be best for the start of the rebuild, and then as the squad is taking shape maybe 2-3 years later, a more focused manager that is on the strength of the squad is brought in, but should still be open to adapting if needed for specific opponents. Because our DoF is useless, and there is little quality leadership from above him, asking for a specific manager is always going to draw criticism due to the wider issues, but I do have the opinion that a style focused on slow intricate build up is not the way forward, and that we also cant afford a squad for that way of play. Whilst I would be ok with Dyche, it doesnt mean I am focused on him as the only manager I would be ok with, in truth I dont really know much about many managers which is I asked for same names I could research and given an opinion on, I am open.

There is such a thing as too complex, too sophisticated. We need a back to basics manager. But I welcome you to give me some names for the quick transitional and pressing managers, then I will offer an opinion.

Who do you suggest for a direct style of play, hard tackling close up aggression off the ball etc?

Ruud. Rudkin's impact is a longer term and more meaningful, Ruud just affects game results and would get fired anyway at some point. Our problems are much more than losing games, anyone picking Rudkin is putting short term results first.

We need a Dyche, but will end up with a Martin. Top loves his tippy tappy slow build up play.

Yeah but look where Southampton are in the EPL. We beat them as they had a manager who plays the same way as Enzo and not the players to play that way.

The Cooper run is why we would be worst off. He saved us from beating the Derby record. The style would have mullered us in the EPL, Ruud is trying to implement the style again and its a slaughter fest. Only have to look at Southampton and Burnley, but I guess its the old "its not the style, the players arent trying hard enough". I even wonder if the fans got us relegated this season, the moans and groans on here about Cooper, I have never seen anything like it, some kind of weird obsession with Enzo and Enzo ball. When we would have got battered every week from game 1. Slow intricate build up play is "yesterday" way of playing and also requires a very high standard of players. Good luck trying to out play a team with better quality players. Are people ever going to let go of the style or is there going to be a portion of the fan base that wants us to play that way forever? Would like Dyche as manager next season.

They have input but dont sign the players, Edouard (dunno if spelt right) we have been linked with for years e.g. I also dont think Rodgers as an example wanted Saints defenders. A manager might ask for a Striker who is young and scored 40 goals last season with pace, and then get given a 30 year old who scored 5 goals last season by the DoF. What can the manager do about it? The first thing we need to do is detach from this obsession with the style of play, its causing huge damage to the club, Top needs to get over it. Not just financial but its actually split the fan base.

What do you mean by a plan? and arent we in the EPL this season not the championship? Enzo is a better manager than Ruud, but we still wouldnt have much points as the style of play would be a disaster in this league.

We would be on around 10 points, it would be worse.

You making the mistake of thinking the manager not the DoF signs and sells the players.

They helped us, if Enzo stayed we would be around 10 points fighting with Southampton for 20th.

Check the Southampton forum. In short he is obsessed with playing out the back, long intricate play, the same sort of stuff as Enzo. So it would absolutely bomb in the EPL and need extra talented/expensive players for it. Also half of his interviews I watched he was blaming everything on the players.

Yep keep trying to say this, but with that data you did it very well. If we appoint another tippy tappy manager, he might do ok in the championship but then we either do a Southampton after promoted or have to change the system against what the players are used to. Possession as a primary form of play is out of fashion now. Would not surprise me one bit if we employ Martin, and then have Rooney at some point in the future as well, Top clearly prefers the style over results.