Ric Flair

Hahahaaa the person this came from as well has floored me. Their explanation is at the time it was reported he'd had talks/agreed we hadn't even spoken to him. I think they got it wrong to be honest, Brussell has been the unwavering first choice at every opportunity since May 2023.

He has an appalling record defensively as well.

100% Puel's first 3-4 months were promising and then we ended that 2017/18 appallingly and it was under performance from there on in bar the odd decent scalp against the elite. Rodgers for all his faults, teased out the quality in this squad immediately as we were top 6 form from the moment he joined us until the end of 2020/21 season spanning 2 and a bit seasons where arguably his signings were worse the longer he was here.

Oh there'll be one and could well be my last if I can't snap out of this.

Gave me the willies the first time I ever heard him talk about his footballing philosophy and almost every interview i've heard from him since has left me a mix of anger and astonishment. It's his delusion and borderline superiority and arrogance that I just cannot turn a blind eye too. Go and listen to his post match comments in the home and away games we absolutely destroyed his Southampton side under Enzo if you're in danger of getting all misty eyed. It was staggering. The scary thing is, i've felt that from him when i've had absolutely no skin in the game as he's been at other clubs and I should have found it funny if anything like I do when i've heard the likes of Nathan Jones and Liam Rosenior but I just knew he'd end up here. I've never been sure of anything in my life. I wish him no ill, I really hope i'm wrong about him and it's been a case of mistaken identity but people can fcuk off trying to patronise me that we can't form these opinions on someone. It's a basic human trait that might be wrong, might be right. Does he deserve a chance? Not for me he doesn't but what choice have we got now? What I cannot get my head around is his footballing philosophy has had quite appalling success and yet his belief remains undeterred. He wasn't successful at Southampton, it was nothing more than par for the course and was then an abomination in the Prem. He did OK at Swansea but MK Dons his team instantly improved when he left and Rangers goes down as one of the worst managerial stints in the modern era. What body of work there can give grounds to him being considered a dynamic and successful manager or that his foorballing IQ is unequivocally the way to go. He'll never land a job with the environment or resources in order to support such ideology so it's pointless. His best solution is to use the experience he has in the game to get the best out of the opportunities he does still land and see if that fairs better. He recruits pretty well, gives young players a chance and can build a bit of a unity if players buy in to his authority so harness that with tactics that are not reckless and ill suited. My phone will go out the window an'all when Gary Lineker lauds this a major coup. A dark day for this football club, which is actually an achievement in itself given the bar they've set in recent years. I'll be even further on the periphery now to save my own sanity. All the best for those who can still support it.

Forgot about the inverted full backs, I think Aluko would be fine but Joseph might have to play as one of the wingers which he's probably then not seen as creative and attacking enough.

Get rid of Winks and loan out Skipp and Smallbone would be an OK piece of business. Either of them stay and i'd not be keen.

Rules have significantly changed

I don't even think we can look at the modicum positives in that Martin's transfer track record isn't too bad as it'll still be conducted by Glover and Rudkin primarily. I actually think Glover should go down as one of the worst in the business, we have been diabolical since he came in and makes Lee Congerton look like Monchi.

It's been as clear as day for the last few years. The decline, the inability to change and the obsession with a small number of deeply flawed managers such as Graham Potter and Russell Martin. Someone come and switch me back on when this has run it's course.

Barney Stewart - Falkirk

Elo Onuchukwu?

Martyn Glover your time is never

I hope to see nearly every senior player leave this summer and build a new squad around Aluko, Joseph, Gray, Wilson-Brown, Cartwright, Braybrooke, Page, Alves, Evans and Hutchinson. The likes of Briggs, Carr and Otchere may well make an impact too. It will require a spine of the right experience, Pearson came in in the summer of 2008 with a squad in tatters and got it bang on.

Fair point and hopefully we fail to get who he needs and it falls through 😂

That doesn't usually stop us announcing managers, the last few have come in with skeleton staff to start with. Even Cifuentes last summer.

I mean this is not really true is it, the last 3-4 years the inexperienced Steven Schumacher, Kieran McKenna, Chris Davies, Brian Barry-Murphy and Michael Skubala have all got automatic promotion.

Cov fans were livid with Lampard

We've already had a right good crack at doing that in this unprecedented decline. Brussell is here to complete the job.

(.) (.)

What I always enjoy about your posts is this sort of exploration. Most folk never even consider this but you seem to have a keen interest and backroom staff, respect the craft!

Emile, all your sons are in Manchester City's academy 😂

And there lies the fundamental flaw in his philosophy, one that is not suited to anything bar the elite level and even there is seemingly being moved away from in favour of quicker and aggressive styles. He's fastly becoming a modern dinosaur.

I like this shout a lot!

Very subjective, but would Brussell have got the same success or was a lot of it Manning's doing? I know it's hard to answer and is probably a bit of both.