Pliskin

I disagree. I think we are. Wolves, Everton and Forest have all shown that points deductions and potential inability to move on the market doesn’t necessarily mean you’re done. This is an attitude we need to shake as a fan base pretty quickly. Even if the squad stayed as it is, and we could only add a few loan players, I’d still back us under the right management to finish above the likes of Ipswich, Southampton, Forest, Brentford and Bournemouth…… With the right leadership in the dugouts, anything can happen, we of all clubs should know this. I still think we’re an attractive proposition for a manager……

We will go all out for potter I think initially.

They will no doubt approach Potter again….. but I don’t think Hagrid would be any good as an assistant.

For the billionth time. No. It’s the complete opposite, we’ve spent far too much money, which is why we’re on the naughty step.

It’s a strange feeling, it’s been such a long time since we’ve had a manager leave to join another club…. My reflections of Enzo’s time here are mixed. Firstly, no one can deny the excellent job he has done here. The club was on its arse when he arrived, a shock relegation, the board making a complete hash of the finances, and a playing squad full of over expensive not particularly interested players. He was the tonic this club desperately needed, we needed someone with a steadfast philosophy, and a clear plan. Enzo’s ideology gave us just that, he knew what he wanted to do and that’s what he was going to do. This clearly captured the minds of the players, and they clearly all warmed to him as a person and a manager. He managed to turn the futures around of players like Vesty, and find a whole new lease of life for players like Wilf. It is exactly the type of leadership we needed, and it ultimately saw us promoted in the most competitive championship campaign probably ever. However, as this news breaks it is possibly the right outcome for all parties involved. Despite the success on field, and what I think was brilliant recruitment, there were signs of Enzo’s inexperience and managerial naivety which very nearly cost us if it wasn’t for the quality the team had. The reason why this is a concern going forward is next season we really won’t have the luxury of a manager who appears to be so fixed into his philosophy. Its natural for a young manager to be like this, but next season we’re up against it from the off, there will be periods in the season where we could end up playing 5 of the top 8 over a sequence of games, and if you’re out of form, there’s no way you can just keep trying the same thing over and over again in hope things will turn, because you’ll get eaten alive. We are going to need a much more flexible approach for next season, a manager who puts the individuals of the squad before his philosophy, and will be able to get the best out of the group he has. At premier league level, I don’t think we can offer Maresca what he needs to make his philosophy work…… at Chelsea he has the players to implement this much more effectively than we do. So for both us and him, this is probably the best scenario going forward, as gutting as it is to lose a clearly talented and promising manager, we need to make sure we’ve got the right person for next season to maximise our potential and give us the best chance of staring up.

We can spend money….. we just need to be sensible.

The most impressive things about him are; He has taken a West Brom, a club with financial problems, to the brink of promotion without really spending much at all. He has also managed to go about his business under the radar, despite there being a number of off field issues and still be competitive. What we need next season is a fairly steady pair of hands, and a sensible approach. I get the impression he will be a sensible decision who hopefully will navigate what could be a chaotic season.

It’s clearly going to De Zerbi? Surely?

I’ve just treated myself to a new TV to watch premier league football on next season, I’ve opened the box and there’s no Leeds……

Football and morals don’t exist. If you want to compete or in some cases survive, you have to dance with the devil. There’s not a lot in the modern world that is 100% clean.

I believe we have actually scouted him. @Sambiasso mentioned we were tracking him in the summer.

It depends where he will get football. He would be a nailed on starter here… and he still would cost less than £10m I’d say. But like you’ve mentioned there, German teams always seem to get these type of signings done out of the blue.

He has to be our number one target!

Another player to consider is Eom Ji Sung. Quick forward again, with bags of potential.

There are some absolute gems in the J league. Yea he does, you just know he will be able to get around the pitch at pace with ease. He looks tenacious and capable in the tackle too, which is why I think he would be a great partner for Winks, he looks capable of driving up the pitch too as he is fairly decent with possession… It would be a risk worth taking in my opinion, he’s got the potential to be a top player.

Sota Kawasaki. Energetic midfielder with pace, good tackler and seems tidy on the ball too. He would have the ability to play both centrally, (which he does now) or potentially as an inverted fullback. He’s like a hybrid of N’didi and Kante. He could be useful along side Winks, and would cost peanuts.

imagine if we replaced him, and he didn’t get the job….. is that a thing?

Completely agree.

Football makes no sense, but Chelsea have an abundance of what we don’t, cash and more cash. I think you’re dead right when you say he’s been mislead, he had, he more or less admitted this to the media, as did Rodgers before him. This lack of transparency between the board and the management staff is absurd, this has to be resolved, it’s going to taint any relationship between the manager and their bosses.

Leaving isn’t a good look. You’d rather be sacked or poached. Not that I’m saying Enzo would actively seek to be sacked… he appears to be a passionate bloke, so would want to prove his worth on the pitch, which he’s largely done. But I imagine January pissed him off, so if a better opportunity comes along he’s likely to take it.

@Ric Flair was bang on the money re Enzo. Called it months ago that his time was done, and I think the majority of us agree. I think there’s a clear break in the relationship between Enzo and the board. So it’s better he leaves this way, and we get some compensation out of it, rather than us have to sack him.

Carrick?

Shall we just not bother then? what’s the point if most fans can’t even be arsed to get behind the team…. Like a lot of us have said, it will be a maximum of 8 points, which is nothing really. Neither Everton or Forest went down, Everton not even close….. 8 points in the context of a season isn’t too much to overturn, and plus we’re likely not to get it until the winter, which we could well be comfortably clear of the relegation zone. There’s a lot of crap in the premier league bench why Forest are bobbing around like an un flushed turd. We just need to ensure we have a good summer.

I imagine we will. Whoever it is it needs to be quick.

If he does go, he will be gone before Christmas.