5waller5

Eleven weeks have passed since we lost Enzo. I was deflated then, naively it seems I’d been looking forward to signing new Premier League quality players. The club has seriously lost its way. There is no leadership / dynamism / action of any sort any more. We haven’t signed a single player that improves our squad in 11 weeks, and have sold our best player. Deflation is now becoming anger.

It’s self-sabotage

The point though, is that we’ve known all of that for 3 1/2 months since we were promoted. I can understand the new manager wanting to take a look before selling… but the interested parties should have been sold to and ready to buy if and when the manager decides to get rid. We just don’t seem to have any forward planning or professionalism in our dealings. I’m starting to think that may be overwork on our DOF not totally down to his incompetence

I’d take Kalvin Phillips over most of our current midfield

The malaise coming from the club is just unbelievable. This post was started 11 days ago and even then was patient given that we were promoted 3 1/2 months ago. To have signed one squad player and no first team players in that time leaves us in a way poorer state than at the end of last season - when almost any pundit would say a promoted side needs at least 5 first team starters to be signed. It’s now the point at which a new signing wouldn’t even play our first game - so we’ve wasted the entire pre-season. We’ve fallen so far under Top / Whelan / Rudkin. At what point does this stop and fans unite in protest??

Crikey. I think it’s fair to say that by her own metric the team has and is continuing to fail

But we don’t actually KNOW the responsibilities of the DOF so it would be silly to assume he’s responsible for the footballing matters at the club. (I’m just trying this position out and saving someone the job of replying …. But my logic reflex is almost stopping movement of my finger to press “submit reply”

Nailed it

This was one of the most consistently bizarre decisions I’ve ever seen from a football manager. It seemed like there was a plan (that was never obvious on the pitch) as it was done so often… but I was constantly scratching my head trying to find any logical explanation

Isn’t he 29?? Waiting to see if he can replicate it just puts him one year nearer to past his best (and he hasn’t got many left) I’d say the only time to buy him is now, and although I’m not massively keen I’d rather sign him than continue to hope that Vardy / Daka / Cannon is a Premier league strike force

Absolutely. Me too. They do seem to track towards people they know (which could easily support this theory too). Makes me wonder whether NFP or Puel could do a better job at DOF (although I’m not sure either would be interested).

I’m convinced that you’re right and this is their plan. I’m also convinced that they will panic about being seen as culpable, if we have a disastrous start to the season, and sack him in November.

The big decision Top needs to make is to get rid of Rudkin - the most obvious statement ever written. Previously though, putting myself into his shoes, the timing for that change has been difficult, and that’s why I’m still on the fence about my feelings towards KP going forward. The perfect time is now approaching though - the day after the transfer window shuts. The DOF’s main duties having been completed in the transfer market and we have a new manager that needs a few months in position. Top’s attention should be on recruiting the new DOF now…. If he does nothing then I’m off the fence!

It was the Leicester fan droning on in that childish exchange

Have a day off Jon

This really highlights why so many of us feel like we do. The luxury of knowing we’d secured promotion and then doing absolutely nothing with that advantage. It’s so incompetent

I think”poor man’s Akinbyi” is the most insulting put-down I’ve ever read. Keep up the good work Jon!

Without the catastrophic failure afterwards

In short, a plan, defined roles, easy KPIs, and a manager you respect!

I think that’s down to believing in the plan, wanting to implement your part of that system (your cog in the machine), and being delighted as a team when those individual displays add up to a collective performance…. you feel the progress you’re making and want to do it more, and the progress is compounded by the feel good factor that the manager gives you for achievement (and his disappointment that you desperately want to avoid!) We’ve seen it with MON, NFP, CR, BR, EM… players enjoying their game and the team performing. It just looks dysfunctional atm, and that’s not going to make it pleasurable for anyone!

Exactly how I feel

A couple of friendlies into Maresca’s reign and I was bouncing with the excitement of a defined plan, a pattern of play was emerging and it felt good. A few games into Rodger’s tenure and we’d improved, looked sharper and more likely to create chances. A few games into Raineri’s time and you could see the players enjoying themselves, there was a positivity and lightness to our play. Pfffft I’m really struggling to see anything positive under Cooper. It genuinely reminds me of Sunday League where the players are ok, but theres no real tactics at play.

Thanks! Yeah I know you didn’t post with that intention, I think it’s a great question, it seems that FT is following most social media though; into “are you one of us or one of them” … I despair for society on this wider point, but I digress!! Not over the top at all for me. We were relegated with a stronger side, we were promoted with a bright young manager, a plan, and a better squad. Relegation was a spectacular failure of the Board and not one thing has changed. It’s very late in the season’s preparation and we seem to be miles away from assembling a competitive force. That’s worrying for even the most level headed supporter??

This thread will quickly descend into two camps and become an argument about whether you’re a proper fan or panic merchant. Before it does… My feeling is that it’s difficult to feel positive about our great club right now. We seem to have no long term vision / plan / leadership, and take the easy low effort route all too often. To appoint the most local out of work football manager after weeks of delay seems to summarise our lacklustre business. With little early transfer activity, the players are back to training and have burnt through the friendlies without any obvious first team signing being made. We’ve only signed players in our strongest positions, have a weaker squad than we had in the league below… it’s difficult to be positive right now - expressing that will be seen as panic by some. For me it’s just another example of the grinding under-performance of our Board.

Yep! Ayew IS now our marquee signing!! Imagine even considering him 3 years ago.