Dan

Because they're generally clueless. I've a lot of criticisms of Maresca but I think he knows the score a bit more than they do even if he has done us over a bit here. It does seem quite peculiar to me. Two narratives being played - one that we're not that impressed with his performance then another that we're not that impressed he's leaving

Good analysis as usual from him. Real Madrid genuinely don't get enough credit. There's a lot of bitterness and jealousy. I hit the point a few years ago where I started kind of admiring it. Yes they are obviously well resourced but plenty of other well resourced sides don't have that same ability of doing this that they do. Soon as that final got to half time at 0-0 I was pretty confident Dortmund's chance had gone and Real Madrid would end up winning it. I know people will point to the Adeyemi and Fullkrug missed chances (one of which was offside anyway) but are we really going to pretend Dortmund just win that from there if they score? I've no doubt Real would've come back. There's only so many times they can do this before people concede this is far more than luck. They're ruthless and they'll stop at nothing for success. I don't think there is enough of that in the game now. I think they're brilliant at avoiding the traps lots of other clubs, not naming names (Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Chelsea) are falling into. Got to say I've found them easier to get on board with since Ronaldo went I feel a bit dirty for it all but they're a juggernaut. 6 Champions Leagues in 11 years is ridiculous. I cannot believe the amount of narrative I read about them not being very good - I'm still reading it now!!!

It is pretty mental when you weigh up some of the fees we've taken in for players... Maguire £80mil Fofana £70mil Mahrez £60mil Chilwell £50mil Maddison £40mil Barnes £40mil Drinkwater £35mil Kante £30mil Sure there are others I've missed. How can you do all of that and end up in this sort of financial situation. ****ing unbelievable.

Because we're likely to have a points deduction and likely to have to sell key players in the next month. It's not an impossible job. But we're favourites to drop for a fairly good reason.

I don't really expect massive loyalty from an Italian who while we did give him an opportunity he was arguably fortunate to get, we messed around and large parts of the fanbase never truly bought into. It works both ways. I assume we'll leave Corberan well alone for his loyalty to West Brom no?

I'm pretty deflated about LCFC in general really. I hit a realisation some time around August/September 2022 about Top and Rudkin that I've never been able to shake and I've seen next to nothing since it to convince me I'm wrong.

Maresca going to Chelsea is a pretty convenient get out for the board. Doesn't make them look bad as he'd have likely gone anyway, and the one person putting any pressure on them gone.

You are correct, but even despite this we are not a strong proposition. I'd say even if we heard news tomorrow of the points deductions being dropped it's the weakest we've entered a PL season probably since 2003.

I'm not the sort to see survival as an achievement, but we are right up against it this season. We have this far harder than Everton or Forest did. We don't have three teams as bad as last years promoted trio likely to prop us up. The more I think about it the more I fancy Corberan. He isn't alien to working in tricky circumstances.

People who genuinely tout the likes of Amorim and De Zerbi really haven't understood the scale of the damage our board have done to us. The bookies have us 20th. We were fancied more going into 2014/15!

Which is usually a sign that you're completely right of course.

Don't want Rosenior. He's another possession for possession merchant. Edwards I thought up until January had done really well with Luton, but their tail off was quite dramatic.

I did think it was likely to be that season.

Moyes isn't who I'd pick but do find some of the disrespect towards him a bit baffling. He's got a pretty decent track record all considered.

Surprises me that people genuinely thought the same idiots capable of overseeing 2022/23 might possibly have become clever. Absolute clowns the lot of them.

I'm more disappointed we've lost somebody putting some genuine pressure on the board than the coach himself. The earth could get boomed through the sun and Rudkin would still come out of the other side in power at this club.

I came in here to say this. Can't stand Man Utd generally but thought they actually played really well and fully deserved the win. Wonder when the last season that the league, both cups and Community Shield went to 4 different clubs.

It's particularly terrible at this time of the season because of the dead rubbers. Milan in reality shouldn't have been 1/12. It's just annoying how Salernitana couldn't take advantage the other way and take the lead. See also Dinamo Zagreb earlier. Absolute joke of a result. Even despite the dead rubber situation I thought they were a nailed win. I think the safest way really is just picking very short priced teams in leagues with something to play for. China is generally quite reliable I'm finding bizarrely. Villarreal B paid. My mate the lucky bastard, had Villarreal B on a freeze and Real Valladolid to win to complete his other. Was like a miracle of a game for him. Comfortably profitable weekend here. I went all in on Sassuolo afterwards, was going to do three in one on them, but not to be. Another account down. Will get another made for the start of the Euros - don't see much I really like before then anyway. You're looking at the Spanish Segunda and odds of about 5/1 at the maximum.

He's got another decent PL gig in him hasn't he. He'll successfully wash his hands of that season and you only have to see the absurdity of appointments being made in football. As much as I dislike him I think if Kompany gets the Bayern job pretty much anybody is fair game for anything. He'll be back. His Celtic move is working as planned.

Another emotional day of freezes Was on Man Utd, Monza, Salernitana and Real Betis today. Good grief. Man Utd pays out. Perfect. Profit regardless. Turned out I wasted a freeze using them - but a lovely start. Next up Monza. Their odds come right in as Juventus go weak. Absolute dog from them. Do you ever have those teams who you just never end up on the right side of? A team who never win when you back them, but never lose when you back against them? That's Monza here. 2-0 loss. Then we come to the Betis and Salernitana palaver. My god. I'd already backed another game for tomorrow including AC Milan to beat Salernitana, which at odds of 1/12 looked pretty nailed. Milan lead 2-0 at half time. That looks done, at least that's one of my legs in for tomorrows. Then delight, Real Betis take the lead. We've landed in. 4 minutes of VAR and eventually the goal is chalked off. Sickening. Salernitana get a goal back. Surely not? Milan then make it 3-1. Game over. Betis then go ahead again, the cash out shoots up, just waiting for the freeze option. Nothing. Disallowed again. Cash out nosedives. Then Milan somehow draw it 3-3, managing the incredibly unlikely scenario where they wreck both that bet and tomorrows, while Real Madrid and Real Betis ends goalless. I think you could run those exact scenarios 100 times again and not produce a shitter outcome. False hope, false hope, and then against all odds your safe pick is blown as well. Profit overall but came out of the day pissed off Anyhow for tomorrow. My final day on this account as the pricks have got me again. Unfortunately for them I have accounts 4, 5 and 6 all lined up so I'm not beaten just yet. The Euros and Copa America will be the plays, some corkers in the group stages. For tomorrow; Fenerbahce v Istanbulspor - this is the massive price, massive for a reason of course, but this could be a super win. Real Valladolid v Villarreal B Lazio v Sassuolo They're the three I'm on. I've seen others having Napoli v Lecce & Real Oviedo v Andorra too but the prices just aren't quite worth it for me. I want probably a minimum of 7/1. But good luck to anybody on it. Take advantage while you can. Kept track of my record over a few months now - I've played around 150 bets, won about 10% of them, but in profit by over £1,000. I think this is becoming so popular though that they are going to either scrap it or nerf it massively ahead of next season. I think they'll probably offer you reduced odds like they do for the two goal payout. Can't get enough of it here though even if it is utterly annoying like tonight.

That's the big lesson we need to take away from this. Absolute race to the bottom. I keep banging this point but the way Brighton have just shook hands with De Zerbi, a manager who's stock is very high (rightly or wrongly) because he reverted to being pretty mediocre with them. Self-respect. Belief in yourself to take any hit. That's why they will eventually get there. We should embrace that sort of attitude again.

Don't think we'll ever have a manager who's best and worst were so far apart. This bloke should be borderline royalty here given he actually won the FA Cup and yet hardly anybody likes him, myself included. Classic of the genre with him though isn't it. He's clever with his words. Word it in such a way so that it seems he had nothing to actually do with our relegation. He tanked the season and that combined with our cretinous board who were either too daft to see it or too weak to act on it put us down. We've gone back up but still go into the season in the weakest position we've entered a season since 2014/15 - infact I'd argue it's probably weaker than that all considered.

If you were trying to emulate the Xabi Alonso appointment (which is the way clubs will probably try and go) then I read a pretty good case recently for Cesc Fabregas. He's assistant manager at Como who just got promoted to Serie A, manager in all bar name apparently. He's played under a fantastic set of managers as well. Not my first choice but if we went up that route that would intrigue me.

I would take Corberan. He was who I wanted a year ago as it happens. I think he did a good job with what's not a great squad. I think they're pretty much nailed on to try and get Graham Potter. I'm not sure they'll be successful though.

Could've taken or left him when he came to the end of his loan spell. I think in hindsight you'd absolutely have gone for him, especially when you saw what we did in the year or so following it. I don't think many really expected this upturn though.