sbfox

I agree with all of this in spades, great post. To play devil's advocate, are we seeing the decline of this particular style of modern football at the Euros? If only because teams now know how to defend it, they know which areas of the pitch they need to be in when the opposition switch to 'x' player and are generally just better at implementation of a system than than they were 20 years ago? Will we see 'Pep V2' spring up soon? (Yes, I know Pep isn't responsible for all of modern football, but it's an easy naming convention)

If we get Cooper, my biggest fear is that he will have agreed to play the style the owners clearly want, which obviously isn't his natural approach. We'll then end up with a version of football similar to Brendan-ball. Passing around at the back for the sake of it, rather than the system Enzo was introducing.

Nah, free hit for him. Chelsea job is tainted, so if he fails, big if, then everyone writes it off as the owners' fault.

Still maintain that Maresca did very well with the squad available to him. Who would I want to see back next year in the starting XI? Mass, Ricky P, Winks. After they we have player that shone, but not consistently - Fatwu, Mav and KDH. After that, slim pickings really. I don't buy into the whole 'best squad in the league' stuff.

Well if the forum is moaning about it, you HAVE to be right...

It was 1-1 at the time. They had just scored a equaliser.

Very deflated. I'm not sure people realise how precarious our situation is.

Yup. But then also conceded that horrific second goal (at home) against us when they sent everyone up and left us 3 on 1 in injury time, so...

I'll miss him in the sense that he had a defined philosophy and approach that felt fresh to me (because I don't think we've ever had a manager like him). I worry we'll get Corboran, who looked tactically naive against us, but obviously will reserve judgement. I also worry that our fans aren't going to accept anyone that plays 'possession' football and we're going to need everyone behind the lads next season.

I hate to say it, but you're in for a disappointing year.

Using FT as a barometer and it looks like 3/4ers of our fans despise his style of football anyway, so not sure we can cry crocodile tears too much.

But..... The season is played over more than 20 games?

Ha! I get it. Wasn't meaning to imply you SHOULD have a well thought out strategy!

Like who? If you're 100% sure

Gotta disagree there. Much rather see us scrape survival playing dour football than get relegated after a season of 4-3 losses.

Really? The legend of 'Mou' is over. A total had been now - more stubborn than Enzo and incredibly limited success recently with the resources available to him.

Firstly, the whole point of football at this level is winning. Doesn't matter how. Secondly, we won't see a useful penny of any 'compensation'. It'll be used to pay down debt.

This is the issue with people getting excited about Enzo going - there's no ready made replacement. Cooper? No thanks. Potter? No chance. Moyes? See Cooper. Rosenior? Unproven. Robins? See Rosenior. At least Enzo has actually won something.

Fml. We're going to appoint Steve Cooper and be relegated by Christmas

Let's agree to disagree...

Do you know this?

I think that logic applies to all the social media nonsense that we see in relation to Maresca and the club. All speculation, all second hand info. Not worth listening to really.

Against the better Championship teams our style seemed to be 'pass until there's an opening and then hit at pace', whereas against the park the bus merchants, we had little chance but to pass it around on the halfway line.

I'd argue that our possession style under Maresca does have a purpose, unlike under BR which really did seem like a session of keep ball. But I take your point about falling out of love with football.

Out of curiosity, who do you enjoy watching? Just to give us an idea of playing styles.