The Enzo Thread

[Stuntman_Mike]

9 hours ago, MPH said:

You know that part where you ‘ forget’ to tell your incoming manager important details about your financial predicament? And he cant sign the players he was led to believe he could sign? Well this is the time where it comes back to bite you on the bum..

Are you suggesting he'd stay if we had money to spend? 

[smudgerfox]

It’s Chelsea and they usually get their way. And we should know better than any….completely classless and entitled club 

[Rusko187]

If he goes I'll wish him well, we're not in a position to offer silly money to retain him and it may be the only offer he ever gets in his management career for a team like Chelsea.

 

At least it's done quickly and gives us time to identify a suitable replacement.

 

Cheerz Enz, best of luck

[ARM1968]

Just now, Rusko187 said:

If he goes I'll wish him well, we're not in a position to offer silly money to retain him and it may be the only offer he ever gets in his management career for a team like Chelsea.

 

At least it's done quickly and gives us time to identify a suitable replacement.

 

Cheerz Enz, best of luck

You cannot fault him if he goes, it’s a no brainer, anyone in his position would. Thanks and good luck Enzo. 
 

Now I hope our club is actively looking at replacements. Potter, Moyes, Poch, Mourinho - there are loads out there at present, but likely to be a known name because you know, Prem. 

[honeybradger]

If he does go whoever we will sign will likely play the same style but worse.

 

I dont think the fans who want him gone understand this.

[Rusko187]

Just now, honeybradger said:

If he does go whoever we will sign will likely play the same style but worse.

 

I dont think the fans who want him gone understand this.

Don't necessarily want him gone, but we're not in a position to keep him if his heart is set on going.

[Chelmofox]

32 minutes ago, lcfcbluearmy said:

I really don't know why people have decided that Enzo has asked to leave or is looking to force a move away? Whilst this is possible all we have at the moment is the normal media circus.

 

Everytime anyone is linked anywhere journalists say X would be keen to move their even if they have no idea because it is a safe bet and gets them clicks.

 

Of course he is probably being considered but that is all we know nothing more there is no suggestion he hs trying to force anything other than the usual hysterics on here and on twitter

 

Because people see what they want to see.   Its a job. If one of the biggest clubs in the country comes calling you listen to what they have to say, because they might never come calling again. The media circus is disappointing, and like rolling news these days with the same stuff being regurgitated.

 

 

5 minutes ago, Rusko187 said:

Don't necessarily want him gone, but we're not in a position to keep him if his heart is set on going.

 

There is no suggestion his heart is set on anything. 

Edited 24 May by Chelmofox

[Matt]

6 minutes ago, honeybradger said:

If he does go whoever we will sign will likely play the same style but worse.

 

I dont think the fans who want him gone understand this.

There lies the problem.

 

People don't want him gone per se, they want the style gone, or somewhat less.

[Stuntman_Mike]

2 minutes ago, Matt said:

There lies the problem.

 

People don't want him gone per se, they want the style gone, or somewhat less.

It seems there's a mixed bag. 

 

I was really looking forward to seeing how we got on with Enzo's style against teams that don't sit back all game. It looks like we'll never know!

 

 

[foxinsocks]

Enzo ball requires top notch players to get thru a parked bus.  If we play enzo ball with our squad in the prem we will be picked off.  We need 45 points (to allow for a 10 point deduction)... that's like Fulham.  We need enzo or Ny other manager to Id 45 points.

[Itsthejoeker]

1 hour ago, Stevosevic said:

I guess some people have got what they wanted  

 

This is a disaster. The players were fully behind him.

 

 

And this demonstrates he wasn’t really behind the players

[Matt]

25 minutes ago, Stuntman_Mike said:

It seems there's a mixed bag. 

 

I was really looking forward to seeing how we got on with Enzo's style against teams that don't sit back all game. It looks like we'll never know!

 

 

Remains to be seen as you say but a stand out for me was 5-0 v Southampton, one of our best and most exciting performances of the season and he didn't like it. (Much like Rodgers v WBA was stand out and telling) 

 

Edited 24 May by Matt

[foxfanazer]

Stuck £20 at 9/2. For all the media speculation it seems a decent price 

[Chelmofox]

28 minutes ago, foxinsocks said:

Enzo ball requires top notch players to get thru a parked bus.  If we play enzo ball with our squad in the prem we will be picked off.  We need 45 points (to allow for a 10 point deduction)... that's like Fulham.  We need enzo or Ny other manager to Id 45 points.

Why do you think teams will be parking the bus against us?!?!

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Still think all three names there are cover for De Zerbi, which is relatively decent PR from Chelsea. De Zerbi probably isn't enough of a name for their weirdo fanbase but is probably a decent fit for them longer term. Lower the expectations with the three they've leaked, then when they appoint De Zerbi it looks like a better appointment on the surface. 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

30 minutes ago, foxinsocks said:

Enzo ball requires top notch players to get thru a parked bus.  If we play enzo ball with our squad in the prem we will be picked off.  We need 45 points (to allow for a 10 point deduction)... that's like Fulham.  We need enzo or Ny other manager to Id 45 points.

I absolutely hate this phrase in the context of a football game. What on earth is it even supposed to mean? 

[ClaphamFox]

Just now, Chelmofox said:

Why do you think teams will be parking the bus against us?!?!

I doubt anybody will park the bus against us in the PL next season unless it's the last game of the season and they just need a point for survival. We'll be playing against teams that attack us, which would suit Enzo's style of play a lot more. 

[foxinsocks]

1 minute ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

I absolutely hate this phrase in the context of a football game. What on earth is it even supposed to mean? 

Last season were were hit on the break or... we made a mistake at the back or in  the centre leading to a goal.   Teams could just be patient and pick us off

[funkyrobot]

10 hours ago, Analysethis said:

 

That article is stating a consideration for Maresca is the potential points deduction, you have stated "Supposedly one of the factors that has encouraged Enzo to speak to Chelsea is the impending points deduction" One is a journalists viewpoint that it may be a consideration, you have elevated this to it being almost factual and thats why he is encouraged to speak to Chelsea. I am not saying thats not potentially in his thoughts, in fact players leaving on frees, little money to spend, potentially losing KDH, not really being wanted by much of the fan bases are all legitimate reasons to consider leaving, however lets not speak like we know what he is doing as fact.

 

Even if he left, I`d be delighted that he got us up as Champions where the likes of Leeds and Southampton couldn't (one of course will make it via the play-offs) and in that, he galvanized a relegated side that lost so many top players. 

 

I think many in here underestimate how important it was to go up. It may sound dramatic but if we stayed down it could have seen us do a Sheffield Weds, Sunderland, Forest etc and stayed away from the prem for years, especially with the financial problems we would have had without the bumper money coming our way now we are in the prem.

 

Thank god for Maresca, I hope he stays.....

First of all I’ve been a massive fan of Enzo since day one. I’m desperate for him to stay. I think him potentially going to Chelsea after all of their own financial issues and terrible manager history is very disappointing but the silence from the Maresca camp is deafening. If he leaves then I hope the move fails tbh. 
 

With regards to the story, the word I used was ‘supposedly’ but you’d be naive if don’t think this factor wasn’t drip fed off the record from a Maresca source. Similar concerns are expressed in The Times and other sources. It’s pretty much everywhere with no Maresca denial of any links or any details. 

[Matt]

15 minutes ago, ClaphamFox said:

I doubt anybody will park the bus against us in the PL next season unless it's the last game of the season and they just need a point for survival. We'll be playing against teams that attack us, which would suit Enzo's style of play a lot more. 

I respectfully disagree and this isn't a slight on Enzo, but very much a slight on the style, a possession based game, playing out from the back.

 

It's suffocating (to your own detriment), its negative(!) imo, by the nature of the style, play and ideology you play in your own half without going anywhere (That's no more positive than teams putting 11 behind the ball, no matter how you dress it up), allowing teams to press and attack you, teams like us with players like ours duly make a mistake bang you're 1-0 down, you only have to look at the amount of times it happened last season, fortunately finishing wasn't great from opposition teams in the Championship.

 

It worked last season as someone who majorly dislikes possession based football and playing out from the back and i've gone on record numerous times throughout last season saying I enjoyed it and understood why we did it for the most part but unless you're a 'top' team (of which we were in the Championship) I foresee no reason for us playing it in the Premier League.

 

Edited 24 May by Matt

[ClaphamFox]

9 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Still think all three names there are cover for De Zerbi, which is relatively decent PR from Chelsea. De Zerbi probably isn't enough of a name for their weirdo fanbase but is probably a decent fit for them longer term. Lower the expectations with the three they've leaked, then when they appoint De Zerbi it looks like a better appointment on the surface. 

It would not surprise me at all if the names currently being linked are a smokescreen to hide who they really want - possibly the mystery 'fourth candidate' mentioned by Matt Law. That could be De Zerbi or possibly Xavi.  It's pretty common in this situation for clubs to be heavily linked with one or two names only to announce somebody else.

[dmayne7]

9 hours ago, Analysethis said:

So with "everyone" knowing what was at stake, with the pressure he was under, players contracts winding down, best players sold, off field problems etc, why do so many not rate him?!

 

I think the point is for me, he has done an amazing job. Vestegaard was dead and buried before he arrived, Vards looked bereft of confidence and almost finished, Hamza also not at the standard but galvanized, Ndidi played in attacking midfield LOL and most of his new signings have worked out well under an effective system in this division.

 

Why did 3/4s of this forum vote for him to be sacked when we went through that wobble? He achieved what he did despite our negativity and for me, his achievements are still played down. Most "expected" us to go up and him winning the Championship was a forgone conclusion for many before a ball was even kicked,like its ever that simple.

Your talking about 2 completely different things. 

 

1 -The importance of promotion. I don't think anyone has doubted that. That has nothing to do with Enzo's performance.

 

2 - Enzo's performance. He did well to get promoted of course, again not sure anyone has said other than that. However, the circumstances you're presenting aren't the complete picture.

 

- Leeds and Southampton lost their best players so we were no worse off there and started from a much higher base (something people seem to forget as both those signs were relegation candidates in the Prem, whereas we weren't, even if the decline wasn't a shock). Look at some of the players that didn't make matchday squads on a regular basis and tell me we didn't have a brilliant squad for this level.

 

- Re contracts, basically Wilf and Iheanacho that were a question mark. And even then, they probably needed to play well to get better contracts elsewhere. Vestergaard was absolutely woeful and hadn't played so of course he was going to give everything for his future. On that, the turnaround has been fantastic and Enzo deserves a lot of credit for that as with somebody like Ndidi.

 

- The real pressures only started in the last 3rd of the season and we did not do a go job of blocking that noise out. Interviews with multiple players have revealed that it was the senior players that got together to try and sort the awful form out, not Enzo. Not using that as a stick to beat him with, just presenting the facts. And let's be honest, the results and the performances were dire. 10/11 game stretch that was genuine relegation form. Luckily, we'd done such a good prior to that and showed the resilience.

 

- With that vote, I think many were using it to express some dissatisfaction and that they wouldn't be fussed if he left, rather than outright saying sack him immediately. Problem was the form was dreadful but he also made 0 changes to system throughout the season and was so conservative with his subs. He was genuinely pleased with some of those performances and that was a worry. One thing that really didn't sit well on top of that was that he had done so much great work to change the culture of the club but then he handed Hamza the armband a few days after being done for drink driving (yet another incident involving Hamza). Personally, he's lost so much credibility from that as he should have been dropped and certainly not made captain.

 

- And the most important factor, he had the most expensive squad in the league's history. Other factors or not, he had a ridiculous team for this level and even losing the best players meant he could bring in people like Harry Winks and Coady Coady at this level which is silly. So yes, it was a very easy job. However, it doesn't mean achieving promotion was easy and he definitely deserves credit.

 

I've said it but losing him this summer could be a massive hammer blow. We desperately need the continuity and the unity that he will bring to the squad

[Dahnsouff]

7 minutes ago, ClaphamFox said:

It would not surprise me at all if the names currently being linked are a smokescreen to hide who they really want - possibly the mystery 'fourth candidate' mentioned by Matt Law. That could be De Zerbi or possibly Xavi.  It's pretty common in this situation for clubs to be heavily linked with one or two names only to announce somebody else.

There is certainly noises around Amorim on their forums, but it may just be wishful thinking.

[sylofox]

If he takes his back room staff with him can we put Rudkin in with them.

[Sunbury Fox]

When all this speculation first broke I thought it was a joke but it really seems that it could be true. Sick of being asset stripped by the vile Chelsea. Not sure it is a great gig for Enzo at all. Yeah, he'll get paid loads but he's unlikely to win anything given the competition and he won't be given more than 5 minutes to build a team. Money could be tighter at Chelsea going forward as well, given that they have made a million signings over the last 2 years and put them all on 9 year contracts. If he is going, I hope it's all sorted quickly and that the club surprises us all and actually has someone good lined up to replace him very soon.  

Edited 24 May by Sunbury Fox