25 Apr 2016 15:24:26
Not sure about anyone else, but I wish we would have some clarification from the club about the managerial situation.
I know the club are under no obligation to say anything; but these rumours have persisted since December and the main protagonists seems to be tight lipped.
I'm also really tempted to put some money on the manager still being here next season. I just saw his odds. Pretty decent. :)
25 Apr 2016 15:40:00
The club are effectively unable to comment on the managerial situation due to us being listed on the stock market. The one thing that we can deduce from their silence however is that nothing has been decided just yet.
I expect LVGs position will be reviewed once the season is over and his fate will be decided based on whether or not he has managed to reach his targets.
I recall him saying that a third place finish was his target in the league - so we know one way or the other that he has failed there. I can't imagine his target in Europe was to get knocked out at the group stage - so that's another fail.
I think it will come down to whether or not an FA Cup win and 4th place finish (assuming we manage it) are enough to make up for the failings elsewhere. My gut says that they would - but can't see him keeping his job if we finish 5th or 6th (which seems likely to me) .
25 Apr 2016 16:00:48
I agree with you, red.
Listening to the manager the other day, it seems to me that he doesn't know what will happen.
As you point out mate, it will probably be decided at the end of the season.
If he does stay in the Job, he will have to send Wenger a bottle of wine. :O)
25 Apr 2016 16:01:39
I'm not liking how the FA Cup could suddenly be a thing used to save him. I get this horrible feeling that a cup that none of the top teams bother with is all of a sudden a KPI for potentially keeping his job. Just look at the semi-final line ups, the fact we haven't bothered with it for years and most other top clubs rest players for it in the earlier rounds, secretly (or not so secretly) hoping to get knocked out so they can rest for a league game against WBA.
Now we are in with a chance of winning it the FA Cup is seemingly back to it's 1990 importance to some of us. I don't buy it and I hope the fans new found desire for a modern day meaningless cup doesn't sway the board into thinking LVG has masterminded some great achievement. Yes its great to win things, but we have mocked Arsenal and others for hyping the FA Cup for the most part in recent years. Let's not get carried away is my advice because the Cup could save this guys skin and top 4 clubs typically don't bother with it. Great for the Old Skool but modern day game the FA Cup is not worth the hassle to most teams, it could mean another year of backwardness.
Chelsea, City, Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal won't be this bad again imo. Then you have Stoke, West Ham and Southampton all improving with more money this summer. If we don't make a change now top 7 will be hard with this manager next season.
25 Apr 2016 16:11:53
Beast who has won the last 10 fa cups. Big teams want to win it mate.
25 Apr 2016 16:22:20
Beast - an FA Cup win is a great achievement although I agree that we've had a relatively easy run to the final and that it should not be enough to save his job.
Maybe it won't be. I just have a feeling that combined with a 4th place finish it will.
25 Apr 2016 16:24:51
Announcing anything would take the shine off the final.
We all expect him to be going. If his last game is a cup final win then fantastic. let's him leave with some dignity.
I saw someone on twitter compare things to big Rons tenure. One for the older guys to comment on.
Cant believe someone called the cup unimportant.
25 Apr 2016 16:29:02
Ken - it's a back up, it used to be up there with the title. The FA Cup doesn't have half the meaning to most people that it had 20 years ago.
Managers only go for it to save their skin because some fans still overvalue the cup for sentimental reasons. I used 1990 for a reason as the Oldham and Palace games (the first one in particular) was so important to me as a youngster, it meant everything, they had everything. This game against Everton was entertaining by our current standards but it didn't carry anywhere near the same emotion for me, even with the last minute winner.
If winning the cup saves LVG then I'd happily sacrifice the FA Cup forever - plus fantasy dream team points don't count for the FA Cup so it irks me further, lol.
25 Apr 2016 16:44:04
Beast you said big clubs don't care about it they do. Look at the winners list. Arsenal city Chelsea pool are all big clubs all been in finals or won it recently. It's third on most people list but still a big trophy and worth winning.
It won't be enough to save his job. I believe that decision had been made and not official due to a variety if reasons.
That's not a fact just my opinion.
25 Apr 2016 16:49:59
What clarification? We have a manager, who has a further year on his contract after this season.
What do you expect the club to say? How would you feel if you company told the world press they intend to fire you? How would your subordinates act knowing that? How would that benefit the company in any way.
simply put the club will not sack LvG while we can still achieve some kind of success this season. It would undermine the clubs chances of winning the FA cup and finishing 4th and getting UCL qualification for next season.
When both are no longer on the agenda then the club may act, but not before then.
25 Apr 2016 16:54:50
Fair points, Beast.
I personally want him gone. I just don't see how another year of him in charge guarantee's improvement.
This has been a truly crazy season. It is so hard to objectively evaluate the team based on the fluctuating performances from the top clubs. I don't think we are miles from Spurs, for example; but we haven't learnt how to properly dispatch teams that set up to defend against us, which is my worry going into next season with LVG in charge.
I am of the opinion that we need to give Jose a go. I know it could be hit or miss, but I am inclined to think he will be a success.
I just want it all resolved. I have switched off emotionally since the turn of the year as a way of mitigating against the hurt i was feeling lol; but the flippancy I have been feeling kind of takes the edge off the thrill of victory. I want my blood pressure to rise and the need to kick something to return. I am not sure it will come back if Louis is still in charge.
:)
25 Apr 2016 17:00:52
If we finish fourth and win the fa cup that shouldn't save his job, we will be like the Arsenal, he spent enough money and his philosophy didn't work. and won't work next year.
25 Apr 2016 16:58:35
Shappy - I think the point the OP is making is that the club have not come out and given LVG their backing at any point which is somewhat unusual and has added to the uncertainty.
Even with their obligations to the stock market I don't see why they couldn't have come out with a 'He has another year left on his contract and at this point the plan is for him to see it out' type statement.
Announcing that he will be leaving at the end of the season would be detrimental (as we've seen with City) - but allowing the uncertainty to reach the levels it has has been equally so, imo.
25 Apr 2016 17:01:43
No top 4 he is gone, top 4 he will see his contract out. The cost to the club will be immense if we miss top 4 an they will make a change rather than invest in a system and players for a manger that has 1 year left on his contract.
25 Apr 2016 17:02:14
Ken - Big clubs have won it I agree, but who against? It's normally the case if a big club targets the FA Cup they win it. You surely have to agree with me that the majority of big clubs have used the Cup to rest players and blood youngsters over recent years, which is a clear sign that for the majority of teams it simply is a distraction now?
This wasn't the case a generation ago where the cup took priority for many fans and players.
Tuor - Thanks, I don't like Jose, but he would do well and I think we need somebody like him so I'm with you there mate. Young ish, intelligent and not afraid to make the big decisions. Sad thing is LVG ticked a lot of my boxes before taking him on, but he is out of touch it has been proven and he doesn't respect the job enough imo which is the number one reason he is failing.
25 Apr 2016 17:08:25
Shappy, I am not an economic expert or student of the inner workings of the stock market; but I do know share prices can fall if there is no confidence in the stock. And seeing United's share prices drop does make me wonder how much it has got to do with people not knowing what the future holds.
25 Apr 2016 17:11:29
Couldn't agree more, beast.
25 Apr 2016 17:41:32
A generation ago we were banned from Europe and prior to that only 1 team got to play the European cup so obviously it was more important 2nd priority for most clubs. Now it's third in order of importance to cl teams but they don't rest players in the main unless they have what looks an easy draw on paper. If arsenal play us in third round you won't see too many reserves take the pitch.
25 Apr 2016 18:09:01
Ken - City rested a lot of players against Chelski this year.
25 Apr 2016 18:18:31
Redseven, Why would the board come out and publicly back him? They gave him the job and they haven't sacked him. They probably tell him privately that they continue to back him. But to do so publicly is just pandering to the whims of the press who have whipped up a media storm around him and his job situation since the moment Mourinho became unemployed.
Also with the fans split as they are over the issue coming out and declaring for him or against him will mean they will be condemned by half the fans possibly alienating themselves.
Like you said they can't come out and say he will be fired, so the only thing left to say would be t back him. That will not reflect well on them with the fans. Plus they would look weak if they went back on that backing and sacked him anyway.
The owners and the board are in a no win situation and are best served keeping quiet until such a time that a way out presents itself.
Tuor80, yes shares go down, but they also go up. The Glazers will have a plan, and the share price fluctuating will have been planned in. Ultimately if they made a statement it will have little effect on the share price. As they wouldn't ease uncertainty amongst share holders but increase it if they start making rash decisions.
25 Apr 2016 18:36:00
Fair points, Shappy.
It just seems like LVG has been a little bit hung out to dry so to speak. Since December, he has had to answers questions about his future while the club remains silent - publicly. Just seems a little bit strange how even the manager can't answer whether or not he will be manager next season, which suggest he either knows his fate, or, like me and you and the rest of the fan base, is in the dark about it.
25 Apr 2016 18:43:00
Shappy - The press certainly ran with it; but the initial questions surrounding LVGs future stem from our poor results and performances on the pitch. People wouldn't be questioning his future if he was top of the league and in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Those questions have proven to be a massive distraction to the manager and most probably the players as well. Why should they listen to and respect a manager who is failing and may not be at the helm next season? How can players like Mata focus knowing that they may no longer have a place at the club come June?
Coming out in December/ January and saying that LVG would be the manager for the foreseeable future would have done no more harm to the decision makers' reputations than eventually sacking him will. They are the ones that hired him - and like Moyes before him it was a poor appointment.
25 Apr 2016 19:22:06
Wo wo wo. Are we not being a bit presumptuous? We still need to beat Palace to win it. And if we do, it will be a great achievement.
25 Apr 2016 19:41:58
The club seem to have no problem talking about less important things, so it's certainly interesting that the most important thing they keep quiet about.
25 Apr 2016 19:49:12
True that, Beast.
The whole situation just seems a bit farcical to me. But maybe it is just me.
25 Apr 2016 19:57:09
Redseven
I think we have another Urban myth brewing here about the club not saying anything about the managerial situation because it is listed public enterprise. Not one ounce of truth to that mate. Public companies 100 times our size will make a surprise announcements on change that has been in the works for a long time.
Steve Jobs and Apple is a simple example and they don't come bigger than apple.
It may well be that we have not decided or may well be we have already decided and will say so at the end of the season to forgo the media circus and distraction it would have given we still have a lot to play for.
If someone like Mournho is coming in we might here at some point in the future that the agreement with him was done months ago to take over at the end of the season.
We were a public company when Fergie was here too and it was decided around Christmas he was retiring but announced in April or May mate.
On that basis we would need to announce every ongoing and in some cases agreed deals on transfers in the works for months and get announced when concluded and in the transfer window.
25 Apr 2016 22:01:28
X files - It's no urban legend mate. It's the law. It is the boards responsibility to disclose any information which may have an effect on the share price.
The following is a summation of a section of the The Financial Services and Markets Act (2000) which is imposed on companies that are listed on the UK stock exchange. Whilst we are listed on the New York exchange - the regulations here will be similar to those in place over there (I just happened upon this one first) .
"In summary, issuers must notify without delay major new developments that may affect their business if the development may lead to a substantial share price movement. Issuers must also notify without delay information concerning a change in financial condition, performance or expectation of performance if the change would be likely to lead to a substantial share price movement. "
Stating that LVG will be staying on throughout the remainder of his contract could be seen as misleading investors as him leaving will have a major impact on share prices. Conversely; not announcing JM - or worse - denying that a deal has been done would be seen as intentionally misleading investors and would land the club in a lot of trouble.
It's entirely possible that the board already know that LVG will be leaving and plan to bring Jose in - but for legal reasons they cannot finalise these things nor can they comment on them.
25 Apr 2016 23:05:22
Fantastic Redseven. Great post.
26 Apr 2016 00:59:27
Good post redseven. For me it doesn't really answer anything either way though. Saying nothing means nothing, technically at least ;-)
26 Apr 2016 08:09:34
So why did the board not say fergy and gill was leaving?