25 Feb 2024 20:25:02
Ratcliffe was quite clear. If every manager is failing, including some quite good ones, then the problem most likely lies somewhere other than the manager.
ETH may or may not survive, but whether he does so will not be based on what's happening now but on whether the new administration considers him the best available manager to take the club forward.
You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. The players we have now are simply not good enough. None of them would make it at Liverpool, Arsenal or City. Klopp and Pep would not win a title with them. So why would anyone expect ETH to do so? Every team has injuries, true, but Pep and Klopp have been at their respective clubs for a while now and have solid deep squads all versed in playing to a particular style. ETH does not have that luxury: not even close to it. We need all our best players fit and healthy to be in with a chance. Injuries to key players affect all clubs but because our squad is so shallow on quality, it affects us more, particular in relation to the expectations of our fan base, which are completely unrealistic.
There are a few positive signs for the future, but that's it.
25 Feb 2024 23:29:21
I agree in oart Shaw.
I don't think there is an eth out campaign.
If the new management have faith in eth and trust him to bring the team forward and are seeing something I'm not then ill be 100% behind that decision.
I'd genuinely thought we would be seeing some more signs of improvement.
26 Feb 2024 06:44:33
Spot on Shaw. The ETH out bandwagon is rolling, but given how many Managers have failed, the Manager is not the issue.
26 Feb 2024 06:59:51
I would agree with that sentiment Shawthing if we saw just a glimmer of what Ten Hag is trying to do with this team. The problem is, we don’t see any style of play. His in game management is poor too. I am not calling for his head because as others have said, 10 or more players need to go before him but if I was the new hierarchy I’d be concerned about giving him more money to spend on duds.
26 Feb 2024 08:18:46
EtH has proved that he is a good manager with Ajax, it is hard to know whether this was in part due to the structure of how the players come through from the youth team but he was a success. He has also had some relative success since coming in.
My issue at the minute is how other teams, and those lesser in players and standing are dominating us from a skill and desire level. This is something that EtH could control from the time that he has been here, yes we have had injuries but I would still expect the squad to have had more about it.
I am torn between giving him time and a proper structure and starting from scratch with another manager. A lot will depend on what the new structure decides and I can't help but think they will want a clean break.
26 Feb 2024 10:45:52
Brad that last paragraph sums up my feelings exactly over past 2 months.
I have since come down on the side of eth is not up to the job and is in fact bringing us backwards.