Crunch Time!

This topic contains 15 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by  sarky parky 7 years, 7 months ago.

Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)
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  • #1182258

    derwentd
    Participant
    • :

    As you all know, I have defended TP amidst all of the criticism,fair and unfair, that has been heaped upon him. And this forum is all about a healthy discussion of different ideas: so I don’t entirely disagree with Northwich, Sludger, Sarky & Co. The issue now, though, is timing and I’m beginning to doubt the management of the entire football club…not just TP.

    Last season was wasted, with SB never a force, and I find it infuriating that, as we embark upon a new and perilous season, nothing has changed: the lad just seems totally disinterested and as every game goes by his stock-value diminishes, which is no good for him or team chemistry. Couple this with an ownership change far to close to opening day (why couldn’t this have been done back in June?) and the transfer window about to slam shut during a potentially disastrous spell that, if we lose our next three matches could, deep-six us, team morale and the manager completely…leaving his replacement high and dry, with no option to bring in the players that he will need, and I’m left feeling very angry.

    How could this happen? And who is in charge? As Eric Idle once said..Who do I turn to?

    All the blame cannot be put upon TP….its more a question of dithering at the top and JP trying to squeeze the maximum from a sale without any consideration of the consequences of forcing his successors into such a tight spot. I just hope that someone decisive starts making some bold decisions quickly because, just as a 5-game losing streak (God forbid, when you look at our next few opponents!) can bury a manager, it might just bury this team.

    #1182330
    sludgy
    sludgy
    Participant
    • :

    Well Derwent, we agree on one thing. The club has been way too slow in making deals happen. Even without JP at the helm we still seem to haggle over the last 2m or 3m to seal a deal. In this ridiculous market you have to pay over the odds to get your target. Look at us allegedly wanting 25m for Evans?? If its true it another example of silly season. Our new chairman says we cant do deals because selling clubs are asking silly money. Well, so do we when another team comes calling. That’s the way it is with all this money swilling around in the game. The more money SKY put in, the higher the prices for players gets, and the more we pay in salaries. If we truly want to compete in this league we have to put our hands deep into our pockets and spend. I don’t think the prices we’ve seen this summer are realistic, but its what clubs are having to pay to get the players they want. We still think we can haggle a better deal. We are now going to have the usual panic buys we all saw coming weeks and weeks ago. Unfortunately our club never learns its lesson.

    #1182438

    Northwich Baggie
    Participant
    • :

    I think that the delay in the new owners taking over is down to the FA who have to vet them etc. Without this they would have taken over by now but the last I heard it was going to be October by which time we could be in deep shit. Bet it wouldn’t take so long if it was ManUre & a couple of others!

    #1182732

    sarky parky
    Participant
    • :

    Don’t be so negative. I don’t believe the current squad is as bad as people make out. TP has substantially underused the talent at his disposal. With a new manager dedicated to “playing “football” we could well find that we have at least three “new” players at our disposal in Gamboa, Poc and McManaman and maybe even Saido could be motivated to play at his 2014-15 level. Brunt will be back from injury, Morrison now only needs match fitness. Sadly we’ve lost Chester but we must hang on to Evans. Leko looked a great prospect at the end of last season. Let’s get them playing proper football and then we’ll see. In a proper team, Rondon could score a hatful of goals.

    #1183119
    sludgy
    sludgy
    Participant
    • :

    Sarky – There in lies the problem – We still have TP at the helm, and its getting very late to change the head coach for someone else. Then the new man needs several weeks to get his theories into to squad. I just wonder why we have not even heard about any bids being made. Are we trying to push TP out. Would be daft seeing he is on a rolling contract. Just pay him up and move on. I really fear the worst this year. We have let several players leave, and have failed to replace them. The squad is still very old, and lacks any real quality in central midfield. We have 3 players on the books that TP won’t play, yet we cant sell them?? Those players must earn around 75k a week between them, yet we don’t unload them to other teams!! They didn’t play at all last season, so that’s cost the club around 3.5m over the last 12 months. Why are they still on the books?? I don’t believe its impossible to sell them?? This has been badly mismanaged by everyone at the club. JP has left the club in limbo whilst he looked for a buyer. I believe he wouldn’t sell SB because he was our prize asset, which in turn has become a joke. I actually wouldn’t blame SB if he hung out his last year and refused to move. The club has had opportunity this summer to move on, but have steadfastly refused. We knew in April that we were safe, and yet we have bought 1 player, a player that took 12 months to sign!!!
    Something is seriously wrong behind the scenes at the club. I flatly refuse to believe there aren’t players out there that we could afford, that would improve the squad. Yes, we may have to spend over the odds to get them, but every Premier League club is in the same position. Watford now buy Janmaat for a quoted 7m. Could he have done a job for us?? We keep getting linked to players that won’t be interested in us. The 2 guys from Sporting Lisbon. Neither will sign as they both cost over 20m. And we wont spend that sort of money. It’s a risk to spend that much, but if we sit on our hands we will get relegated. This summer we have made a 2m profit on the deals we have done. Philips cost 5m, and Chester went for 7m. So in theory we haven’t touched a single penny that SKY have given us. January could well be too late to splash the cash. If our new owners are so rich, why are we haggling over 2m for Taylor from Leeds?? Offer 7m and lets get him before someone else does. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind spending 30-40m, especially when you take the SKY money into account. So as I say, something is very wrong at the club, and I think its more that TP, although I agree that any creative players may well think twice before signing.

    #1183206

    Northwich Baggie
    Participant
    • :

    TP is on a fixed contract and has nearly two years left if I remember correctly. This article shows how bad things are going http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/west-bromwich-albion-fc/2016/08/25/most-west-brom-fans-want-tony-pulis-gone-from-albion/?

    #1183260
    sludgy
    sludgy
    Participant
    • :

    Even so Northwich, it’s peanuts in today’s terms to have paid him off. Im also worried that we haven’t heard much from the new owners. No vision of the future, no promise to improve the squad. If we don’t sign a couple of decent strikers we will be left with Rondon and Lambert, because SB is a complete waste of space. God forbid Rondon gets injured. And I don’t believe Rondon will ever be a prolific goal scorer, 10 – 15 goals at best. We need a natural goal scorer to player along side him. We need ‘quality’ wingers to supply the ammunition. We need a ‘quality’ creative midfielder, and I would still like us to sign 2 full backs – Actual full backs. Not that we don’t have 2 capable full backs already on the books!! Just a pig headed manager that won’t play them. His ego gets in the way!!

    #1184925

    derwentd
    Participant
    • :

    Sludger..I agree with everything you have said. TP wouldn’t be the problem he is if the club was better organized and motivated.

    Now the money is supposedly not a problem. So get on with it or the consequences will be sure.

    In the meantime, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Carrick join Evans and Fletcher, which is ok…as long as we get some speed and creativity to play in front of them and provide Rondon and whoever with good service.

    #1185420

    sarky parky
    Participant
    • :

    You’ve hit the nail on the head, Sludgy. Mind you it’s a nail that’s been hit many times before. Why will the Clown not play certain players. For example, he says of the Everton loanee that it’s good to have a natural left-back available. But he’s had one ever since he came. He’s had two thirds of a game through personnel necessity, played well and set up the winning goal for Rondon. Yet he’s never been seen since. Surely TP owes the fans some explanation of this appalling waste of club’s resources or does he like God feel he’s above the simple minds of mere mortals. When we get another manager, it’ll be interesting to see whether Gamboa, Poco, and McManaman return to first team duty.What a way to manage a football club!!

    #1185582

    Northwich Baggie
    Participant
    • :

    If we get a manager who plays attractive attacking football then I’m certain that Poco and Gamboa will be playing with Evans and Dawson/McA as CBs. I’m not sure about McM unless he’s played on the left cause we have Phillips and Leko on the right. Unless results and the way we attain then don’t improve I can’t see TP being here at Xmas.

    #1185885

    derwentd
    Participant
    • :

    Northwich, by Christmas we might be doomed.

    Our club just seems to be rudder-less …and picking up the crumbs is no longer excusable.

    Tomorrow’s game is important for morale…but a fundamental change in direction is now needed, as I sense that TP could be losing ‘the dressing room’, as they say.

    #1186041

    Northwich Baggie
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    Derwent, I hope you’re not going to the Hawthorns tomorrow cause the match is on Sunday LOL!

    #1187052

    sarky parky
    Participant
    • :

    If TP is losing the freezing room then all I can say is about time. He lost much of the fan base a long time ago. And can you imagine what it will be like for the players to play proper football again. For many it’ll be like discovering the elixir of youth.

    #1187367
    sludgy
    sludgy
    Participant
    • :

    Hey Northwich, do you remember your ‘youth’, coz I’m struggling 🙂

    #1187394

    Northwich Baggie
    Participant
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    I can remember my youth with no problem Sludgy. It’s what I did yesterday that’s the problem along with the regular ‘what have I come into this room for?’ LOL!

    #1193538

    sarky parky
    Participant
    • :

    Maybe that’s the Clown’s problem – short term memory loss. He can remember full well the tactics he used at Stoke but he is unaware that the game’s moved on. He’s also completely forgotten that he has two bona fide fullbacks in his squad and they’re much too polite to remind him. Yesterday I bought a pie for lunch but forgot about it and did myself scrambled egg. Pulis may well have forgotten that he’s bought a right-winger and reverts to the option he had before, Gardner. It would explain a lot.

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