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Management Johan Lange - Technical Director

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This summer will be interesting as we need to sell before we buy, both for space in the squad, and........


6 players out of contract... That's before you factor in any sales.



The troubling part of the above is that 3 of them are HG.
 
Yeah, if you actually explore the datelines the whole Batshuayi thing just didn't add up. Rob Mackenzie also talked about it on a podcast called Scout7.

I don't know if Marcotti is correct (I've previously posted links to the podcast where he said it was known that Poch fell out with Mitchell) but even if he's wrong, I don't think it was Batshuayi that was the issue.

The whole notion of it being Levy's "tightness" is dubious given that prior to us he was at Southampton and after us he was at RBL and Monaco - all of those clubs operate on smaller (much) budgets/wages and have buy young/inherent value policies.

If it was Levy he fell out with, it might have just been his meddling in every transfer, but like I said, Marcotti (who's usually pretty well informed) suggests it was actually Poch he fell out with, and it was Poch who lobbied for not replacing Mitchell with a DOF over his head and for him to have more transfer say.

If Poch pushed for more transfer say after Mitchell, then we have to hold Poch at least partly responsible for no signings in 2 windows, Aurrier, Sissoko, Ndombele, Ssssegnon etc.
 
Yeah, if you actually explore the datelines the whole Batshuayi thing just didn't add up. Rob Mackenzie also talked about it on a podcast called Scout7.

I don't know if Marcotti is correct (I've previously posted links to the podcast where he said it was known that Poch fell out with Mitchell) but even if he's wrong, I don't think it was Batshuayi that was the issue.

The whole notion of it being Levy's "tightness" is dubious given that prior to us he was at Southampton and after us he was at RBL and Monaco - all of those clubs operate on smaller (much) budgets/wages and have buy young/inherent value policies.

If it was Levy he fell out with, it might have just been his meddling in every transfer, but like I said, Marcotti (who's usually pretty well informed) suggests it was actually Poch he fell out with, and it was Poch who lobbied for not replacing Mitchell with a DOF over his head and for him to have more transfer say.

Ok, cheers. We know Poch was never a fan of the DoF, despite the fact he can’t spot a player in the transfer market to save his life, so that adds up. That’s one problem with bringing Poch back and probably why it won’t happen. He won’t slip into the model the club is creating effortlessly.
 
If Poch pushed for more transfer say after Mitchell, then we have to hold Poch at least partly responsible for no signings in 2 windows, Aurrier, Sissoko, Ndombele, Ssssegnon etc.

I thought that was recognised fact?

He wanted de Jong, couldn’t get him and so decided he didn’t want someone else. We fucked up the Grealish deal for sure that window, but as I always point out, we didn’t sell anyone either that summer. It was a complete fuck up and the club appeared paralysed in the transfer market. Just another terrible window to add to the rest of the them for almost a decade.
 
I thought that was recognised fact?

He wanted de Jong, couldn’t get him and so decided he didn’t want someone else. We fucked up the Grealish deal for sure that window, but as I always point out, we didn’t sell anyone either that summer. It was a complete fuck up and the club appeared paralysed in the transfer market. Just another terrible window to add to the rest of the them for almost a decade.
I don't think it's unanimously agreed upon, but I have my suspicions.
 
I get why Ange paid the price for the policy of recruiting teenagers for depth in a European season because the plan was to build a squad for 5 years.

What I don't get is why Lange and Levy survived it.

Any other time Levy would have thrown the DOF under the bus as well but he didn't this time and his first 2 signings after Ange have been kids as well.
 
I get why Ange paid the price for the policy of recruiting teenagers for depth in a European season because the plan was to build a squad for 5 years.

What I don't get is why Lange and Levy survived it.

Any other time Levy would have thrown the DOF under the bus as well but he didn't this time and his first 2 signings after Ange have been kids as well.
It tells you that Levy doesn’t believe it was the policy or Lange’s fault. If anything, they are gonna lean harder into youth development, and Lange’s position has been strengthened by bringing in an ally in Frank.
 
I get why Ange paid the price for the policy of recruiting teenagers for depth in a European season because the plan was to build a squad for 5 years.

What I don't get is why Lange and Levy survived it.

Any other time Levy would have thrown the DOF under the bus as well but he didn't this time and his first 2 signings after Ange have been kids as well.
Levy owns 25% of the club is why he's there and even then Cullen is gone and he's not CEO anymore.

Lange now has his choice of manager and Frank might well be happy to keep him. He'll be more aligned/biddable than Paratici or AN Other.
 
It tells you that Levy doesn’t believe it was the policy or Lange’s fault. If anything, they are gonna lean harder into youth development, and Lange’s position has been strengthened by bringing in an ally in Frank.

We had more than enough in our squad to win the Europa League and finish top half comfortably.
It wasn't Levy's or Lange's fault we play childish football that any PL side can at least understand and try to counteract, if not always successfully.

Levy owns 25% of the club is why he's there and even then Cullen is gone and he's not CEO anymore.

Lange now has his choice of manager and Frank might well be happy to keep him. He'll be more aligned/biddable than Paratici or AN Other.

The Aussie maffia of Munn, Ange and Jedinak, or "MAJ" have all gone now. Thankfully. We now hopefully have a professional setup rather than a bunch of beer mates.
 
We had more than enough in our squad to win the Europa League and finish top half comfortably.
It wasn't Levy's or Lange's fault we play childish football that any PL side can at least understand and try to counteract, if not always successfully.



The Aussie maffia of Munn, Ange and Jedinak, or "MAJ" have all gone now. Thankfully. We now hopefully have a professional setup rather than a bunch of beer mates.
Bravo. I love the win but people need to stop fucking kidding themselves any an all of our past four full-time managers would win that tournament under these specific circumstances, some of whom more comfortably because the prep and fitness issues wouldn't have been so catastrophic under then.
 
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Bravo. I love the win but people need to stop fucking kidding themselves any an all of our past four full-time managers would win that tournament under these specific circumstances, some of whom more comfortably because the pre and fitness issues wouldn't have been so catastrophic under then.

TBF; each one conspired to deliver some pretty catastrophic European runs/exits:

- Nuno.... Basically got us knocked out of the Conference League in the group stages (allowing a covid formality to be the death blow).
- Conte utterly embarrassed us with his cowardice and simpering towards a deeply average AC Milan.
- Jose lost 3-0 to a man in prison.

.............All of which with peak Son & Kane at their disposal.
 
It was his plan to use teenagers as depth as well
I’m for it. That’s a good strategy. Young, talented players need game time. I love seeing them on the pitch.

But they need world class coaching too. That didn’t happen under Mourinho, Nuno, or Conte whose forte is designing a system to win. They buy ready made because they can’t develop players or don’t have the patience for it. Ange was another system manager but at least he played youth.

Now with Frank and his team we have some great coaches. In some ways it’s the opposite of these systems coaches because hes so pragmatic and adaptable. But he will improve the players we have which is exactly what a club like ours need.

COYS
 
I’m for it. That’s a good strategy. Young, talented players need game time. I love seeing them on the pitch.

But they need world class coaching too. That didn’t happen under Mourinho, Nuno, or Conte whose forte is designing a system to win. They buy ready made because they can’t develop players or don’t have the patience for it. Ange was another system manager but at least he played youth.

Now with Frank and his team we have some great coaches. In some ways it’s the opposite of these systems coaches because hes so pragmatic and adaptable. But he will improve the players we have which is exactly what a club like ours need.

COYS

It’s a good plan as long as you don’t mind sucking up 17th placed finishes if you want to stay in 4 competitions
 
Bravo. I love the win but people need to stop fucking kidding themselves any an all of our past four full-time managers would win that tournament under these specific circumstances, some of whom more comfortably because the pre and fitness issues wouldn't have been so catastrophic under then.
There's a reason we're almost always the bookies favourites when we're in the Europa/Conference league. It's because they assume we'll try to win it and come unstuck when we treat it like a pre-season friendly.
 
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