Greedyfly

Odd logic. If it were simply that we couldn't work on more than one deal at a time, then why prioritise tyke Argentinean Shane Long over someone like Promes who is good and who would improve our first team. Also, I wouldn't hold your breath on the CB situation, we've needed at least one for two seasons more!

Also bad news, he's ****ing ****. Honestly, why is anyone excited about this.

Thanks

How do you do the 'head in hand' emoji?

Two seasons in Argentina (where he was dismissed twice), an average season in Spain and a half season here where none of his teams are ever high scorers would suggest he's just not up to it. As you say there has been no discernible improvement since game 1.

Or he doesn't, you're no more qualified to make that assessment than him. I was passing on what I had heard, I suspect in the same way Blackmore was. He's far from being a club informant.

I've heard this too and that's from someone on the Watford side. They were surprised he didn't end up here and felt it was a foregone conclusion. Blackmore has been the club apologist since the calls for MP to be sacked have increased.

Lol. States he hasn't done a bad job in his managerial career then questions whether he's that good. Win % is over 50 and considering some of the **** he's managed that is pretty impressive. Seems some on here just see that Hull got relegated but fail to realise they were rock bottom when he took over with some absolute **** to work with. I don't actually think he's a long term solution either BUT I'd more confident of staying up AND whilst seeing some attacking football

We are third bottom of the prem, aiming to do a lot better is out of our hands. I can't see Hiddink breaking his back to get the job or for Pep to sack off City do you? Beggars can't be choosers!

Stay up first, worry about loyalty next year. Give him a Moyes type contract if we're that concerned but don't pretend he isn't an upgrade. He is. And has proved it.

Great record at Estoril, Olympiakos and Sporting with win rates over 50 at all (considerably better than MoPe). 10th place with that Watford team and an injury list as long as your arm is not to be sniffed at either. His start at Hull was also incredible, it tailed off admittedly, but all of that is still a considerable upgrade on our current 'manager's' (and I use that term loosely) record.

As was the case at Alaves. Third lowest scoring team the season he came 7th and basically had Real Madrid's reserves at his disposal. Awful, defensive minded manager. And not like Rafa Benitez defensive where it's an art form, but someone who hasn't got a clue how to properly set a team up defensively either.

This. If we want the big man up top, which I think we do (and IMO should be looking into because it just gives you a different option, a decent defensive option at corners etc) then I'd plump for Slimani. He can actually score goals with his feet and head, and has scored well in the past. Carillo does not inspire confidence in me.

Would you like some of his historical stats to help you understand?

3 of the 6.

He's done more than Long. Over two full games less than Long in terms of total minutes yet two more goals. He has also accumulated his minutes through late sub appearances, not through 90 mins of being utterly useless.

This. Not every 6.5ft player is an adept footballer. His strike rate is **** poor. We already have the king of **** poor in that position. Not sure why people are wetting their pants over this transfer.

So you don't disagree at all. Player for player, Bertrand Hoedt and Cedric are plenty good enough for a top half table team and Stephens had plenty of potential. However, as with all facets of the team except attack (who don't have sufficient personnel), it's the setup (or organisation for arguments sake), that is the issue.

Hoedt is an adequate replacement with Stephens a young CB with potential. Unfortunately if the other 8 outfield players are trained to invite pressure onto them, they will crack regardless. It's the setup in this instance, not the personnel, as is the case in most positions. Up top being the exception.

Who the **** said that? Please tell me you're quoting someone on here and not someone actually involved with the club!

That defence is tragic isn't it. For all Yoshida's improvements he should not be a first choice CB. Perfect third choice and consummate professional but still... Hopefully Cedric will be back and we can move Stephens into CB. He's hardly the finished article himself but at least there's potential for improvement at his age, and he's had some very good games.

Nope. I agree. Strike rate is probably the best we can hope for at our level but it's not as impressive as people think. His highest scoring season total is 15, in a second rate French league. His totals whilst over there are impressive however, with 25 in 36 games. In reality he's a 1 in 3 scorer which isn't that bad but he drops to 1 in 4 in the prem, and unfortunately we do need something slightly better than that right now. Also, he's bat **** crazy and we should have learnt our lesson there.

Nope but all 3 had decent strike rates at their respective clubs.

A 'target man' or 'hold up' type striker is all well and good if your midfield is busting a nut to get forward in support. We don't play like this, preferring to defend with a flat back 9 or trotting forward like ponies. Thus, unless he has a good goal scoring record (which he hasn't), I don't really see the point in this one.

Ok, his success at Alaves was underpinned by having at his disposal a ton of loanees from Spain's top clubs so his 'success' there was a result of some astute board dealings. He's not had some glittering managerial career so can we stop pretending like he has. He may well be a good coach but the two don't always marry and in his case that appears to be the case. In fact, with the players at his disposal he possibly should have done better there (his team were the third lowest scorers in La Liga - shock) You can also see this the other way, however, in that he can't actually polish the terd that is our first team squad. And for that one part the blame lays elsewhere, it's not his fault he's got the likes of Long and Redmond to work with. However it is his fault he spent 8+ games to start Austin up front instead when it was clear Long was basically ****ing useless. He also appears to be compounding the lack of quality by targeting other equally as bad replacements. It's not all his fault. Granted. But enough of it is to make him complicit in our poor final season standing. I also think whether that is in the Prem or the Championship will be down to how long he remains in the job. He's been shown to be tactically inept, defensively minded (but not defensively organised) and he still doesn't know what his best first team is...or does and thinks that includes some very average footballers, again see Shane Long.