Thomas Frank - Head Coach

[Surfless]

I really like this post. When you break it down, we have a core of players that this or the next manager would just enjoy having. I think it is as many as 15 or 16. Then you have the 4 or 5 other youngsters, not including Gray or Bergval as they're already in the former.

Then you go to work on the rest. If you do it right then you end up with another 2 or 3 elite players as their replacements. Just those 2 or 3 players can become transformative.

thanks for the comment - I appreciate it. I would say that my oversimplified summary of player ability could do some players a disservice - in our squad for instance there's definitely a case for saying that with time either in the league or getting older and wiser, Xavi, Gray, Van Der Ven and Tel could become elite, or somewhere between international and elite. If that were the case then you just have to sustain their development, ensure that you don't fill the roles ahead of them to stunt their progress, and then watch as the four I mentioned step up and are replaced by Moore, Vuskovic, Williams Barnet and Byfield as prospects.

 

[Muttley]

thanks for the comment - I appreciate it. I would say that my oversimplified summary of player ability could do some players a disservice - in our squad for instance there's definitely a case for saying that with time either in the league or getting older and wiser, Xavi, Gray, Van Der Ven and Tel could become elite, or somewhere between international and elite. If that were the case then you just have to sustain their development, ensure that you don't fill the roles ahead of them to stunt their progress, and then watch as the four I mentioned step up and are replaced by Moore, Vuskovic, Williams Barnet and Byfield as prospects.

Exactly, this squad has players of the right age to grow together. Also, the potential behind them is exciting with all those young pups.

I find it hard to be pessimistic about our squad. It just needs some great recruitment alongside.

 

[Mr Gogolak]

Even with the all injuries, I’ve not found myself thinking “I wish we had Johnson still”.

We got good money for a player that is limited.

Its a good deal viewed in the long term.

Is it, really? How much did we pay for him? 47m? He's 24, so theorically closer to his peak years and yet we sold him for 35m. I'm not his greatest fan, but taking a 12m hit on our top scorer at 24 doesn't strike me as a great piece of business.

Of course, since Frank wasn't going to use him, his value would drop further but that's not 'good business' - it's damage control.

 

[Baleforce]

Is it, really? How much did we pay for him? 47m? He's 24, so theorically closer to his peak years and yet we sold him for 35m. I'm not his greatest fan, but taking a 12m hit on our top scorer at 24 doesn't strike me as a great piece of business.

Of course, since Frank wasn't going to use him, his value would drop further but that's not 'good business' - it's damage control.

I believe it’s a profit as far as the books are concerned.

 

[DTA]

We weren't, the 3 bottom teams were already dead, this year the 4 teams between us and relegation are all capable of going on a run of a few games. The other factor is we had a genuine chance at Europa (which got us back into Europe this year), we were bookies favorites to win with United. That's not even taking into account Ange had shown he could get the team to 5th the season before, and we were capable (not consistently) of playing winning football (Frank hasn't)

These are all risk/reward decisions, it may seem like small margins but our situation this season is notably worse than last, by this time we had players coming back from the injuries, the league was "safe", the manager was in 2nd year, fans hadn't turned, each adds up.

Personally I think Levy should have fired Ange in December, but he made a calculated risk call and it paid off, what is the pay off for sticking with Frank? (we aren't going to get to even CL SF), that's where I think he would have pulled trigger.

Also Danso and Tel (who was a major coup at the time)