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Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

Not looking for positives, more like someone on drugs. Our record points total was good enough for 5th last year. More importantly, the performances had got progressively worse over the course of this season and taken as a whole, worse than the comparable stage of the previous season. And this is the 2nd season of a **** poor start. Whichever you look at it: not good enough.

I'd like to contend this point. Our squad has a different make up this year compared to last year. So while last year we had a reasonable run in to November, followed by a strong run into the new year, a poor March and a good run in, it doesn't mean it will go that way this year.

We had a stronger start, a dip in form, a hammering, a recovery. We had lots of foreigners who would likely have had their stronger form in the new year or towards the end of the season. We were well in touch with the top 4 and not an insurmountable distance from 1st place. Not that I'm saying we were definitely going to roar on and win the title, but just because we took some hammerings it doesn't mean we were on a downward spiral. There's every chance we would have a strong second half of the season and get a record points haul again. If the players stopped playing for the guy and lost 6 in a row, it's a different story. But they were still going out there and putting his system into action, and hammerings aside, got results.
 
Re: AVB Sacked page 224

You would have thought AVB would have figured out that playing a high line with two slow centre backs was suicide, but he kept at it. Or getting rid of VDV was a mistake. Or loaning out Ekotto. Or playing full strength teams in Europa League friendlies was daft even though qualification had already been secured.

I don't think anyone is saying Sherwood didn't **** up by playing Eriksen AND Holtby, but AVB made the same mistakes week after week and still people made excuses for him so it's a bit rich to pile on Sherwood after 2 league games.

High line was suicide, he did get hammered, but the focus was meant to be on the team pressing the ball high up rather than just a back line.

getting rid of VDV, I dont think he had much control over that, and its turned out to be quite a good move given his form since he left.

loaning Ekotto was a bad move, and I definitely hammered him.

Playing a full strength team in the Europa, using the squad so it can gel given we made SEVEN new signings, I think it was neccessary.

None of the above would make you think he didnt know what he was doing (maybe Benny)... But Sherwood has come across very arrogant (more than AVB btw) and has not done a thing to back it up.
 
Re: AVB Sacked page 224

Shame our army of DMs couldn't stop us from getting ****ted 5 and 6-0.

Against City we got dingdonged sure. Appalling from the off throughout the side.

Against Liverpool, we lost Sandro pretty early on, he clearly didn't look fit. And also we lost Paulinho in the second half at 2-0. So the point remains valid.

Go on though Rossi name a top side functioning well without a DM or one deployed in a sitting in front of the back four poisition
 
Re: AVB Sacked page 224

A quick learner would have seen what we all saw the first time he got it wrong, then fixed it.

Look I agree with you that he should have played a DM but the goal today didnt come from not having a DM, it came from our ****e defensive unit that was in place prior to TS taking over. He should have played a DM but he doesnt rate Capoue's passing, which is quite right as I dont think he is that competent at that facet, and as he has already mentioned he wants us to keep the ball. If the players cannot pass five yard passes to each other then that says more about the players than the Manager/Coach
 
Re: AVB Sacked page 224

You would have thought AVB would have figured out that playing a high line with two slow centre backs was suicide, but he kept at it. Or getting rid of VDV was a mistake. Or loaning out Ekotto. Or playing full strength teams in Europa League friendlies was daft even though qualification had already been secured.

I don't think anyone is saying Sherwood didn't **** up by playing Eriksen AND Holtby, but AVB made the same mistakes week after week and still people made excuses for him so it's a bit rich to pile on Sherwood after 2 league games.

I'm not sure Erikesen plus Holtby is a definite mistake in the same way I don't think some of AVB's things are definite mistakes. In a few weeks I think Sherwood's system may work quite well with 2 passers in the middle like that. It depends on how else we are playing - for instance our 'wide men' are more hard working and defensively solid than most so maybe a block of 4 across the middle working hard can work. As long as the central 2 play intelligently and drop in when required. I'm sure conceptually Sherwood's system can work the way he intends it to.
 
Re: AVB Sacked page 224

Saudi Sportswashing Machine are an interesting case: a shed load of new foreigners in January who were pretty shaky iirc for the remainder of that season.

A summer later, some time together (and some managerial stability) and they're on a cracking run; winning 6 from 8; bouncing back after defeats; scoring goals. They are greater than the sum of their parts.

All's not lost, we have to hold our nerve and hope that the team, the players, the system and the manager mature.
 
Re: AVB Sacked page 224

High line was suicide, he did get hammered, but the focus was meant to be on the team pressing the ball high up rather than just a back line.

getting rid of VDV, I dont think he had much control over that, and its turned out to be quite a good move given his form since he left.

loaning Ekotto was a bad move, and I definitely hammered him.

Playing a full strength team in the Europa, using the squad so it can gel given we made SEVEN new signings, I think it was neccessary.

None of the above would make you think he didnt know what he was doing (maybe Benny)... But Sherwood has come across very arrogant (more than AVB btw) and has not done a thing to back it up.

By all means play a high line, just don't play it with two slugs playing at CB.

VDV has been debated a lot, but from what I've read he basically told VDV he wouldn't be first choice, don't buy for a second that he left to save his marriage, I can't imagine many footballers who don't call the shots when it comes to their relationships.

The whole point of having a big squad is to utilise but when you have to play important league games three days later then it's no surprise that we look poor when 6/7 of the players played in a meaningless Thursday night game and are knackered as a consequence.

Me and Scara have been talking about Bale's form and how AVB deserves credit. Well on the flip side, not ONE of the SEVEN signings has been a surefire success so far. It's early I get it, I wouldn't expect more than 4 of them to playing consistently well, but I would have expected one of them to be a regular in the side and be almost firing on all cylinders by now.
 
Re: AVB Sacked page 224

Saudi Sportswashing Machine are an interesting case: a shed load of new foreigners in January who were pretty shaky iirc for the remainder of that season.

A summer later, some time together (and some managerial stability) and they're on a cracking run; winning 6 from 8; bouncing back after defeats; scoring goals. They are greater than the sum of their parts.

All's not lost, we have to hold our nerve and hope that the team, the players, the system and the manager mature.

Too late, we lost our nerve and sacked the manager.
 
Re: AVB Sacked page 224

By all means play a high line, just don't play it with two slugs playing at CB.

VDV has been debated a lot, but from what I've read he basically told VDV he wouldn't be first choice, don't buy for a second that he left to save his marriage, I can't imagine many footballers who don't call the shots when it comes to their relationships.

The whole point of having a big squad is to utilise but when you have to play important league games three days later then it's no surprise that we look poor when 6/7 of the players played in a meaningless Thursday night game and are knackered as a consequence.

Me and Scara have been talking about Bale's form and how AVB deserves credit. Well on the flip side, not ONE of the SEVEN signings has been a surefire success so far. It's early I get it, I wouldn't expect more than 4 of them to playing consistently well, but I would have expected one of them to be a regular in the side and be almost firing on all cylinders by now.

Ironic that there is one that is a regular that is misfiring though isnt it lol? (Soldado)

I've been discussing with others this evening the whole fact that 7 new players in a squad is ridiculous in the first place. I'd like to see any manager that would know how to integrate them all without playing them in midweek games just to get them playing time.

I think someone made the point earlier (perhaps in another thread) that nobody actually knows what our best team is anyway, so playing a team on a Thursday night was helping the team to understand each other more/gel yadayada..
 
Re: AVB Sacked page 224

Look I agree with you that he should have played a DM but the goal today didnt come from not having a DM, it came from our ****e defensive unit that was in place prior to TS taking over. He should have played a DM but he doesnt rate Capoue's passing, which is quite right as I dont think he is that competent at that facet, and as he has already mentioned he wants us to keep the ball. If the players cannot pass five yard passes to each other then that says more about the players than the Manager/Coach

Not rating Capoue's passing just goes to show how pointless making an internal appointment was. Capoue might not be Alonso, but he's no Scott Parker either.
 
Re: AVB Sacked page 224

Look I agree with you that he should have played a DM but the goal today didnt come from not having a DM, it came from our ****e defensive unit that was in place prior to TS taking over. He should have played a DM but he doesnt rate Capoue's passing, which is quite right as I dont think he is that competent at that facet, and as he has already mentioned he wants us to keep the ball. If the players cannot pass five yard passes to each other then that says more about the players than the Manager/Coach

Wow. Notice that you have now done that classic trick of shifting blame from managers to players now lol. I really wonder if AVB would have been blamed for that or not.

Actually the fact that you blame AVB for our '****e defensive unit' answers that one
 
Re: AVB Sacked page 224

You would have thought AVB would have figured out that playing a high line with two slow centre backs was suicide, but he kept at it. Or getting rid of VDV was a mistake. Or loaning out Ekotto. Or playing full strength teams in Europa League friendlies was daft even though qualification had already been secured.

I don't think anyone is saying Sherwood didn't **** up by playing Eriksen AND Holtby, but AVB made the same mistakes week after week and still people made excuses for him so it's a bit rich to pile on Sherwood after 2 league games.

true good points there. i'm an AVB believer but was on his back for this season, especially on his insistence to start Paulinho every game. I believe everyone can see AVB's shortcoming, but me it feels like we've thrown the baby out with the bathwater - in other words, lesser of two evils is AVB. But its all my gut instinct and speculation right now. And I hope to be proven wrong.
 
Re: AVB Sacked page 224

its not possible....no-one has labelled Sherwood as a brilliant young manager ready to rule the footballing world

Not sure anyone has labeled AVB that either. Sherwood has been talked about as talented coach, but his team selections are bordering on ludicrous.
 
Re: AVB Sacked page 224

It appears we've replaced him with a bigger fraud.
Wait..wasn't you someone that continuously kept going in about people being "knee jerk" when making judgements on AVB after 1 season? But its ok for you to make this judgement on Sherwood after 3 games....I swear you couldn't make this **** up.
 
Re: AVB Sacked page 224

Wait..wasn't you someone that continuously kept going in about people being "knee jerk" when making judgements on AVB after 1 season? But its ok for you to make this judgement on Sherwood after 3 games....I swear you couldn't make this **** up.

=D>
 
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