SW11_Saint

It was the first one I had - actually mine might predate this by a year as it had the ‘filled in’ V-neck. You can’t beat simple & classic design. Atletico Madrid and others have had a more classic approach in recent years (as well as the odd aberration).

That feels like one for the ‘experimental year’. I like that we tend to go more traditional one year then experiment the next (this year being an experimental year of course). Personally I’d like them to get as close as possible to this…

Though part of me now wonders if Wilcox will even take up his role. Did he bank on being in the Championship? As we have seen with Joe Shields it just takes a flash of leg from elsewhere and they’re off…

I mean, he’s available, and experienced…

Let’s cut the crap… there’s only one man for the job 😇 #KingKev

Wenger? 🥴

That’s certainly part of it and it’s great to have someone there who knows the squad, their strengths & weaknesses etc., as well as someone we are led to believe is a bit of a tactician. It’s the other side of management that concerns me - the inspiring, ‘fire in your bellies’ team talks, the bollockings that are needed from time to time, the skin thick enough to make tough calls and deal with the media. There’s a certain gravitas required to be ‘the gaffer’ and there’s a reason many coaches / #2s fail to make the step up. I’m concerned Selles doesn’t have that side to his personality - and it’s needed in bucketloads when you’re in the trenches of a relegation fight.

Okay, if you wavy a curve-ball… how about Arsene Wenger to come in to support Selles for the rest of the season? Has experience in spades, and his reputation, given he’s effectively retired, won’t take a knock if/when we go down. lots of experience to pass on to Selles. Theo would enjoy it too…😉

More likely to be Walcott I’d say… JWP has enough weight on his shoulders.

Then why approach him in the first place, let alone offer him a contract? 🤷‍♂️

Someone walking away from the ‘deal’ and then having the press leak it isn’t a negotiation tactic I fear.

(a) not everyone thought JM would be a disaster (b) sounds like he pulled out (as “not convinced”), not the club. That says a lot.

Agreed. Hard to judge on that alone, but doesn’t feel like the type of personality to lead from the front. I’m not confident about his ability to fulfil this role at all. Much may depend on who they bring in alongside him. Sit back now and wait for the SFC ‘spin machine’ to go into action… “this is the best appointment”, “he has the respect of the players” etc. etc.

Yes, I thought of that when the news of his contract length broke. I see JM as being a better fit (whichever division we are in) than Hughes was. Still baffles me why they gave him such a long contract when he clearly wasn’t an ideal fit. Given they are still paying off Ralph and Jones, they won’t want another expensive pay-off hanging over us if it doesn’t pan out. Guess the short-term deal suits both parties. They can reappraise in the summer. Correction: as someone pointed out, I think we DID give Hughes a s/t contract initially. But then awarded him a 3 year contract after keeping us up. Which seems even more baffling, but then that’s Les Reed for you!

Despite having two articles that pillory him today, the Guardian’s Football Pod made the point that his own ludicrous outbursts will sadly now follow him around - possibly for the rest of his career, and possibly to the detriment of his mental health. Hopefully he’ll take some time out to recuperate before returning to football/Luton. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/football-weekly/id188674007?i=1000599393530

Laughed out loud several times when reading that this morning, but none more so than the final speech bubble. Genius.

Misspelling or not, they were one of the first to pick up on this…

Agreed. We were shit in that game. Should have lost. I’d take Selles as a stop-gap if we need to, but agree I think we’d be accepting relegation. Now, if Bielsa was the ‘older head’ alongside him we’d be talking…

Which is exactly why they’ve leaked that!

Rob Edwards at Luton is doing great things… #JustSayin 😉

🤷‍♂️

Oh 🤬hell- please no! Can’t stand that arsehole. It would show that SR know nothing of our history (with him) too… Thankfully I suspect it is bullshit…

I have an element of human sympathy for him, and can’t blame him for taking the job, but he certainly didn’t help himself with his approach or media ‘handling’. He’s a hard guy to like I’m afraid. The blame for this debacle has to lay firmly with Sports Republic - he was wholly unequipped for the Premier League. How they didn’t spot this, his tactical limitations or his character flaws is beyond me. Couldn’t agree less with the point about no one else being able to do better with this group of players - there were plenty of better options available, and anyone of them would have done better I suspect. This is a squad with a lot of potential (goal scoring problem notwithstanding) - that we’ve squandered the last 3 months, and our “easiest” run of games is simply criminal and has likely sealed our fate.

Other way around I think - wouldn’t managed Barca due to his Espanyol links. That said, I doubt he’d refuse it if it was offered!

HES GONE!!!!