egg

Maybe, but his teams passing was hardly incisive, and there wasn't a whole lot of movement. The opposition mostly let them have the ball. The main concern for me though is how badly set up his team must be to concede do many goals despite having hold of the ball for most of the game.

The thing that I noticed when I watched that goal was the lack of press from the opposition. With a proper press, that goal wouldn't have happened.

And conceded as many as they scored... that's not my way of wanting my team to entertain me.

Is passing around in our own half huffing and puffing for an opening pleasing on the eye? Watch that video of his team goal with the 50 ish passes. The team nearly lost the ball on occasions and had no idea how to break them down until the last pass for goal. If the goal didn't come at the end of it, it would have just been 3 mins of turgid keep ball.

That's not what's being reported. They're saying that we haven't made an approach to Swansea yet. Completely different to sorting out a deal behind the scenes with Martin or his agent, then approaching Swansea.

This looks like a shocker to be honest. As a player he was a solid pro but never achieved anything as such, and has done nothing as manager. His teams score goals, but concede loads too playing what Strachan rightly described as propaganda football - possession for the sake of it. I'd have preferred someone who has experience of getting clubs out of the championship or close to it - seems like another stats based risk.

There's a danger of being blinded by the possession and goals scored stats. Sure, his teams score goals, but I repeat that possession and goals scored are irrelevant if a team concedes as many as it scores. I'm not sure if you're suggesting that Swansea concede lots of goals because of their players. If it is the case, we haven't got better here. We'll have to agree to differ on this.

Agreed. Gao was criticised by many, but in reality all he did 'wrong' was not sink money into the club, and that seems to be cos his government wouldn't allow it. The club was a tight ship under his ownership. Fast forward to now, we've had cash spent but managed to go backwards. This season proves that all that glitters ain't gold.

It's looking that way. So far I can't think of anything of substance that he's said or done.

Thick

Good. That's him gone then.

Lots of possession is pointless if you concede loads of goals when out of possession! If his team scores loads more than it concedes then your point is valid. The reality though is that the goals for AND against are the only relevant stat in football. Looking at that stat, and where Swansea have finished in the league, confirms to me that possession counts for nothing, and suggests that something is fundamentally wrong in how he sets his teams.

Selective stats. You forget to mention that only 4 championship teams conceded more goals than Swansea, and that 3 of those got relegated. The bloke seems incapable of coaching a solid defence.

Personality is rather important in the bloke who manages the players and is the face/voice of the club with the media. I suspect that your cared that Jones was an idiot.

Star

Interesting, wasn't aware of that. Doesn't suggest a willingness to relocate to some northern town though.

You're at least £50m too optimistic imo. I've got no idea what's in JwP contract, but I have been told by someone who knows things that he was told ages ago that he could go this summer. For me though it's where he'll go and be a starter. I honestly can't see beyond West Ham if Rice goes, maybe Newcastle, perhaps Forest but he'd be scraping the barrel there. I don't think he'd play regularly anywhere else. I gather that he's settled in Otterbourne, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him here at the start of the season purely because I can't see where he'd actually go.

Pat

Amber

Got them to the premier league, and kept them there despite his board chucking a random mix of players at him to do something with.

I think Carrick would be decent. Done well at Boro in a short time. Plays good football. Achieved lots as a player.

Yep. The club is in crisis. All sorts have key people have left. Wilcox is not yet here. We need to sort out the manager role, coaches, various heads of departments and their teams, and that's before we've got near the players. This summer and next season is very much a reset and rebuild from the ground up.

Yep. People are far too optimistic. We'll want the cash to buy players suited to the new manager, and who want to be here. For that to happen we'll need to sell those who don't want to be here. Some people will say that we hold the aces for players under contract, but the reality is that there's no point holding players who aren't committed (and possibly put in Aribo and AMN levels of effort), and we'll only get what someone is willing to pay.

Cocaine

No idea. I got bored ages ago.