Dark Munster

I can't blame them for the VVD debacle. That was a case of damned if you do and damned if you don't. The only person to blame there is that **** VVD (and the scousers of course). Lemina was needed as a back-up/partner to Romeu. They were lucky last season that Reed's gamble that Romeu wouldn't get injured paid off. Hoedt looks like a decent buy. The biggest cock ups: 1) The inability to bring in at least one bloody front man who can score goals. Not just last summer, but the summer before that as well (ever since we lost Mane and Pelle). It was clear to anyone with half a brain that we have been woefully inadequate in that department for ages. So what do they do instead, they sell JRod and loan out Gallagher. 2) The Fonte debacle of last season. 3) Sacking a decent manager who did the best considering 1) and 2) above, and replacing him with an Argentinian version of Wigley. 4) Not bringing in a mobile goalkeeper who can make saves, and relying on our statue in goal. This goes back several seasons (and may have cost us a top 4 place under RK). 5) Did I mention not getting in a front man who can score?

Fans don't have that influence, especially as the base was divided. The only time we have influence is when it's a long term Br*nf**t-type situation. It was almost certainly certain prima donna players who were primarily responsible.

Corrected for you.

So Stoke have sacked their manager without yet having someone lined up. Why can't we do the same? Yes it was a disaster last time for us, but that's because Reed was trying to replace a good manager without someone as good or better lined up. But this time we only have to replace a clown. Sack him now for God's sake.

Apart from not scoring goals he'd be perfect.

Fraud vs. Clown. My money's on the fraud.

Err, no. It's much stronger than the one Puel had for most of the season (not to mention the injuries he had to contend with).

And hopefully Wigley and Gray will become good managers one day too.

I don't recall many (if any) I told you so postings, only responses to some of the Puel out mob who keep insisting it was the correct decision. I was wrong about the Pardew and Adkins sackings (especially the latter), and I would've loved to be wrong about the Puel one too. If you insist I'll say I told you so, but it gives me no pleasure being right this time.

Pellegrino and Reed?

You can bet your house on it.

Yep. Just like our clown of a manager.

The answer is at the beginning of your sentence.

Err, no, that's exactly what we do need. Desperately. Along with a manager who knows what he's doing.

Ideally we win and the clown gets sacked anyway. We then go on to comfortably survive and also win at Wembley. But if winning this game means the clown stays on, and we get injuries/suspensions in a short cup run, and end up going down, then obviously a loss would be better. Unfortunately I don't have a crystal ball so I don't know what I want on Saturday, except that if we do lose then it's by a such a huge and humiliating score that the clown's position become untenable.

Puel didn't buy them. Boufal was injured when he came in, Gabbi only came in belatedly in January (and made a massive difference which showed what was missing for half a season, and then got injured which sent him "rapidly backwards"). Not to mention Fonte leaving in January, and VVD and Austin being injured for half the season each. Let's not re-write history

That was the biggest problem last season. This season it's the the second biggest problem, with a clueless clown of a manager being the biggest.

Wow, great read, thanks for the link! It sums up the crappy hand Puel had to contend with brilliantly, and the Puel -> Clown debacle perfectly.

If we buy a goalscorer and a mobile goalkeeper the squad is comfortably good enough to stay up. As long as the clown is replaced by an experienced manager who knows what he's doing.

I think a decent manager and a goalscoring target man would. Of course finding those two is easier said than done.

What do these have in common: Nicholl -> Br*nf**t Sturrock -> Wigley Pearson -> Poortvliet Puel -> Current clown Four decent managers unfairly sacked, to be replaced by four disasters. 2 of those led to immediate relegation (and only MLT saved us with Br*nf**t), and a very real possibility of a third immediate relegation this time. Many of us warned about this happening. It's not a case of "I told you so" and being arrogant cocks, because I wish we had been wrong and Claude's replacement would've turned out to be brilliant. Get rid of the clown tomorrow, bring in someone like Nigel Pearson, along with a front man who scores, and we can still get out of this shit.

Yes indeed. It's so bloody obvious, a new manager and a goalscorer. And if Reed and co. don't see this they are incompetent beyond belief.

Agreed, me too. But if we are to lose tonight I hope it's bad enough to get the clown sacked and replaced with a manager who knows what he's doing. A hit on GD would be worth it if it results in someone competent taking over.