Senile Reds today

[Silvio Dante]

20 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

I do think that the horrible turn of events has put them in a different position than simply head coach goes on ropey run.

As a comment on the run (& I know you posted a separate topic about that) 2 defeats in 9, with a lot of draws, does give them the potential to spin it as close to what we want, even if many who actually go to the games can see that’s a generous interpretation at best.

I really can’t see SL sacking him if we go on a poor run in the current circumstances, whether Manning decides to take a break from the game would alter this, but none of us can possibly know how he is feeling about work (& that’s what it is for him) at the present time.

True.

I guess for me the bottom line here is that this is where the football people at the club should come into their own.
 

There will be a temptation, if we go on a run that a lot of us were anticipating from the next batch of fixtures, to frame it as being impacted by the tragic events (and there is some truth in that). What Tinnion(!) needs to do if a poor run does transpire is work out and advise Steve whether it’s circumstance driven or was always coming.

Hopefully it goes the other way and we pick up a load of good results - that’d be small comfort for Liam but something he could take solace in. But, on a very human level, you do worry if we have a bad run and the normal pressure that goes with that on top of something far bigger how that would impact him.

[sephjnr]

11 hours ago, petehinton said:

Breaking news: man has to fund maintenance of thing himself, that he bought himself.
 

More as we get it. 

That's news to so many plaything owners like Yongge, Tan and the chickenfuckers Venkys.

[Son of Fred]

15 hours ago, REDOXO said:

I’m not certain I wouldn’t be reading the lines a little!

I guess I would like @Always red to clarify a little exactly what was said, but I would have confidence this squad COULD do something this season. It’s not the players that’s holding us/them back, it’s the way we play. Change that “one way or another” and we could well go on a run. 

Firstly, I genuinely hope that you are correct & not I - for me,I just don't see enough goals in this squad to be anywhere near top six,however we play..

[Son of Fred]

17 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

True.

I guess for me the bottom line here is that this is where the football people at the club should come into their own.
 

There will be a temptation, if we go on a run that a lot of us were anticipating from the next batch of fixtures, to frame it as being impacted by the tragic events (and there is some truth in that). What Tinnion(!) needs to do if a poor run does transpire is work out and advise Steve whether it’s circumstance driven or was always coming.

Hopefully it goes the other way and we pick up a load of good results - that’d be small comfort for Liam but something he could take solace in. But, on a very human level, you do worry if we have a bad run and the normal pressure that goes with that on top of something far bigger how that would impact him.

I'm hoping in light of such an awful event, an extended leave for Liam is planned- 

I think it would be for the best to not expect him back at work untill post November break.

Of course,,were this to be the case,then other considerations may come in to play..

Edited 2 hours ago by Son of Fred

[Silvio Dante]

1 minute ago, Son of Fred said:

I'm hoping in light is such an awful event, an extended leave for Liam is planned- 

I think it would be for the best to not expect him back at work untill post November break.

I’d hope that’s kind of what the club are offering with the caveat that it needs to be totally driven by him. We all cope with any kind of grief differently and it might be that work is a release for him.

[Bazooka Joe]

15 hours ago, Always red said:

Steve L has confidence in current squad to achieve a higher position than last year and again mentioned top 6 or top 2. 

Thank **** for that.

And there was me needlessly worrying that we weren’t going to make it.

Our astute and highly insightful owner has put my mind at rest and I can now relax peacefully as I await the unfolding of some miracle leading to a place in the play offs, or even better still, automatic promotion.

We, the ever-loyal but know nothing fans, must have been crazy to ever doubt our illustrious owner and his cohorts.

[Hello Dave]

13 hours ago, Silvio Dante said:

You’re verging on the uncomfortable truth there. On a human level, all of us have total sympathy with Liam and family, but ultimately City is a business for SL. If it comes to it, he will separate the personal from the professional, however heartless that may seem at this moment in time.

Hopefully, it won’t come to that and we go on a fantastic run. But it has to be remembered that before Mondays tragic news the majority of posts on this forum were in favour of sacking Liam. That doesn’t or shouldn’t stop anyone feeling desparately sorry for him and family, but it highlights the reality of the situation we are probably still in professionally and, absent a turnaround (and in Steve’s view from that target quite a drastic one), illustrates a really uncomfortable decision that has been parked as opposed to forgotten.

Playing devils advocate here. What happens if Manning takes a leave of absence, for say, 8/10 games. If we go on (another) bad run, who do we sack? Manning, Hogg or both?

[Davefevs]

2 hours ago, Silvio Dante said:

As a postscript, he’s now protected his tweets because he clearly got a bit upset about being shown up as a bit of a dick on here!

Don’t worry Ian, we’ll still be able to see you be a dick on FBC!

Would imagine he’s not the only one doing this.  Musk is changing the “block” rules.  If you block someone they can’t see your tweets, nor you theirs.  But he’s now saying that to stop blocked users seeing your tweets you have to tweet to your followers only.  Basically Musk has been blocked by millions of people and he wants to see their tweets.  So, I don’t think this is Ian trying to avoid being shown up.

31 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

True.

I guess for me the bottom line here is that this is where the football people at the club should come into their own.
 

There will be a temptation, if we go on a run that a lot of us were anticipating from the next batch of fixtures, to frame it as being impacted by the tragic events (and there is some truth in that). What Tinnion(!) needs to do if a poor run does transpire is work out and advise Steve whether it’s circumstance driven or was always coming.

Hopefully it goes the other way and we pick up a load of good results - that’d be small comfort for Liam but something he could take solace in. But, on a very human level, you do worry if we have a bad run and the normal pressure that goes with that on top of something far bigger how that would impact him.

FWIW I fully expect LM and BT are waiting for it to magically “click”.  I think there has been an over-focus on an improvement on our in-possession style (you can decide whether large or small) and not enough focus on the out-of-possession stuff.

I think they are a bit blinkered about what they are seeing, or at least not looking at it analytically enough.  If we are playing so well (their view) why aren’t we getting results?  Why aren’t they thinking “what if it doesn’t click”, “why isn’t it clicking”?  I think there is a stubbornness that the approach / plan is perfect (LM), and the execution is sub-optimal (Players).  I don’t think there is any thought that the plan might not be as good as the what they thought in conception.  There are some indicators that are certainly worth looking into.

+++++

And despite the “stats” saying we’ve had the easiest start, and about to have the toughest run, this is the Championship, any team is capable of getting results against anyone else.  It’s about turning up on any given day and playing better than your opponents.  If you do that results come.  So, I’m not writing off the next batch.

[Davefevs]

7 minutes ago, Hello Dave said:

Playing devils advocate here. What happens if Manning takes a leave of absence, for say, 8/10 games. If we go on (another) bad run, who do we sack? Manning, Hogg or both?

It’s a really good scenario to pose.  I don’t have the answer, btw!

[GrahamC]

1 hour ago, sephjnr said:

That's news to so many plaything owners like Yongge, Tan and the chickenfuckers Venkys.

Tan? Cardiff have got to the Prem twice under him. How many times have we got there?

Blackburn? Seen the league table?

Everyone making this argument uses Reading, but ignores the dozen or so who have sailed past us in SL’s time, some of whom are historically much smaller clubs.

Pathetic argument.

[spudski]

36 minutes ago, Hello Dave said:

Playing devils advocate here. What happens if Manning takes a leave of absence, for say, 8/10 games. If we go on (another) bad run, who do we sack? Manning, Hogg or both?

It's crossed my mind as well.

Terrible what's happened, but how do you go about such things in such tragic circumstances.

[GrahamC]

1 hour ago, Hello Dave said:

Playing devils advocate here. What happens if Manning takes a leave of absence, for say, 8/10 games. If we go on (another) bad run, who do we sack? Manning, Hogg or both?

Think the answer is both, or neither.

You either decide it is time for a fresh start & both go, or the circumstances are so unusual that you wait until Manning returns & give him the opportunity to revive things.

[Silvio Dante]

1 hour ago, Hello Dave said:

Playing devils advocate here. What happens if Manning takes a leave of absence, for say, 8/10 games. If we go on (another) bad run, who do we sack? Manning, Hogg or both?

 

31 minutes ago, spudski said:

It's crossed my mind as well.

Terrible what's happened, but how do you go about such things in such tragic circumstances.

Indeed. This is why I say you have to separate the personal from the professional - and if worst case scenario does arise, then im sure both contractually and morally Liam would be looked after.

As to the specific question @Hello Dave raises, I’m kind of aligned with @GrahamC in what would actually happen. If Hogg takes charge for 5-6 games and we lose them all, although I think you could point to the losses coming from prior performances (Fevs points here), the heirarchy are more likely to view it as things going wrong because Liam is absent and his stock actually increases.

So, I think my answer is that if that did happen, I would probably say that no matter how difficult on a human level, you’d have to get rid of the management team as a whole. But I think they’d be more likely to view it the other way, and the worsening of results validating their original decision.

Hopefully all immaterial and we win the next batch and the magical click occurs!

[spudski]

1 minute ago, Silvio Dante said:

 

Indeed. This is why I say you have to separate the personal from the professional - and if worst case scenario does arise, then im sure both contractually and morally Liam would be looked after.

As to the specific question @Hello Dave raises, I’m kind of aligned with @GrahamC in what would actually happen. If Hogg takes charge for 5-6 games and we lose them all, although I think you could point to the losses coming from prior performances (Fevs points here), the heirarchy are more likely to view it as things going wrong because Liam is absent and his stock actually increases.

So, I think my answer is that if that did happen, I would probably say that no matter how difficult on a human level, you’d have to get rid of the management team as a whole. But I think they’d be more likely to view it the other way, and the worsening of results validating their original decision.

Hopefully all immaterial and we win the next batch and the magical click occurs!

Considering how little influence LM has during match day, apart from Subs, I would think he would still be influencial during the week, conversing with Hogg on selection etc.

[Silvio Dante]

2 minutes ago, spudski said:

Considering how little influence LM has during match day, apart from Subs, I would think he would still be influencial during the week, conversing with Hogg on selection etc.

If Hogg makes subs on 60 minutes I think I might scream!

[westonred]

1 hour ago, Hello Dave said:

Playing devils advocate here. What happens if Manning takes a leave of absence, for say, 8/10 games. If we go on (another) bad run, who do we sack? Manning, Hogg or both?

Both and we need to look higher up the food chain as well BT and maybe get JL to stand down there mistakes over the years have made us look amateurish