Sam3773

I think we’re into the final 24 hours.

Barring a miracle against Chelsea, I think the home crowd will turn fairly quickly. Owners also in attendance who will see the football, the loss and the mood amongst the fan base. I just feel that mix will prove too much to ignore.

What happens next remains to be seen, and isn’t for this thread.

33 minutes ago, PieFacE said:

 

 

No idea if credible but

Account has now been deleted it seems. 
 

I wouldn’t mind Emery. Known for developing players and has had a lot of success. Tactically astute. 

With Wolves getting Nuno back, what would the feeling for Dean be? 

We were right to separate - It wasn’t working. But is there unfinished business there? Could we see a return?

Henry on TV last night talking about how he wants back into management but not until after the World Cup. 

It’s happening, isn’t it? It makes it all make sense. Keeping Gerrard despite the problems to limp us towards the World Cup when Thierry will take over. Linked with him before. Owners love him. 

I need to take up drinking again. 

7 minutes ago, romavillan said:

That must be bullshit

Events may have been exaggerated slightly. 

6 minutes ago, duke313 said:

Well if the comments from Purslow are true, Gerrard is going nowhere.

I’ve seen two semi-reputable people suggest the meeting last night was largely about non-football matters although football was mentioned. Neither have said anything specific about Gerrard being on the brink/safe and I wouldn’t expect Purslow to have such a conversation at a fan meeting, unless I’ve missed something. 

All I’ve seen suggesting otherwise is some bloke named Josh suggesting Purslow turned up last night in a Gerrard home shirt and a ‘Vote Stevie’ baseball cap. It’s not clear what fan group Josh was representing. 

I think this Sunday will make feelings pretty clear and obvious. Usually social media turns before the crowd so you never quite know what to expect, but I would imagine a very clear feeling will be at VP, amplified by the hammering I’m sure Chelsea will provide. No one can survive that. 

I think it’s easy to question what we do not know. I’m desperately trying not to confuse silence with inaction.

I’m hopeful our owners are sounding people out ready to take over. It seems to be their MO from previous as I recall things went very quickly between Smith and Gerrard. The days of sacking one and having a week or two of speculation over his replacement seem in the past. 

They’re investing heavily in the club via the stadium and the globalisation of the ‘Villans’ brand with their new MLS franchise bid. I don’t think they’ve given up interest at all. Just, hopefully, operating in the background. 

Surely. SURELY that has to be it?

More lives than Nyland if he survives this. 

Win-win for me. Beat them and were 9th. They beat us and Stevie should finally get his marching orders. 
 

I hope we win. 

2 minutes ago, Pinebro said:

We have flip flopped from buying young talented players with resell value to the complete opposite under Gerrard. 

The club got no plan. 

Completely agree. I won’t derail this thread too much, but it feels like we had a plan and a good project to scout and develop young players. Gerrard has come in and someone, likely Purslow, has decided to abandon that plan to give him some luxury (Coutinho, Carlos). 

I’d be expecting the club to return to that plan, as alluded to the other day, and look at coaches who are known to be good with young players, good at developing young players and giving them opportunities. 

Archer sat on the bench whilst Coutinho does step overs flies in the face of everything the club sold us (I’m aware they play in different positions. Point stands.)

At what point is the role of a head coach simply tactical? They’re rightly highlighted a lot because Gerrard seems utterly clueless over and above parking the bus and hoping to bore the opposition into submission.

But is Gerrard’s job simply to bore us to death? Or is there perhaps an element of coaching and developing players technically as well? 

I only ask because, whilst Watkins has been poor, hasn’t this been identified in the last 11 months he’s been ‘coached’ and ‘developed’? Or perhaps in the two transfer windows Stevie’s had? OK, benefit of the doubt, it was simply a one off bad game for Watkins. Wasn’t this identified in the 60th minute yesterday?

I’m not afraid to say there’s an element of player responsibility, of course there is, but let’s not hide behind the players as an excuse to let Steve off the hook.

For almost a year he has been responsible for training these players. He’s been responsible for developing these players. He’s responsible for identifying if these players need replacements. He’s been responsible for selecting these players. He’s been responsible for deciding how much game time is afforded to these players. He’s been responsible for an arm over the shoulder or a stern chat, to berate or motivate.

Watkins may not be up to the task, but there’s been a few opportunities to identify this prior to missing sitters late on yesterday.

While Smith had credit in the bank with the fans, Gerrard has credit with Purslow, with the latter said to be ‘infatuated’ with Gerrard prior to his appointment. Purslow will be selling the dream to the board still. Unbeaten in 3, injury problems, look at Arteta, etc.

You can then turn your attention on the owners. I suspect if he is to get his marching orders, they will come from Edens. I feel he probably takes more of an active role being an experienced club owner. He’ll know what he’s seeing is poor and will have a good handle on the feeling amongst the fan base. 

I sincerely hope Wesley has seen enough. 

2 minutes ago, Dale said:

A big part of his job is to entertain them. 

And us. 

I sincerely hope this is in Other Football this evening. 

5 minutes ago, IrishVilla10 said:

In an ideal, imaginary world the board are on red alert at poch looking at the Nice job and spring into action 

If it’s positivity you’re looking for, let me assist. Perhaps we’ve spoke to Poch to get an idea if he would be interested. The win v Southampton has stayed our hand briefly and now the Nice story is being leaked by Poch’s agent in an attempt to panic us.

I hope.

4 days between our lord and saviour Smith getting the boot and Gerrard getting the nod tells me we will almost definitely be exploring a few back channels right now. 

How, on Gods green, is sacking our manager remotely related to the death of the monarch? I struggle to see how anyone in the world would link the two enough to care, aside from a few twitter trolls. I’m sure the gents with hundreds of millions invested in the club won’t even link the two (or care). 

Unless we have someone waiting in the wings, I don’t particularly believe it’ll happen before Monday anyway, so it’s kind of a moot point but here we are. 
 

Anything short of a win tonight should see him done. The draw against City could prove a good base to move from, but I have little faith. Sometimes it’s easier to set up against teams at the top because you’re not expected to be playing expansive attacking football. Just sit deep and try to nick something on the break. Against Southampton at home, we will be expecting some nice attacking football which will, in my option, revert Stevie to type.

1 minute ago, Peter Griffin said:

Does that not depend on whether or not the manager had an influence on the result?

No. I don't call for a managers head if we have one awful performance in a run of good games, I won't say he needs more time because of a good performance in a run of awful games. 

You can be happy with today's result and still think the manager's time is up. 

They aren't mutually exclusive. 

I've no idea how one game has made everyone happy for him to have the next game. We often get called a fickle fan base and I never saw why until today. 

30-odd games of complete tactical ineptitude. He got it right today, accidentally I'd imagine, and suddenly were deciding his fate on a game by game basis? Not for me. I'll enjoy a good result, but he needs to go.