Would be more concerned if they got Motta - he seems genuinely innovative. Like any coach of smaller teams though the difference when they move to a bigger team is can they handle teams that sit back in a low-block. As if managing a smaller club they are generally not used to playing against low-blocks regularly.
Pretty sure the FA Cup Final will be his last game for us. For sure, Ineos already know/knew a while back if they intended to keep him, so nothing to be lost and everything to be gained by Ineos announcing him staying on this week before the final. That they haven't told players or fans means they have already decided to replace I reckon (unless we hear next few days). Also, his demeanour has changed last few weeks in press conferences and with the media. He is doing more media now and seems to have a weight lifted from his shoulders. I think they told him a couple of weeks back he would not be staying. I know there is a counter-argument that they could have announced he is going this week, to see if players 'play to give him a send off' etc. blah blah. However we know that never works and so do they. Most of the candidates we are being linked with a dire. There was also a rumour a few weeks back that Steve McClaren won't be kicked out with the rest of the backroom staff and will be given an interim role. That makes me even more suspicious given that one of the issues with Southgate is timing and pre-season. I think the McClaren / Southgate ticket is about as worse a choice as anyone could come up with
Lots of twitter stuff last hour that Erik getting the sack after the FA Cup. Source seems to be Di Marzio - so deffo not the best source anymore. Maybe he just read the post above Possible given the noise the club will now be forced to respond.
Was coming to say the same thing - it does all seem to be originating from a post from Di Marzio and much speculating that McKenna is being discussed
Di Marzio had some sources back in the day but if I remember right I’m his track record has been dicey lately. Didn’t he say Rice to City was a done deal? I’d be very surprised if he has an exclusive on this ahead of guys like Ornstein. Also, if it’s true and we let this leak right before the FA Cup, then we’re still run by morons.
If they were actual behind ETH, they would have publicly backed him by now to steady the ship ahead of the FA Cup. The silence from the board tells me he’s probably gone a few days after the FA Cup win or lose. If they really are taking into account the FA Cup final to sway them one way or another, then it would tell me we have another reactionary, clueless leadership structure. One game shouldn’t change the plans.
Steinberg at the Guardian is running the exclusive that we’ve decided to sack ETH regardless of the FA Cup result. Nobody else has confirmed yet. Also some reports that we’ve already met with McKenna.
Net abuzz with the notion that Chelsea talking to McKenna alerted INEOS to action, leaks to media. In related news, Xavi announced he is leaving, club begs him to stay, and then he gets fired instead.
Was always a gamble to think that this could be a secret till after the FA-cup final.I understand he was told the week before the Arsenal-game Well done to @JacobSteinberg to get it confirmed https://t.co/Wn65NmNS2M— Jan Aage Fjørtoft 🇳🇴 (@JanAageFjortoft) May 24, 2024
I’ve been saying give him another year this whole time. I stand by that. Might be different if there was a can’t miss managerial candidate available, but I don’t see one. Give him another year.
Feel the same. There was a deleted post by someone with links to EtH management agency that suggested the sack stories were coming from Thomas Franks agency. Would love that to be true and that we are sticking with him but I don't trust our management. Will be sad if they sack him. Will be mad if it is for a Chelsea reject like Poch / Tuchel / Potter or worse still Southgate. They would all be big steps backwards ultimately.
Unfortunately I still think he gets sacked. If his future was safe, surely INEOS would have publicly backed him and steadied the ship before the cup final. It only makes sense to stay quiet if you’ve A) already decided to sack him or B) Ate waiting to see how the final goes…which is worse that our planning is so bad that one game could change things.
I think his tactics suit a top team. So if they do sack him then hope he goes somewhere where he gets properly backed with players who can play a high-press / high-line. First season he made it clear he didn't want to play Maguire, AWB, McT. Not sold. No CB signings (despite him lining one up and being critical to his system). No FB signings. They sign Evans last day as cover when he is injured all the time and can't play a high line. We start badly and have injuries all over the place. They then sign absolutely nobody in January. They then give the guy no backing at all in the media about his position after the takeover secured mid-season and supposedly talk to candidates in the week before the cup final. Honestly, although he has made some mistakes, the guy deserves a lot better.
I still waffle back and forth honestly. Without knowing more of the behind scenes, I can't say. For every point to keep in above posts, I can think of a negative from this season and last year too.
Sure, he’s not free of criticism. But some here that have been calling for his head also like to ignore that when he’s had his favored CB pairing and a decent DM we’ve looked like a whole different team. Its funny what having a functional spine of the team will do. Three finals and two trophies in two seasons is nothing to scoff at. It’s more than guys like Klopp and Arteta can say in their first two. And he’s finished it by out managing Pep in a final…again so small feat. It’s also clear from the game and the celebrations that the players are still behind him which is again no small feat given how cowardly this squad has been towards other managers and tanking near the end of their tenures.
Erik firing shots at the owners, saying… If the owners don’t want me, I’ll go win somewhere else. Thats what I do.
This is dumb even for you. Everyone likes winning football, and even more so attacking winning football. Even last year when eth had his preferred players, we relied heavily on rashford to score goals. And beyond that there was no system. The excuse was no preseason and needing a summer and another transfer window to get his guys. All of that happened and he did even better worse. More egregious than that, he still has no real system.
"He has no real system" -roll eyes x100000000000000000000000000000- Win the FA Cup, and people still aren't happy.