SebastianVettel
Premiership Player
- Thread starter
- #251
Many of the problems? Go on. He took over a very poor squad, somehow masterminded a Champions League triumph and steadily improved the squad year after year until the money dried up and we were making a profit in the transfer window.
The poor quality of football that was being played for one - it was downright dreadful - of course Roy has now made it look like a fusing of those famous Brazil teams with the current Barcelona team, but that's beyond the point.
The internal rumblings, the player discontent, everything had come to a head - and that was reflected on the pitch.
I'd like to see any manager of a top club work in those conditions. The season after we finished 2nd, Hicks hired a new managing director (Purslow) to take control over every decision at the club, thus ceasing any control Rafa had. New staff came in (medical team, physios, coaches etc.) and we saw the result of that by what happened last season. How does one bad season under extreme conditions cancel out 5 years of great progress?
Of course Purslow was brought in to piss off Rafa - that was obvious. He was a problem for Hicks and co. so they wanted shot of him. The only way their LBO model was going to work was by stripping the club of assets, and that was going to be a problem under Rafa.
Under Hodgson, much easier. He was prepared to be complicit in such an action. As everyone suspected
On reflection since last week, I don't think Purslow deserved as much credit as he got. The way I see it was Hicks thought he could force through his refinancing with Purslows support, despite the power Broughton and RBS had. On reflection, it seemed like Purslow swapped sides at the end. Probably explains the Hicks bitchfest about loyalty from employees.
Of course if that refinance goes through, then the asset stripping does to a new level. It was the only way they were going to make money. A normal LBO - you increase the revenue, cut the costs - then flog it on. I'm not sure why people think they can make this work in a sporting sense. Your primary revenue comes in all sorts of ways, mainly due to the players - everything is, really. But of course, your biggest costs? The players. So you can asset strip all you want, but then your revenues go down the shitter as well. Pure stupidity.
He lost the dressing room? Have you spoken to the players have you? That's why Mascherano, Lucas and Kuyt were all heavily linked with moves to Inter. That's why Torres and Reina spoke of their disappointment when Rafa left. He didn't get along with every player, but no manager does.
He lost the captain and vice-captain megaphone. That's pretty much confirmed. Gerrard and Carragher were the ones who went to Purslow and demanded Hodgson be brought in on the advice of Danny Murphy.
Whatever opinions are of those two, you can't lose the senior leaders and survive. Just doesn't happen.
Also, Barry's form with Villa at the time was brilliant. You are kidding yourself if you think it wasn't that flash.
Brilliant? Pushing it. A lot.
He was a good, consistent player at Aston Villa. But he sure as hell wasn't Xabi Alonso. Trying to hock Alonso off for the same price as buying Barry was criminal.
He's been very good for City this season too.
I haven't seen a City game recently, but all I heard early in the season was moomba complaining about how shit he'd been.
Well the people that wanted Rafa out got what they asked for and look at the result.
If you imply that people wanted Rafa out were begging on their knees for Hodgson got what the asked for, then yeah, they got what they asked for.
At the end of the day Rafa is a world class manager and a world class man and the football club is much poorer for letting him go. It's gonna be a long time before we see those magical European nights, those tactically brilliant performances against powerhouse sides like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan Manchester United and Chelsea.
I'll always appreciate what Rafa did for us, and I think he is a man who does love the club. But we'll have agree to disagree on some points I think.