Abacus

Spurs at 40-1 is still a VERY long shot. But, keep Ange for another half a season, their players lose faith, then make a dreadful appointment, along with the European schedule and then there's a very small chance a team like Burnley scrape together enough dour points to make it interesting. Do you even trust Postecoglu with making big signings in the summer for one thing. And there's just something about the way they surrendered in the league those last couple of game. ... But on second thoughts, nah. Still no. Burnley I reckon have the best chance of the 3, but that's still not much at all. It used to be the case that you could always expect at least one promoted team to spring a surprise season on you, Forest being one. Maybe that's the case this time too, but the last couple of seasons (so admittedly this could be recency bias) seem to suggest that's not really possible without taking a huge gamble.

I wasn't Eales' biggest fan at one point, but then he got ill so like most I just wanted the best for him. Read elsewhere that he and Mitchell are personally close. The comment along the lines that Eddie was better concentrating on the pitch, or words to that effect, seemed a bit unnecessary at the time. Maybe it was an attempt at creating a defined structure in the various roles, but I just don't think it was that helpful to do in public. The only time I've heard Eddie speak out of turn in public was in reaction to that, so I don't think communication can have been great. For what it's worth, I don't think they'd have had a much easier time with any manager worth his salt. Whatever the truth of it, hopefully they go out on a high.

Errm, not sure how to share it. It doesn't say much new. https://www.thetimes.com/article/44f1d290-08aa-4557-b747-8563c73075d5?shareToken=3a9886837d3ea5db4a5d9e931032a134

Might be. The article isn't very specific, though. Or also around the time Howe fell ill and was desperately battling for that CL spot, I suppose. All I meant by mentioning it was, I wouldn't be too surprised if it was kept under wraps from him for a bit.

Just a quick snippet from Martin Hardy in the Times. Apparently Mitchell had told PIF two months ago that he was considering his position. So it looks like this has been on the cards for a while. The article says Howe was told he'd gone yesterday morning just before the announcement. What I'm not clear on from the article on was whether he was aware of the uncertainty leading up to that or not.

It'll be interesting how this new technical director fits in. Maybe stays away a bit from the football side but gives a bit of direction and also mainly makes sure things run in a joined up way. Which I think Ashworth was originally planned to do. I don't know how involved Mitchell was or not. If he's improved the scouting / data side as he stated he wanted to at the start, that'll be a plus. I'm sure a lot of it will come out in time. I don't know, just need to find something that works and hopefully get some consistency in the top team. Will be interesting how the new CEO thinks things should be set up.

Hard to know what to make of it to be honest. We can speculate about power struggles with Howe, but when Ashworth left there was similar talk. And he then went straight on to recommend Howe to Man U by all accounts. Possibly for those at the top there's frustration with how things get done as much as anything else. But who knows - Darren Eales seemed happy enough until having to step down, so probably not. Not sure I'm fussed if things do start happening in June anyway. I'm choosing to believe the positive take on here that maybe Darren Eales' successor is on the way and has his own ideas as to who does the role. And also that Eddie's recent comments about acting fast in June are no more than not wanting to be held up in the meantime. We know he loves a decent pre-season and prep time with any new players, like any good manager would.

That's because nobody kicks him up the arse like they should do.

I think sometimes you just need to give credit to the opposition. Under Moyes Everton are a different prospect. And sometimes you can have an off day yourself. Think Isak was carrying an injury and has been for a while. Probably a few others too we don't know about. But over the course of the season with all the ups and downs, we earnt that spot and really turned up in the Cup and that Chelsea game in particular. Howe won't like any defeat and he'll be honest about learning things. That's really not a bottler, and if you look at his team there are so many who have outperformed AGAIN. Wouldn't say any of them are either - they've earned it, and the table proves it. So, he also got it right by saying you have to look back over the whole season and not just one game where the better team won. If I voted for manager of the season from the teams above us given the circumstances, I'd say it's only really Slot. Or from the teams below, maybe Emery, personally.

Not sure we'll sell Vlach. If we really paid £20m for him, you'd have to wonder what we could realistically get for him. Whatever that is, it's likely to be at a big loss, which means less headroom this year. That being the case, reckon we keep him in that 3rd choice spot. Then again, you lose a few million every year for someone who isn't playing. Not a great deal for us and he might be alright for all I know, but it was probably the best of a bad situation at the time. 2-3 first team players and some talented development squad players please. Obviously, with a sale that changes.

Wanted them to win the Europa purely because they turned up against Chelsea unlike Spurs in their last league game before the final. Turned up again today with nothing to play for. Fair play.

That's good news. So he might be playing then.

Dreadful game. How would either of these play in the PL? What a farce.

Maybe they put it in the wrong knee.

Yeah, I don't think he's questioning the job Howe has done at all. Just pointing out that Amorim needs time and resources. I quite like that attitude. You can imagine the online knee-jerk responses even on here if roles were reversed. I was mainly asking what Amorim had done to justify that faith. If their fans see it, fine. There however is a huge risk if they get it wrong as well, and stick with someone who turns out not to be right, having rebuilt a team for his system before then getting fired. We really hit the jackpot with Howe.

Well yes, I don't think Howe would have jumped either, can't fault you on that. I quite like Amorim for what it's worth, and I think he's been quite honest about what has needed to change. That said, in Howe's first transfer window he brought in some crucial players, like Trippier and Burn, and started from a far lower base before turning it round. That then bought him the luxury of having earned fan's trust and the trust of the club to carry on and rebuild. My question really was whether Amorim has earnt that same trust. Not from the genuine fans of which you're one and credit that you're sticking by him, but more from the club's hierarchy. You'll have a better view on that than me. Bad luck, by the way, I'm not rubbing your nose in it, just asking where it goes from here.

The question for me is whether Amorim gets the funds for his rebuild and how far he's trusted to do it. Plus, with the players they need to go, whether they can actually get rid of them profitably. If they do stick with Amorim and it still doesn't work then there are going to be question marks over Berrada next and Radcliffe (if there aren't enough already). Whereas Ashworth seemingly got sacked for recommending Howe for the job instead and however much I dislike Ashworth, you have to laugh at that.

Bad luck @Froggy Don't know where that sudden compassion came from. Congratulations @leffe186

This is probably the worst major final of all time.

Sticking to my guns and being in the 7% wanting Man U to lose slightly less than Spurs, since they are least turned up in that league game against Chelsea instead of bottling the league altogether.

I wanted Spurs to win more, so they might have kept Ange. But after the league performances where Man U actually bothered to turn up against Chelsea, unlike Spurs gutless showing, I want them to win. Or, to be precise, want them to lose a bit less than I want Spurs to.

This is an overreaction to people pointing out that he hasn't had the best season compared to what we have seen he is capable of from the year before. Calling them out? All they are doing is wondering why that is and isn't indispensable. Also don't agree he should be sold but it's total bobbins that anyone is driving him out, it's just that he needs to be in the team on merit game by game. He'll probably start and get a hattrick now as well.

Yeah, I was mainly talking about the start of the season. Whether it was confidence or carrying a knock, I don't know. And at the same time the whole team was playing a bit patchily. Like you say, there have been no real hints that he's unhappy since. I was only really saying that he's not an automatic choice at LW given how Barnes has been playing, and at RW I think Murphy has been better than either, not something I thought I'd say at the start of the season. Still, I don't see them in training so what do I know.

I do think his treatment by Southgate has a bit to answer for as well, when it was obvious that England needed a left winger and he barely got a chance. Never quite got going at the start of the season after that. Maybe he was indeed just knackered given his great season prior to that and no real break. Saying all that, I wouldn't sell him either given the choice.

I reckon he wasn't great at the start of this season. There was some speculation on here at the time that the possible Liverpool switch might have turned his head. It might be that the stats don't back that up, I don't know. Not having a go at him, I think he's class and on his day unplayable. But Barnes to me has added more on LW late this season, and Murphy is better than either at RW. What a season he's had.