Billy Furious

[Guest Brazilianbob]

When we were still under the guidance of SBR I recall a lot of talk about who would take over when he retired (because you don't sack a man like SBR)!  There was talk of Allardyce taking over and the general concensus of opinion was why would we want to have a manger who managed a side that consistently finished well below us in the EPL.  I cannot see that that position has changed.  He will never get this club back to the level we were at under SBR because he doesn't have the heart, imagination or bravery to do so.  It takes balls to put out an attacking side and BSA just doesn't have them, as he has proved by his shambolic defensive tactics.

[Guest alex]

Oh, like all the behind the scenes stuff, the actual wins we have under our belt, we have won some games you know, comfortably too like beating Spurs, West Ham, Everton - our rivals. Getting rid of the dead wood. Improving the squad's depth. Being a few points off the top 6 despite playing s**** with a s**** team with a s**** manager.

 

Mind, in 20 games you do expect more...

 

Most of the dead wood was going anyway before Allardyce arrived.  Also, we didn't beat Everton comfortably, it was 1-1 until the last 5 minutes.

 

As for being a few points off the top 6, we're just as close to the bottom 6.

 

If we've got a better manager and a better squad depth, why are we doing exactly the same position wise as last year when we had a shite manager?  We're currently 1 point better off than last year after the same number of games and we've got a harder 2nd half to the season, at the rate we're going Allardyce is in danger of doing less in a full season than Roeder.

While I agree in general, the bit in bold made Allardyce's job harder rather than easier imo.

[Wullie]

I'm always of the opinion that fans should stick up for their club, players and manager in the national press if only to balance all the crap that gets written about us and leave the pissing and moaning to the pubs, forums and fanzines.

 

Depends what you mean, if "Sticking up for the club" means saying we're getting there, in five years time we're gonna be contenders, it's going to come good in the end etc it just makes us look deluded when from the outside looking in we look very ordinary and are not showing much potential.

 

As for only writing this stuff now, doesn't he write all the time?  How do you know he was against the appointment at the time if he didn't give his views on it then?

 

This is where some balance comes in, not once does BF point to the manager needing time or money or any of that stuff or some of the good things that's happened. In short he just sounds like another whinging Geordie expecting too much too soon and when it doesn't happen, stamps his feet.

 

That article didn't need so many words - "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" - would have done.

 

He has hated allardyce since before he came to us. The chapter on Bolton and the quote on the back cover sort of confirm that.

 

Exactly, so it's personal.

 

Ah right, so if he says nowt at the time, he's jumping on the bandwagon but if he does say something at the time, then it's personal.

 

So he can't win basically in your eyes.

 

Why is everyone who offers an opinion in the public eye always trying to sell something? Is it possible for a single second that it might actually be their honest opinion, in this case gained from years of following NUFC home and away? He didn't storm the Times office and force them to print anything ffs. He's the best writer about NUFC at the moment and has been for a long time.

 

Bet he wouldn't be just "trying to sell his book" if he'd said Allardyce was the best thing since sliced bread would he?

[Mick]

While I agree in general, the bit in bold made Allardyce's job harder rather than easier imo.

 

We did get rid of almost a full defence but we had to, I'm not going to go through all those that have gone since the end of last season but I bet if you total up the games played and divide it by the number of those gone the average number of games played is not very high.

 

The disruption caused by losing so many players isn’t as high as it might first appear.

 

[Guest alex]

While I agree in general, the bit in bold made Allardyce's job harder rather than easier imo.

 

We did get rid of almost a full defence but we had to, I'm not going to go through all those that have gone since the end of last season but I bet if you total up the games played and divide it by the number of those gone the average number of games played is not very high.

 

The disruption caused by losing so many players isnt as high as it might first appear.

 

No idea what that sum would prove anyway tbh. Probably me being thick mind. 

[Dave]

That most of them didn't play much anyway, I assume.

[Mick]

That most of them didn't play much anyway, I assume.

 

Correct, meaning the disruption wasn't as great as the number leaving would suggest.

[Guest Knightrider]

Oh, like all the behind the scenes stuff, the actual wins we have under our belt, we have won some games you know, comfortably too like beating Spurs, West Ham, Everton - our rivals. Getting rid of the dead wood. Improving the squad's depth. Being a few points off the top 6 despite playing s**** with a s**** team with a s**** manager.

 

Mind, in 20 games you do expect more...

 

Most of the dead wood was going anyway before Allardyce arrived.  Also, we didn't beat Everton comfortably, it was 1-1 until the last 5 minutes.

 

As for being a few points off the top 6, we're just as close to the bottom 6.

 

If we've got a better manager and a better squad depth, why are we doing exactly the same position wise as last year when we had a shite manager?  We're currently 1 point better off than last year after the same number of games and we've got a harder 2nd half to the season, at the rate we're going Allardyce is in danger of doing less in a full season than Roeder.

 

OK I'll give you the first two, although I don't think most of the dead wood that was cleared out was nailed on for the chop anyway.

 

As to your other points, it isn't as simple as that though Mick is it. Better manager plus better players = better results. Having said that we are a place or two above where we were last season so in one way you could say we are improving. However that would be daft.

 

With Roeder we could never look at things from a long-term perspective, I think where Big Sam is concerned we have to, even if that means a lesser season than the one Roeder achieved.

[NJS]

I've asked this before but did his time at Bolton show any evidence of gradual, planned progression?

 

No - once they reached a decent-ish level  he had slightly up or down years depending on injuries/luck just like us with Roeder/Souness and being harsh Bobby.

[merlin]

Oh, like all the behind the scenes stuff, the actual wins we have under our belt, we have won some games you know, comfortably too like beating Spurs, West Ham, Everton - our rivals. Getting rid of the dead wood. Improving the squad's depth. Being a few points off the top 6 despite playing s**** with a s**** team with a s**** manager.

 

Mind, in 20 games you do expect more...

 

Most of the dead wood was going anyway before Allardyce arrived.  Also, we didn't beat Everton comfortably, it was 1-1 until the last 5 minutes.

 

As for being a few points off the top 6, we're just as close to the bottom 6.

 

If we've got a better manager and a better squad depth, why are we doing exactly the same position wise as last year when we had a s**** manager?  We're currently 1 point better off than last year after the same number of games and we've got a harder 2nd half to the season, at the rate we're going Allardyce is in danger of doing less in a full season than Roeder.

 

Agree with all that Mick - as it happens, I DIDN'T have anything against Allardyce when he arrived as I hoped he would adapt to working at a bigger club and bring some much-needed professionalism, but I have been disappointed.

I am NOT convinced by either his tactics/selections OR his unnecessarily-large back-room staff ; the coaching looks decidedly-suspect and I can see no evidence of these so-called 'cutting edge' scientific methods improving the players ; his relationship with the fans has never been great and is deteriorating rapidly because they KNOW he views them with contempt , just as many of THEM feel likewise about him

(and in case you say I'm 'speaking for myself' again, Coach HTT, try reading the blog responses in other NUFC sites or the Press - there are at least 50% of the fans unconvinced by either the man or his methods and that is up to HIM to put right - no amount of grandstanding on his behalf from the likes of his mate Fergie etc is going to change the supporters' minds - the need to see it working ON THE PITCH.)

 

As I have said before, I doubt he will get fired unless we REALLY start going into freefall, but Billy Furious is entitled to his opinion - he may or may not have had an agenda before Allardyce was appointed, but I certainly didn't and I suspect that around 70% of fans were prepared to give him a chance..many of those have changed their minds and unless there is a rapid improvement those supporting him will be a definite minority by May.