I would have said this loss was more down to bad luck than anything else. However, in his brand of... football luck counts for way too much. When you are facing 15 shots, 20 shots, 30 shots game after game, eventually you rely mostly on luck to see you through. And we have been lucky. It also contributes to injuries when your team is playing basketball, but on a pitch-sized court. Simply unsustainable in every aspect. He needs to go solely based on his shit football. And boy, is it shit! Oleball Lite, now without any midfield. It is also unbecoming of a top team. If that is what we are aiming to be, of course.
I bear him no ill will, and I feel kind of bad for him. Well, as bad as I can feel for a man who is about to make millions getting fired. I think he tried his best, just simply out of his depth. But he also had no help from inside the club and the squad is of very poor quality. Old, feeble, indolent, technically deficient, mentally weak. However, he participated heavily in building that squad as well. After so much money and time to be this awful is just not acceptable. He should have known before accepting the job that in this club he would stand alone, and thus he alone would be held accountable for failure, while the people above him scurry back into their holes until the next fool walks in. I have to say, though, I’m curious to see where he goes from here.
I wonder if Ratcliffe liked what saw? If he is serious, he will be on the call yesterday getting a proper possession coach and putting an end to counterattacking football once and for all, in addition to all the other changes. Also clear out the squad of players who can’t play anything else. If not… well, Conference League will be our main competition soon enough.
