Speaking to Radio Five Live, our esteemed manager confirmed the club's struggles this season had come as a shock, adding: 'Absolutely. No-one was expecting it would be so tough".
No-one? Want to go back and read what I was writing in July and August Gianfranco? I predicted a struggle against relegation and that was BEFORE we sold Collins. How on earth our struggles took Zola by surprise is completely beyond me. The guy obviously has no idea about what it takes to succeed in the Prem! No first choice right back, no replacement left back, nobody to play up top with Cole and no replacement for Cole should he get injured. And then Collins was sold leaving us with two kids and a physical wreck to compete for a centre back berth!
Clarke, meanwhile, has found a very long winded way of saying the game's oldest cliche. I quote: 'We go to Liverpool and give a good account of ourselves. We take stock on Tuesday and see where we are and we build for the next game after that. We focus on the next game, that is as far as we look in this moment in time. It would be silly for us to look any further ahead so we look for the next game and we get the points we require to keep West Ham in the Premier League.' So, that would be, "We're taking one game at a time" then Steve!
Love that picture above. Etherington is clearly thinking, "You want me to play on the right? Have you seen me kicking with my right foot?"
Come On You Read And Learn Zola Irons!
21 comments:
It seems everyone but ZOLA could see the weaknesses in the team.It baffles me how he can come out with such statements,compounding his ineptness at managemnent at this level.Cannot see SULLIVAN and GOLD keeping him on even if we go on to win all our remaining games.AVRAM GRANT looks to be a strong candidate but you never know with the two David's,they might shock us all.
Avram Grant is so dour though but he does have a goood record in very trying conditions. Not sure about his reord in the transfer market as this summer we will be whealing and dealing no matter what league we are in and im not sure he is yhe man to attract quality players if we are in for them. I have a feeling he will stay with pompey for another season if they sort out their ownership problems. Like i said yesterday up here in scotland Walter Smith is rumored to be on his way in the summer to the Boleyn.
"I told you so" only proves how much of a smug cockend you really are.
You take pleasure in our demise purely because you claim to have predicted it in the first place.
You're like a gambler only telling people of his wins. Amongst these correct predictions and many, many failed predictions and warped observations.
You are an embarassment to this great football club.
So Brooks, what does that make Zola, a gambler who backs a horse with only three legs in the National who then tells everybody he doesn't understand why it lost?
Why exactly am I an embarrassment to this great club? Have I signed Jimenez, McCarthy and Mido? Have I picked players out of position all season? Did I trust Neill to let me know his plans and not replace him at rightback? Did I trust to Ilunga not getting injured all season? Did I leave myself with no cover for Cole and nobody to play alongside him, apart from a slow aged Mexican and a young, raw kid? Did I sanction the sale of Collins with no adequate cover to replace him? Did I set the team up for the Bolton and Wolves games? Did I persist with 4-3-3 even though it was obvious I didn't have the personnel to play the formation? Have I used right footers on the left flank and left footers on the right? Have I led the team from a top 5 position to a place in the bottom 4?
I think the answer to all those questions is no. So if I am an embarrassment, what does that make Zola exactly? And given you didn't see it coming, what does that make you? Blind or stupid?
He's clearly giving him money for a scratch card HF.
Yes Stani and he won 'Stoke' not 'Chelsea' or 'Man Utd'.
A bit like getting a £2 win when the top prize is £100,000.
You're a man who's given himself a lot of pleasure over the years HF. Wind your neck in egoboy.
...The Eggman
I still like zola and hope he stays and proves himself next season.
Love Ethers. Come back, my son!
Are you calling me egoboy? Are you cracked or something?
I am the eggman?
I am the walrus.
As John Lennon told Hunter Davies "let the fuckers work that one out."
Clearly the majority of problems this season have come from the Icelandics and Stranmaur, and not from Zola.
While I have my doubts as to if Gianfranco is up to the job, and a complete lack of confidence in Clarke, many of the issues you have pointed out have come from a lack of funds; such as the forced sale of Collins (in my opinion our best centre back this season), the lack of cover for many positions and the lack of quality in others.
It seems to me like your points aren't completely wrong, just aimed at the wrong target.
Fair enough IronFerret but:
1) Zola was quoted in his first season saying he wanted to work with a smaller squad. Duxbury pulled his strings and Zola danced accordingly. A strong manager would not have allowed himself to be manipulated.
2) A strong manager would have gone public and demanded the squad was strengthened in the summer. Zola put his job before the needs of the team and the fans. Curbishley walked when McCartney was sold. Had Zola threatened the same over the sale of Collins, the Board would have backed down. Remember, Curbishley's constructive dismissal case was still pending; had Zola quit over the same issue, the Board would have looked ridiculous. Zola had three aces in his hand and played it as if he had eight high.
3) The squad is still stonger than most of the teams in the bottom half of the table. Wolves have nobody of the quality of Green, Upson, Parker or Cole. Zola has managed his resources dreadfully.
4) It was obvious to me very early on that Jimenez was not up to the job. Zola persisted with him, picking him in preference to Diamanti in key games. Zola's use of Daprela has also been perverse. First three games for a kid, Arsenal, Chelsea and Arsenal again. What's that about? He didn't even give him a run as a sub against more modest opponents. Absurd!
5) Nobody forced Zola to go 4-3-3, nor to play players on the wrong flanks. That was bad management. Remember we struggled last season when he buggered around with 4-3-3. So what did he do? Reintroduced it this season. It was this obsession that led to the signings of Savio, Jimenez and Diamanti and left us with just one recognised out and out striker (with Franco belatedly signed as cover).
6) Do you remember Hines and Nouble each being asked to lead the line on their own in home games? Do you remember Hines being played wide rather than on the shoulder of Franco or Cole? Do you remember Ilan playing wide at Stamford Bridge? Do you remember the preference for Mido over Ilan? Do you remember the selection of Franco and Mido ahead of Cole and Ilan for the away game against Arsenal and the belated introduction of Cole even after Arsenal went down to 10 men? What about our second half performance against Sunderland? Or our collapse against Hull after a 2-0 lead inside the first 20 minutes? Or the attempt to throw away the five goal lead against Burnley? Or being the only team in 14 games to lose to Brian Laws' Burnley? Rank bad management mate, rank bad management.
Anonymouis15:23
Does he (a) Buy another scratch card or (b) Buy another scratch card!
14:03 I agree with every word - HF does take the utmost pleasure in our demise purely because he claims to have predicted it, he IS a disgrace AND an embarrassment.
Your continual lampooning of COYI is a perfect indication to me that you have not one ounce of respect for our club.
19:11 great post - and HF just wants to drown you out with his hideously boring 6 paragraphs and 440 wordssssssssssssssss yawwwwn!
Oops, I forgot COYI on this one, I'll add one!
No one should read this blog, HF is a cock
But if no one read this blog, no one would read your comment telling no one to read this blog so no one would know not to read this blog. Bloody good job they read this blog then eh?
Damn, I read it.
I read it to. should post the advise on another site. set up www.dontreadthegamesgonecrazycoshfisaknob.com
trouble is nobody would read it.
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