by Owzat » Sun May 02, 2010 7:15 am
Which of the 'usual suspects' named in here has proven they have the ability to do what Rafa has or better?
MARTIN O'NEILL - managed top eight with Leicester on a limited budget and won two league cups, but that isn't what we're aiming at. Won the two donkey race that is SPL with one of the two leading donkeys, again not a lot to shout about. Some throw in his Europe exploits, but again that's not what we require as Rafa has Europe to a reasonable strength in his CV. So what has MON done at villa that is so massively impressive? Stifled their play and players? Climbed two places better than he did with Leicester while reaching the same cup final having spent more? Some are too easily impressed with him, had he put villa into fourth given the fact the three sides that were touted for it were tripping over themselves then that might be a plus point, but he managed to bungle that too.
ROY HODGSON - survival expert, mid table mediocre Fulham and a EDL final - woohoo! 43 points with three to play this season, hardly impressive, 53 points last season, not impressive either. Having played nearly the full 38 games away from home in the past two seasons Fulham have won FOUR games, that is terrible considering the league contained WBA, boro, Hull, Newcastle, Sunderland and Blackburn last season, some of the same names plus Burnley and pompey this. He thrives on home advantage.
ALEX MCLEISH - one season in the top flight with Brum, fair enough he's managed more wins away from home than Hodgson has in two seasons but even so. Maybe some think the Aberdeen and Scottish connection is a home banker. Sure he won the aforementioned two donkey SPL with one of the two leading donkeys, but again that isn't a big seller on anyone's CV - remember Souness?
The problem is some still think that a manager who does quite well with a tight budget will succeed if given a big budget, there simply is no evidence to suggest it would work that way. Look a little deeper, style of play in grinding results is not going to win the league and there's no knowing if the manager is capable of playing a more expansive game or even handling big name egos. Hughes at citeh is perhaps the best example of the 'logic' falling flat on its face, or maybe fat sam at Newcastle. Most people find their niche, level or 'comfort zone' and aren't quite so comfortable outside of it. For starters they but in a market they are familiar in, they won't be shopping at the same places and if they have any money might well get royally rogered. MON and villa fans hailed Young as a fantastic signing, that £9.65m was actually cheap and he was quoted as being worth £30m and didn't he get compared with Messi? Where is he now and whose fault is it? £30m winger unable to establish himself in the England squad let alone side, maybe Cappello doesn't know what he's doing. MON - no thanks. Hodgson - no thanks. McLeish - no thanks. Rafa - got a fair crack of the whip, but unless we're happy with top 5-6 finishes I think we need to act now, thank Rafa for what he's done, and move on. We dallied a season too long with Houllier, let's not make the same mistake twice
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