kevinhectoring

Hourihane is very good at what he can do - specifically his delivery into the box. However, there are a some things he'll never be able to do, but those are the sort of things Warne needs from midfielders to make his system work. Warne is also unwilling to change his philosophy to accommodate Hourihane's deficiencies. He's also on a very high wage for this league.
He's unlikely to be given a new deal at the end of the season, so I think it would also be in Hourihane's best interests to find an 18 month deal (or longer) in January rather than waiting until the summer. It would also benefit the club by freeing up a hefty wage which can then be used to strengthen the squad.

So, 12 ? 

So, 12 ? 

Another pointless thread 

Entitlement ?  I think you mean expectation
Off the scale ? In the lower leagues the club’s gate defines its spending power. Our gate dwarfs most in this league - as does the value of our squad -  and we are showing little sign of challenging for promotion. 
 
and yet you think fans should be content ? 
 

DC has family money on the line. It’ll be awkward just now at birthdays, weddings and christenings. But if he chucks a load of cash at Warne’s severance package then hires another failing manager, things will be a lot worse 

Entitlement ?  I think you mean expectation
Off the scale ? In the lower leagues the club’s gate defines its spending power. Our gate dwarfs most in this league - as does the value of our squad -  and we are showing little sign of challenging for promotion. 
 
and yet you think fans should be content ? 
 

Entitlement ?  I think you mean expectation
Off the scale ? In the lower leagues the club’s gate defines its spending power. Our gate dwarfs most in this league - as does the value of our squad -  and we are showing little sign of challenging for promotion. 
 
and yet you think fans should be content ? 
 

You think he's caught sight of the kids' letters to Santa? 😄

DC has family money on the line. It’ll be awkward just now at birthdays, weddings and christenings. But if he chucks a load of cash at Warne’s severance package then hires another failing manager, things will be a lot worse 

Entitlement ?  I think you mean expectation
Off the scale ? In the lower leagues the club’s gate defines its spending power. Our gate dwarfs most in this league - as does the value of our squad -  and we are showing little sign of challenging for promotion. 
 
and yet you think fans should be content ? 
 

Ward looked an okay signing (IMO) - I don't think he's a better winger than an on-form NML (other than being able to do it for more than 60 minutes a week) and he didn't really look particularly suited to a wingback to me.  Bradley struggled because he couldn't do the role he was signed for (the central defender in a spread back 3).  That midfield 4 was only our chosen midfield because the previous half a dozen ones he tried were disastrous.  And if pacy strikers aren't available, then don't play a system that requires one.  There are plenty of teams that don't have one and do well - Sheffield Wednesday went up with a strike force of Lee Gregory and Michael Smith last season. And beyond that, we don't even play a system that genuinely needs a pacy striker anyway - where does one fit into our apparent strategy of getting it wide and lumping crosses in?
That's not to say injuries haven't hampered us, because they have, but there's a much wider pattern of players consistently under performing, because they are being asked to do jobs they can't do, or not used in ways to get the best out of them, or not given the setup around them they need to perform well.  That persists across last years signings and this years.  And it's one of the big reasons we're struggling to perform so much.

Yes, as in a flaw or problem.  

There is a lot of negativity about the manager. There is no negativity I’ve seen about the squad as a whole, in fact most people recognise that for this division we have a strong squad. 

There is a lot of negativity about the manager. There is no negativity I’ve seen about the squad as a whole, in fact most people recognise that for this division we have a strong squad. 

But he didn't appoint CH as captain,  the squad of players did.
Which I agree with what has already been said, should make it easier for Warne to leave him out rather than unsettle the team, if Warne had a string opinion on who is captain he wouldn't have offered it to the players to decide....

Unless we score an own goal   ( -1 )

Cocu’s football second season was horrendous for a couple of reasons.
We had no striker. Literally none. Chris Martin left, and Kazim was injured. Cocu’s entire philosophy was built around having a number 9 who could hold up the ball.
He was forced to play Rooney. An unfit overweight midfielder who couldn’t run. He also lost Huddlestone, his controlling midfielder, and Bielik was injured. We had no protection and no pressing energy in midfield.
Under such circumstances any manager would have taken us down.
Rooney couldn’t be carried. 

why would rooney come out of it well? only one reason, threats from his lawyers. You’re (still) deluded if you think Rooney was a positive for us either as a player or manager. Big mistake to fall into the trap set by Rooney’s pr team that, if Morris was bad for us, Rooney must have been good for us. We had a lucky escape from Rooney and his agent  
You should look at the extracts from the book in the Waghorn thread. Not convinced those extracts will make the published version mind you. 

His agent’s plan was to install WR in a long term gig giving him tenure as our manager and Stretford a hefty annuity.   Hence their deplorable interference in the takeover process, conspiring with Kirchner. Rooney made no single decision that was in the club’s interests but not his own and he had a fine PR team (albeit they could not control his persecution of bellringers or careless use of hotel rooms). A good manager managing Byrne, Shinnie, Forsyth et al. would have kept us up. An average manager he was not and without LR things would have descended into farce

Agree with all this. Tho’ in the short term if he still has the ability to persuade players to sign, and other clubs to loan, then they might do ok out of it. But it’ll end in tears 

His agent’s plan was to install WR in a long term gig giving him tenure as our manager and Stretford a hefty annuity.   Hence their deplorable interference in the takeover process, conspiring with Kirchner. Rooney made no single decision that was in the club’s interests but not his own and he had a fine PR team (albeit they could not control his persecution of bellringers or careless use of hotel rooms). A good manager managing Byrne, Shinnie, Forsyth et al. would have kept us up. An average manager he was not and without LR things would have descended into farce

For sure, Morris had a lot to answer for. But he gave Rooney everything he asked for (including Cocu’s head) and Rooney stabbed him in the back when he saw which way the wind was blowing. 

For sure, Morris had a lot to answer for. But he gave Rooney everything he asked for (including Cocu’s head) and Rooney stabbed him in the back when he saw which way the wind was blowing. 

For sure, Morris had a lot to answer for. But he gave Rooney everything he asked for (including Cocu’s head) and Rooney stabbed him in the back when he saw which way the wind was blowing.