Where is MON ?

[pauliewalnuts]

I also don't get this argument that you have to show unswerving support of a manager to rate and back him. Nobody's perfect after all. Certainly not MoN, Mourinho or Ferguson.

Of course not.

Strikes me that, in a time when football is incredibly expensive to watch, is practically controlled by television companies and advertisers, has the passion squeezed out of it in the grounds (no standing, no swearing, no shouting), and is more sterile than it has ever been, gobbing off in pubs or on the internet or in the office, pontificating about why such and such an experienced manager is clueless (thats worth thinking about - they're clearly not clueless, otherwise they wouldn't be where they are) is one of the few areas people can get passionate and opinionated about the game any more.

I suspect not many people on here would disagree with that, otherwise we wouldn't be wasting thousands of hours arguing (usually the same argument) on here, day after day, would we?

Take that passion and opinion away, start deferring to people with more experience as if we're consulting a lawyer or a doctor, and we might as well start supporting GlaxoSmithKline or Marks and Spencer.

[eastie]

The fans money contribute to the players and managers wages so I think they are perfectly right to voice whatever opinion they may have, mon has made and will make mistakes like any other manager in any job.

He is running our football club and I love Reading differing views on this forum , some I agree with and some I don't but this really is a great forum.

[Percy McCarthy]

I wonder if those who feel that MON should be beyond criticism because of his lengthy time in the game extend that kind of logic to other areas of interest/  entertainment.

I take it that music is similarly not up for discussion unless you're Quincy Jones.

Can only Martin Scorsese discuss the relative merits or weaknesses of a film?

I've said this before Kevin.
If you play the 'MON is a professional and you are not' card, then you have no right to question George Osborne and David Camerons political competence, Westlife's studio recordings or Carling Black Label Lager's (lack of) taste.

Not at all. The posts about MON that I find ridiculous are the ones that question his basic knowledge of the game. I recall one of yours Mark, when you said (seriously) that MON doesn't know how to pick players in the correct position. Frankly, that is laughable. How on earth does he get 10 out of 11 in the 'conventional' position if he doesn't know how to do it? That's some fluke. Your analogy with Cameron is a flawed one. I wouldn't say 'he is a politician, you are not' if you had different ideas to him about tackling inflation for instance. I might though, if you said he doesn't know what inflation is. Geddit?

I have different opinions to MON about football too. It's just that I don't think he'd agree with me if only he understood the game.

For all this talk about Godwin's Law and not being 'allowed' to criticise MON, some of the most jumped upon and seemingly offensive (to some) posts on here are the ones that simply state the opinion that MON knows more about football than us lot. Which is a bit like finding my opinion that the Pope is a Catholic controversial.

[Mazrim]

I personally dont care what people say about MON or their qualifications for doing so, just please dont talk out of your arse and bore me to death. Which is where a lot of it falls down.

[pauliewalnuts]

I personally dont care what people say about MON or their qualifications for doing so, just please dont talk out of your arse and bore me to death. Which is where a lot of it falls down.

Which is precisely what other people might say about you. Or any other poster on here.

Which is another reason why we should just deal with the fact that other people disagree with us, and let them get on with it, rather than introducing some sliding scale of what's ok and what isn't.

Life's too short for that nonsense.

Incidentally, almost every single person on here has got on my tits at some point since I've been using this site. Which is sort of the point, i guess.

[Dave]

Incidentally, almost every single person on here has got on my tits at some point since I've been using this site. Which is sort of the point, i guess.

I think that getting on your tits is the only reason most of us post in the close-season.

(emoticon)

[Percy McCarthy]

I personally dont care what people say about MON or their qualifications for doing so, just please dont talk out of your arse and bore me to death. Which is where a lot of it falls down.

Which is precisely what other people might say about you. Or any other poster on here.

Which is another reason why we should just deal with the fact that other people disagree with us, and let them get on with it, rather than introducing some sliding scale of what's ok and what isn't.

Good. Perhaps we can have an end to the 'Thou shalt not put forth the opinion that the manager knows more about football than we do' posts?

[pauliewalnuts]

I personally dont care what people say about MON or their qualifications for doing so, just please dont talk out of your arse and bore me to death. Which is where a lot of it falls down.

Which is precisely what other people might say about you. Or any other poster on here.

Which is another reason why we should just deal with the fact that other people disagree with us, and let them get on with it, rather than introducing some sliding scale of what's ok and what isn't.

Good. Perhaps we can have an end to the 'Thou shalt not put forth the opinion that the manager knows more about football than we do' posts?

Of course he does - that's what I meant by my reference to your stating the obvious. My point is, who cares that he knows more than we do? When did that ever impact on the willingness of football fans to gob off about the game?

Do I think Gary Megson, David O'Leary, Martin O'Neill, Harry Redknapp, Arsene Wenger etc etc know more about the game than me? Of course they do. Do I give a shit? No, of course I don't.

I dont get how you're so liberated with your views on things like hooliganism and it's part in the culture of the game (which I largely agree with you on), yet so deferential when it comes to criticising the manager.

Where's the sense of naughtiness gone? You're at the same time possibly the most non conformist poster on here on some issues, yet amongst the most conformist on others.

[Mazrim]

I personally dont care what people say about MON or their qualifications for doing so, just please dont talk out of your arse and bore me to death. Which is where a lot of it falls down.

Which is precisely what other people might say about you.

Show me the fucker...

[pauliewalnuts]

I personally dont care what people say about MON or their qualifications for doing so, just please dont talk out of your arse and bore me to death. Which is where a lot of it falls down.

Which is precisely what other people might say about you.

Show me the fucker...

That's more like it.

[Ads]

You know its summer when Paulie is asking Percy to get naughty for him.

[eamonn]

You know its summer when Paulie is asking Percy to get naughty for him.

Not mention people on here getting on his tits.

[Greg N'Ash]

I don't think he's an idiot, just a dinosaur. and i do wonder how he's becomes our longest serving manager since Saunders when he's not even in the top3 for trophies won/highest league position

[Mazrim]

I don't think he's an idiot, just a dinosaur. and i do wonder how he's becomes our longest serving manager since Saunders when he's not even in the top3 for trophies won/highest league position

Without checking, I think he is the first manager we've had who's delivered three consecutive top 6 finishes in a long, long time. Whilst it's not cause for getting the bunting out, it means he deserves to keep his job by my reckoning.

[Chris Smith]

I don't think he's an idiot, just a dinosaur. and i do wonder how he's becomes our longest serving manager since Saunders when he's not even in the top3 for trophies won/highest league position

So 3 top 6 finishes in a row and a cup final and a semi final last season is now grounds for sacking somebody. That's armchair fans for you.