From now to next May your expectations

[Mister E]

Whoever gets the managers job isn't going to find it easy are they. The club if not in turmoil is very unsettled from the fans upwards, leaving the new man a hard PR excercise as well as all the usual stuff of getting to know your squad, changing all the football related stuff to your liking.
I don't feel the squad are good enough to maintain matters whilst the changes are instigated and I'd expect at least a season for the new man to adjust all and sundry, so I'm hoping for a top 10 finish and top 6 at best.
I can't see a flurry of transfers in in January maybe a few will leave, I can't see a dramatic change in style of play either initially just consolidation, building a sound base and the hope of an outside chance of a European qualification.
Good luck to whoever Randy appoints, he deserves at least this season or whats left of it to see how smart a choice it proves.

You make it sound like this sort of thing has not happened in the world of football before.
Get a grip, for God's sake.
The squad is good enough for a mid-table finish and a tilt at one of the cups.
Clearly, the major impact of a new manager on the squad composition is unlikley to be felt until next summer. We have to hope that GH has enough credibility and expertise to bring this current crop through the rest of this season. He shoud have.

[D.boy]

A finish inside the top 10 and a good cup run for me. Consolidate, re-group and push on. The sqaud only needs a couple of additions (fine tuning) and if we can hold onto our stars during the next 2 transfer windows we should be in a position to push 4th next season.

[Dave Cooper please]

What some people seem to be suggesting is that our owner, who has invested heavily to get the team into a position where we have been pushing for a CL place for two (arguably three) consecutive seasons has decided to suddenly give up and go for mediocrity.

Nah, sorry, I can't see it.

[pauliewalnuts]

Which is the lowest placed team in the football league, other than us, that haven't bought a single player?

Blackburn.

Yet we have "bought" a player - we took Ireland as part of the Milner deal, rather than the extra money. How many other teams lost their manager three weeks before the end of the transfer window?

[Chris Smith]

What some people seem to be suggesting is that our owner, who has invested heavily to get the team into a position where we have been pushing for a CL place for two (arguably three) consecutive seasons has decided to suddenly give up and go for mediocrity.

Nah, sorry, I can't see it.

I think what is being suggested is that this summer reducing the wage bill was the first priority and only then could further signings be made.

[pauliewalnuts]

What some people seem to be suggesting is that our owner, who has invested heavily to get the team into a position where we have been pushing for a CL place for two (arguably three) consecutive seasons has decided to suddenly give up and go for mediocrity.

Nah, sorry, I can't see it.

I think what is being suggested is that this summer reducing the wage bill was the first priority and only then could further signings be made.

I think that's where a lot of us disagree.

I didn't see it as "do one, THEN do the other", i saw it as "done one, but ALSO do the other".

[thejoker]

Top 8 this season and I would be pretty pleased.  Anything more is a bonus.  Should give GH and PT enough time to assess everything and really go for it next summer (I hope)

[Concrete John]

I didn't see it as "do one, THEN do the other", i saw it as "done one, but ALSO do the other".

So you think Martin was allowed to sign new players before the unused ones were shipped out?  I think the opposite and that's were the frustration that ultimately lead to his resignation set in.

[pauliewalnuts]

I didn't see it as "do one, THEN do the other", i saw it as "done one, but ALSO do the other".

So you think Martin was allowed to sign new players before the unused ones were shipped out?  I think the opposite and that's were the frustration that ultimately lead to his resignation set in.

I think he was, yes.

I know he's pretty much always late, but let's not forget, this was a world cup summer in which hardly anyone made a decent number of signings, it barely kicked into gear at all, and when it did, it was on the last day.

If he'd been told he had to sell before buying and that was what caused him to jump, why didn't he do it at the start of the summer rather than at the end?

[Concrete John]

I didn't see it as "do one, THEN do the other", i saw it as "done one, but ALSO do the other".

So you think Martin was allowed to sign new players before the unused ones were shipped out?  I think the opposite and that's were the frustration that ultimately lead to his resignation set in.

I think he was, yes.

I know he's pretty much always late, but let's not forget, this was a world cup summer in which hardly anyone made a decent number of signings, it barely kicked into gear at all, and when it did, it was on the last day.

If he'd been told he had to sell before buying and that was what caused him to jump, why didn't he do it at the start of the summer rather than at the end?

A question I also would like to know the answer to.

Personally, I think he had the money to sign players, but had to ensure the wages were reduced/static, so it was in effect a 'sell to buy' policy.  I think what changed was his acceptance of this as the summer market was slow as you say, so the outs didn't happen and his hands were tied.

[bob]

What some people seem to be suggesting is that our owner, who has invested heavily to get the team into a position where we have been pushing for a CL place for two (arguably three) consecutive seasons has decided to suddenly give up and go for mediocrity.

Nah, sorry, I can't see it.

I think what is being suggested is that this summer reducing the wage bill was the first priority and only then could further signings be made.

I think that's where a lot of us disagree.

I didn't see it as "do one, THEN do the other", i saw it as "done one, but ALSO do the other".

You would think that it is feasible to do both in one window, which is essentially doing both things at the same time.

Actually I would hope the board did want to get rid of some of the players money is being wasted on first of all. It's a good idea. It makes perfect sense. No reason why players couldn't have been signed at the same time, or shortly after.

[peter w]

Which is the lowest placed team in the football league, other than us, that haven't bought a single player?

Blackburn.

Yet we have "bought" a player - we took Ireland as part of the Milner deal, rather than the extra money. How many other teams lost their manager three weeks before the end of the transfer window?

So, we're now on a par with Blackburn. And as for your second point, 3 weeks. 3 bloody weeks. they wanted Kev Mac to get the job so why not allow him to look for players at that stage? He had his hands tien and once they realsied he couldn't do the job they then stumbled over themselves to get others to apply for the job.

Not really what you expect from a well run business is it?

[Chris Smith]

What some people seem to be suggesting is that our owner, who has invested heavily to get the team into a position where we have been pushing for a CL place for two (arguably three) consecutive seasons has decided to suddenly give up and go for mediocrity.

Nah, sorry, I can't see it.

I think what is being suggested is that this summer reducing the wage bill was the first priority and only then could further signings be made.

I think that's where a lot of us disagree.

I didn't see it as "do one, THEN do the other", i saw it as "done one, but ALSO do the other".

I think events support my thoughts. I think O'Neill accepted this in May but then when in August they's still not managed to shift any he wanted to push on with signings anyway and hope that they'd be able to sell later but was told no. That's what caused things to come to a head.

[jonzy85]

I didn't see it as "do one, THEN do the other", i saw it as "done one, but ALSO do the other".

So you think Martin was allowed to sign new players before the unused ones were shipped out?  I think the opposite and that's were the frustration that ultimately lead to his resignation set in.

I think he was, yes.

I know he's pretty much always late, but let's not forget, this was a world cup summer in which hardly anyone made a decent number of signings, it barely kicked into gear at all, and when it did, it was on the last day.

If he'd been told he had to sell before buying and that was what caused him to jump, why didn't he do it at the start of the summer rather than at the end?

The $64 million question....

Chris Smith's theory seems to be the closest to making sense.

[sfx412]

I didn't see it as "do one, THEN do the other", i saw it as "done one, but ALSO do the other".

So you think Martin was allowed to sign new players before the unused ones were shipped out?  I think the opposite and that's were the frustration that ultimately lead to his resignation set in.

I think the General intimated, even said such.
If you believe the General tells the truth why suggest otherwise, apart from making Mon's exit nearly excusable