Oliver Holt on Sunday Supplement 23/1/2011

[Concrete John]

Whether it was out of loyalty to him or because he asked them to, I don't know. I was more concerned about the effect on the club.

As am I, which is why I think it's wrong to attach blame to the previous manager to the detriment of analysing our team and management structure and seeing what needs fixing.
 

[dave.woodhall]

As we discussed a few pages back, he didn't 'take them with him', they also resigned of their own free will, although I think he would have known that would happen when he walked.

And as we agreed, the resignation of an entire football management team en masse, five days before the season started, is unique.

Yet, and this is without doing a full points per game comparison, the results when K-Mac was working without much help were better than they were once Gezza came in with his full staff.

Helped by having West Ham at home and with a full playing staff.

[damon loves JT]

In his last days . . . O'Neill seems like some cannibal god, rejoicing in the ruin of his own temples. Almost his last orders were for execution: prisoners were to be slaughtered, his old surgeon was to be murdered, his own brother-in-law was executed, all traitors, without further specification, were to die. Like an ancient hero, O'Neill wished to be sent with human sacrifices to his grave; and the burning of his own body, which had never ceased to be the centre and totem of the Nazi state, was the logical and symbolical conclusion of the Revolution of Destruction.

[pauliewalnuts]

As we discussed a few pages back, he didn't 'take them with him', they also resigned of their own free will, although I think he would have known that would happen when he walked.

And as we agreed, the resignation of an entire football management team en masse, five days before the season started, is unique.

Yet, and this is without doing a full points per game comparison, the results when K-Mac was working without much help were better than they were once Gezza came in with his full staff.

Much better? That doesn't really tell the full story.

West Ham 3-0: yes, good performance, but against a team who make us look like Brazil 1970

Rapid Vienna - dumped out of Europe at the first hurdle

Newcastle 0-6: a six goal humuliation from a newly promoted club.

Everton 1-0: three quite fortunate points, if i recall correctly

Stoke 1-2: not good.

Bolton 1-1

[pauliewalnuts]

Whether it was out of loyalty to him or because he asked them to, I don't know. I was more concerned about the effect on the club.

As am I, which is why I think it's wrong to attach blame to the previous manager to the detriment of analysing our team and management structure and seeing what needs fixing.
 

What do you mean by "blame"?

Any blame at all?

[peter w]

Its not an excuse for a woeful season but it was the reason or start was so indifferent. Then the board dithered and come up with an appointment that the jury is still out on. That affects player and supports morale and that in turn affects results. We are where we are because of firstly MON, then the board, then the players. In that chronological order.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

West Ham 3-0: yes, good performance, but against a team who make us look like Brazil 1970

Mainly down to a MOTM performance from the much missed Milner.

[Mazrim]

Not that it matters but I had Albrighton down as MOM that game, by a mile.

[sfx412]

I liked him but he's gone and now I'm only interested in what GH can do.

Strange that because you still try to justify Mon's existence at every opportunity.

[sfx412]

Nope, but then again can you point me in the direction of a managerial walkout that left a club so totally buggered as O'Neill's?

Owen Coyle going to Bolton?

That wasn't 5 days before the season started though. Nowhere near as bad as what that c*** done to us.

It lead to them getting relegated, so yes it was.

If we avoid relegation it won't be down to Mon, but Houllier and Randy's choice of him.

[Concrete John]

As we discussed a few pages back, he didn't 'take them with him', they also resigned of their own free will, although I think he would have known that would happen when he walked.

And as we agreed, the resignation of an entire football management team en masse, five days before the season started, is unique.

Yet, and this is without doing a full points per game comparison, the results when K-Mac was working without much help were better than they were once Gezza came in with his full staff.

Helped by having West Ham at home and with a full playing staff.

Yes, but as the players have come back we've hardly been able to repeat that level of performance, despite also having the full coaching staff in place.

[Chris Smith]

I liked him but he's gone and now I'm only interested in what GH can do.

Strange that because you still try to justify Mon's existence at every opportunity.

Justify his existance? I knew you were mental but I didn't realses you thought he was imaginary.

[Concrete John]

If we avoid relegation it won't be down to Mon, but Houllier and Randy's choice of him.

So if we get relegated, you won't be blaming MON?

[pablopicasso_10]

Yes, but as the players have come back we've hardly been able to repeat that level of performance, despite also having the full coaching staff in place.

however, as they have regained match fitness in the last 4 games since having an almost fully fit squad, we have beaten man city, drawn with chelsea, drawn with small heath, and only lost a tight game against sunderland once we were down to 10 men... not to mention beating sheff utd in teh cup with 10 men...

and have improved in each of those games...

[fredm]

As we discussed a few pages back, he didn't 'take them with him', they also resigned of their own free will, although I think he would have known that would happen when he walked.

And as we agreed, the resignation of an entire football management team en masse, five days before the season started, is unique.

Yet, and this is without doing a full points per game comparison, the results when K-Mac was working without much help were better than they were once Gezza came in with his full staff.

Helped by having West Ham at home and with a full playing staff.

There was obviously an air of disillusionment about for weeks during pre-season.  It has been quoted by others that rumours were doing the rounds in Portugal and the performance both by the team and MON himself in Dublin was quite amazing.  The team were outplayed and outfought by the equivalent of a lower league team, most of whom had played the previous evening. MON came out, walked across the pitch to the dug out, remained seated for the entire match and at the end just got up and walked back across the width of the pitch to the tunnel/dressing rooms without so much as a cursory glance at the large numbers of supporters who had travelled.  In fact, it was so obvious, that we commented on it at the time, as even on days when we had played rubbish and been beaten he had always made a point of clapping the fans who had followed the team.

I think there was a lot of uncertainty going on pre-season which meant that the players were not adequately prepared for the start of the season, either mentally or, in some cases, physically.

Take out the Milner inspired match against the rubbish team of Spammers and we looked like a bunch of players who had been thrown together and didn't know or want to be bothered making any effort for those first few weeks.