Super Steve Earle
Well-known member
Yes I know, another thread on the same subject.
My big fears are that we become a club with no aspirations beyond financial survival. Of course that is key to everything, but to take the fans along too there needs to be the optimism and hope of breaking out from Just wanting top 10, maybe having a Cup run, playing thrilling football and upsetting the Big Six natural order of things. Whenever we tick one off the list they become something the fans believe can happen.
RDZ leaving may be the next progression for a brilliantly managed club, swinging the axe before poor results become entrenched and the relegation trapdoor beckons next season. But is Lallana leaving an unforeseen consequence that is hard to replace. Likewise, will Gross see his Player of the Season awards and the Euros as reaching his career peak over here and RDZ leaving as the trigger to go. The tears on the pitch on Sunday from the stands and the pitch, the outpouring of emotion, the singing for RDZ to come back before he has gone, shows the massive personality gap that needs to be filled with someone the fans can get behind. Ok, Fati didn't work, but anyone who knew his talent would have taken that risk. Dahoud maybe less so. I like Igor, but acknowledge he was outside the club mould and will just depreciate, so needs to stay, perform and be that younger/older head for a few years. I fear the starlets who might have loved and stayed a bit to learn from RDZ will need a helluva replacement to stick with us. In Tony we trust, because even when he got it wrong with Sami, he turned it round. But sometimes trust gets tested and I just feel sad and flat at the moment. I'm also not entirely sure that Barber will be fully on board judging by his comments and demeanour with RDZ at the fan forum. But of course, he will be professional and get on with his job.
My big fears are that we become a club with no aspirations beyond financial survival. Of course that is key to everything, but to take the fans along too there needs to be the optimism and hope of breaking out from Just wanting top 10, maybe having a Cup run, playing thrilling football and upsetting the Big Six natural order of things. Whenever we tick one off the list they become something the fans believe can happen.
RDZ leaving may be the next progression for a brilliantly managed club, swinging the axe before poor results become entrenched and the relegation trapdoor beckons next season. But is Lallana leaving an unforeseen consequence that is hard to replace. Likewise, will Gross see his Player of the Season awards and the Euros as reaching his career peak over here and RDZ leaving as the trigger to go. The tears on the pitch on Sunday from the stands and the pitch, the outpouring of emotion, the singing for RDZ to come back before he has gone, shows the massive personality gap that needs to be filled with someone the fans can get behind. Ok, Fati didn't work, but anyone who knew his talent would have taken that risk. Dahoud maybe less so. I like Igor, but acknowledge he was outside the club mould and will just depreciate, so needs to stay, perform and be that younger/older head for a few years. I fear the starlets who might have loved and stayed a bit to learn from RDZ will need a helluva replacement to stick with us. In Tony we trust, because even when he got it wrong with Sami, he turned it round. But sometimes trust gets tested and I just feel sad and flat at the moment. I'm also not entirely sure that Barber will be fully on board judging by his comments and demeanour with RDZ at the fan forum. But of course, he will be professional and get on with his job.
