LeeCovFox
Well-Known Member
I've noticed a fair bit of knee jerking and 'Sven Out' talk on this and other City forums since last night. Obviously such talk is a bit silly. But that isn't to say that there aren't problems for us to discuss, both on and off the pitch. For what it's worth, here's my take.
The Manager
I like Eriksson and I was delighted when we appointed him. No other manager at this level can boast his honours list. At one point last season he got us playing some of the most expansive, entertaining football I can remember since I first started supporting City in the 1993/94 season. I want to be entertained when I watch a football match and watching us scoring four against each of Millwall and Barnsley last season gave me great hope that we would see an attacking side mount a promotion challenge this time around.
Unfortunately the team stopped being so adventurous after the Bristol City match last season. In every game I have watched since there has been almost no attacking movement, pace, or width. It's dull. I could cope with dull if it was winning us matches. But it hasn't been doing so for a little while now. Eriksson has proven that he can get us playing exciting and winning football. But for whatever reason, conservatism on the pitch seems to be his preference. Unless of course he is telling the players to be a lot more fluid than they have been, in which case he needs to be imposing his authority more.
As I said above, Eriksson can boast a trophy haul unrivalled by his Championship contemporaries. But that counts for sod all right now. It is of course silly to be calling for his head. But in about ten games time, if things continue how they have started this season, doubts about his position will become much more understandable. I didn't care that Sousa had managed to finish 7th with Swansea in 2009/10 when we were bottom of the table last season (and my expectations were lower), and I certainly won't care that Eriksson won Serie A with Lazio if we are struggling this time around. Eriksson should be given more time, but it shouldn't be unlimited. For what it's worth, I think he will get it right.
The Owners
I doubt that this will be a popular viewpoint, but then I don't really care. I can see that is exciting to see the club spending money the way it has been. It's nice to be called promotion favourites, and nice to get a bit of media coverage about the place. But ultimately all this spending is very dangerous for the club. If we don't succeed in getting promoted then in a few years time we will be in real trouble. And even if we do go up in the next two or three seasons there are grounds for concern. Ask Leeds and Portsmouth fans. Believe that these guys are sticking around for life bankrolling the club all you want. But they're here to make money and if they don't do that they will be off.
We've been here before of course. Martin O'Neill selfishly backed a boardroom faction to suit his own agenda - one which would spend money without due regard for the financial future of the club. This was most obvious under during Peter Taylor's tenure at the club. He was given money to spend and spent it on crap. We ended up going down, couldn't sustain the wages being spent on players signed by both O'Neill and Taylor, and went into administration. There is nothing to suggest that what is happening now will end differently.
All of this is apart from the alleged dodgy behaviour of King Power in Thailand. I have no idea how true these allegations are, but they don't fill me with confidence in our owners. Some may say that it doesn't matter so long as they do right by the club. I disagree. But that's a different debate. I don't want to sound too curmudgeonly. I'm not saying we shouldn't enjoy the ride. Who knows what will happen? I may be wrong and these guys might turn us into a force to be reckoned with. I hope so. I'm just warning that nobody should be too surprised if it does go wrong down the line. A lot of fans seem to have embraced our new owners without question. That isn't a healthy position to take.
The Manager
I like Eriksson and I was delighted when we appointed him. No other manager at this level can boast his honours list. At one point last season he got us playing some of the most expansive, entertaining football I can remember since I first started supporting City in the 1993/94 season. I want to be entertained when I watch a football match and watching us scoring four against each of Millwall and Barnsley last season gave me great hope that we would see an attacking side mount a promotion challenge this time around.
Unfortunately the team stopped being so adventurous after the Bristol City match last season. In every game I have watched since there has been almost no attacking movement, pace, or width. It's dull. I could cope with dull if it was winning us matches. But it hasn't been doing so for a little while now. Eriksson has proven that he can get us playing exciting and winning football. But for whatever reason, conservatism on the pitch seems to be his preference. Unless of course he is telling the players to be a lot more fluid than they have been, in which case he needs to be imposing his authority more.
As I said above, Eriksson can boast a trophy haul unrivalled by his Championship contemporaries. But that counts for sod all right now. It is of course silly to be calling for his head. But in about ten games time, if things continue how they have started this season, doubts about his position will become much more understandable. I didn't care that Sousa had managed to finish 7th with Swansea in 2009/10 when we were bottom of the table last season (and my expectations were lower), and I certainly won't care that Eriksson won Serie A with Lazio if we are struggling this time around. Eriksson should be given more time, but it shouldn't be unlimited. For what it's worth, I think he will get it right.
The Owners
I doubt that this will be a popular viewpoint, but then I don't really care. I can see that is exciting to see the club spending money the way it has been. It's nice to be called promotion favourites, and nice to get a bit of media coverage about the place. But ultimately all this spending is very dangerous for the club. If we don't succeed in getting promoted then in a few years time we will be in real trouble. And even if we do go up in the next two or three seasons there are grounds for concern. Ask Leeds and Portsmouth fans. Believe that these guys are sticking around for life bankrolling the club all you want. But they're here to make money and if they don't do that they will be off.
We've been here before of course. Martin O'Neill selfishly backed a boardroom faction to suit his own agenda - one which would spend money without due regard for the financial future of the club. This was most obvious under during Peter Taylor's tenure at the club. He was given money to spend and spent it on crap. We ended up going down, couldn't sustain the wages being spent on players signed by both O'Neill and Taylor, and went into administration. There is nothing to suggest that what is happening now will end differently.
All of this is apart from the alleged dodgy behaviour of King Power in Thailand. I have no idea how true these allegations are, but they don't fill me with confidence in our owners. Some may say that it doesn't matter so long as they do right by the club. I disagree. But that's a different debate. I don't want to sound too curmudgeonly. I'm not saying we shouldn't enjoy the ride. Who knows what will happen? I may be wrong and these guys might turn us into a force to be reckoned with. I hope so. I'm just warning that nobody should be too surprised if it does go wrong down the line. A lot of fans seem to have embraced our new owners without question. That isn't a healthy position to take.
