Remind me what Burnley's away record was last season...the same Burnley qualifying for Europe this season. Worst away record since records began you say? Well what of it? Horrendous? Horrendous would be dropping through the leagues and playing in the Conference. We all know how this season has panned out, beginning, middle and end. Malteser and HB can keep whooping and shrieking all they like, I at least am happy that we fight another year next year and expect the people whose opinions really matter have learned from this and make the right calls. Whatever calls they make I've more faith in them than anybody here.
There’s no whooping or shrieking from me here. Or I’m sure from HB1. Just mature and reasoned discussion of our different points of view. With an invite to others to join in too. No put downs or insults or snide comments. Just a fun and fair debate, hopefully backed up with facts or statistics too to support a point. The whole point of this forum I believe. Gino and the others that run our club know a million times more about football than I do, and like Philippine I too trust them to run our club. If they believe Gracia is the man to take us forward, they do so with more knowledge of him and his daily methods than I can ever hope to have. Equally as somebody who helps to fund the club as a paying supporter, I enjoy weighing in with occasional opinions about it too.
The decision on the future of Gracia and how well he has done really is on a knife-edge with arguments both sides. That's why is currently clogging up this thread, the "managers" thread and the "Gracia out" thread.
Is the decision on his future really on a knife edge? Because a group of supporters are discussing it. For all we know the Pozzo's may be cool on the issue
For all we know, he could be dangling above large rotating blades with the rope secured by a slowly burning candle.
Sorry i meant the consensus of this forum is in the balance rather than Gino who will already know what he's doing.
No worries, Last thing we need is Gracia going then doing well at another club like Dyche or even Slav have done. I'm guessing the opinions will sway quite a bit should we win the last two games or lose the last two games. Most clubs fanbase is on that knife edge and most fans are too quick to judge nowadays.
Liked after the edit. No snide et al comments from me, maybe take a closer look at your own. Facts and statistics....as in we all know what has happened this season, we've all watched most if not every game. Ohh, OK that was a put down. Fair enough. Was it SLB gave you the trimester of statistics that accounted for this season? What more facts other than our eyes are even applicable here?
Shhhh. We don't tell Greek FBs they have signed for us until just before the season starts when they are bundled into the back of a Ford transit and shown docs with their electronic signatures. You know the rules....
Well they're not doing a good job of it then. I'd argue that it makes a difference considering how certain players performed at the start of the season and compared to now. I reckon the slump mid season has affected the team's chances as a whole and therefore the morale. By that argument managers would have no impact at all and the players would always perform well.
My opinion him will remain the same even if we win the last two. I’m not swayed on a game-by-game basis and it’s the collective amount of games that I’ve seen that have made me make my decision on him. I don’t profess it will be correct if it happens, I just believe it would be. I will happily admit being wrong if he stays and we do well. I don’t agree that if he goes and does well elsewhere is ‘the last thing we need though’. If we get a good manager in through the door who I think is better than him, I don’t really care how well he does elsewhere. I suspect no chairman in the PL will be bowled over by his away record though so I doubt he’d get hired quickly again on these shores.
But what exactly would a new manager do for us? I hardly think that suddenly the players will wake up and know how to clear a ball or mark their man or put the ball in the net.
They might if they are coached better? I agree there’s no guarantee of that. But the same players did better to begin with under Silva so that shows that they can do it. We’ve played some decent stuff under Gracia but we’ve also played some god awful stuff. He has to be praised - or not - for both. I just don’t think he’s progressive enough and I don’t believe he’s a manager to take us higher up the table next year. My opinion for him to go is just that - my opinion. I don’t say it to convince anyone otherwise. Some fans on here have equally valid reasons for wanting him to stay and some of them I agree with. I’m just weighing up the pro and cons of what I have seen and there are definitely more cons. That’s all.
I agree. I think he’s been a disappointment and I don’t fancy our chances of staying up under him nex season. That said, if the decision is stay then I’ll get fully behind him once the decision is made and hope to be proved wrong.
You said they 'have nothing to play for' and they f***ing well do. I hate that stupidly well paid people feel that it doesn't matter if they do their job to the best of their ability, but footballers are renowned for it. Tossers. Sorry for calling you a tool BTW- now I've reflected it was totally uncalled for.
I certainly agree that it is awful that being paid so well doesn't mean a good performance. I always try and put myself in the position of the person I am currently talking about when arguing so in this case I imagined the following. You play for Watford FC. At the point Gracia took over, there was a small threat of relegation. So you play well to ensure that you keep your wages and look good to other clubs. You then realise that there isn't enough time left in the season to do amazingly well or get into Europe, so what's the point of giving the extra effort when it won't make any material difference. No real threat to your position, no real reward to playing the last few games well. I wish it wasn't that way but that's probably how they feel. Thank you for your apology, I do appreciate it.
Just read this on the BBC site: There is a scenario where fourth place in the Premier League - Tottenham currently - don't qualify for the Champions League next season. If Liverpool win the Champions League and drop out of the top four (which is still possible - if Chelsea beat them this weekend, the gap is down to three points and the Blues have a game in hand) and Arsenal win the Europa League, then England have reached the maximum of five teams you can have in the competition. Please let it happen.
A treasured memory & a key to understanding the Pozzo era. Suaveity & handsome suits but, when the chips are down, Italian pragmatism.
