Capman

I guess it depends on your objective. For me the club’s objective should be to get into the playoffs (at least). So points from the playoffs is not arbitrary. It is a very specific measure of how far short the club fell from its objective. As for the ‘moveable level achieved by another team’ surely that is exactly what a league is designed to measure. Clubs will get better as training and fitness improves. If a team wants to get promotion it needs to improve faster than other teams. It reminds me of the age old debate about GCSE results. Does the fact that teaching gets better and pupils are better prepared mean the steady upward creep of grades is right? Or should the required attainment move to keep the bell curve the same. When there are two automatic places and four in the play offs it’s just a fact that in football the bell curve moves. So I don’t know what the right answer is, but that is because I think the club needs to be more specific about its objective. Once you know what your target is, I would only measure how far over or under it you are.

It’s the relentless predictability of it that really gets to me. For the first time in years we should actually have some money to spend this summer. But I wonder if anyone can tell me who they would want to oversea spending it, a manager and CEO who have both gained promotion to the premier league doing those roles or a nice bloke who has never coached at this level and a great guy who once scored against Liverpool in the cup? If you ran any sensible business like this you would expect to go bust. Of course as a supporter I really hope that they are successful but the sensible part of my brain says we have set ourselves up to fail once again. Let’s put it like this, I might have been tempted to put a few quid on those who have done it before, to do it again. This lot, I will keep my cash in my pocket.

Probably and if I am honest I don’t know enough to say if that is right or wrong. The point here though is that the club says it wants premier league football. That should be first, second and third priority. In relation to delivering that objective these matches mean nothing and need to be used to plan the route to deliver promotion in 2025. If winning games and building confidence is the clubs view of how to deliver that then that is what they should aim to do. But actually I might judge the success of these games at the end of September. If we are playing well with a joined up team then we have used the time well. If we look like the players have never seen each other before I will be questioning our processes.

So the question for the manager should swiftly be moving to, how do I use the remaining games to make sure I am as ready as possible for the first game of the 2024/25 season? Should I be giving youngsters who I may need next season some game time, should I be playing loan players, unless they will become permanent, should I be playing players who will not be with us next season. It should be a good position for any manager to have, it will be interesting to see how (or if) the City establishment takes advantage of it.

Personally I would be delighted if Manning took City into the premier league. I just don’t plan to spend months ‘believing’ against all the available evidence. Being realistic does not make me a ‘moaner’, just a realist. Getting out of the championship is one of the most difficult footballing jobs there is. Expecting an inexperienced manager with a very lightweight establishment to do it seems to me to be a triumph of optimism over reality. Personally I don’t really blame Manning, he has been set up to fail. But he inherited a top 6 squad which just needed to be well coached. Seems to me that the ‘players he wants’ line is just an excuse for a mid table ‘rebuild’ season in which we probably squander the Scott money because we do not have the experience to build a squad capable of promotion. Any sensible evidence to the contrary?

That is the key for me too. Dishonesty is a real turn off and I don’t do business with those I don’t trust. The problem is that once a culture is bad it takes real action to change it. unfortunately I have no confidence in the board to make sound footballing decisions. Even if Manning makes a fantastic start to next season they will probably react by selling our best performing players at Christmas and then blame the manager as we once again fall short. The club has proved time and time again to lack the ambition to progress. It’s a great shame, but that’s the way I see it.

Problem is that as far as I can see the decision on Pearson had nothing to do with football. It was a purely personal decision based on the inability of the hierarchy to manage someone who I can image can be challenging and confrontational. They required someone who followed the establishment line and did what they were told instead. So trying to analyse it by reference to sensible criteria and trying to judge it against rational footballing outcomes unfortunately will not work. In the end the hierarchy decided that their egos were more important than on the field success.

I must admit I do consider it hugely rude to refuse to answer questions, but insist on asking more. I asked a perfectly simple question which you have blanked, presumably because to answer it undermines your entire argument. But instead have demanded I give answers to you. It is typical of the contempt those in power at the club show for its supporters.

So when the board said we had a top 6 squad which was underperforming do you think they were telling the truth? If so, why is Manning failing? If they were lying then I would say the club really is rotten to the core, if the directors lie to supporters to cover the real reasons for their decisions. Which is it?

My position is pretty simple scrumpy, I detest being lied to. Once you discover an organisation is institutionally dishonest it’s difficult to have any respect for it. When the board came out and said they had fired Pearson because we had a top 6 squad underperforming under him and they had a plan which would replace him with someone who would correct that I lost all faith in them. Any supporter could surely see that was not true? I respect people who feel differently, that’s up to them, but I no longer believe what the club says, I no longer trust them not to seek to manipulate supporters in a dishonest way and, most importantly, I think it is hugely unlikely that they have the skill and capability to get the club into the premier league without significant changes in personnel and culture. If that comes across as robust I’m sorry, but it’s the way I feel and I don’t see any reason to hide it.

It’s the board which seems fickle to be honest Fred. They are unable to take criticism, and at the first sign of descent have to fire everyone and employ more yes people. They keep creating new profiles as well. Surprising that isn’t it. Maybe we need a ‘top 6’ senior team. Can you tell them they are not up to the job for us?

It actually leaves me more frustrated than before. This squad has constantly proved itself against good teams. But it has consistently not been set up right (under Manning) to beat lower level opposition. Who exactly do you consider is responsible for that? My personal view remains the same, Pearson was fired because the he challenged the board in a way they didn’t like and they were were worried he was going to guide this squad into the playoffs and that would have made it difficult to sack him. Manning has never been the issue personally for me, it is the people above him. having said that I think the chances Manning will ever be good enough to guide City to promotion are very low. He has so far looked wooden and lacking in the flair required.

In my case the issue I have with the club is that the board lie to the fans. I don’t like being lied to, maybe you feel differently and that is fine. But maybe try to understand the reasons before speculating and making things up. Personally I think the club would be better without the sycophants who accept being misled as their place in life. Still, each to their own.

Manning out yes, but it’s not the long term answer. Jon has to step down as Chairman and BT needs to be demoted too. I suspect there is some very difficult musical chairs needed over the next few weeks if we are to have any chance of promotion next season. The current structure and people are absolutely not fit for purpose. Personally if I were Steve I would announce King to manage to end of the season, Jon had decided to stand down as chair to pursue his other business interests but would stay on the board and the search was on for a new Chairman who would lead the recruitment of a new manager.

They say a fish rots from its head. When a board think it is fine to lie to supporters and treat them as fools the whole club is clearly out of control. Steve, you have spent a considerable sum on this club but your legacy is now becoming embarrassing. Do something, change the chairman, change the board and acknowledge the horrendous mistakes which have been made this season. It is almost too late already.