Thanks Sam job well done Sir.

[miketheloop]

Try reading what I wrote, not what you presume I wrote. Then you will see my post was right. I wasn't having a go at gold either it was in reply to something else.

I did read what you said. You said that the two Daves lie a lot, and you said you have never supported any other club and asked if David Gold could say the same.

Obviously forgetting he grew up across the road from the ground, played for the club as a boy and bought the club he loved when most people wouldn't touch it with a barge poll.

But no he owned another football club so you must be right.

[DaveWHU1964]

Wow bit of a BFS love in here.
He was dog lucky, scrapped through in the play off, should've walked this league with the players he had and those he brought in, served up some real **** at times mixed in with good performances, but IMO sent the team out not to lose instead of attacking for the win.
Didn't want him at first, still don't want him, I accept I've got to put up with him but look forward to the day he packs his bag,s for Real Madrid, Barca or wherever his talents take him.

What, if anything would it take him to win you over? He can't can he- you've just made your mind up and that's that. At least I admire that you are willing to say what you feel- there's enough Allardyce haters out there simply keeping quiet now cos they know it's not the right time for them. I'm sure you'll have company on our first inevitable bad run in the top league.

Thanks Sam- We had absolutely no right to walk this league as people like mywhufc claim. However you managed to transform a demoralised, dis-spirited chaotic mess of into an organised hard to beat side with a terrific spirit and sense of togetherness that I haven't seen at my club since the middle period of Pardew's reign. The huge turnover of players meant that things were initially and understandably disjointed. But as the season developed you gave us an effective, winning side that played football as we like to see it.

[miketheloop]

Well said Dave

[MS in the West]

The ficklenes of football fans is interesting. Not commenting on anyone on this thread in particular (and maybe noone on this thread at all). But I've seen people slate Pardew as not knowing what he's doing (as if the posters did) when we might not have qualified for the playoffs, followed by widespread adultaion and the immortal phrase 'in pardew we trust' when we did well on our first season up. Then it all got a bit nasty, then Curbishley took over. He could do nothing right until he took us on that amazing last minute run - then he was fine (although some - again no doubt deep football thinkers, still felt it was all luck). Then he consolidated but bored many (though i remember games like Reading away and Blackburn at home to show what we could do when closer to full strength) and there was general support but some criticism - showing that you can NEVER please some fans, because we were stable despite injury crises (be careful what you wish for I remember posting prophetically to some anti Curbs). Then Zola came and went, alternately loved, then reviled when we didn't do well. Grant was something else - he was appalling from the start. Now Sam - who is much like Curbishley in that he's a good manager, knows what he's doing, is pragmatic and knows a set of players limitations etc (which some fans seem to have no idea of). He's taken us up. But if he hadn't?

Fans have insatiable appetittes - whether WHU or any other club. If we do OK we should do better. If we do well we should do better still. If we win stuff woe betide the manager that doesn't win a trophy the next season. And if there's a decline .....well we all know what happens.

Right now most people are happy with Sam. But if we go on a bad run, or play boring football (both very likely in the much harder Prem) then the critics will come out again.

[RM6]

This comment was removed by a moderator because it failed to abide by our community standards. Replies may also be deleted.

[Up the Junction]

The ficklenes of football fans is interesting.

Absolutely top post.

Personaly I was happy with Pardew and Curbs. The only managers I havnt liked were Grant, Zola and Roeder. Although I would have said so at the time still backed them.

[The Moth]

Right now most people are happy with Sam. But if we go on a bad run, or play boring football (both very likely in the much harder Prem) then the critics will come out again.

Many people like myself still think BFS is an arrogant, self obsessed tit of a man who resorts to negative football when push comes to shove.

Nothing so far during his time at our club so far has shown me otherwise.

That's not to say I think he's a useless manager , just can't stand the bloke.

[AlfieG]

Everyone is fully entitled to their opinions Moth.

However it doesn't matter a jot whether you like the manager or not because if he does his job and makes our team (relatively) successful then most supporters will be satisfied and not interested in his personality traits.

Why did you feel the need to post your opinions on the thanks thread BTW?

Was it your backhanded way of saying thanks?

[The Moth]

Was it your backhanded way of saying thanks?

Probably

I have said all along though that I will judge his abilities once we are promoted.

I think most managers worth their salt would have got us back up tbh. It's not just his personal traits that wind me up , its how he sets his teams out that ****'s me off. I've experienced his 'football' at Bolton , Blackburn and of course now with us us. I've mainly seen a lot of negative , percentage stuff to be honest.

I remember watching a Blackburn match with him in charge at Ewood. I was sat with the most bored set of supporters I've ever experienced watching freekicks around the halfway line were being taken by the GK and being used as some sort of 50 yard corner into a crowded box. I think they even scored that way tbh, but it was shocking tactics and mind-numbingly boring to watch.

Most of the games I went to this season gone (granted not as many as some) we often played some terrible football, which was mainly down to BFS IMO. Coventry away springs to mind, particulary the first half watching us pump aimless balls towards Carew was painful to watch.

He's obviously well experienced and equipped in many facets of management. But the awful ego, the bull**** excuses and the negative, cynical approach he adopts will always make it hard for his critics (like me) to fully back him.

[DaveWHU1964]

Moth-

This genuinely isn't a dig at you. It's more a comment about how hard it will always be for Allardyce at this club particularly when we are on a bad run.

You started off by saying that you always said you'd judge him once we were promoted. You ended up by saying that critics such as yourself will always find it hard to fully back him. So you won't give him credit when he has achieved something and even if he does really well in future seasons you're never really going to warm to him are you?

I'm not having a go at you -there's loads of posters on here who could have posted something similar, cos what you say is what a lot of fans feel. There will inevitably be bad runs and so it is inevitable that the criticism will return. It's partly his fault btw, a lot of your personal criticisms of him are justifiable to some extent. But it's also the fault of fans, some of whom are just too precious and still refuse to accept the awful situation he inherited.

Like politicians football managers careers rarely end in glory. He's been sacked before and I'm sure he will be again. I just hope in the meantime he gets the chance to establish us in the top league and by default get the crippling debt down.

[The Moth]

Moth-

This genuinely isn't a dig at you. It's more a comment about how hard it will always be for Allardyce at this club particularly when we are on a bad run.

You started off by saying that you always said you'd judge him once we were promoted. You ended up by saying that critics such as yourself will always find it hard to fully back him. So you won't give him credit when he has achieved something and even if he does really well in future seasons you're never really going to warm to him are you?

I will give him credit where it's due, without doubt. As I mentioned he's more than capable in many areas of football management. I just won't be able to fully back the bloke if he fails to change his ways. That means stop banging on about himself, show a bit more respect to our club, stop the bull**** excuses when his teams get shown up and cut out the negative tactics he instinctively resorts to.

I dont think he can but would be more than happy for him to prove me wrong while he's our manager

[rare as rockinghorse shat]

Re: Fickleness

In a pool of, say, 20 posters.... if posters 1-10 dislike Allardyce and are vocal about it, it gets noted.
Then, in 12 months, there may be the 10 others that are vocal about liking him.

Of course, there is fickleness, but there's a common misconception that when something/someone is praised, that it's the same people reversing their opinions, when it may not always be the case.
The only way to know, is to document and compare all which was said by who, which obviously is a bit gay.

Also, people are allowed to change their minds.

[MS in the West]

Re: Fickleness

Of course, there is fickleness, but there's a common misconception that when something/someone is praised, that it's the same people reversing their opinions, when it may not always be the case.
The only way to know, is to document and compare all which was said by who, which obviously is a bit gay.

Also, people are allowed to change their minds.

I think you know that it's more fundamental than that.....

[BubbleBoy]

The bloke has transformed the club from a side that could have been scrapping towards to bottom of the league to securing promotion at the first attempt.

It shouldn't be underestimated how bad we were in the previous two years or so.
It doesn't matter if you have quality like Ba and Parker in the side, if you can't defend you'll lose, to almost any team.

The club was doing it's level best to destroy the confidence of young players like Reid and Tomkins. They have both flourished this season.

Hats of to Sam. It's not always been perfect, but we've been competitive and energetic from Cardiff (h) and have by in large maintained that throughout a long 50 game season.
There has been a definite improvement as the season has progressed, to a point where of the top 3 sides in that last third of the campaign I thought we played the better football.

Add a big centre half and a centre forward to the sqaud and I think we'll compete mid table next year. Very much looking forward to next season.

[rare as rockinghorse shat]

I think you know that it's more fundamental than that.....

No, I agree. And agree to some extent in this instance, Re: Allardyce.

But, my point is that generally it's sometimes easy for people to shout for fickleness, when all that may be heard/read, are possibly opinions from people who never expressed a different opinion in the first place.

[miketheloop]

Re: Fickleness

In a pool of, say, 20 posters.... if posters 1-10 dislike Allardyce and are vocal about it, it gets noted.
Then, in 12 months, there may be the 10 others that are vocal about liking him.

Of course, there is fickleness, but there's a common misconception that when something/someone is praised, that it's the same people reversing their opinions, when it may not always be the case.
The only way to know, is to document and compare all which was said by who, which obviously is a bit gay.

Also, people are allowed to change their minds.

I always enjoy reading your posts RARS, the way your word your thoughts makes me smile.

[claret parrot]

Fickleness (horrible word - sorry about that) :

When we play dull unadventurous football lumping it down the field to an isolated targetman who has 4 players within 15 yards of him and they are all opponents, then the crowd are not going to be impressed.

When that same team are mixing up a threatening aerial bombardment with neat passing football along the floor and are looking pretty solid in defence to boot, then the crowd are going to be a great deal happier.

Is that fickle? I don't see it myself: somebody does a good job you applaud. If they don't the applause is muted, some will even boo. It's just the way things are and the way you'd expect, surely?

I wanted O'Neill but when we got Sam I was quite intrigued and anxious to see what he could do. I never doubted he was a capable manager at any point even if I wasn't that impressed with his mathematics (4-3-3 ?). He has taken a sow's ear and made a passable impression of a silk purse. There is no one out there I would trust more to keep us up next season.

[rare as rockinghorse shat]

Cheers, Mike

[Yea Why Not]

The only way to know, is to document and compare all which was said by who, which obviously is a bit gay.
.

I always enjoy reading your posts RARS, the way your word your thoughts makes me smile.

Cheers, Mike

errrrrr

[miketheloop]

Cheers, Mike

tis true Sir