mentalcase wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2024 5:34 pm
I don't agree with that CJ, No way would Farke have taken the job on a promotion or sacked option, also the board would be pretty stupid / naive to think that we could go straight back up with what we had at our disposal.
Sure, other teams have had issues, but our were magnified well in to the season, players like that little s**t gnonto refusing to play etc.
We will never know if we went for the supposed "expert" or not, more likely we tried attracting 3-4 others first and they baulked at the job at hand, hence why we got DF in so late.
DFs problem seems to be like other good managers in that they have a stubborn streak, they'll live by the sword.
Lets hope we get promotion because the accounts don't look particularly healthy.
I'm sure it wasn't expressed to him in blunt terms like that MC.
Promotion or be sacked.
But every parachute payment club aims for 1st season promotion, not one will aim for consolidation because as our accounts show the financial implications of a 2nd Championship season can be awful and the potential for getting stuck down here increases.
I agree we had our issues but at the same time the owners have provided by Championship standards an elite squad (whether we as fans rate the players or not is up for debate).
But from an owners point of view they've given Farke the top right back in the league last season, the top finisher officially in the league over the last 2 seasons, a winger who got 8 goals and 7 assists for a promotion winning club a few seasons back and played regular Premier league football last season.
Italian international wingers (who they could have sold for £30mil but Kept as Farke wanted him, Dan James who we spent £25mil on, Rutter who they also could have sold to Dortmund, Rodon, Ampadu, Gruev.
At Championship level that is an absolute ton of money I bet on wages and fees.
Then people like Bamford a former Championship player of the year, Firpo a La Liga winning full back, Struijk, Cooper.
And per his request they kept people like Gelhardt and Cresswell who we could have sold to other Championship clubs but kept as Farke requested it.
These for this level from an owners point of view are phenomenally expensive and high level players.
Teams like Burnley in recent years and Fulham had nothing like this level of depth.
You can only support that level of expense and wages once.
So did the 49ers sell this as a multi season potential stay to the investors? Highly unlikely I'd think.
I'm sure they didn't guarantee promotion but I bet they expected it privately.
They need it from a business point of view.
I think he's a decent man manager DF and do think he has done good things at times.
I don't think he is the difference maker for us in the same way some managers are, Bielsa for example I think was worth 10-15 points just for his knowhow and ability.
I don't think DF has that impact.
Just want us promoted
Traumatised by the 16 years in the wilderness