With our recent poor run culminating in a home defeat by Liverpool in one of the worst games I've ever seen, predictably the knives are back out. Here are my thoughts on why I do NOT believe we are in crisis, and why I do NOT think we need a change of manager....
1. At the time of writing, we have 45 points from 21 games. We are 3rd, but in most of the last 10 years, this points total would have seen us top of the league. Then where would the "crisis" be?
2. If we continue at this rate, we will post 81 points at the end of the season. That would be our best ever performance in the top flight.
3. At the start of the season, the bookies had us 3rd favourites to win the league, so we are achieving what was expected. Not one ITV or Sky Sports pundit tipped Chelsea to win the League (and one or two thought Newcastle would win it, for crying out loud!). Bookies and pundits vote with their heads, so why didn't they think we would win the title? Because we had too many new players, and it would take months to knit them into a team. And hey presto, it is taking months.
4. If you don't believe this, look at the 4-0 win at Leicester in a game where we fielded what looked like a weakened side. Why did we turn in the best team performance for weeks? Because 9 of the 11 players who started that day have been at the Club for 2-3 seasons, with most of last summers signings dropped. So they knew the system, each others strengths and weaknesses, and destroyed a side that not so long ago took a draw off Arsenal.
5. So look how much better we will be when our signings from last summer have been at the Club for a year!
6. Alex Ferguson won bugger all for his first 4 years at Old Trafford.
7. Arsene Wenger took a while to deliver at Arsenal. Unless you count Europe, where he's failed to deliver in 7 seasons!
8. Lampard, Terry & Cudicini are magic, and I know which manager gave them a chance.
9. If we throw our manager away, no matter who for, we start all over again...new manager, new tactics, new players.....forget the title in the first season.....maybe we would sack that manager too!
10. We could yet end up in a Champions League Final!
So be patient, my friends, and if you're at the Bridge, cheer the team on!
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