Aussie Mike is being diplomatic and self-reflective.
Aussie Mike pops in while England’s finest captivates us all with their free-flowing, inspirational brand of football that is evolving the game as we know it.
Anyway, thanks Mike for your delicate piece of writing. Enjoy…
I let my disappointment and cynicism overtake many of the comments I post. If I am not attacking the manager I will attack the chairman and I often wonder if it serves any benefit at all.
We all hold our own opinions and letting rip after the event might ventilate our frustration and anger, but no one has the benefit of hindsight beforehand in the these matters. Whatever decisions senior directors take has to be a calculated gamble; success is never guaranteed. Time will expose these decisions to scrutiny by the supporters and we generally always feel different about what transpires.
I am sure Gartside puts a decent plan forward with objectives set against the resources available and at a business level everything will seem correct. Football however never follows the methodology that works in commerce. Money has little value if it does not translate to quality or necessary results out on the field of play. We know the pain and cost of our recent failings; bigger better clubs have fallen victim to the same failed gambles. Team management and the quality of the players is really where it all matters. In this area we are encumbered by the restraints in force, for better or worse we have a manager who to date has given us a mixture of progression and recession combined; when it all seems to be going forward calamity strikes. Then when results are extremely bleak, it changes for the better. Guess it is all part of the unpredictability of football; the nature of the game.
Maybe the bottom line is we are searching for consistency and the stability that goes with it. Steady progress taking the pressure off everyone, whether DF can deliver remains to be seen.
I might have my personal reservations but that does not detract from his ability potentially being as good as the alternatives out there. It would appear DF is prepared to work under the business plan the club directors are following and he will try to achieve the best he can.
I guess the road ahead this season will be littered with joy and disappointment, where we end up as the season closes is the question we look towards. My crystal ball is unreliable and predictions have no meaning until we hit the home straight in March. I have repeatedly called for the head of the chairman and manager, I should learn to be patient and less demanding in my expectations,
You cannot turn fish and chips into fillet steak but good quality fish and chips deserve a place on the menu.