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I can understand why the message boards are turning against Neil Warnock, but getting rid of him now would be a very big mistake.
Having witnessed all of the four year plan at close quarters, by February 2010 I had had enough. Briatore had entered his most insane and arrogant period, the manager’s office had been fitted with a rotating door and the players barely knew each other with loan signings crowding the place. We were on a big losing run and nearing the bottom of the Championship.
Then something happened that changed everything, Neil Warnock arrived, initially to a luke warm reception on the message boards. However within a few games we were safe from relegation and the season ended on a positive note, even if we did have to witness Newcastle’s re-elevation to greatness on the last day of the season.
The following summer, Warnock made some incredibly astute signings, including travelling to Morocco to convince Mr Taarabt to join us. All of the signings were in place before the season started and with very little spent, we went to the top of the table and other than a very brief appearance by Cardiff, stayed there for the whole season.
After the euphoria came the let down, with Tango and Cash hugely increasing ticket prices, trying very hard to sell Taarabt and preventing Neil from getting in anyone he wanted. Our first Premiership game against Bolton proved that you can’t take a middling Championship side, spend a couple of million quid to get it promoted, sign a few free transfers and then expect it to compete in the Premiership. Neil Warnock knew that, which is why he repeatedly got his knuckle rapped by Tango and Cash during last summer when he said so.
With 10 days to transfer deadline, in comes Tony Fernandes and allows Neil to spend big (ish). With the time available, the signings achieved were good, but the two really weak positions were not addressed and were always going to be the hardest to address. No-one lets good centre halves or centre forwards go willingly and we were off to the sales well after the best stock had already gone.
So how well have we done? Not as badly as some people seem to be portraying it. OK we are on a very bad run, but this is in the context of having a 34 year old leading the line and one centre back who is a decent player but with a tendency to make the odd mistake and the other a free transfer that no-one wanted. Our back-ups at centre back are at best average Championship players. I don’t see how we can blame Warnock for this situation – it’s entirely down to the mess Tango and Cash left us in.
Even given this, we’ve had some bad luck, especially at home. The Norwich game was stolen away from us. Norwich were getting a decent amount of possession, but didn’t look like scoring until the sending off, how West Brom managed to go away from LR with a point is beyond belief – or rather was down to our lack of firepower and even the Man City players were saying we were unlucky not to get a point from that game. We also dominated the games against Villa and Newcastle, with the lack of a goal scorer again costing us points. With another 6 or 7 points in the bag no-one would be talking about Warnock going.
Few managers in British football could hold a candle to what Neil Warnock has achieved over the years, usually with unfancied sides. He doesn’t have a great track record in the top division, but that’s more down to his own sense of loyalty than anything, turning down an offer to manage Chelsea (fine man!) when he had just got Notts County into the top division and Portsmouth (when they were still solvent) when he had Sheffield United at the top of the Championship. Once he was gone Notts County and Sheffield United both plummeted down the divisions.
No-one in the history of the Premiership has been promoted to the richest division in the world and then seen their manager prevented from strengthening the side until 10 days from the transfer deadline. Warnock has a track record of producing miracles, but this one was beyond even him.
We need to support Neil and the players between now and the end of the season. If anyone can keep us up, it’s Neil. Strengthen at centre forward and centre back and get a bit more luck and we will stay up.
And be careful what you wish for the last Premiership side to sack Neil Warnock replaced him with……..Bryan Robson
(reposted from dotorg)
Having witnessed all of the four year plan at close quarters, by February 2010 I had had enough. Briatore had entered his most insane and arrogant period, the manager’s office had been fitted with a rotating door and the players barely knew each other with loan signings crowding the place. We were on a big losing run and nearing the bottom of the Championship.
Then something happened that changed everything, Neil Warnock arrived, initially to a luke warm reception on the message boards. However within a few games we were safe from relegation and the season ended on a positive note, even if we did have to witness Newcastle’s re-elevation to greatness on the last day of the season.
The following summer, Warnock made some incredibly astute signings, including travelling to Morocco to convince Mr Taarabt to join us. All of the signings were in place before the season started and with very little spent, we went to the top of the table and other than a very brief appearance by Cardiff, stayed there for the whole season.
After the euphoria came the let down, with Tango and Cash hugely increasing ticket prices, trying very hard to sell Taarabt and preventing Neil from getting in anyone he wanted. Our first Premiership game against Bolton proved that you can’t take a middling Championship side, spend a couple of million quid to get it promoted, sign a few free transfers and then expect it to compete in the Premiership. Neil Warnock knew that, which is why he repeatedly got his knuckle rapped by Tango and Cash during last summer when he said so.
With 10 days to transfer deadline, in comes Tony Fernandes and allows Neil to spend big (ish). With the time available, the signings achieved were good, but the two really weak positions were not addressed and were always going to be the hardest to address. No-one lets good centre halves or centre forwards go willingly and we were off to the sales well after the best stock had already gone.
So how well have we done? Not as badly as some people seem to be portraying it. OK we are on a very bad run, but this is in the context of having a 34 year old leading the line and one centre back who is a decent player but with a tendency to make the odd mistake and the other a free transfer that no-one wanted. Our back-ups at centre back are at best average Championship players. I don’t see how we can blame Warnock for this situation – it’s entirely down to the mess Tango and Cash left us in.
Even given this, we’ve had some bad luck, especially at home. The Norwich game was stolen away from us. Norwich were getting a decent amount of possession, but didn’t look like scoring until the sending off, how West Brom managed to go away from LR with a point is beyond belief – or rather was down to our lack of firepower and even the Man City players were saying we were unlucky not to get a point from that game. We also dominated the games against Villa and Newcastle, with the lack of a goal scorer again costing us points. With another 6 or 7 points in the bag no-one would be talking about Warnock going.
Few managers in British football could hold a candle to what Neil Warnock has achieved over the years, usually with unfancied sides. He doesn’t have a great track record in the top division, but that’s more down to his own sense of loyalty than anything, turning down an offer to manage Chelsea (fine man!) when he had just got Notts County into the top division and Portsmouth (when they were still solvent) when he had Sheffield United at the top of the Championship. Once he was gone Notts County and Sheffield United both plummeted down the divisions.
No-one in the history of the Premiership has been promoted to the richest division in the world and then seen their manager prevented from strengthening the side until 10 days from the transfer deadline. Warnock has a track record of producing miracles, but this one was beyond even him.
We need to support Neil and the players between now and the end of the season. If anyone can keep us up, it’s Neil. Strengthen at centre forward and centre back and get a bit more luck and we will stay up.
And be careful what you wish for the last Premiership side to sack Neil Warnock replaced him with……..Bryan Robson
(reposted from dotorg)
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