I'm not going to give them credit for spending £27m on Gonçalo Guedes. I had seen him play multiple times for multiple teams over the course of a number of years and he always looked dreadful. And even if he actually was a good player (he is not), he quite obviously didn't even want to come and one proper 10 minute conversation with him rather than doing Jorge Mendes' bidding would have revealed that.
Awful management that was obviously bad even without the benefit of hindsight.
Oh and they appointed one of the worst managers with one of the thinnest CVs I've ever seen too. Again as a favour.
Fine. Up to you. However, they were prepared to back whoever recommended we sign him and they did. Having seen him during the close season, strikes me he has a new attitude and that can only help. Is he good enough for the Prem? I'm already on record as saying that I don't think so, but maybe he can prove us wrong? Worst case, we shift him on.
So you put it down to awful management and use it as a noose around their necks. However, we have also signed the likes of Lemina, Dawson, Cunha etc. If signing Guedes was awful management, then was it good management to sign these players?
And, to bring up another point, we have a good manager and background staff who do some great work. It is widely acknowledged that GON has brought a new and better working relationship with the players. Surely that is good management?
And who employed GON, is that not good management?
Dead easy to pick up on the decisions made that haven't worked out and there have been many, but in doing so, and for balance, credit should be given for the things that do work out.
It was stated we are among the worst run teams in the Prem, but that statement only focuses on the negative and offers nothing to the positive. We are a reasonably well run football club. Not brilliant but not bad. And, so many teams would absolutely love to be in our position.