O'Neil In, Out and Shaking it all about

[Tony Towner]

I'm not saying any opinion should be ignored? I just think there are more people on here who expect a more negative outcome than a positive one. Optimism is always pretty low on here, and at times I've very much been a part of that.

It swings about a lot though, it feels like yesterday's performance has dipped positivity quite a bit from where it was a week ago, I don't think a friendly defeat in a stodgy game should have that much of an impact personally. Particularly when GON has himself said it wasn't good enough, I'd be far more worried had he thought it was a good performance. Or other pre season performances were pretty good too?

I do think saying stuff like "he'll be sacked by November" is overly negative though, it's an opinion, of course. But it's one that was wrong 12 months ago too, so it's surprising to see it again. Maybe it's a hope more than an expectation at this stage.

That last sentence hasn't ever made sense to me. Why would a Wolves fan want to be proven right at the expense of the satisfaction they get from the team being successful? You'd have to be on another level of sociopathy for that to be the case. It's something which was said continually to me when I was vociferously against the appointment of Lage. It's an opinion, granted not a positive one, but not everybody shakes the club's tambourine just because you are asked to

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

That last sentence hasn't ever made sense to me. Why would a Wolves fan want to be proven right at the expense of the satisfaction they get from the team being successful? You'd have to be on another level of sociopathy for that to be the case. It's something which was said continually to me when I was vociferously against the appointment of Lage. It's an opinion, granted not a positive one, but not everybody shakes the club's tambourine just because you are asked to

Indeed.

Some people can't handle when they're proven wrong, when they've held such a strong opinion and they've been proven wrong it makes them feel silly so they have to double down.

I thought GON was an appalling appointment, I voiced that opinion. But he well and truly proved me wrong.

 

[Tony Towner]

Indeed.

Some people can't handle when they're proven wrong, when they've held such a strong opinion and they've been proven wrong it makes them feel silly so they have to double down.

I thought GON was an appalling appointment, I voiced that opinion. But he well and truly proved me wrong.

Did he? As an appaling appointment agreed, as a good one...not so sure.

 

[Alan]

At least it didn’t immediately blow up in our faces?

Hindsight’s 20/20 but I can easily imagine us having appointed someone far, far worse, and our first match this season would’ve been last weekend.

So, uh. Low bars and all that.

 

[Tony Towner]

At least it didn’t immediately blow up in our faces?

Hindsight’s 20/20 but I can easily imagine us having appointed someone far, far worse, and our first match this season would’ve been last weekend.

So, uh. Low bars and all that.

This isn't an anti GON point, but to finish below the three teams that went down last year would have taken a Saundersesque appointment or maybe even worse. 27 points would have kept you up

 

[GLASGOWOLF]

Did he? As an appaling appointment agreed, as a good one...not so sure.

He has been a good appointnent, up to yet.

My prediction of relegation is based on notbgetting the players in to repair the loss

 

[Dire Wolf]

There was a period where we were playing some decent attacking football and picking up reasonable results. That was bookended by a poor start and a terrible final couple of months. Does this mean that what we saw at the end of the season is what we should expect, or the decent stretch in the middle part of the season is more the norm? I don't know, but I think we will find out pretty quickly, and if this season starts how last season ended he won't last long.

 

[Carrotdude]

The worry for me is what others have mentioned, he talks really well and has all these ideas and comes across as quite obsessive yet we looked completely unorganised defensively for most of last season and looked very easy to play through a lot of the time as well.

 

[Lycan]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1822959378460225793

 

[NicholasG1973]

The worry for me is what others have mentioned, he talks really well and has all these ideas and comes across as quite obsessive yet we looked completely unorganised defensively for most of last season and looked very easy to play through a lot of the time as well.

Agreed. Exactly like Southgate.

One thing telling people exactly what they want to hear and eloquently taking a perfect game - another delivering the goods on the pitch.

Jury’s out. Let’s find out.

 

[The Bear]

There was a period where we were playing some decent attacking football and picking up reasonable results. That was bookended by a poor start and a terrible final couple of months. Does this mean that what we saw at the end of the season is what we should expect, or the decent stretch in the middle part of the season is more the norm? I don't know, but I think we will find out pretty quickly, and if this season starts how last season ended he won't last long.

For me I take the middle part as what we are capable of under GON. The start of the season was understandable after he came in at a few days notice and had to change the way we were playing. That took a bit of time for it to gel. Once he got them playing how he wanted we looked good going forwards and scored more goals. Then injuries hit and we had to play players too much and burned them out, resulting in everyone looking tired, disinterested and struggling to perform every week. Especially once we were mathematically safe.

We need a few more signings and then every one to be fully fit. If we get that I fully expect us to look the part again.

 

[Dire Wolf]

For me I take the middle part as what we are capable of under GON. The start of the season was understandable after he came in at a few days notice and had to change the way we were playing. That took a bit of time for it to gel. Once he got them playing how he wanted we looked good going forwards and scored more goals. Then injuries hit and we had to play players too much and burned them out, resulting in everyone looking tired, disinterested and struggling to perform every week. Especially once we were mathematically safe.

We need a few more signings and then every one to be fully fit. If we get that I fully expect us to look the part again.

I truly hope so.

 

[C.L.D]

I'm higher on GON than I was last season, happy to admit I was wrong there with him just being a cheap option found as quickly as possible. There's definitely a coach there (managers aren't a thing, wish we'd drop that term it's sports outdated) but not sure how good, somewhere along the EPL gamut.

How good we do willl largely be down to squad construction imo, which is Hobbs is remit. So GON will only be sacked if things are really going to shit to give Hobbs more time without the pressure on him. Inverse to GON I don't really have a lot of benefit of the doubt for him, because haven't really seen any evidence he's more than just another Shi puppet. Just a better scout than Laptop Scott.

 

[Johnny75]

For me I take the middle part as what we are capable of under GON. The start of the season was understandable after he came in at a few days notice and had to change the way we were playing. That took a bit of time for it to gel. Once he got them playing how he wanted we looked good going forwards and scored more goals. Then injuries hit and we had to play players too much and burned them out, resulting in everyone looking tired, disinterested and struggling to perform every week. Especially once we were mathematically safe.

We need a few more signings and then every one to be fully fit. If we get that I fully expect us to look the part again.

That first paragraph is nonsense. Lopetegui had us looking very good in preseason and we were good at Utd under GoN using Lop's tactics (by GoN' own admission).

The next 6 games are probably the worst I've ever seen from any manager.

He changed from 4 at the back to 3 to keep his job.

It worked and he stumbled upon something very good, even if it was for a fairly short period of time, and it was very good.

He's changed that now as it went to shit for the last 10 games of the season.

It'll be interesting to see how the 4atb does as he seems all in on that now.

 

[Loki]

I think GON is a perfect fit for Fosun`s lack of ambition.

 

[Jinky]

“stumbled on” always makes me laugh. Like, way to give the manager absolutely zero credit for doing something positive.

The drop off at the end of last season was because our squad size was a joke. Two weeks ago we were looking like we’d fixed that with a couple of early signings and some players returning - but we appear to have undone that again with a couple of sales. We need 3-4 players in this week to give Gaz a fighting chance. I have no doubts he’ll have us comfortably mid-table if he gets a reasonable squad, but whether I believe Fosun will deliver that for him is another thing.

 

[Dire Wolf]

“stumbled on” always makes me laugh. Like, way to give the manager absolutely zero credit for doing something positive.

The drop off at the end of last season was because our squad size was a joke. Two weeks ago we were looking like we’d fixed that with a couple of early signings and some players returning - but we appear to have undone that again with a couple of sales. We need 3-4 players in this week to give Gaz a fighting chance. I have no doubts he’ll have us comfortably mid-table if he gets a reasonable squad, but whether I believe Fosun will deliver that for him is another thing.

I agree here, it's a bit of a narrative that he's not really got a clue about football, right from the 'PE teacher' name-calling almost from day one. He's successfully kept up 2 teams who had the look of relegation candidates about them in consecutive seasons. You don't do that by "stumbling upon" tactics. He's very detailed oriented and has a more than decent understanding of the game.

 

[1986]

“stumbled on” always makes me laugh. Like, way to give the manager absolutely zero credit for doing something positive.

The drop off at the end of last season was because our squad size was a joke. Two weeks ago we were looking like we’d fixed that with a couple of early signings and some players returning - but we appear to have undone that again with a couple of sales. We need 3-4 players in this week to give Gaz a fighting chance. I have no doubts he’ll have us comfortably mid-table if he gets a reasonable squad, but whether I believe Fosun will deliver that for him is another thing.

If we can't buy any , then maybe we shouldn't sell any or loan them .

Podence on the bench is a much better option than any 19 year old who has never played senior football .

 

[1986]

I agree here, it's a bit of a narrative that he's not really got a clue about football, right from the 'PE teacher' name-calling almost from day one. He's successfully kept up 2 teams who had the look of relegation candidates about them in consecutive seasons. You don't do that by "stumbling upon" tactics. He's very detailed oriented and has a more than decent understanding of the game.

Hard to argue with that, but need a decent sized squad , not one propped up with academy players who will never play for us in the Premier League .

 

[Jinky]

I agree here, it's a bit of a narrative that he's not really got a clue about football, right from the 'PE teacher' name-calling almost from day one. He's successfully kept up 2 teams who had the look of relegation candidates about them in consecutive seasons. You don't do that by "stumbling upon" tactics. He's very detailed oriented and has a more than decent understanding of the game.

Always the way when someone doesn’t like a manager, or has formed an opinion on a manager, and then refuses to back down when their opinion is incorrect.

When something goes well it’s because they’ve “stumbled on” it. If something doesn’t go to plan, it’s because they’re clueless/shit/a PE teacher.