: Sat Feb 28, 2009 10:15 pm
The-original-&-best-V wrote:
...a lot of common sense about the financial realities...
OK I don't subscribe to the view that its a"crap" team or even a "mediocre" team - that pack should be a match for anyone, and that's how it is looking so far, I'd suggest?
But substitute "backs" for "team" though, and on paper and now also from showings so far its becoming increasingly harder to object, I'd suggest? The worrying inability to create opportunities and break defences will have to be addressed somehow.
It seems pretty clear the club tried to partly address that with quality signings in the backs that never came to fruition. One assumes - hopes - there remains something in the kitty for this purpose?
But, leaving aside whether Macca is in truth a good or bad coach - and thats something no armchair expert can be truly qualified to know - I agree entirely with your financial argument, and in particular the emphasis on the real-world financial limitations.
Unfortunately, the Negative Tendency continues to seem unable or unwilling to grasp this rather fundamental issue. Nor for that matter do they seem to grasp how some other teams now seem to be able to "fit" rather more (supposedly) top-drawer players "within" the cap than we are perceived as being able to do. But anyway,as you say, c'est la vie.
I'm sure that if we had the wealthy backer that the majority of SL clubs now have, we'd be able to afford any coach he chose and quite probably find ways and means of recruiting more marquee players...still within the cap, funnily enough. But we don't, so we have to work with what resources we have.
That all said of course, Norris and Sir James (as you indicate) are in their own ways currently driving coach and horses through the argument that its primarily down to money.
Before the backsliding began, one or two of the Negative Tendency undertook to restrain themselves till after ten matches. Maybe that remains not a bad idea generally? By then, it should be much more clear whether Macca's optimism is justified - not that I'd expect the NT to have much appetite for humble pie even if it was - or whether it is just so many words.
If it should prove the latter - and I bloody well hope it does not, but the worry is there - then the club will have its work cut out to explain why the problems are not all down to the coach and to stop the NT bandwagon. We'd sure need some plain talking then?
And OK, having reappeared myself, I may post a few more times now the "I-never-was-a-Bulls-fan" who threatened to ban me (after I took issue with one of his beloved Punisher phoenixes) is no longer able to do so. And speaking of said phoenixes, I see its latest incarnation has arisen. For now.