Just had a chat with Mesut's cousin in the petrol station

[Sir C]

That is the odd thing. I can perceive no clear plan. If he'd sacrificed flair to make us more defensively sound, I could at least understand that. But he hasn't. We're still distinctly sieve-like, with the additional bonus of also being worse to watch.

Alienating our two best players, playing three different systems in each game, failing to choose the correct first Xl and consistently having to change it at half-time; looked at in the plain light of day, these things are truly damning, but clearly he had some success with Sevilla, and once must imaging he actually passed his coaching badges, so we can only wait patiently to see whether there is some masterplan hidden amongst what at first glance looks like rank incompetence.

[WES]

Alienating our two best players, playing three different systems in each game, failing to choose the correct first Xl and consistently having to change it at half-time; looked at in the plain light of day, these things are truly damning, but clearly he had some success with Sevilla, and once must imaging he actually passed his coaching badges, so we can only wait patiently to see whether there is some masterplan hidden amongst what at first glance looks like rank incompetence.

Not many were accusing him of rank incompetence when we went 22 games without loss and pasted Spurs while playing fantastic football.

It wasn't that long ago, you know.

[Sir C]

Not many were accusing him of rank incompetence when we went 22 games without loss and pasted Spurs while playing fantastic football.

It wasn't that long ago, you know.

"... so we can only wait patiently to see whether there is some masterplan hidden amongst what at first glance looks like rank incompetence."

[Burney]

"... so we can only wait patiently to see whether there is some masterplan hidden amongst what at first glance looks like rank incompetence."

It wasn't until December that we led a game at half time. That alone suggests there was something seriously wrong with team selection.