Warnock's wasted work
To me it started to go wrong when we let Neil Warnock go. I'm not saying we would have stayed up, we will never know but were we really that bad? We sat in sixteeth place in the Premier League, not the bottom three! I am giving Tony Fernandes the benefit of the doubt in that he was brand new to football ownership. Now many will say he called it right, myself and Michelle were at the game at Milton Keynes Dons in the FA Cup and there was no disguising we were poor. You couldn't tell the teams were two divisions apart that's for sure. My complaint is he wasn't given time to turn it round, only three months into our Premier League return wasn't really fair to sack him but as I say I think it was naive of Tony and that's all.
So along comes Mark Hughes who I can honestly with my hand on my heart say I never liked. To me he hadn't proved anything really and I'll be honest I thought it was money! I suppose it had something to do with the esteem I held Warnock in, but there was something about him I just didn't like. Not one away win in his time at Loftus Road says an awful lot. Again I'll call Tony and even the board naive by giving him so much money to play with. Another thing that annoyed me was the team were not in the relegation places and yet Hughes pulled it apart!
There is one thing that is commonly known in football , 'don't make too many changes,' I seriously think the Welshman ignored this rule on purpose! Let's face it we were lucky on the last day of last season to stay up and yet Hughes took the credit; not one mention of Neil Warnock which showed a lack of class in my opinion.
So in the Summer Hughes basically buys a new team or as I like to call it football suicide! "Give them time to gel," I swear he was looking for advertising work for hair gel he said it so much.
It was obvious from early on the team really didn't know the system or systems we were supposed to be playing.
I will give Hughes credit on Nelsen and Cesar, very good at their respective jobs I have to say. But that is two of many signings that have failed to deliver time and time again! I wouldn't mind but I heard a rumour Hughes was third highest paid Manager in the top flight behind Sir Alex and Arsene Wenger. Thats about a fifteen per cent sucess rate on players, I think most of us know we could do better and I'm serious!
Again I am giving the owner the benefit of the doubt in keeping the former Fulham boss for so long; blind faith or not wanting to admit he was wrong? I don't think we'll ever know but in my humble opinion I think he left it about six to eight games too many.
No matter what, Tony does need to shoulder some blame for the mess but his heart is so in the right place. I strongly believe he makes decisions that are best for the club and let's face it he didn't become rich by being a fool!
As said before I think Harry was brought in too late but this is one Manager that I will thank Tony for getting on board. If we are to stand any chance and I mean any chance at all of staying up I couldn't think of a better man than Redknapp but it may even be a job too much for him.
We need to do our bit as fans and the main thing is backing the whole team and that's from the owner and Chairman to the full squad.
We have to cross the channel in a dinghy; it has been done but it's hard work and rare.
In football as in life we all make mistakes but we learn from them and carry on; that's exactly what we need to do!
I can see Tony Fernandes becoming the next Jim Gregory but that's another article..........
The Wig