Where did it all go wrong?

LoOkOuT

Scotty's departure?
Claus' departure?
Di Canio's departure?
Konchesky?
Tottenham at home last season?
Deano's departure?
Murphy's departure? Smertin?
Curbs, Day & Peacock's departure?
Dowie's appointment?
Dowie's departure?

Scotty's departure, after Curb's attempts to build the team around him, ripped a large hole in the soul of the Club from which we have not yet recovered. Claus jumped ship late in the day, as did Di Canio, which didn't help. The loss to Spurs last season knocked the team's ego for six and kicked-off a descent into a downward spiral after a very successful start. Murphy's transfer to Spurs late on deadline day was like a kick in the nuts. As was Smertin's. Spector was just shite. Curb's departure, however one looked at it, was always going to be difficult. The Dowie hype and the Dowie disappointment have left many with a bitter taste and more than a few questions. Bolanos, would he have been the creative spark? Who knows, but it would have been a big ask.

It's been a wild few years at the world's most stable club. All of these events have taken their toll on the Club and us supporters and have combined to put us where we are now. Deep in the proverbial poo-poo.

What's gonna happen next?

Stone

I still blame most of it on Parkers departure. That was the turning point for me without a doubt and while some have forgiven him I haven't and won't.

oohaahmortimer

unfortunately money talked in the parker departure and i don't think there are many fans who would turn down an extra 20k a week to move to a rival firm

StanmoreAddick

Have to say i agree Scotty's departure was the start-but because I think this was the turning point for Curbs-

I however do forgive him- He's a magnificent footballer who (allegedly) tripled his wages by going to Chelski.

Also have to say that some of the best football i've every seen us play was with Smertin and Murphy in the middle of the park, so their departure must also play a part.

Funny that the whole of this post is about midfield players when, today we didn't have one.

'nuff said????????????????????????????????????

Stone

To me, the money argument is like your missus running off with a millionaire and shrugging your shoulders and saying she has bettered herself. He was part of the family to me and he shat on us whatever the price.
Would I have done it? Don't know. But then I'm generally happy with my lot, don't want a bigger house, faster car etc.

LoOkOuT

Agreed Stone. I know it's naive and idealist, but to me its not the fact that he left but how he done it. The money is irrelevant, he stabbed in the back everyone that made him what he is today and acted like the petulant kid he is. In these matters, there is always a right way and a wrong way and he chose the wrong way. Maybe he's learned something from the whole thing. Who cares, bully for him? Meanwhile, we're still in the shit. Great footballer though, shame what happened...

ThreadKiller

it took too long to replace rufus.

BlackForestReds

Would I have done it?


Maybe I would have...but not at that point. I'd have wanted to see how things worked out, the offer would have been there at the end of the season and if not Chelsea, then Spurs, Man U, Liverpool...Was Parker leaving the turning point? I don't know, not being able to replace him was. To be fair Curbs tried, Murphy and Smertin came and left for different reasons and whatever we did get good money for him.

Our midfield has underperformed all season, our defence isn't bad and if we can get the ball to Darren Bent he'll score goals. We need to get Faye back and find a strong midfielder. Listening to the radio and how well Sidwell played, maybe he could be the new Parker, there's Walton to return, but it's a tough ask for an 18 or 19 year old to save us. and maybe the American Clint Dempsey to sign in the window, I believe he was a close season target, and let's not forget Omar Pouso. If we don't do something to shore things up in the middle we'll go down, end of.

In answer to your question Lookie...where did it go wrong...it went wrong in not being able to manage change. Change happens to all clubs, companies and organisations, the best one's however cope with change. To date we haven't.

BlackForestReds

Say what you like about Dowie but at lest he radiated passion, maybe today's performance was a bit of a reaction from the players going from one style of manager - the hyper Dowie, to the calmer Reed...

LoOkOuT

Nail on head there BFR. Managing change is the key and up until this moment I would have said, rather oddly, that the Club has done quite a good job, but has been unlucky in some ways. Now, I'm not so sure. Things just don't seem to be getting better.

ISawLeaburnScore

parker will always get a boo from me for what he did to us - if he had have given us another 6 months, or even another season after that, taken us higher than before and then left with pride and dignity he would still have been one of my cafc heroes to this day. the fact he refused to play, or even train, made his position at the club untenable due to his greed and walked out on the club midway through the season, sticking two fingers up at all of us who made him what he was by paying for his development and celebrating his progress means I personally will not forgive him for a very long time.

pickwick

I hated Parker when he left, when you are already being paid millions what would have mattered if he had been paid a few less for a couple of years.

I think the whole thing ended Curbs wish to manage the club.

ISawLeaburnScore

good shout pickwick, from then on curbs always did come across as a disillusioned figure in some respects

maybe losing parker in those circumstances finally made him realise that however long he stayed and however high and strong he built his castle, it would never quite be the way he had always envisaged it...

Rothko

The Parker thing was massive, but, I think the Murphy sale killed it, Curbs at that point still had a team who could when the tide turned play an exciting brand of football, and it went, he gave up the ghost, the momentum was gone.

I still believe that Dowie was a vanity signing, and I think Murray would admit it, if Jordan disappeared off the face of the earth.

AFKABartram

[cite]Posted By: Rothko[/cite]
I still believe that Dowie was a vanity signing, and I think Murray would admit it, if Jordan disappeared off the face of the earth.

Agreed

Rothko

Billy Davis is a better manager and Coach, and the offer should never have been pulled, Murray thought he could nail Jordan, and it's blown up in his face.

I really feel for Les Reed, cause no matter what he did today the 11 showers of shit in red shirts let him, and Robbo down badly.

We look like Birmingham last season

pickwick

Murphy was a BIG signing for us but apart from3/4 performances he man never did anything.

ISawLeaburnScore

i think murphy had a few massive games, a dozen or so good games and from there on was largely disappointing... especially the fact that he basically stopped playing three months before he left... even before curbs dropped him (his own lack of form was what set the ball rolling in his and our demise)...

Rothko

The Murphy sales signified to Curbs that he couldn't do more at Charlton, Smertin went, and it was done.

ISawLeaburnScore

fair play rothko, as you say - i reckon that was the final nail in the coffin parker opened

LenGlover

I think we have to put out 11 who want to play for the shirt, if we can find that many, and hope for the best.

I maintain that Reed gives us our best chance of escape in the absence of Curbs.

oohaahmortimer

all the comments about a new manager giving the team a lift and the players looking to impress were washed away by that shower of shit for a performance yesterday....... if they can't perform for him now when will they?

Oggy Red

[cite]Posted By: LenGlover[/cite]I think we have to put out 11 who want to play for the shirt, if we can find that many, and hope for the best.

I maintain that Reed gives us our best chance of escape in the absence of Curbs.

Right, Lenny. We need a hungry team who will fight and support each other.
Just like Reading had yesterday.

PalaceHater

[cite]Posted By: LoOkOuT[/cite]Agreed Stone. I know it's naive and idealist, but to me its not the fact that he left but[span style=color: rgb(255, 0, 0);]how he done it.[/span]The[span style=color: rgb(0, 153, 0);]money[/span]is irrelevant, he stabbed in the back everyone that made him what he is today and acted like the petulant kid he is. In these matters, there is always a right way and a wrong way and he chose the wrong way. Maybe he's learned something from the whole thing. Who cares, bully for him? Meanwhile, we're still in the shit. Great footballer though, shame what happened...

Well said mate 100% agree. To me it just shows what the modern day footballer is about.

InspectorSands

Parker's departure was definitely the start of it, the failure of Danny Murphy and Francis Jeffers compounded it.

I think he's learned from it, but even at the time anybody with a working brain cell (so that excludes most of his peers, and the sycophantic football press) knew Parker's career would have been better if he'd stayed for 6-18 months and then gone to a proper big club instead of jumping at the first chance of cash with the Russian playthings. It's only now he's got himself a proper job down the Toon mines that he seems to have grown up, and credit to Glenn Roeder for spotting that.

The abject failure of Francis Jeffers to make an impression on anything other than takings at The Venue, together with Danny Murphy's delusion that he was bigger than the club, showed to the world we'd struggle with big signings and big egos.

Perhaps what's happening is inevitable for every non-massive club which finds itself in the Premiership for any period of time - an gradual erosion of passion, soul and spirit, replaced by stupidity, laziness and complacency, followed by relegation and a long wait for a return.

LoOkOuT

Such a lovely picture you paint there Inspector!