[cite]Posted By: joeaddick[/cite]Why is everyone forgetting what other quality players we lost that season... I can think of five quality players of the top of my head...
So It wasn't a case of Curbs choosing to spend more on quantity then quality...
[cite]But its worth also remembering that it simply wouldnt have happened if Abramovic had not popped up with his dubiously obtained billions and decided it would be fun to own an English football team.
[cite]Posted By: joeaddick[/cite]Why is everyone forgetting what other quality players we lost that season... I can think of five quality players of the top of my head...
So It wasn't a case of Curbs choosing to spend more on quantity then quality...
I don't remember anyone else going in January?
Not in January but by the end of the season, there was....
[cite]Posted By: joeaddick[/cite]Why is everyone forgetting what other quality players we lost that season... I can think of five quality players of the top of my head...
So It wasn't a case of Curbs choosing to spend more on quantity then quality...
I don't remember anyone else going in January?
Not in January but by the end of the season, there was....
The crucial period was the remainder of the season when Parker left. Letting him go, as I've said, sent a message to the players at the club, the fans and any players considering coming to the club. No ambition above mid-table. No ambition to break into Europe.
[cite]Posted By: Saga Lout[/cite]The crucial period was the remainder of the season when Parker left. Letting him go, as I've said, sent a message to the players at the club, the fans and any players considering coming to the club. No ambition above mid-table. No ambition to break into Europe.
I think that's a bit unfair on everybody (except Parker). Everything I've heard about this episode show that not one person involved wanted Parker sold. They didnt 'let him go". But I think they subconsciously realised that a new darker era had dawned on the Premier League, where a club like Chelsea could do what it liked, including getting the Sun to write false reports on Parker's transfer to order. (which I complained to the PCC about). I think it told them that only really big money would get anywhere from now on. And they didnt have that kind of money.
[cite]Posted By: Saga Lout[/cite]The crucial period was the remainder of the season when Parker left. Letting him go, as I've said, sent a message to the players at the club, the fans and any players considering coming to the club. No ambition above mid-table. No ambition to break into Europe.
I think that's a bit unfair on everybody (except Parker). Everything I've heard about this episode show that not one person involved wanted Parker sold. They didnt 'let him go". But I think they subconsciously realised that a new darker era had dawned on the Premier League, where a club like Chelsea could do what it liked, including getting the Sun to write false reports on Parker's transfer to order. (which I complained to the PCC about). I think it told them that only really big money would get anywhere from now on. And they didnt have that kind of money.
You may be right. At the time the CAFC board may have thought that the club couldn't afford to be in Europe and they could have been right about that, but I sure as hell can't imagine that they thought relegation was a good idea. Sadly, we can't change the past.
I admit i don't go to many games these days. This is not due to the division we're in but purely down to value-for-money entertainment. No, i don't expect to turn up and see them playing like brazil and accept that there are games when a team just has an off day and doesn't click. But it pains me to say it that we're probably one of the most boring teams to watch over the last 5 yrs or so. No invention or craftmanship, players who enter the pitch more fearful of losing (which seems to be the outcome more often than not). I would rather see us lose 4-0 having known we'd at least tried and added some entertainment to the spectacle. For me it all started the season Parker went to Chelsea. All of a sudden, fans wern't happy enough with being in the Premiership, they thought we should be competing for the top spots! That added pressure on the management and board which resulted in this slide down to obscurity. "fans" (term lightly used) were questioning Curb's ability as manager and that he'd taken us as far as he could and we should replace him. Well, they got their wish and I hope they're happy now, although they are probably now spurs/arsenal/chelsea supporters. I can recall during Lennie's time in the top division, we were happy to just be competing with the big boys.
While I'll probably get in trouble for repeating myself on multiple threads here, I wanted to add that while I agree we've been in decline since Jan '04, and p'raps we should have done better with Murphy and co., I think it's naive to ignore the effect the crowd had on our fall from the top four to the third tier. Curbs said that he felt an anti-climax after our 2-0 win over Liverpool. Why? Because our fans had forgotten who we really were, and thought we SHOULD be beating top four clubs 2-0. And that, for me, is a far bigger crime than Scott Parkr leaving for more money (although I firmly blame Chelsea for this, rather than Scott. They had the money to take our best player and put him on the bench, almost for daring to get into a champs league position!).
I think 'in decline' is going over the top. We reached our zenith in Jan 2004, far higher than I ever thought I'd see us in the table. We continued to comfortably avoid relegation from the Prem until Curbs left.
[cite]Posted By: JiMMy 85[/cite](although I firmly blame Chelsea for this, rather than Scott. They had the money to take our best player and put him on the bench, almost for daring to get into a champs league position!).
Agree. It's the equivalent to what happens in Moscow to an uppity business or journalist who has overstepped the mark. You get 'taken out'.
I dont know what Curbs was complaining about re that Liverpool game. The crowd were magnificent that day. I was delighted to have made it over to be there. Matt Svensson came on with 5 minutes left, hacked down a Liverpool defender (lost his name temporarily, but a foreigner) and we roared approval.
Comments
I don't remember anyone else going in January?
Not in January but by the end of the season, there was....
The crucial period was the remainder of the season when Parker left. Letting him go, as I've said, sent a message to the players at the club, the fans and any players considering coming to the club. No ambition above mid-table. No ambition to break into Europe.
I think that's a bit unfair on everybody (except Parker). Everything I've heard about this episode show that not one person involved wanted Parker sold. They didnt 'let him go". But I think they subconsciously realised that a new darker era had dawned on the Premier League, where a club like Chelsea could do what it liked, including getting the Sun to write false reports on Parker's transfer to order. (which I complained to the PCC about). I think it told them that only really big money would get anywhere from now on. And they didnt have that kind of money.
You may be right. At the time the CAFC board may have thought that the club couldn't afford to be in Europe and they could have been right about that, but I sure as hell can't imagine that they thought relegation was a good idea. Sadly, we can't change the past.
Agree. It's the equivalent to what happens in Moscow to an uppity business or journalist who has overstepped the mark. You get 'taken out'.
I dont know what Curbs was complaining about re that Liverpool game. The crowd were magnificent that day. I was delighted to have made it over to be there. Matt Svensson came on with 5 minutes left, hacked down a Liverpool defender (lost his name temporarily, but a foreigner) and we roared approval.