Should Juande Ramos be sacked? The fans are enraged and are demanding some red meat to be thrown to them as a sacrifice. Ramos, Comolli, Levy and of course Jenas are all in the firing line. Its our worst start since the Titanic sank nearly a hundred years ago as the press are delighted to keep telling us.
You can see where the fans are coming from: Martin Jol is top of the league with Hamburg, Hull City are more likely to get into Europe than Spurs, Defoe,Berbatov and Keane, late of this parish, are all doing the business elsewhere. They demand a human sacrifice and soon.
Now this is after seven games with thirty one to go. We are still in four cup competitions. On Saturday we played with heart, especially Jenas, and we outclassed Hull in every department but one.
So will Juande Ramos be sacked? I don't think he will and, given the size of the pay-off, is not likely to quit. Comolli, who to many fans struggles under the twin disadvantages of being ex-Arsenal and French, might be chosen as fall guy but is closely identified with Levy who isn't going anywhere.
Jenas has just been picked for the England squad by Capello, a man not known for not being able to spot a good footballer when he sees one.
So nobody is going anywhere. But the question asked was 'Should Ramos be sacked?' or anyone else for that matter. Again the answer is 'No'. The real question is 'What would it achieve?' apart from soothing the ruffled feathers of the fans and giving us someone at least to blame.
Does the scapegoat philosophy reap any dividends? Apart from destabilising the club and the team, it will achieve nothing. We are where we are and no amount of forensic analysis of our transfer policy will alter it. Comolli's record is patchy but is arguable, little of that can be laid at the door of Ramos and we all know that Levy is quick to lead from the rear when it gets sticky.
Ramos' team selection and substitutions have been difficult to fathom at times but we seem to be on an upward path though too slowly for most. Ramos came to us with a good reputation and solid achievements and just as good players don't become bad ones overnight nor do managers. In any case who of any standing would come to us at the moment? Poyet is deeply involved in all that has gone on and with the same squad would probably fare no better.
I firmly believe that Ramos, Poyet,and the players will turn this round and we might still make a cup run and finish mid table. Not what we set out to achieve at the start of the season but acceptable to most right now.
We have had too many managers and too many newcomers in recent years and need to stick with this one as I believe he has the right credentials and the qualities to bring out the best in this squad. The squad needs some strikers in January and possibly a defensive midfielder but the main thing it needs is support.
It should be made clear to Ramos and the fans that he will be given the rest of the season to get it right and that should we go down he will be be responsible for getting us back up again. Let's have some continuity and trust. Keep your fingers crossed if you like but Ramos' head in the basket will please only the old women knitting in the front row and will be counter productive. Changing the manager is a knee-jerk reaction that rarely improves the situation in the long term.
You can see where the fans are coming from: Martin Jol is top of the league with Hamburg, Hull City are more likely to get into Europe than Spurs, Defoe,Berbatov and Keane, late of this parish, are all doing the business elsewhere. They demand a human sacrifice and soon.
Now this is after seven games with thirty one to go. We are still in four cup competitions. On Saturday we played with heart, especially Jenas, and we outclassed Hull in every department but one.
So will Juande Ramos be sacked? I don't think he will and, given the size of the pay-off, is not likely to quit. Comolli, who to many fans struggles under the twin disadvantages of being ex-Arsenal and French, might be chosen as fall guy but is closely identified with Levy who isn't going anywhere.
Jenas has just been picked for the England squad by Capello, a man not known for not being able to spot a good footballer when he sees one.
So nobody is going anywhere. But the question asked was 'Should Ramos be sacked?' or anyone else for that matter. Again the answer is 'No'. The real question is 'What would it achieve?' apart from soothing the ruffled feathers of the fans and giving us someone at least to blame.
Does the scapegoat philosophy reap any dividends? Apart from destabilising the club and the team, it will achieve nothing. We are where we are and no amount of forensic analysis of our transfer policy will alter it. Comolli's record is patchy but is arguable, little of that can be laid at the door of Ramos and we all know that Levy is quick to lead from the rear when it gets sticky.
Ramos' team selection and substitutions have been difficult to fathom at times but we seem to be on an upward path though too slowly for most. Ramos came to us with a good reputation and solid achievements and just as good players don't become bad ones overnight nor do managers. In any case who of any standing would come to us at the moment? Poyet is deeply involved in all that has gone on and with the same squad would probably fare no better.
I firmly believe that Ramos, Poyet,and the players will turn this round and we might still make a cup run and finish mid table. Not what we set out to achieve at the start of the season but acceptable to most right now.
We have had too many managers and too many newcomers in recent years and need to stick with this one as I believe he has the right credentials and the qualities to bring out the best in this squad. The squad needs some strikers in January and possibly a defensive midfielder but the main thing it needs is support.
It should be made clear to Ramos and the fans that he will be given the rest of the season to get it right and that should we go down he will be be responsible for getting us back up again. Let's have some continuity and trust. Keep your fingers crossed if you like but Ramos' head in the basket will please only the old women knitting in the front row and will be counter productive. Changing the manager is a knee-jerk reaction that rarely improves the situation in the long term.