The sacking of Bielsa - Right or Wrong ?

[The Subhuman]

I'll kick this off

Wrong

[Overman]

Absolutely the right decision.

[Chilli D]

Morally wrong but with PL survival at stake, right

[Cjay]

I voted no.

But I don't know how much of that is influenced by emotion and sentimentality tbh and the fact I really am unconvinced by his replacement.

Can't argue that this season has been extremely poor and I don't think you can totally absolve Bielsa of blame at all.

He is very much to blame in many aspects and most managers would have been sacked a while ago.

[mentalcase]

Yes.
There really isn't a valid argument to oppose it results wise.
Unless you think this is acceptable.
P W D L F A GD P
26 5 8 13 29 60 -31 23

[mentalcase]

Yes.
There really isn't a valid argument to oppose it results wise.
Unless you think this is acceptable.
P W D L F A GD P
26 5 8 13 29 60 -31 23

[SG90]

Yes.

-31 GD
5 wins from 26
Man on man marking
Tired, exhausted, overplayed squad
Turning down players with an injury ravaged squad
Not giving young players a chance

[weasel]

No for me. Like Cjay says managers have been sacked for far less but the big difference I saw was how the team was performing statististically. The defeats and goals conceded are alarming but we saw during wobbles in the championship that Bielsa's faith bore fruit. Remember the horrendous run we had (culminating in the Brentford 1-1 draw where Kiko missed a kick and they scored). We saw with that run how in the majority of games we were creating more chances, completing more passes and controlling possession - however in a small sample size results can go awry. However Bielsa stuck to his guns knowing that we couldn't continue missing 20 chances per game and we wouldn't keep making errors costing goals. If memory serves me I think we then won 5 matches in a row only to be stopped by the outbreak of Covid.

We have had a horrendous run of results, that is clear but the way we were playing I had every confidence that we'd win a few matches and stay up. It is sometimes small margins. If we took our chance to go 3-2 up v Man U then we go on to win that game and Bielsa is the genius that stuck to his guns and his attacking philosophy and won that game when most managers would have opted for damage limitation. We miss the chance and a minute later are 3-2 down and the pundits weigh in over our naive play etc.

There is no guarantee we would have stayed up, just as there is no guarantee that a new manager will keep us up or take us down but Bielsa has shown every season that he can be in charge of us where we look sh*t for a few matches and then turn it around and go on a winning run. True the 'sh*t' period has lasted longer this season but equally a run of 3 wins in a row would likely be enough. Even in a horrendous defeat to Spurs we could have scored a hatful of goals and it is goals we need to win matches. We definitely needed to defend better as a team but don't tell me that the likes of Burnley (1-1) and Watford (0-0) are defending better when they both had 22 shots against them when they played MU compared to us having 15 shots against us.

[William]

I voted no not because of the results. For me the timing is wrong. If that had been pre window then the new guy had options recruitment wise and the time to steady the ship.
Also I think players need a familiar name, not a who is this guy? Coming in with no time to re orientate to his requirements.

[Johnboy1965]

Heart said no but head said yes.

The tactics were unsustainable and by his own admission he wasn't going to change so I couldn't see the results improving.
We were getting battered and becoming a laughing stock.

He was a victim of last seasons success and his inflexibility.
Once the 49ers got involved it was inevitable.

[1964white]

Once the 49ers got involved it was inevitable.

You all heard it from me first when I posted up on the match thread that 49'ers were at ER on Saturday

[1964white]

Rumours flying around that Orta/ Kinnear will leave our club at the end of the season.

The 49ers are looking to bring in their own board of directors.

[SG90]

Rumours flying around that Orta/ Kinnear will leave our club at the end of the season.

The 49ers are looking to bring in their own board of directors.

Great news. Those two have been stealing a living for years.

[mentalcase]

Apparently, 2 of MB's staff are being retained for the time being, probably to get the new fella up to scratch.

[Ellandbach]

A heavy hearted yes. By his own admission he wasn't going to change anything and so the severity of the hammerings we're only going to continue. It effects individual confidence and team moral and we unfortunately don't have the luxury of time to see the ship would steady. Look how hard it was to get to the Premier League. We can't go through that again. We deserve to stay where we are.

[1964white]

Great news. Those two have been stealing a living for years.

Only rumours SG, but the Americans are likely to be here to tidy up the mess above Bielsa too!

[Ratscoot]

I voted no.

But I don't know how much of that is influenced by emotion and sentimentality tbh and the fact I really am unconvinced by his replacement.

Can't argue that this season has been extremely poor and I don't think you can totally absolve Bielsa of blame at all.

He is very much to blame in many aspects and most managers would have been sacked a while ago.

Exactly same as me

[SG90]

Only rumours SG, but the Americans are likely to be here to tidy up the mess above Bielsa too!

People moan about the 49ers now, but I guarantee if we won a trophy or get into Europe, they'd be singing their praises

[Chilli D]

Apparently, 2 of MB's staff are being retained for the time being, probably to get the new fella up to scratch.

I wonder what Bielsa’s translator will do now?
That's a serious question by the way.

[Madron]

The only thing that matters is staying up and I believe the best way of achieving that was for him to stay. I think he would have achieved that especially with KP back and a few winnable games coming up. The change could have come at the end of season.
If we go down now it will prove ,to me, that it was the wrong decision.