The sitting on the fence/wait and see party

[john@staustell]

Polarisation is taking place once again, but once again I find myself sitting on the fence (ish). I'm not sure, and I'm not sure for the reasons listed below. I find it hard that so many people have such very strong opinions that it's very likely, come January, that the other side will say "I told you so" with great relish.

1) We were shite on Saturday (bad) but created 24 chances (good)
2) If just one chance had gone in, or been allowed 3 points would've looked a mighty site better
3) We restricted the mighty Scum to one chance (good), but we were boring and didn't look like scoring (bad)
4) We have several top players at our club (good) but they aren't working together (bad)
5) We could fire the manager now (good/bad), but could get someone worse (very bad)
6) We would be THE laughing stock once again (very bad) but may go on to win the league (good)
7) Sometimes under Mancini we have been really good (some this year, mostly last) (good) but at times we have been awful (bad)
8) Some players have been 'pushed aside' (SWP, Given, Lecott, Ade, RSC, Jo) (bad) but they are a lot worse than what we have and numerous threads are always slating them (good)
9) Bellamy was an excellent player (good) but spent a lot of time criticising the manager - and therefore the club - and hobnobbed with Moyes and Dodgy Arry after they got one over on us (very very bad)
10) We are 4th (good) but could and should be second (bad)
11) Balotelli is to come back in, and Tevez will get fit, and we may sign another (good) but it may not make any difference or they may all get injured(bad)
12) We can be a very solid defensive unit (good) but at the moment it is affecting our attacking (bad), which it didn't really do last year (good)

So I'm not sure, and in truth I suspect the board is now the same, but I just cant see them sacking him now - which is the same argument as Hughes in summer 2009 and during the autumn. In fact we'd all got used to the idea of a full season under Hughes when they pulled the surprise. But if they aint going to sack Bobby, why all this wasted vitriol?

So come and join me on the fence, wait and see which party turns out right, on the grounds he just aint gonna be fired yet. Support the team, not add to the considerable external pressure.

And you know what? I was never sure about Hughes, and have a sneaky feeling we would've won that cup!

[mr_nool]

Fence sitters of the world, unite and take over!

Good post John. I will climb off the fence and publicly state that I agree with you. I'm very disappointed with he football on display right now, but don't know what I think we should do about it (if anything).

[BobbyJ1956]

We're in two minds over what we think about this.

[The Foggy Blue]

We sack the manager and WE ARE THE IDIOTS.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I think in some way at least everyone of us is waiting to see what will happen.We are 4th and in a decent position and could push on to have a great season. But we could have a bad spell and fade into a mere Europa league space.

We have heard all about it being a new team and needing to gel but that's getting a bit old now.We have also heard that it will all be ok when we get the full team available. Boateng will be the answer, Kolarov will be the answerWait till we get them both playing together bombing down the wings!,Balotelli will be the answer!There is always a reason for a not quite performance.Will Manicini's approach to games ( cautious) turn out to be successful or not?

We have seen glimpses of the good and also of the not so good but we are just a 1/3rd of the way through the season.Like it or not we just have to watch and wait for another batch of games to see where we stand and I do think by Christmas we really will know what we have got here.Mancini has problems for sure but it is his job to sort them out.

[Lees Alter Ego]

Im with you here mate, Im firmly on the fence.

[The Foggy Blue]

I think in some way at least everyone of us is waiting to see what will happen.We are 4th and in a decent position and could push on to have a great season. But we could have a bad spell and fade into a mere Europa league space.

We have heard all about it being a new team and needing to gel but that's getting a bit old now.We have also heard that it will all be ok when we get the full team available. Boateng will be the answer, Kolarov will be the answerWait till we get them both playing together bombing down the wings!,Balotelli will be the answer!There is always a reason for a not quite performance.Will Manicini's approach to games ( cautious) turn out to be successful or not?

We have seen glimpses of the good and also of the not so good but we are just a 1/3rd of the way through the season.Like it or not we just have to watch and wait for another batch of games to see where we stand and I do think by Christmas we really will know what we have got here.Mancini has problems for sure but it is his job to sort them out.

Exactly... Give him the season.

Jesus lads, how many managers have been sacked while we have been supporting our beloved club? How many trophies has that won us?

MAYBE THE THING TO DO IS TO STICK BY A MANAGER - LONG TERM - AND LETS SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

We really are our own worst enemy when it comes to this type of thing. We know the media are out to get us so out with the paranoia and lets focus on the bigger picture.

[Ted Hughes]

Surely we're all fence sitters bar 1 or 2, in a way? The only reasonable case for sacking Mancini would come if we reach a situation where it's clearly impossible to reach the target set & then imo only if the team looks like it's not good enough to move up into the top 3 or 4 next season.

It's not us who decide that though. Can we guarantee patience at the top? I was convinced that last season they would stick with Hughes until the end & see where he finished, then review it. They actually sacked him for being just a few points offf the target of course, halfway through. If they have the same criteria for Mancini, he could easily be out of a job in two weeks, because last season, without telling Hughes, they'd already decided to sack him well before Christmas & were just waiting for the right moment (but he aparently found out).

If Mancini is 'their man' it may be different but if he's purely Marwood's man, he needs resuts right now, next 3 games & so do we imo as we don't want that shit again, it was horrible & a disgrace & embarrassment to the club.

[Kladze]

As a representative of the "first to blink and call for his head" club, it may surprise you to learn that even I have at least got an outstretched arm touching the fence.

a) We are in fourth place (good) but don't look capable of staying there (bad)
b) We have some fine midfield players (good) but they play most of the game in the middle of our half (bad)
c) We have players who can change the course of a match by themselves (good) but we are over reliant on them (bad)
d) We have a solid defence (good) but we protect it so much that it stunts us in attack (bad)
e) We are good at boring the opposition (good) but we numb the brains of our own fans (very, very bad)
f) Our manager has a plan (good) but his plan doesn't appeal to me and many others (very, very bad)

If I was in charge and absolutely had to make a decision now, he'd be a goner but I'm not so I'll try to regain some belief and patience and see how it goes - roll on the next match, hope springs eternal and all that.

PS Bobby Manc ........ I actually like you - please push our midfield forward a bit and get someone running past the focal point of the attack.

Cheers

[Goaters 103]

I too am in the Trevor Brooking party.

[Chinners]

The football is shit to watch but Mancini should have the full season to see if he can get 4th (just like Leslie should of had las season tbh) as the constant changing of managers just puts us back every season which it the bit I am getting pissed off about, oh to let someone have 3 full seasons in charge

[brite blu sky]

Ive constructed a kind of tree house on my fence.. so i can comfortably camp out.. im calling it the T house and i have weekly wait and see T parties.

[brite blu sky]

Just a What if thought... What if the waiting, sitting on the fence turned out to be the right thing to do?

In a lot of ways the comparison with Hughes is valid at this stage, after all Hughes was playing to win and getting everyone to pile it on.. the performance against Chelsea at home was one of the best tramplings of Chelsea i have ever seen, we did the same to Arsenal more than once... really great stuff, but then went and let teams that got relegated waltz straight through us.

Conclusion, there lacked a professional balance.

The question that has to be asked that no-one seems imo able to ask or answer is what does it take to create that?

One answer to that often from the one liner brigade seems to be Mourinho.

If you think about what he would have done post Hughes.. it would have been very similar to what Mancini did.. sort out the
defensive capabilty of the team and have them organised professionally, then build on it. How long would that have taken at City ?

[Beefymcfc]

Ive constructed a kind of tree house on my fence.. so i can comfortably camp out.. im calling it the T house and i have weekly wait and see T parties.

I've greased my fence up and added nails and broken glass on the top just in case some fucker tries to climb up it. When the time comes, I'll jump off and some licker can have my seat!

I've been a fence sitter with every manager we've had in my time, the only thing that changes is the timing of the 'Out'!

[john68]

Ive constructed a kind of tree house on my fence.. so i can comfortably camp out.. im calling it the T house and i have weekly wait and see T parties.

I've greased my fence up and added nails and broken glass on the top just in case some fucker tries to climb up it. When the time comes, I'll jump off and some licker can have my seat!

I've been a fence sitter with every manager we've had in my time, the only thing that changes is the timing of the 'Out'!

You expecting the in laws to visit?...:-)

[Beefymcfc]

Ive constructed a kind of tree house on my fence.. so i can comfortably camp out.. im calling it the T house and i have weekly wait and see T parties.

I've greased my fence up and added nails and broken glass on the top just in case some fucker tries to climb up it. When the time comes, I'll jump off and some licker can have my seat!

I've been a fence sitter with every manager we've had in my time, the only thing that changes is the timing of the 'Out'!

You expecting the in laws to visit?...:-)

Nah mate, I've got the shotgun and bull mastiff for that ;-)

[brite blu sky]

Ive constructed a kind of tree house on my fence.. so i can comfortably camp out.. im calling it the T house and i have weekly wait and see T parties.

I've greased my fence up and added nails and broken glass on the top just in case some fucker tries to climb up it. When the time comes, I'll jump off and some licker can have my seat!

I've been a fence sitter with every manager we've had in my time, the only thing that changes is the timing of the 'Out'!

Hmm interesting... i did include a door on each side of the fence T house, both alarmed of course, in case i need to jump either way.
The whole fence is a bit of an eyesore now as the last 14 fence houses are all in various states of decay running back down the garden. The Sven one i noticed recently is losing its 'nice' paint job rapidly. The previous one is still in good fettle though and even thought of building a bridge to it... it has a certain 'flair' that is lacking in the current one... but i think i might wait till after the weekend before making any real plans.

[john68]

Maybe after the Fulham game...you will be able to DRAW some conclusions.....coat...hat...anybody?

[Beefymcfc]

Ive constructed a kind of tree house on my fence.. so i can comfortably camp out.. im calling it the T house and i have weekly wait and see T parties.

I've greased my fence up and added nails and broken glass on the top just in case some fucker tries to climb up it. When the time comes, I'll jump off and some licker can have my seat!

I've been a fence sitter with every manager we've had in my time, the only thing that changes is the timing of the 'Out'!

Hmm interesting... i did include a door on each side of the fence T house, both alarmed of course, in case i need to jump either way.
The whole fence is a bit of an eyesore now as the last 14 fence houses are all in various states of decay running back down the garden. The Sven one i noticed recently is losing its 'nice' paint job rapidly. The previous one is still in good fettle though and even thought of building a bridge to it... it has a certain 'flair' that is lacking in the current one... but i think i might wait till after the weekend before making any real plans.

I hear that Hughes got de-fence kicked in and that Mancio's needs a little gloss ;-)

[Beeks]