In Hughes first three summer windows he signed:
Arnautovic
Pieters
Ireland
Muniesa
Diouf
Bojan
Bardsley
Sidwell
Wollscheid
Shaqiri
Joselu
Haugaard
Given
Johnson
Ginkel
In three summer windows we’ve still got 2 players who are actually first team players. That plain and simple is why we are going down. And if you think that rests purely and Hughes head you are missing the point.
We have a recruitment department that quite clearly incompetent and not up to the task and/or funds that are not suitable.
This is the same group of people who since 2012 bought us Maurice Edu, Brek Shea and the Juan Agudelo fiasco. (America being Cartwrights main set of contacts in the game along with Butland (he was his agent))
The same people who chased Berahino for 3 windows knowing he doesn’t suit how we play. Or the same people who would of filed reports justifying Wimmers value and didn’t do their homework on Imbula.
The same people who replaced an ageing, slow midfielder with another or didn’t do the proper background checks on Jese. Or the same people who thought Haugard should play in the premier league?!
Scholes, Cartwright and the transfer team have proven since Carto came in from 2012 to be not up to it. We have all the evidence we need.
Look at our pitiful list of truly successful signing:
Pieters - Scouted under pulis
Butland - Carto used to be his agent
Arnautovic - Hughes had been tracking him
Allen - Hughes scouted him direct from the Euros
Shaqiri and Indi you could probably just about add to that list but our hit rate isn’t even close to half. And how many of them would get into a top 10 side every week in the premier league? Even then we had the Indi farce. I may be wrong but I believe our hand was forced into three at the back as the Indi signing cock up meant we had wimmer, zouma and Indi so had to accommodate them all hence we struggled again for so long.
Add the farce of selling and not replacing Nzonzi for so little. One of the highest distance covered and successful pass completions in the league in an ageing side, it’s was a ticking clock.
Then we have been one of the lowest scorers in the league consistently since we got in the prem and the board somehow refused to spend the relevant money for an adequate striker. We’ve known this for years though and yet done nothing. The facts were there and we all know, don’t have the ability to score and if you defence gets worse you’re stuck. Why do you think the team gets to down after conceding first? They know they have nobody who can put the ball in the back of the net regularly. This was never ever addressed.
Combine this with the fact we are some
of the leagues lowest spenders in the league:
13/14: Spending 17th - Finished 9th
14/15: Spending 20th - Finished 9th
15/16: Spending 16th - Finished 9th
16/17: Spending 20th - Finished 13th
17:18: Spending 20th - Currently 17th
This has not happened in a vacuum is has happened by design. Through incompetency and inadequacy from the club management. We need a manager and club management who have a proven successful track record in the top 10 of the league.
In comparison, see how Moyes did it at Everton and tell me you have any confidence we do anything anywhere near as competent behind the scenes? Tell me you’ve seen any evidence we behave a remotely methodical and professional way? For a club that says it deserves to be in the top 10 in the league:
www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/scouting-system-that-reveals-david-moyes-mind-8756011.htmlWe are still, light years away.
And they have the gaul to tell us how great they’ve been after 10 years. We all saw this coming at least last summer if not earlier.
We need to make this message known on radio stoke, talk sport, 5 live. Whoever will listen. The board need to be put under immense pressure, they will not be the ones losing their jobs it will be local people at the club and associated businesses. They have failed in their jobs, completely.
Take the last few days, Tuesday fans expected him to go. There was heresay and rumour and stories being changed from “he’s definitely staying” to “he might be staying” to “we are looking at options but there’s no good ones”. What?! Who is doing their homework on possible managers. Where is the list of 10 managers all the time we could be interested in?
The noises from the club have made things worse! There has been no “official statement”, it appears he’s staying then he needs to be backed to the hilt and publicly. What player would come to the club knowing the manager is so close to going? Why would the players who are here play for him thinking the same? And we clearly need new players! It would of been better to say nothing. The incompetence is staggering
For what it’s worth I’d love it if Hughes was able to build a dynasty here. Same with Tone. I don’t want us to be like everyone else hiring and firing. I want a successful academy (the rotating door of academy director is a again another issue!) Ive just seem no evidence to suggest the structures at the club are suitable. It feels as though the chairman and club management have been a combination of naive and let down by those around them at the same time and it’s horrible to see. We need track record people right through the club ASAP.
If Hughes goes and the back room staff go we will need around 10ish new staff from coaches to the u23 academy manager. Yes we’ve been in the league for 10 years, we are the only side outside the top 6 and Everton that has remained over that period! But where is the evidence of this? On and off the pitch? We have punched above our weight but not in an over achieving way, in some ways it feels more like fluke.
This has happened on their watch, by their design and should be made to suffer. We should be calling for them to go Saturday and make it loud so it can’t be ignored.
Whether hughes stays or goes. Things at top must change.
