Flick The Switch

Good morning. 

You’d never now we’d won based on the backlash. I say backlash but it’s more a case that a third tier of fan that has emerged. To add to the ‘Arry ‘Aters and the ‘Appy Clappers enter …the ‘Ang On A Mo’s.

Those who were quietly letting Arry go about his End Of Days sketch in the sure and certain knowledge that come full time versus Fulham he’d be taken by a tinted window bullnose Morris to the ancient and royal tailor to be measured up for his England whistle.

But that cosy little outcome won’t seems unlikely to be occurring.

There is of course the possibility that Uncle Woy may yet spur the FA’s advances. He is after all still giddy from defeating the his Anfield demons. The Scousers treated him pretty shoddily and at West Brom it was an opportunity for him to regain his credibility. The indicators are that with a top ten finish very much still on the cards he’s done just that.

So what was the rationale in offering Woy the gig? Well, the most obvious answer is that the compo to the Baggies would be buttons compared to that which Levy & Co. might demand.

But equally, if not more significantly is that the FA didn’t buy into Arry’s griping about ‘bad luck’ and the ‘unreasonable expectations ‘ of fans or his media mogul garbage any more than we did. A child could see that his results went down the toilet from the day Fabio resigned. Coincidence? Who cares. A 13 point lead flushed *clicks fingers* like that. He’s the manager. 

Arry has laughed off his inability to rotate. In the words of Mandy Rice Davies, ‘Well he would say that, wouldn’t he?’

This is hurtfully stupid for a number of reasons. His idea of rotation is to split the squad into two. His first choices in one camp and the ones he doesn’t get on with plus the kids in the other. 

He alluded to Mooro and MacKay and Chivers all running themselves ragged on pitches that would be more at home on a Somme battlefield. A cheap and irrelevant remark for Redknapp to make. Greavsie’s not long had both knees replaced. It’s a different game now and thankfully so in that respect.

The view that that the players are some shiftless bunch of perfumed ponces is laughable. Who cares? Get on with it. You’re the manager Arry, so manage. You don’t have a dog and bark yourself, do you? If you can’t manage them, then transfer list the repeat offenders and have done with it. 

We were being lauded by all and sundry as to how easy on the eye we were until Fabio walked. Then we are supposed to believe that on the very date some mysterious and mischievous force flicked the, ‘UNLUCKY’ switch on us. Yeah, that’ll be it.

The real question is …what now then? Arry has three games to show his mind is back on the task in hand. We need convincing. Most of us are far from convinced.  We need less cobblers about who might leave, less damage limitation guff and more managing. More training, more coaching, more doing what we, the people who pay his extravagantly high wages expect him to do to the very best of his abilities.

But I don’t believe he’s able for making the changes. Forget his coasting on the his earlier good works waiting for the clock to run down before managing the national team. Forget all that. He’s a bloody minded old goat accomplished at deflecting blame but not one for instigating fresh ideas.

“Does the boy speak the Queens? Oh ffs, Bondy, get him to ran abaht a bit and get Crouchy’s agent on the blower.”

Champions League football isn’t just good for the soul. It’s the revenue stream that dramatically altered the landscape of accounts last year. The NPD project will be severely damaged without it. Players who believe they are better than us as we are now will be sorely tempted to fly the coup. 

Levy & Co. will have been scrambling over that past few weeks looking for a suitable replacement and let’s hope they’ve found what we need. The trust towards Arry is gone and it’s time to flick the switch.