I believe it is time for a new manager!

[wiw]

Top scorers in the champions league was because we had the easier group and we nearly ****ed that up! How many ****ty draws do we have in the league??

We should have the best defensive record in the league with the way we play!!

Perhaps, but some silly mistakes and out of form defenders/injuries have cost us. 'The way we play' has slowly come together over the course of the season attacking-wise. Hopefully some decent summer signings will only help this. Come on, you must've noticed an improvement since our dip mid-season?

[jayjay]

What are you implying exactly? See my edit as well

It would only take a couple of win against utd, cfc and turn a couple of those draws at home into 3 pts and we would be right up there

I'm trying to say we are not that far from competing in the league.

[wiw]

It would only take a couple of win against utd, cfc and turn a couple of those draws at home into 3 pts and we would be right up there

I'm trying to say we are not that far from competing in the league.

Aah ok, yeah i'm with you there

[RhylRed]

Not having a go but come on lad. Biscan, Douif, Diao, Djimi (champions league winner), Cisse, Murphy, Bruno, Tony T, Dudek, Mellor, etc.

Torres, Babel, Agger, Skrtel, Pepe, Xabi, Mascher, and we certinaly were not talking about anything coming through our youth system like we are now.

Now try and argue that we are not hugely improved. Just think where we would be now when you see the improvements utd, cfc, and the arse have made. We would be competing with efc, avfc and pompey.

We have been competeing with efc av and pompey for 4th, cuz we aint been competing for the title. We may have a better squad but are we any closer to winning the title? No we are not!

[pezzzer]

Top scorers in the champions league was because we had the easier group and we nearly ****ed that up! How many ****ty draws do we have in the league??

We should have the best defensive record in the league with the way we play!!

surely your on a wind up pal? take a look at the bigger picture and you will now see a winning youth/reserve system that rafa totally rejuvinated to benefit the 1st team in the future.

we have had 2 champions league finals to add to our other achievments under rafa and now with the 1st team rafa has built from the ground up we can really start pushing for the league, oh,and all on a barcode/spurs type budget.

some people

[the rev leeroy brown]

We have been competeing with efc av and pompey for 4th, cuz we aint been competing for the title. We may have a better squad but are we any closer to winning the title? No we are not!

yes we are. we led the table at the start of the season. we are only (if we beat city) 11 pts off the top (in other words if we had beat utd twice this year we would be challenging chelski for the title) compared to the 30pts, 20 sumthing pts etc... we have finished off the top previously.

[RhylRed]

yes we are. we led the table at the start of the season. we are only (if we beat city) 11 pts off the top (in other words if we had beat utd twice this year we would be challenging chelski for the title) compared to the 30pts, 20 sumthing pts etc... we have finished off the top previously.

If only my Auntie had bollocks she'd be my Uncle!

[the rev leeroy brown]

If only my Auntie had bollocks she'd be my Uncle!

oh great come back. what a wank of an arguement.

[Vermilion]

It would only take a couple of win against utd, cfc and turn a couple of those draws at home into 3 pts and we would be right up there

I'm trying to say we are not that far from competing in the league.

Trouble is that the top 3 sides this year will add quality, especially the top2, plus that quality will most likely be Top Top quality of the type we just can't afford as yet, i only see us keeping the status quo untill the stadium is built & we can bring in the type of player we need.

But, & it's a big BUT, That is so long as the funding for the stadium doesn't cripple us with so much debt that the extra cash raised is negated by payment of said debt. Which looks to be the case the way Hicks is thinking.

[jayjay]

We have been competeing with efc av and pompey for 4th, cuz we aint been competing for the title. We may have a better squad but are we any closer to winning the title? No we are not!

Win today and we are the same distance behind utd as we are ahead of efc, which suggests we are competing with one as much as the other, if either at all.

I just shudder to think where we could be now had we not appointed some of Rafa's level... I'm not sure you realise just what a car cash of a squad Rafa inherited. I would even suggest that he had a rebuilding job of the type slur whiskey nose had when he took control of utd, and we all know how long it took him to rebuild, and before anyone says he didn't spend the same money, he did, when you take into account transfer price inflation since then.

[-V-]

Complete Nonsense. Rafa is the best thing thats happened to us for a very long time. What you fail to see is that the teams that are ahead of us are richer and spending much more than us

You should be grateful for what he has achieved. Because we are over-achieving

[El Jefecito]

Not having a go but come on lad. Biscan, Douif, Diao, Djimi (champions league winner), Cisse, Murphy, Bruno, Tony T, Dudek, Mellor, etc.
Torres, Babel, Agger, Skrtel, Pepe, Xabi, Mascher, and we certinaly were not talking about anything coming through our youth system like we are now.

Now try and argue that we are not hugely improved. Just think where we would be now when you see the improvements utd, cfc, and the arse have made. We would be competing with efc, avfc and pompey.

Plus we've had to settle for 2nd and 3rd choices due to lack of money. Imagine how we would be with Simao, Alves, Vidic etc

[Exiled_red]

We need stability Rafa is just getting to the stage where he's able to sign the quality players he wants, rather than the 2nd choices we had to buy because we couldn't pay top whack.

The Chelsea since Abramovic have lifted things up a level, we're still in 4th but the game has moved on we haven't stood still, we're now getting Champions league football every year something we didn't have under Houllier and we're closer to the top sides than we were under Houllier.

People saying stuff like that do my head in, everyone seems to be under the impression if we get a new manager it will wave a magic wand and we'll be chalenging for the title. Let me tell you it doesn't work like that for teams in our situation. A new manager will require 3-5 years to get his squad and the team in his shape before he can even start challenging Unless someone comes in and throws money at him (ala Chelsea). The last thing we need right now is to rip the squad/management system up and start again with another 5 year plan

[pezzzer]

If only my Auntie had bollocks she'd be my Uncle!

if your mum hadnt met your dad we wouldnt be posting on this **** thread , boyoh

[wiw]

Trouble is that the top 3 sides this year will add quality, especially the top2, plus that quality will most likely be Top Top quality of the type we just can't afford as yet, i only see us keeping the status quo untill the stadium is built & we can bring in the type of player we need.

But, & it's a big BUT, That is so long as the funding for the stadium doesn't cripple us with so much debt that the extra cash raised is negated by payment of said debt. Which looks to be the case the way Hicks is thinking.

Agree but can't see Utd adding much offensively, can you? They already have 3 world class forwards. How greedy can they get

Arsenal maybe, they have other positions to worry about though, and Hleb may be on his way, they have Walcott coming through. Hmm, maybe

Chelsea have a pretty complete forward line. They did allegedly big for Messi though so god help us

Anyway, i'm not too worried. Hammering the lower teams are just what the top 4 do. A bit of extra quality for us could transform our results against the top 4, and we've already got the measure of Chelsea/Arsenal.