01 May 2024 22:13:46
Was listening to a podcast on the Blue Room today where they were discussing at length about our financial issues. Well worth a listen.
Anyway a question was asked about when Moshiri decided to pull the money and they felt it was around Ancelotti's time.
It got me thinking about the managers/ coaches we've had and who caused this issue. I know money is/ was a problem and we don't know the half of what was going on but it was the employment of Benitez when I felt it all started to crumble. He got rid of half our decent players, a lot of the backroom staff and our Director of football left. For me he is the major cause of the on field issues. What's everyone else's thoughts?
02 May 2024 07:20:47
I think it was Koeman when it all started to go down hill. The biggest mistake was selling Lukaku and not replacing him. All I can really remember of his signings was £50m for siggurdson £25m klassen and rooney. Not sure if he bought bolassie schnederlin keane Ramirez as well.
Regarding Benitez I think his hands were tied financially and he had to get rid of all the players otherwise we wouldve been in more crap and only signings I remember were mykelenko and Patterson after digne was sold. I think he was given a situation like sean dyche regarding finances just that we didn't know about it or want to believe it and us fans knew even less about FFP back then compared to the nothing we understand about it know.
Just my opinion going off what I remember which I'm sure I've forgotten some other key facts.
02 May 2024 07:52:57
We massively overspent on fees and wages from the time Koeman arrived, a scatter gun approach on whoever was available which created an unbalanced squad. Under Ancellotti, players like Rodriguez and Allan crippled our wage bill. We’ve never recovered. The opportunity was there to build a squad that could compete at the top end of the stadium, you’d have to say that recruitment has been woeful.
02 May 2024 10:40:33
Started to go wrong once the banners came out, get rid of Martinez. Basically (and we are all guilty of this) , dollar signs were seen and impatience was the theme. It took about 3/ 4 years for City to get going and their vault was never ending.
02 May 2024 11:29:39
I totally agree with that DFS. Martinez was ok for me. Just needed defensive help.
02 May 2024 12:18:54
Whereas Dyche just needs offensive help Nick.
02 May 2024 15:57:32
Short memories! Martinet deserved to go, we were shocking in his last season. If anything got him the sack it was his refusal to practice set pieces, his ineptitude at organising a defence and he is the man who bought Kone and Alvarez.
Those two signings could well be the reason FM wanted to go down the DoF route rather than trust a manager to buy his own players!
02 May 2024 16:17:15
BP but we were not going down! It was impatience and dollar signs in our eyes. Friends and neighbours like Moshiri listened to instead of football men were the other reason.
{Ed025's Note - very much so DFS..
02 May 2024 18:05:51
All I'm saying mate is that we were on a downwards trajectory under RM and I don't think he had it in him to arrest the slide. He had a great season with Wigan in the prem but they soon went the other way. His problem, like a lot of managers since (including our current manager) was that he was too stubborn to change. Nice fella but, imo, he's more suited to international football than he is club management.
At the time it was the right decision and you could make a case against any of the others too. The sackings were right for the most part, it was the new appointments that FM and Co never got right.
02 May 2024 22:08:35
Don’t forget that City may have taken 3-4 years but they may not have done it legally… my lawyer has asked I include the word allegedly in there somewhere just in case.
03 May 2024 09:45:43
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. But how many of us were disappointed when Moshiri came in, and then hired Koeman?
I like many thought this is it, this is the start of something big.
At the time I had no complaints about the players they were bringing in, and to be honest didn't care about what they were paying them.
Move to present day, and we now see were that has got us.