Yes, after the initial shock and a sleepless night, I'm feeling slightly more positive we'll be okay .... hopefully Lijnders & Toure will stay on as his assistants.Maresca is a continuity candidate. The whole club from under 11s to the women’s team plays possession based football. We have the best Academy in the world playing that way. The club will not undo all that hard work at all levels. So Maresca was the obvious choice. He knows everyone so there will be no disruption in any department. I am optimistic it will work.
Maresca apparently bringing in Willy Caballero only increases the bald presence within the club too. Has to be a positive.
Vinnie reallyThe only person with the personality, drive and charisma that that gets anywhere near Pep is Vinnie. He knows the club inside out and the style of play needed. He loves the club and the city and would be the ideal choice for me., though would he want to leave Bayern? Not sure.
Initially, I didn't want him. But the more I think about it, it's a good appointmentDidn’t want him! I see why the club picked him and I’ll back him to the club either give him an extension or let him go..
He still needs to learn how to defend at the highest level for me, that PSG first leg set off alarm bells, the tie should have been over and they were lucky to get back into it for the second leg. He can come in 2-3 years after he's seen his Bayern project through.Kompany would have been a romantic choice, but not a logical one at this moment in time. Going for one of the currently "trendy" managers like Iraola or Alonso would have been risky.
Bringing in someone who has worked at the club before, who has worked with Pep before and who has experience in the league and has been successful is a sound and logical choice.
It's impossible to replace Pep. But our owners can look at plenty of other sides who have got these decisions wrong. We're not going to follow Abramovich and bring in the top name and sack them, even if it brings success.
Maresca will come in, play a very similar style of football and be able to bring new energy. He has my full support, even if right now it's with an incredibly heavy heart losing not only our greatest manager but the greatest manager football has ever seen.
How do Italians do it? If I tried wearing that I’d look like Victor Meldrew.
Initially, I didn't want him. But the more I think about it, it's a good appointment
It does have the feel of a stop gap and maybe waiting for others down the line. But I do think he will provide a certain continuity
GPC left an ageing squad on the decline. Our squad is much younger and on the rise
Grey with any shade of brown is a bit of fashion faux pas in my book. That would look so much better if the jacket was black :)View attachment 192481
Gaffer got potential. None of this tracksuit shit here.
Pep won 1 in 13 last season….People are forgetting he had 1 win in 7 games before walking from chelsea. So lets not get carried away that he was doing amazing at chelsea before walking.
He will probably make us a bit better defensively but it's hardly a huge problem We have, his biggest issue (much like Peps) was getting His teams to break down a low block, I think He's a sensible choice, could work out fantastic, if not He's a capable stop gap for a few seasons for when Pep returns.
He still needs to learn how to defend at the highest level for me, that PSG first leg set off alarm bells, the tie should have been over and they were lucky to get back into it for the second leg. He can come in 2-3 years after he's seen his Bayern project through.
I'll trust Khaldoon & co on the Maresca appointment, he knows what to look for in personnel leading elite teams of people. And looking at how Utd & Arsenal fared post Baconface & Wenger - with a whole new manager and change of approach straight off the bat - it seems being evolutionary with Maresca rather than revolutionary with a totally fresh set up could be the safer approach to ease the transition.