I also remember some real turgid defeats under Pellegrini where we never even turned up, Burnley and Stoke are two off the top of my head, but there were loads more defeats where I just got more and more annoyed the longer the game went on because we just didn't look interested. I don't want to argue mate I just think you are looking through some real tinted glasses if you think we were any better under Pellegrini, especially last season, than we are now.
Anyway, regardless of who is at fault I, like many fellow blues, am frustrated that from 2012 we haven't really kicked on as we probably should have done. The squad is aging now and needs some replacements but I feel between 2012 and 2015 we had the best team in the league and we just haven't gone forwards. Too many average signings and too much paid for them. Pep now inherits a squad that increasingly looks lacking in key areas, due to age, injuries or whatever, whereas rivals have strengthened.
I read it was our strategy was to allow the squad to "age" to not hamper the chances of the youth coming through, if that is the case where is that youth? Getting 4 put past you at Goodison or King Power is less of an issue if half the team are kids as we know we benefit long term. Also if in 3 years time we are to have a team where half of them come through the youth they really need to be getting game time now, so why play such a strong team at West Ham in the cup?
I'm not panicking btw as Pep is a proven class manager and you don't become useless overnight. I just think the job is more difficult than anyone expected because we, as a club, have kinda been in limbo for three years, waiting for Pep to join, and not making the right signings (save Sterling and De Bruyne last year) in the meantime. We've been waiting around for a manager for three years when others have been amassing teams and squads that are ready now, not for the future, so we find ourselves now behind our rivals squads imho.
So it will take time, you could argue Pep is actually doing a good job with what we have in comparison to be only 3 points off second. We will sort out the fullbacks, get more cover in the middle of the park, and Jesus is here now too! I just think we have been stationary too long, and as the saying goes in football if you stand still you go backwards.
So I will save judgement until the end of Pep's reign not the start, and if anyone is to blame for us getting hammered at times this season I lay more blame on whoever at the club decided to plod along over the last three years rather than taking us out of sight of our rivals. I also don't blame FFP either when we spend so much on players we loan out 12 months later.
