I'm a bit sick of seeing and hearing people constantly questioning the character of this squad.
Sure, there are some that have a flawed character and who probably need shipping out. Elano is too far gone imo and one or two others seem to now be just picking up a wage.
However, to suggest that huge chunks of the squad lack the character and desire of every other team in the league is ridiculous. That is what we are being fed by parts of the media at present and it stinks. It stinks of self serving leaks from inside the club. People who stand to gain (or keep their jobs).
Let me tell you this. Players like Dunne and Richards have showed huge amounts of character and desire to do well for this club as recently as last season. Yet they are now being slaughtered and made out to not give a shit, purely because they are in poor form. It's bollocks.
If they suddenly have become the sort of people to not give a shit, which they obviously haven't, then you have to question how the manager has managed to achieve this and lay the blame at his door.
The responsibility for the moral, performnce and results of a squad lays with the manager. That's how it is in football. The buck stops there. It stopped there for Ince, McAllister and Alladyce last season and its stopped there for every other manager who has been woeful throughout history.
So, lets talk about character.
What about the chracter of a man who constantly passes the buck. Constantly blames others for his faults. Constantly hints that the players are a bunch of bastards in order to somehow get out of a manager's responsibility for gaining anything even close to acceptable results. Constantly has blamed refs, linesmen and anyone else he can think of for any defeat during his management career. Constantly refuses to acknowledge his responsibility for pathetic, pathetic results.
And now he seems to be conducting a snide campaign through the media, designed at discrediting the players, deflecting attention away from him, saving his own skin and basically making excuses for the complete and utter breakdown in spirit and morale within the camp.
The buck stops with the manager.
He constantly embarrassed himself at Blackburn by moaning, bleating and cheating and now he seems to be doing it on a snider level.
Well, guess what mate. If the players refuse to perform for you and aren't interested then that's not an excuse. That's your fault. It's your responsibility as a manager not to let that situation develop.
If that's the case then you might as well go now as you obviously lack one of the basic skills of management - getting players to perform for you.
If its not the case then you had better go anyway as there is even less excuse for the shocking results and performances.
The buck stops with you, pal.
