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Will Martinez ever lead us to the Champions League?

Will Martinez lead us into the Champions League at any time during his tenure?

  • Yes

  • No

  • Selection of breads and cheeses

Results are only viewable after voting.
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Saint Domingo said:
Lukaku, Mirallas, Deulofeu, Barkley. Apart from Kane I can't think of players from either side you'd have in a front four over these?

Your point on the defence is my point exactly. We have better individuals but they are not a good defence....because of the manager.

All you have to say is would Mourinho or Ferguson, or Wenger or Pellegrini have us top 4? Most probably yes. I know they're some of the best prem managers but my point is finances help a lot but we can get a better manager than Martinez who could crack the top 4 without huge financial outlay.
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Erikson, Coutinho - Deulofeu hasn't proven anything at all yet, and Barkley has a long way to go as well.
 
How can you say Mourinho or Ferguson, Wenger or Pellegrini would get us top 4 ?? When have any of them had to run a club like ours with such tight budgets?
I think 7-10 is our position now finantially speaking. West Ham, Stoke, Spurs, Liverpool, Swansea, Southampton...bloody eck Even Crystal Palace are all able to beat each other and us on they're day and thats not even including the top 4 .. !!!!
We have a great squad but personally don't see the group of Premier league elites playing for us as some others on here do. We have a solid base, some exceptional talents dont get me wrong....All I'm saying is so do most of the opposition.
 
Honestly when you read these threads, you would think we are European Champions. Stones is the best defender in world football, Barkley and Del are irreplaceable, Lukaku world class, McCarthy is amazing and we have an entire string of world class youth prospects ready to step up at any moment.

We finished 11th last season - and have basically the same team. Some people need to calm down.
 
MACCA75 said:
Honestly when you read these threads, you would think we are European Champions. Stones is the best defender in world football, Barkley and Del are irreplaceable, Lukaku world class, McCarthy is amazing and we have an entire string of world class youth prospects ready to step up at any moment.

We finished 11th last season - and have basically the same team. Some people need to calm down.
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Improved team on the one that finished with a points tally that would normally see us in 3rd the season before that too.. Maybe.. just maybe, last season was a bad one and we are capable of more?
 
MACCA75 said:
Honestly when you read these threads, you would think we are European Champions. Stones is the best defender in world football, Barkley and Del are irreplaceable, Lukaku world class, McCarthy is amazing and we have an entire string of world class youth prospects ready to step up at any moment.

We finished 11th last season - and have basically the same team. Some people need to calm down.
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Cleverley is the last piece of the jigsaw mate, the title is as good as ours.
 

I would not demand it. The big 4 just have way too much money to expect it. That said if we stick as close as possible to our best 11 then we really do have a better chance than the shall we say, Other contenders.
 
No, too few spots, too many teams who's always gonna better than us because of the money that they have. Maybe with the huge element of luck we will get to 4th but it's gonna be a 'just once' situation and won't change anything in the grand scheme of things.

Regular finishes in the Europa League places is the best we can hope for under the current ownership.
 
MACCA75 said:
Honestly when you read these threads, you would think we are European Champions. Stones is the best defender in world football, Barkley and Del are irreplaceable, Lukaku world class, McCarthy is amazing and we have an entire string of world class youth prospects ready to step up at any moment.

We finished 11th last season - and have basically the same team. Some people need to calm down.
Click to expand...

We've also finished fifth (and indeed fourth) in the past with worse groups of players. At the end of this season (like last season) we will look back and say there was an opportunity for someone to get fourth. Do we have the players to be the team best placed to pounce if that opportunity arises? Yes. Do we have a manager who will put us in that position? On the evidence of last season no
 

TheCount said:
Guns for show, knives for a pro
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I think given a gun at the moment the club would do the same thing most of us would and blow their own hands off.

But as far as Martinez and Europe goes I really think we are in a similar position to Moyes. Decent coach and can spot talent to a degree, but where Moyes lacked an instinct to adapt and drop the caution when required, I think Martinez needs to learn when a gritty organised defence or simple attacking presence is exactly what we need to allow his philosophy to flourish. My main objection has always been he is a fundamentalist and believes in the system too much. Even when we finished fifth in 13/14 it felt like it was his big chance when teams didn't expect our aproach, but Arsenal could always do what we do and a little extra.

But where Moyes maybe needed a right hand man questioning his caution maybe Martinez needs a defensive coach with real organisational skill with enough confidence to stand up to him when needed. Whether we got into the top four is another matter because we will find a lot of decisions going against us if it seems likely and any current top four team will always have people sitting on their bench who could click and change everything.

As far as employing a defensive coach goes I was thinking when Carragher spoke really sensibly about Stones what a great addition he would be to any squad. Presume he wouldn't remotely consider leaving Sky for the likes of us anyway and a big chunk of you lot would hate the idea. MInd you so would a huge chunk of them. He may just hate Rodgers enough to do it though. Martinez/Carragher dream ticket. Anyone?
 
Last edited:
@oldblue I would be against hiring a pundit over a coach.

If he did look to bring in a defensive coach you'd hope he'd look to one of the top Italian clubs, maybe poach an up and coming youth team coach.

Even more ideally, someone from or with experience of La Masia, they'd already suit his possession based style but with a defensive mindset. Barca defensive record is excellent (current preseason not included).
 
TheCount said:
@oldblue I would be against hiring a pundit over a coach.

If he did look to bring in a defensive coach you'd hope he'd look to one of the top Italian clubs, maybe poach an up and coming youth team coach.

Even more ideally, someone from or with experience of La Masia, they'd already suit his possession based style but with a defensive mindset. Barca defensive record is excellent (current preseason not included).
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Yeah was just a whim really the carra thing. Don't watch barca enough but how much of their defensive record is just down to having so much possession? I would definitely like experience but part of it to me is that they would force him to question himself as well. Obviously it's a fine line as you risk having two people who just can't work together
 

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