Rousseau

That could well be true...

Charts don't implement the fitness regime, charts just help those who do make better decisions by providing more information and data... auld yin.

You mean "advocate"? That's a very old, and very new idea when combined with Sports Science. Mourinho had great success with that at Chelsea -- John Terry spoke of how they seemed to do so much more work, because it felt like less than jogging around a track for half an hour! -- but we see even that is not enough as teams move forward, adapting new idea etc.; it's now a rather normal practice. Caixinha thought that way too; everything with the ball.

That does suggest to me like we're not giving enough independence to our Sports Science department. The manager has to make the final decisions of course, and to use the data correctly, but a change in manager shouldn't be able able to decrease our fitness so significantly. I disagree it's "less important [...] than a lot like to make out". For me, it just means that Caixinha was not using it correctly or efficiently. I'm not saying it's the most important thing, but it is very important. It's all about making better decisions. This article describes the success that Clubs can achieve: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4544900/How-world-s-best-football-clubs-use-data.html

I don't think they were. There were spells where they were running about daft chasing the ball as we passed it around, but I wouldn't equate that with "blowing out their rectums". They were battering our goals for 120 minutes.

Because everyone else is using it. If you don't move with the times, you get left behind. I really don't watch them enough to comment on their fitness. I do know "Delilah" was known for his fitness; it's unfortunate -- or fortunate! -- that he was tactically mince, in so many ways.

I'm not so sure. Alan Hutton went for half that 10 years ago. We've seen a major boom since then. £18 Million doesn't seem "insane" for one of the best players in the league; certainly not when they're touting £40 Million plus!

Thank f*** you're not in charge. I would bloody well expect McInnes to be on any list, simply because he's one of the better performing managers in the league -- I am disappointed the board picked him, though. I doubt Murty was on any list. I don't think Brown is expected to use analytics; he's a scout, the eyes on the ground. To be honest, I was sceptical about his appointment, but many have suggested he does have a good eye for players. And, Scoulding’s background is in analysis, which I would demand in a Head of Scouting. We need a combination of that analysis with eyes on the ground. I think you're just looking for something to moan about; something that isn't there... IMO, of course.

Again, my comment wasn't really in regards to the football or any specific manager, but the infrastructure. Allen's been in the job 5 minutes and some are wanting him out because he's "a waste of a wage". If that's not impatience, I don't know what is?

You know, I think you might have sussed it!

Awww... I was going to add: What was it? £40-80 Million to Bayern or someone like that, to barely half that to Brighton. Hilarious. They are so far up their own arses.

We should just switch off the lights now if you think that way, Pete. Even Big Sam is a big proponent of Sports Science, FFS.

Hahahahahah £40 Million.

My impatience comment was more to do with the infrastructure, than any current manager -- we are more patient than most when it comes to managers. We don't have the patience to allow the bedrock to be re-shaped; without that any manager coming in will be hampered, IMO.

Merry Christmas everyone!

I think we're partly to blame. We're impatient, set in our ways, and the majority don't really understand what it takes to make the next step (I'm not suggesting I do). I think we have to build an infrastructure first, though, before a "proper" manager will take us to the next stage, like Man City; they built a whole new youth structure, employed a former Barcelona DoF etc. years in advance, so Guardiola could step in; they didn't just employ Guardiola and expect him to revolutionise the club the next day.

That's a more accurate statement. It's just the role making him look good. He's a strong, tough-tackling Defensive-midfielder; he does it well, but that's all he does. Jack does that well too. We seem to expect more from a midfielder, but then praise another team's player for doing a job on us. It's crazy. Mulumbu would probably do a job for us, then we'd slate him the next moment for not passing forward.

*When you see Pulis' name*

He really doesn't. He's an average player, made to look like a superstar in this rubbish league. Senderos, Barton, Kranjcar, Hill, Alves, Dorrans, Pena all have a better CV. Even Jon Toral has a better CV than Mulumbu, IMO.

But I want a new manager!

Garry Monk is an interesting option. Ironically, the team his former team beat at the weekend (Sheffield Wed) have just sacked Carlos Carvalhal. I thought he was a good manager the last couple of years. Just saying.

I think the board look useless, but Allen is doing his job.

I think we'd have been better off under PC, but not much. I think we'd have won against the diddy teams, and maybe a good away record too, but lost to the 'better' teams, and we'd still have a underwhelming home record. PC has more experience, though.

What's Allen done wrong? He's here to implement a whole new scouting and analysis infrastructure, which he's doing. The manager situation I could perhaps blame him for, in part, but it's not solely down to him. (Mulumbu's an average player that is strong and can tackle, nothing more; it's not hard to out-muscle Holt! The only reason they signed him was because Clarke has worked with him before. We criticised the last manager to bring in players he had a personal connection to (MW), and we've moved on so we don't need to really on the personal contacts of a manager with the DoF appointment.) We're just looking to criticise anyone.

Merry Christmas Everyone!