Firstly, an announcement : there will be posted in the next couple of days the SW19’s ARMY End Of Season Poll. It isn’t entirely finished yet, but when it’s up I hope that everybody will respond to it. It’s pretty comprehensive, and will ask questions that I don’t think have ever been put on a WFC poll site before, so I hope that enough people fill it in 🙂
People are starting to get a little bit edgy about the manager situation, as it turns out that TB is going for yet another meeting with BRG later this week. This week, there can be no real mitigating circumstances for another delay – I presume TB has come back from his holiday, BRG has sorted out his other business committments (that and losing to KIR in a powerboat race, though I presume he let our 80% shareholder win simply to get more dough), so I would be very surprised if things aren’t sorted out this week.
The story that you may have heard re: John Jensen may be BS, but I’m not so sure. Think about it – when TB was forced on his around-the-world trip after OGEM sacked him, he clearly must have got a few contacts up his sleeve, and don’t forget Jensen and Burton are both ex-Arsenil men….. here’s why I reckon there’s a delay : we were waiting until after the playoffs to see whether Harry or Peter Taylor were available. Now we know they’re both still where they are, TB is likely to take charge. However, I still think that TB wants to bring somebody in to help him – possibly a big name from another club? – and obviously contracts need to be dealt with etc, which is why we’re holding fire : after all, when a new manager comes in, he usually employs his #2 immediately.
Can you imagine the press conference when TB says “er, we haven’t actually got anyone as my assistant manager yet. Can you wait a few days? Please?”. Be honest, we could get away with being sans manager until 1 July, although obviously I think all parties concerned would like it to be settled ASAP. Remember, Celtic and Sheff Weds (and possibly Leicester) are in or going to be in the same boat as us, so maybe it’s worth waiting a little while longer yet.
As for names as to who this “big name” will be (assuming what I reckon is 100% correct), why does that picture in the programme a few years back of TB and one Graham Rix sharing a meal in Wimbledon village stick in my mind? Whilst I have to very reluctantly admit that Rix clearly has shown himself to be a good assistant manager, I still can’t see why I think this. The Arsenal connection, that picture demonstrating their legit friendship, the fact that Rix went on a “holiday” at the time of Drillo’s leaving……… nah, I’m really ultra-paranoid at the moment. Aren’t I?
Add Ben Thatcher and Carl Cort to the list of “dead certs” going to Spurz. Yeah, I won’t waste your time expanding. One thing is, Cort played “superbly” against Turkey U21, but then I suppose Carl Leaburn would have scored that night. Watch the guy’s ego expand to Tony Blair proportions, and watch Spurz double their transfer evaluation of him. To 2p.
Trond’s in the Norway E2000 squad, but Lund was dropped because the Norge manager wanted an extra defender. Though I would gather that if a striker gets an injury then he’ll be in there as well. So, Andreas Lund should never play for WFC again but he’s good enough to almost make it to the E2000 squad, eh? Fucked priorities or what……
No idea why, but there was a cop car in the training ground car park at 4.30pm BST today. Maybe SH turned up in yet another of his “private moments” (complete with 5 cameras and 17 post-production staff) and the IRS got whiff of him being there? Either that or TB told Mick Harford that he wasn’t wanted at WFC anymore and they had to take TB away for his own safety?