Is Jose getting a rough ride?

Spring seems to be finally springing here. 20C and warm sunshine today. We went for a short drive through the countryside to Fermo near the Adriatic coast for a walk to try and burn off some calories from the 11 course lunch yesterday at L'Approdo, after which we sat in the main square at a cafe drinking Spritzers, coffee eating the antipasti that arrived with the drinks.
As it is a bank holiday - 'La Pasquetta' (Easter Monday) - there was a small market with a handful of craft stalls, Strangely, directly opposite where we were sat was a stall selling cannabis products - bags containing dried leaves, beers, cakes and biscuits etc.
MY understanding was that a) Firmumcannabis is to all intents and purposes cannabis (hemp) by any name and b) whilst it is legal to possess and even grow it (provided you do not let it flower), it is still illegal to sell or use the stuff here in Italy.
And yet there it was, with professional looking marketing and signage decorating the stall. The Polizia cruising around the square at one point even drove past it at walking pace within two or three yards without stopping. Not sure what I am missing here 'cos I am sure it has not been legalised yet although moves are afoot to do so. Anyway attached are a few pictures to those of you still experiencing the UK... ahem.... 'Spring!!? weather' .....

 

Wow! Where did it all go wrong?

 

I agree .... Shearer and Sutton worked well together at Blackburn when they won the title, so why not Moore and McBurnie. using a 3 - 5 - 2 formation , or a 4 - 4 - 2 even.

 

The issue isn't that - it is we have no-one capable of playing in a midfield 2

 

Its still an issue that Ollie is being wasted out there, even though yes he was getting the goals from that position to begin with and now they have dried up.
But as for the lack of a genuine midfield 2, it sucks that we're relying on a short term fix yet again as its two loanees who probably wont ever kick a ball for us again beyond this season. Its a partnership that doesnt work so why do we keep insisting on it (depending on whether its a clause in the loan deal).

 

Cos it is the best of a bad bunch?!

 

I think it's the worst of a bad bunch personally

 

But is it, really Fidel ?. If it obviously doesnt work, then surely amongst all those midfielders we signed and our U23 squad as well, there must be something worth looking into and this counts to the future as well as they arent just loanees.

 

Me too.

 

Who do you think we could trust to be better? I know we are not (or were not) excatly solid with Williams/Gardner but drop one of these for Mallan/Potts or Moncur and we'd be worse and none give enough going forward to justify it.

 

You'd think so but there isn't. We have not signed two midfilders capable of playing together in a two...

 

Thank you for posting those photos. They're stunningly beautiful.

 

When they took over, our new owners said that without going crazy, they would look at funding a push
to reach the Premiership. I just have a feeling (with nothing to substantiate it, ) that Jose might therefore want
to up the quality of the players at the Club. He could well ask Mourinho to help out with some of his fringe players on loan
and bring in his " own" players, which inevitably could mean offloading some of the squad we already have at the Club.
Just a thought.!

 

But you intimated that you feared a clear out? I say what is to fear?

 

Thanks. The first one of the Sibilini mountains is from our bedroom window. I never tire of looking at them as they change from day to day and sometimes disappear altogether when the weather is so inclined. Some days you think you could reach out and touch them like when I took this picture this morning. The camera cannot really do justice to how they look in real life though. Marche is like unspoilt Yorkshire on steroids.

 

My " fear" (or concern might be a better word) is, that if by staying up, some of the players whose contracts
are up at the end of the season could be told they are being freed. Weighing that possibility up, they might
not give it their all between now and the final game against Derby, meaning we would be relegated and they
therefore might stand a chance of staying at the Club, because as some on this board are claiming, they would be
better suited and capable of playing at League One level.

 

I think Morais will take whatever he’s given. He probably applied for every vacant job in the UK before we offered him the role. It’s weird some people talk like we have appointed Mourinho, not one of his coaching staff.

 

BELIEVE

(PS I'm an atheist).

 

The scenery is reminiscent of my home village Dodworth. Honest(!)

 

'Nowt wrong with Dodworth!! The drive out to Silkstone common and that side of Barnsley towards Cawthorne Pennines is great countryside. Before my daughter bought a house big enough for us to stay when we visited we stayed two or three years back at the Travellers, good beer, friendly landlord/ and landlady (lousy plumbing but then he is a plumber !!!) Huge breakfasts and lunches with good old fashioned 'comfort food' nothing fancy but well cooked. I remember proper steak pies - (none of that stew with a piece of pastry dumped on top)! Ended up putting on more than half a stone in one week though.