We could achieve Championship safety today if we win or perhaps if we draw. Although it is sometimes a bit difficult to accept, safety is a good achievement when you consider our attendances and budget. Coupled with the fact that Keith Hill and David Flitcroft are in their first season of management at a higher level, I think the achievement is put further into perspective. However, it will only be considered a good season if we learn lessons from it and improve next year. I have always maintained that I will be delighted if we improve year on year. Keith Hill, in my opinion is a good manager, no doubt about it. He has a good eye for a player and I suspect his biggest skill is motivating his players. He also encourages passing football which is commendable. However, he himself must learn lessons from this season, as must the board, as must the fans. He can't keep continually having a pop at the paying fans of the football club in my opinion. I appreciate this is sometimes a deflection tactic away from his players but he needs to have a pop at someone else instead. If it continues, it will eventually be the end of him. The fans are the one constant at the club and they won't ever be beaten, even if they're wrong. In any event, I suspect that 99% of fans are behind him at BFC but he needs to accept that you can't please all of the people all of the time - he is probably the most popular manager since Ritchie and perhaps Wilson. We seem to have lost our way since Christmas which is unsurprising given that we lost probably our three best players and certainly, in my view, our best, in Vaz Te. The Board must learn. Must must must. We can't keep selling players at an undervalue. I think Don Rowing probably does a lot of good things at BFC but from what I have witnessed, negotiating is not one of them. The reported £500k for Vaz Te? Peanuts. We should have held out for at least 7 figures with significant promotion based sell on clauses (perhaps there are, but I doubt it), no question. I don't accept that we "had to sell". We should have been much tougher in those negotiations and told Vaz Te he was staying until we were offered at least £1m. He is now West Ham's best player for gods sake, amongst a team of highly paid "superstars". The rhetoric that comes from the Club is defeatist and does not inspire fans to invest in the club. This was a real opportunity to obtain a large sum of money to build a team for next season and achieve "continual improvement". Secondly, the pricing policy is short termist and damaging the club. It needs to change in my view as it is driving fans away. I can't help but think Keith Hill feels undermined by the decision to sell Vaz Te for the amount he was sold for, and he would be right in feeling this way. I admire that the club is trying to live within its means and this has to happen but it must take the above into account. Despite the above, we've had an acceptable season. Let us hope that the money from Vaz Te and Butterfield is available for Hill to spend wisely in the summer. We must hope Butterfield leaves before a Tribunal because it will be difficult to budget otherwise, as we would be likely to get the money in August. However, the club needs to be tough and accept nothing less than £2m. It should set its stall out at £3m. I don't understand offering some of the old guard new contracts but I will leave that down to Keith.. Onwards and upwards. You Reds.
Where did I say that? Don't I suggest that if they don't sell at an undervalue, they can move forward?
ignore Snidely mate he could make a negative out of anything all he does is hang around the periphery having a pop at anybody who dares to have an opinion
