One trick Worthy tries it again

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

It is clear to me that the signing of Earnshaw is Worthington''s one and only way of becoming a successful football manager.  Sign an expensive striker who knows where the net, hope he stays fit and hope he transmits his skill to the rest of the team.  I suppose you can''t blame him.  At the end of the day it has worked before.

Worthington is constantly looking for the "Hucks factor".  When we signed Hucks it didn''t just transform the team on the pitch, it transformed the club, the supporters the whole city.  It raised players games.  Players whom we thought should go, played well.  And it got us promoted.  Worthy then tries it with Ashton.  After a few months in the Premiership he realises that the "Hucks factor" is wearing off.  "S**t, better sign someone even better", he thinks.  So along comes Deano and his master plan almost works.  Missing out on the final day of the season (we''ll leave the capitulation and style of our football out of this for this arguement).

So now to this season.  "Hmm, maybe one more will do it.  I know, that lad Morrison is pretty good.  I''ll get him" Worthington decided.  Uh oh.  Phase 1 of 05/06 has gone Pete Tong.  Morrison goes to Palace.  So, no Hucks factor, no Deano factor.  Maybe Worthington''s inspirational tactics can come to the fore now?  Noooo, maybe not.

So he turns to Earnie.  Now let me make one thing clear; I''m made up with the Earnie signing.  The lad is a fantastic goal scorer and let me say right now- Well done the board for getting him.  But here comes the crux of my arguement.  Until we fundamentally change the way we play, it won''t make the blindest bit of difference.  As I watched the embarrassment which was last night (which I might add, even a1 couldn''t defend in any way, shape or form) it hit me just how much we have gone backwards in the last 18 months.  Reading absolutely tore us apart.  Playing the ball on the deck, slick passing, players in space, always closing down, always moving.  We had none of that.  None at all.  HOOF up the front for Thorne and  Mcveigh to get knowhere near.

My point is this.  Earnshaw may be a fantastic signing. But that doesn''t make Worthington a fantastic manager for bringing him here.  We don''t play football any more and until this changes, we won''t get out of this divsion  

[Rossi 0]

the same could be said of a lot of managers - on that basis Mourinho must be a crap manager, and Joe Royle a great one, but i see where you are coming from. I think that it can be better generalised into Worthingtom goes along the basis that his forwards are the only players that matter - that you can get hammered in terms of chances, possession and everything else, but if you have quality up front then you have a chance. This was echoed by his - we had four or five chances to score statement after reading. Yeah thats right nige, we should have won 5-4. What crap! 

[Yellow Rider 0]

Great post DD!

So many fans can see (and have done for a long time now) that it is the style of football we play that is the problem. Mention this to Delia Smith though and all you will get in reply is a  defensive comment along the lines of ........''we don''t have the money'' or Worthy will say that ..........''ball players in midfield cost a fortune'' etc. etc.in other words they just make excuses.

I can see the problem, you can , Zipper can, Paul Rankin can, the list is endless. Many members of the SCG who meet with the Club can see the same problem. The issue we have though is that the Board REFUSE to acknowledge any fault in the Worthy regime. Personally I blame the Board more than Worthy. All I ever ask is for the Board to be far more OBJECTIVE in their assessment of the manager, so far they have hidden behind sentiment, nostalgia and history.