The media is doing its usual again; they are trying to break the code of Ange Postecoglou, apparently not realising yet that there is no code to break.
No manager in our recent history has ever spoken his mind with more clarity than this guy and if it seems yesterday that he was a little vague it’s because he’s said all this before and it’s now out of his hands.
His comments yesterday about how January can maybe (and maybe not) be a tough month for signings is fluff.
It’s not confirming anything we didn’t know and it’s not denying it either. He’s not dropping hints because there is no need to. Ange has said repeatedly what he expects to happen and there has been no change to the plan.
Indeed, reports suggest that the first two deals are done and will be completed in a matter of days after the window has opened. The pieces should already be in place.
He knows his targets and the fine details will have been worked out well ahead of things now.
He’s being a little cheeky teasing this out but if you look at his previous comments then it’s all there. He knows the positions he wants to fill and he’s almost certainly identified exactly what players he wants having agreed it all with those above him at the club.
January offers these people a possibility to mend some fences.
The alternative is to give us all further reasons to be pissed off and whilst they might be willing to do that I really don’t think they are going to put the manager in a bad spot.
Because if he’s angry with them then the anger of the fans will be multiplied a thousand times over.
I don’t expect any of that to happen.
The press can try to raise doubts about this process as they like, but Ange is a planner and all of this will have been tied up in a bow before now.
Even if the contracts aren’t signed, I don’t believe the first deals, the priorities, aren’t well down the line.
Loved Ange’s comments on our need to close the gap in Europe. Hated the English TV pundit asking Joe Hart, Jota after the game if we should be happy with the result as they are like a champions league team. Are we not a huge club. My belief is strong given time and the resources Ange will get us back to the big table.
Under Lawwell our signing strategy was lacking / slow.
Will it be any better under Nicholson?
Is the Board even bothered about improving its relationship with the support?
Hope I am wrong, but a disappointing January window seems most probable?
Here’s the thing, Ange’s vision and development of the club has to continue along the process he has started on. The board state that they’ve learned the lesson of their mistakes from recent years and they do have an opportunity here to make unity from disunity. If not and we don’t improve on what we have already then we’ll not only struggle to improve the image and standing of the club but we’ll not attract players of the calibre we need and we’ll fail to keep the likes of Jota, CCV and Hart. HH