in 2020, it looked like we had a front three in situe that would terrorise defences for the next decade, and bring us firing back to glory. Unfortunately, due to a collective responsibility of the character and mentality of the players in question, and the culture, handling of players and recruitment thereafter by club heirarchy, the landscape changed beyond recognition. We've handled the changing winds appalingly, with inexperienced and unqualified leaders making requisite decisions, and Amorim is now left with the embers.
It will take time for him to clear the dust, remove the dry rot, and rebuild as necessary. But I trust in his hands, more than any others over the past decade, to finally get this right. He has green shoots with Amad and a decent support cast in Ugarte, Mainoo and Bruno, along with a more solid defence than the days of Lindelof and AWB starting week in week out.
It's a big job, so let's have a bit of patience. These days, every missed pass, shot, tackle and game that isn't won at a canter is taken apart like a last minute cup final defeat. The reality is different of course, we've always lost easy games or dropped points we should have picked up as fatigue or injuries hit (Stoke '84, Liverpool '92, Everton '12 anyone?), and last night's performance in particular was very disappointing - but we won.
Let's hope we back this up on Sunday (It's cold enough sat at OT in Jan these days dodging water and mice, without another defeat to boot), and go on a couple of important cup runs to build some momentum. I still feel completely different now to the abject mire and mediocrity experienced under ETH. Amorim makes difficult decisions exactly when needed, he communicates effectively, his substitutions are impactful, his planning is believable, and I'll certainly continue to support him in restoring order for the forseeable future.
what are you on about?
