FSG deserve all the bad press and ridicule they get, those NET spend figures of a few pages back are a scandal. Even more so when you consider that had we got even a nominal fee for Balotelli we'd have been in credit, AND we've stopped paying the huge salaries of Gerrard and Johnson. That though is for another thread in my view, and I've long campaigned for them to be brought to account.
In the here and now though, by hook or by crook we have assembled a squad of players who are certainly talented enough to very seriously challenge for the top four. We've a number of players who would at least get into the squads of anyone above us (I think most of our players would to be honest) and one in Coutinho would get regular games just about anywhere else in Europe. I could name off the top of my head a good few managers who would IMHO achieve at least a sustained and credible top four challenge with this team (Mourinho, Klopp, Ancellotti, Wenger etc) and as such if Brendan can't achieve at least that, he fully deserves to come under the microscope.
Of course it's early days yet, and the more sensible fans did realise the start had "f****** tricky" written all over it. That said, as I've often pointed out it's the manner of defeat which tells a thousand tales, and while West Ham wasn't Stoke it wasn't far off. My guess is that having backed him so readily in the transfer market the owners will wait until either we are in a desperate position in the league, or the fans have got past turning on Brendan and are beginning to turn their ire stateside before they make a move. Naturally I hope it doesn't come to that (and unlike many I actually mean it when I say it), but my guess is a heavy defeat and a poor performance at Old Trafford could be terminal for the manager. Not straight away of course, but the girls in the office won't be putting any names on aeroplane tickets for Europa League games across Europe after Christmas I shouldn't think.
I wavered on Brendan being given the push in the Summer, purely because I felt he had lost much of the fanbase to such an extent that it was pointless him trying to carry on. I changed my mind back then, but seeing the reaction not just on here but everywhere else to our first defeat has convinced me I was probably right in the first place. It's a difficult enough job as it is, but knowing that the loss of one match will bring the pitchforks out is probably making the task nigh on impossible.
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