Not a single excuse – not one!
It would have been so easy to have moaned and groaned from the moment this appalling injury jinx struck the club but that’s not the Slaven Bilic way.
Instead he has managed to put a positive spin on everything: Payet’s absence? That gives Lanzini his chance? Lanzini missing? Zarate will step up to the plate, Moses? Ok Michail it’s down to you.
And all the way down the line he has got a reaction from the squad as one after another they have gone down like a row of nine pins and along the way changed training grounds.
Now it’s Carroll’s turn to suffer another absence yet all we hear from the boss is that it will only be for one match and all the other players are rushing their way back to full fitness. In the meantime he declares we have top strikers in Valencia and Jelavic!
I’m not going to make a comparison between Slav and the former boss because quite simply there isn’t one. In fact after nearly more than enough years than I want to remember covering football I’ve never seen a boss quite like him.
They all make excuses, they are all economic with the truth and any opportunity to find a handy reason for defeat is taken.
So as this Christmas approaches I have my present and am still enjoying it – the arrival of a manager who not only ‘gets’ us but refuses any approach than to take everything that comes his way totally in his stride and refuse to be anything other than entirely honest.
Compare that approach to what we’ve seen from Jose Mourinho over recent weeks – again Slav has shown himself to be entirely different class.
Thanks for the first five months of your reign. I’m looking forward to the next five years and beyond with great expectation. I just love the honesty and the refusal to do anything other than accept whatever happens out on that pitch is down to him.
Such a change – such an almighty refreshing change.
Thank goodness Moyes said no, Benitez was otherwise engaged, Ancelotti reckoned there were bigger bigger fish to fry and Klopp waited to be Kopped.
We got our man – the best man. Merry Christmas.
Another brill article Hugh..
Haven’t been this happy for many years. Slav a breath of fresh air and agree with hamfan01! were not loosing and could have actually taken some games..Luck will turn..
Lets be posetive for the NEW YEAR..COUI
The fact that, while we aren’t winning many at the moment, we’re also not losing a huge number, is the thing to concentrate on. All we need is a 1-0 win, a scrambled goal, and Tha mojo will come back. I’m still having more fun now than in all the BFS years.
bet its a fun christmas at their house
Relegation form ?
Don’t get that one !
Spot on Hugh most of us feel the same way ! Some just do not see even when looking ?
2 points behind the spuds ! Injury,s galore !
Relegation form ? Just don’t get it ?
There have been no excuses from Bilic , that’s very true . Apart from bemoaning missed chances which is absolutely normal . Our Christmas Stocking seems to have sprung a few holes though with players falling through them . This Latest ( not surprisingly , is Carroll ) injury has come at a crucial moment in our already slippery period of the season . We are in a worse position now compared to this time last season . But I feel reasonably confident we can overcome and get back on track with hard fought wins over Swansea and Aston Villa . With Valencia available and Michail looking good things could start to improve . Hopefully Zarate & Moses will come through . No team can sustain so many injuries Without expecting to slide down the table ,, so comparisons to BS are rather pointless . I honestly believe we can be in a happy place by the end of January .. COYH
BFS USED EXCUSSE NEVER HEARD OF AND WILL BE USING THEM WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH AGAIN,
enough of that dead beat
Can’t agree more with you Hugh it’s been a breath of fresh air to our club and our sport,
There is no place for people that think they are bigger than the club and fans they represent
Slav does his job with dignity,honour and you can see the love he has for this club,
I hope he stays along time
Looking forward to a great new year
The reason BFS wasn’t allowed to use injuries as an excuse for our slide down the table last year post xmas is that his persistent employment of a poor formation and consistent selection of faded old war horses like Nolan was so clearly the cause of the tumble down the log. l thought everybody could see that.
Unless of course you mean that the injuries struck at xmas and lasted the whole of the remainder of last season.
sam wasn’t allowed to use injuries as an excuse for our slide down the table last year post xmas. So why should slav use it as an excuse for our slide down the table pre xmas this year? Fact is the b team this year is probably better than the a team last year. We have quality back up in every position. However we need to get out of the relegation form we are currently in and start picking some points up.