Unfair-Lee treated?
After the announcement that John Carver was to be our caretaker manager until the seasons end, to be honest my first reaction was. Well at least a decision has finally been made! As underwhelming as the decision to stick with Carver is, it does however indicate that we have found our (unknown) man to take us forward next season. There is some fear that if Carver does really well, he will be kept on full time next season but I don't think that is the case here.
Lee Charnley has not been in the hot seat long and he has a tough task to win back some trust from the clubs fan base. His predecessor Derek Llambias came across as a very astute financially sound business man but conversely, a really unlikable character with a cold disdain for the clubs fans . He took gambles with player sales and held a tight leash on finances and over time his relationship with the fans descended into a seemingly hate/hate affair. There were no tears when Llambias announced his departure but there was some degree of skepticism when Lee Charnley was promoted from within the ranks of power. No one really seems to know much about the guy and he really hasn't done much to improve this situation with the fans. However throughout his first transfer window I thought he did a good job of bringing players in and trying to get deals over the line. It was actually nice to see that we held off on letting Debuchy go until we had indeed sign cover for him. Maybe mistakes of the past were being heeded? Unfortunately we were still the missing a striker and the replacement for Mbiwa but I do believe that we were working on deals that could not be completed in time. Maybe if we were a little more relaxed with our purse strings it would not have happened, who knows? It would be hard to believe that transfer negotiations were a simple affair. These are still two areas of real concern and hopefully Lee can finally get it right. This transfer window has been thrown into turmoil with the departure of Pardew and looks like being another fizzer. It is almost like torture as we wait for the striker and centre back we need and unfortunately I can see the torture continuing.
As far as Pardews replacement goes, I think we have got someone pre-signed and ready to go next season. I think Charnley knows how important this is and I reckon he will be doing his damnedest to get it right. Given the tight restraints that he has to work with, I think he is doing a good job and seems to be making the right noises. Charnley has really taken on a poisoned chalice of a role with in the club and it can't be easy for him to operate under Ashley's tough finacial model. But if he has his heart in the right place and tries the best he can to drive the club forward and bring back some exciting times then I am willing to cut him a little slack when things don't turn out as they should. The new manager appointment will go a long way to see if my faith in him is right or misguided.
What are your thoughts?
