Nigel Worthington

There comes a time when it becomes obvious that a football manager has lost the plot. On 24th September 2000 City lost 4-0 at Molineux to a poor Wolves side who, if they had bothered, could probably have got 10. Afterwards Hamilton praised City's performance. Whether he was unaware that the game was on Sky and that we all knew he was lying, or whether he really thought we had played well doesn't really matter - the point was he hadn't got a clue what was wrong, much less any idea how to put it right. And the reaction of the board was instructive: instead of booting him out they supported him, and behind the scenes they bleated about people being out to get the manager. Even after he had done the decent thing and f**ked off of his own accord Cooper praised him as excellent and rued the tragedy of his departure. Are people stricken with some insanity when they join the boards of football clubs so that they can't see what is bleeding obvious to everyone else?

Because the tragedy of the present situation is that we have been down this road so many times before, a manager who has done an excellent job for City runs out of steam - but everyone is so transfixed by his past achievements that even the suggestion that his time has passed lays one open to the charge of not being a true supporter. Michael Wynn-Jones has seen this happen to managers from MacAuley onwards - he needs to set personal feelings aside and take the decision that is right for the club, and for Worthy too. It is not accident that the fortunes of both the scum and Burley have turned around since Sheepy took the belated decision to fire Fuck off George.

For me the point when I tumbled to the fact that Worthy had lost it was at Bolton last year. Holt and Edworthy were included. The former a player who had had a life-threatening injury, and the latter a good championship defender, but just not quite up to it week in and week out in the higher league. On the bench were Safri, a player who has been at the heart of virtually everything that has been good since then, and Helveg, after Peters the most distinguished player ever to don the yellow and green. In the event, in a match that should have been there for the taking, City failed to get even one shot on target, and lost to a goal brought about by a weak defensive header from the floundering Eddy.

And then when Safri and Helveg were picked, Worthy did it grudgingly because he didn't want them moaning that they hadn't been given a chance. City were transformed and went on a run that, if it had started a fortnight earlier would have saved us.

Worthington has many fine qualities, but he does not learn from his errors. And three recurring errors are particularly relevant to the present situation:
Firstly, every game this season, and I think, every game bar one last season, has featured at least one player playing out of position. This does not work. The right hand side of our team is instructive: our first choice right back thinks he is a centre back, and our first choice right midfielder thinks he is a central midfielder.

And this brings me on to our second problem: transfer policy. I think that bringing players in is a lottery anyway - you never how a new face will fit in - so why get rid of someone who has played well for City. Why on earth sign the 32 year old unknown quantity Peter thorne? Why not give the tried and tested 30 year old Matty Svensson the 2 year contract he wanted? ANd why sign two new right backs and bin Eddy? Eddy may not be quite premiership quality but he's succesful at this level - I'd rather see him competing with either MLJ or Colin than having two new unknown quantities in. But then the whole transfer strategy mystifies me. We have 4 goalies. 3 left backs, and 2 emergency left backs - yet since May 2004 we haven't had one player whose natural position is on the right side of midfield. Kevin Cooper may not be the greatest player in the world, but 16 months ago he was playing very well for City in this position. No attempt was made to sign him. It is apparent to all of us that there are problems onthe right side of midfield, central defence, and arguably in the centre of midfield. Yet we were ready to pay ?2 million on yet another journeyman striker.

And the third problem is the playing of favourites wek in week out. Gary Holt played match after match last season despite being way out of his depth. And last season was our worst defensively since 56/7, yet Craig Fleming - a player who is clearly not the same since Malky left - was picked for every single game.

The only solution to this is for the board to apply themselves to the task of finding a new manager now, whether it is from within the club or without. If Worthington is still in charge after the Wolves game on 5th November and chance of the play-offs will have long gone. If he is still in charge on 1st January even survival may be in question.

Posted By: Winged Eel Creosote, Aug 27, 21:46:48