Money talks and Keane had it. Providing that's there players will sign regardless of how we may have appeared.Keane was lucky to have the money to spend he did, but he inherited a depleated squad where good players weren't willing to join. We were on our arses when Keane arrived and were looked upon as a joke due to the 15 and 19 point seasons. There was more than just performances on the field to turn around.
Erm prices are more inflated now. However prices at that time were more inflated than they were for many of the following seasons.
He started to do it and then messed it up. Unbelievable you suggest his base should have been stronger, yet ignore that Bruce spent money adding to it and by the end he barely had a base. Bruce was lucky to both have money and have a decent sized squad in there to wheel and deal with.
Oh and as for Cana, he was that good that by the end of the season Bruce had replaced him with a Keane signing David Meyler.
Of course you judge the season, but there was a marked difference between the first half and the second, which continued on into the next season just as it did with Reid in 2001. It would be foolish to ignore that when the writing is on the wall.
More perilous positions? I don't think we have unless you're going back to 1987. McCarthy might not have had money to spend but he had the end of one season and a squad of almost 60 players to lose the best from and still have a squad that cost about £20m to build. Keane was announced after five defeats and appeared at the WBA game, which gave some belief and a change in mood. I love it how you're trying to include the WBA as a reason to say how things weren't so bad, when infact the change in mind and belief came totally after the annoncement he was taking over and the fact he was at the game almost certainly had an effect. We were heading only one way before he arrived, with some terrible pre season signings after losing everyone of value.
Bruce had started the excuses and backtracking before months before he left, it probably heightened the feelings of dislike towards him.
I don't think they are more inflated now it's just relative to how prices of everything will increase over a period of time.
His base should have been stronger. He had a handful of decent enough premier league players to choose from out of an expensively assembled squad which he added some good players too.
Cana got crocked around January and never looked the same. Up until that point he'd been excellent.
To sack Bruce after finishing tenth would've been very harsh. He'd earned the right to rebuild with the money he generated. Hindsight a wonderful thing.
The situation Reid walked into was far and away more perilous man. We had flirted with the third tier just about every season in the 90s until he turned up. Poor crowds, no money I think the fans had just about give up. Promotion under him was a complete bolt out of the blue. We had never looked so far away from top flight football apart from mcmenemys two years.
So Keane sitting in the stands was enough to inspire an insipid bunch into action was it? Come on perry you know your stretching it a bit there mind. To say we were heading one way is again purely used to suit your agenda. We had played 5 games yet when Keane left in the November a few year later you said it was too early to judge how it would turn out. Trying to have your cake and eat it again mind perry.
Bruce talked of his signings needing time to gel which is the standard line managers use when bringing a few in in order to try and buy time. Nothing will alter my stance that the fans turned so vociferously against him because of his heritage and record against the mags coupled with them unexpectedly flying. Don't get me wrong there would certainly have been mutterings whoever it was but it wouldn't have been quite as severe.
No opposition fans to have a roll about with today like general?He knows fuck all mate