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Another Brit in Stockholm here- former ST holder in the Upper Loft and just wanted to add a few bits.
Firstly, I was lucky enough to be ITK for the first time in my life as my wife is on the board at Hammarby so I’ve known for a few weeks the deal was happening but all parties agreed to keep quiet out of respect for both teams. I’ve also been lucky enough to meet Marti a few times and I know he wanted this move and has been watching our games this season, so I think he will come in and hit the ground running - he has also turned down a couple of offers since the deal failed last year, including a Spanish top flight club.
His Hammarby team have played some lovely football but last nights game summed them up in that they can be open defensively at times, and Marti will never send his team to the corner flag to see out a match….
Also not sure if it’s been said but after the team was gutted last season he has not played much with a ‘traditional’ CF, rather 2 wingers who interchange with a ‘10’ or a build up striker so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Chair as a ‘false 9’ at times and a Chair, Willock and Smyth/Richards front 3 interchanging. Potentially Dykes sold in January to raise some funds to reinvest?
I also wouldn’t be surprised if Armstrong doesn’t feature much in all honesty, I think he might end up out on loan come Jan 1st as Im not sure where he would fit into a Marti team….
On the prospect of signings, I would look at Oscar Petterson (23, winger, 9 goals this season) and Samuel Holm (26, CM, 6 assists) from Brommapojkarna both young and raw but malleable. Allsvenskan teams have been fitting Bromma for their best youngsters for the last few years. I wouldn’t be shocked if someone like Freddie Hammar came on a short loan over winter from Hammarby.
My only concern would be that the more questionable members amongst the fan base will quickly turn on him when rather than our winger kick and running, he checks back inside and recycles play….otherwise I think we have a huge coup on our hands here.
Outstanding, thank you.
In 20+ years of reading football related bollox on the internet, this is the first genuine “in the know” post I’ve ever seen. Should be put in a digital museum
In 20+ years of reading football related bollox on the internet, this is the first genuine “in the know” post I’ve ever seen. Should be put in a digital museum
And like all actual ITKs who have half a brain and a sense of decorum, kept shtum!
I doubt Les came across this guy by himself. Surely part of the wider network he had under him?
I wonder who put that network together?
I didn't want LF to be the first to fall on his sword, I think we've genuinely missed him since he's gone and he'd be very valuable to a coach new to the country, the league and the club right now. But if we can't have him, we do need a smart, competent DOF urgently now to keep the whole thing in place.
This is effectively a Les Ferdinand signing. He gets bad mouthed enough, so I think he deserves some credit.
If Les done all the ground work last year then i agree it should be acknowledged . Shame he didnt get the deal over the line though and went for Critchley or was it Beale instead.? Also a shame he never got a team together that would suit Marti type manager.
Just read they had to pay around 250000-300000 pound in compo to Hammarby. He had 1 year left on the contract i think. So it seems there is a small coffer somewhere.
Maybe I’m just an eternal optimist but I have a feeling that this will turn out well. As others have said on here, reminds me of the De Canio appointment in the Tango and Cash era.
If Les done all the ground work last year then i agree it should be acknowledged . Shame he didnt get the deal over the line though and went for Critchley or was it Beale instead.? Also a shame he never got a team together that would suit Marti type manager.
I mean, you can never be sure with this club but Barbet, Dickie, Dozell, Paal, Willock, and arguably Chair are all LF players who should be thriving under this kind of football.
This is effectively a Les Ferdinand signing. He gets bad mouthed enough, so I think he deserves some credit.
Depends which way you look at it. If Les chose Beale over Cifuentes (and he was crowing about the selection process before things went tits up with Beale), then that's on him too.
Thanks for sharing this. Have to say it's all very encouraging, and only serves to further my increasing excitement about a manager I had not only not heard of 24 hours ago, but also referred to on another thread as a "random Swedish guy"....
Do we know why he would have turned down a top flight Spanish club?
Honestly, no idea - a Wikipedia check says there were 16 manager changes in La Liga last season so if you’re not Barca, Real or Atleti you seem to be 2 draws away from the sack, but I’m just guessing.
Not that QPR are ever immune to 3/4 manager season but I’d imagine he has been promised time to do his thing even if we were to go down.
Pretty sure Clive says in his article or a post that he was in the running when Beale got it and then they would have gone for him after Beale but the compensation needed to get him was too much a year ago.
Either way he was identified through the process Les ran. That much is clear. They banged on about how detailed the process was last summer too, so I assume Hoos just dug that out work and went through it with Belk. Seems a reasonable assumption.
Its gotta be said for all the stick the board has been given this was pretty ruthless. It sounds like Ainsworth's fate was sealed possibly before Blackburn, maybe even at the end of last season and they have been biding their time to get their number one choice. Makes sense now why they stayed so silent, no vote of confidence, no nothing. I wonder if Gareth knew at all
Pretty sure Clive says in his article or a post that he was in the running when Beale got it and then they would have gone for him after Beale but the compensation needed to get him was too much a year ago.
Either way he was identified through the process Les ran. That much is clear. They banged on about how detailed the process was last summer too, so I assume Hoos just dug that out work and went through it with Belk. Seems a reasonable assumption.
Fair enough.
Re. the other Baz's post above, yes, if as it appears they had decided on GA's fate some time ago and were just waiting till their man became available, you could call them ruthless, but also perhaps far more competent than they've been given credit for?
This is why I wish people would reel in in a bit and not think they know how to run and/or manage a football club/team or at least criticise when they don't know the full in's & out's. We just don't know.
Still, leopards and spots and all that.
Oh, the sweet irony of you criticising fans for criticising. You reel it in, pal.
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