As I made my way to East London the other night, I had time to ponder a transfer window where the club failed to deliver either of the two strategies it could have deployed. They could either pursue Premier League quality and try to pay over the odds at a hope of survival, or start planning a team for the championship. They did neither.
As a result, whatever hope remained of survival will bleed away from the fan base, the manager is reportedly questioning his position and I suspect the few good players we have, are now wondering if they’re in the right place. What does Remi Garde say to players tomorrow to get them up for the game? I would be lost for words.
I accepted relegation a while back and as a fan, I can accept good days and bad days. What I cannot stomach though, is the embarrassment. Our performances, our board, our league position and now our transfers are the laughing stock of the league. That hurts. I fear the rest of the season will now be a gloomy march towards the inevitable, barely a scrap in sight.
Attendances will fall, any half decent player will be linked away and we’ll exit the Premier League with a whimper not a roar.
Of course it didn’t all start with this transfer window or even the window before but you can only deal with what’s in front of you. Mistakes should be learnt from but sadly, the football season doesn’t wait for you to learn them. We needed players and the transfer committee failed on all counts. Now heads should roll.
Away from the board, I’ll sing for 90mins tonight and give Remi Garde my full support. He seems to feel the same as me- frustrated by the board. Honestly though? I wouldn’t blame him for walking away.