Big Ange thread

[Benjamin]

Slightly off topic from Big Ange but in the decade, maybe decade and a half when I was following Middlesbrough home and quite often away we didn't really have an awful lot to get us excited. Sure there was promotions and relegations and the occasional cup run but nothing that really made you feel like you were top of the footballing world.

Then in 1995 out of the blue we signed Juninho or Juninho Paulista as he later became know as....

Then aged 22 and South America's player of the year, Juninho had been tracked by numerous European top clubs, and it was a major surprise when he signed for us. He was swiftly followed by the £7m Italy and Juventus striker Fabrizio Ravanelli and another very good Brazilian called Emerson.

Middlesbrough? It was probably a bit of a culture shock for all of them to say the least!

But it was Juninho who lit up Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium. We'd never seen a player like him. He was unbelievable, to us a frightening talent with a myriad of skills and the football world at his feet. Never seen a player like him at Middlesbrough and never seen one like him since. Totally transformed the team, we went from a meat and two veg footballing side to an exotic Brazilian moqueca overnight. It was a complete eye opening episode. Personally it really educated me in the intricacies of 'the beautiful game' It made me view the aesthetic of football and the abilities of footballers from an entirely different prism.

It was a roller-coaster ride too, we got to two cup finals and got relegated too. But the excitement levels had never in my time as a regular been higher....

Bryan Robson was manager at the time. He totally embraced his players abilities to his eventual downfall. Some years later we had the super pragmatic Tony Pulis as the gaffer....

Give me the Robson years anytime....

Robbo took you from an average second tier side to a side that competed at the top end of the first.

Slightly off topic from Big Ange but in the decade, maybe decade and a half when I was following Middlesbrough home and quite often away we didn't really have an awful lot to get us excited. Sure there was promotions and relegations and the occasional cup run but nothing that really made you feel like you were top of the footballing world.

Then in 1995 out of the blue we signed Juninho or Juninho Paulista as he later became know as....

Then aged 22 and South America's player of the year, Juninho had been tracked by numerous European top clubs, and it was a major surprise when he signed for us. He was swiftly followed by the £7m Italy and Juventus striker Fabrizio Ravanelli and another very good Brazilian called Emerson.

Middlesbrough? It was probably a bit of a culture shock for all of them to say the least!

But it was Juninho who lit up Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium. We'd never seen a player like him. He was unbelievable, to us a frightening talent with a myriad of skills and the football world at his feet. Never seen a player like him at Middlesbrough and never seen one like him since. Totally transformed the team, we went from a meat and two veg footballing side to an exotic Brazilian moqueca overnight. It was a complete eye opening episode. Personally it really educated me in the intricacies of 'the beautiful game' It made me view the aesthetic of football and the abilities of footballers from an entirely different prism.

It was a roller-coaster ride too, we got to two cup finals and got relegated too. But the excitement levels had never in my time as a regular been higher....

Bryan Robson was manager at the time. He totally embraced his players abilities to his eventual downfall. Some years later we had the super pragmatic Tony Pulis as the gaffer....

Give me the Robson years anytime....

I was at the City Hall in Newcastle watching Reeves and Mortimer live the day Boro signed Juninho, and Bob ran back onto the stage for the encore wearing a Juninho shirt. Suffice to say expectations were high.

I knew a couple of lads in the youth team back then, who talked about how Juninho would finish training, and the rest of the players would go home, but he'd stay back on his own taking freekicks.

 

[JS96]

Levelled but conceded again 2min later. Not watching.

 

[tsf]

3-1 now. Farking hell.

Surely they sack him after that.

 

[rebelliousfeminist974]

Chris Wood converts a penalty in the third minute of second half stoppage time to make it 3-2 but the goal will most likely be a consolation for Forest. Ange still winless in all competitions as it stands, with Forest 27th in the Europa League standings.

 

[rebelliousfeminist974]

Surely they sack him after that.

I won't be surprised if Ange ends up getting his marching orders sooner or later especially given the fact that he's now the first Forest head coach in a hundred years to go winless in his first six games at the helm unless they can bounce back and get results both in the league and in European competition.

 

[JS96]

Some defence of Ange by rational observers. The Danish side is well drilled. The defenders were apparently woeful themselves so that's on them. No pre season with a squad used to a totally different system. I don't think anyone can come in and get things going so soon. This is the exciting challenge now to take the time to switch over and work towards something. The owner is a clown in his own right so anything can happen.

 

[JS96]

Fucking Fox Sports only coming around when things are bad. Multiple posts. They couldn't care about the game otherwise.

 

[southmelb]

The question is when is the first win coming? I dont see it happening. Im gonna say gone after Newcastle.

 

[riquelmes_laces]

The question is when is the first win coming? I dont see it happening. Im gonna say gone after Newcastle.

I fail to see how going to Forrest in the circumstance he has can be a success.

The only thing that he's going to gain out of it is another healthy severance package.

 

[jas88]

holy jesus

 

[tsf]

Did anyone think this was a good fit?

He of course could turn it around, but extremely hard to see it.

 

[riquelmes_laces]

Did anyone think this was a good fit?

He of course could turn it around, but extremely hard to see it.

Ange thrives when his squad is comparatively the best in the league.

Tottenhams was pretty much head and shoulders above the rest in Europa last year bar ManU who finished above them in the league.

I’ve never seen Ange take a mid-table club to the top without comparatively elite recruitment.

 

[Pasquali]

Ange thrives when his squad is comparatively the best in the league.

Tottenhams was pretty much head and shoulders above the rest in Europa last year bar ManU who finished above them in the league.

I’ve never seen Ange take a mid-table club to the top without comparatively elite recruitment.

Yeah, and he is known for taking time to get it going as well. No pre season and an average squad don't help. Even with a pre-season they say it takes time to click.

Not to mention the wheels fell off for Forest towards the end of last season, and they have been following that form since.

 

[onedaywinners...]

Ange thrives when his squad is comparatively the best in the league.

Tottenhams was pretty much head and shoulders above the rest in Europa last year bar ManU who finished above them in the league.

I’ve never seen Ange take a mid-table club to the top without comparatively elite recruitment.

And I’ve never seen Guardiola win anything without spending hundreds of millions on already world class squads, but apparently he is one of the best ever…go figure.

I think Ange loves a challenge and to prove the doubters wrong. That doesn’t mean he will turn this around but the collective knocking on the bloke is unprecedented honestly.

Not talking about the folks in here just more broadly in the football world most people loathe him and I think it’s because he flips the bird to how the game ‘should be played’.

 

[melbcityguy]

Lupi would be losing it over this

 

[zimbos05]

All my fears about Ange coming true. I can't imagine he will survive long in this position. It was always a poisoned chalice coming in for a manager who was so loved, and Ange comes across as the Nepo hire. I'm surprised he jumped at the job so quickly. He's usually a lot smarter than that.

 

[LFC]

Pascuali - lets get some perspective on Forest last season overall.
Obviously punched above their weight early season but despite the drop off late season they hung in finishing 7th thanks to most of the players Ange has under his watch - Nuno did very well imo - average squad over 38 games did very well.
To finish above quite a few regular mid table Clubs was damn impressive.
4 points off 4th - Toon P5 and Villa P6 had more GA as well talking 24/25.
Sure they struggled early this season its just 6 games in but the big fellow greek owner has destabilised his own Club dumping Nuno just 3 games in favouring a fellow greek Ange that tbh I question Ange's ego here but his call ($).
Its all doom gloom naturally but objectively they are 10points behind top place with many others trailing.

Hate to say it Ange has had a charmed run pre Spurs - as r_laces mentions, put aside building up Roar he has walked into 2 top clubs with budgets and forged on but going to the BIG league ie Spurs his game is found out due to the fierce competition it is at top flight - look at Amorin what United have spent and ongoing gaffa changes.
Ange's trouble is you don't get alot of rope in the epl - lets see IF the big greeks patience persists.

 

[riquelmes_laces]

And I’ve never seen Guardiola win anything without spending hundreds of millions on already world class squads, but apparently he is one of the best ever…go figure.

I think Ange loves a challenge and to prove the doubters wrong. That doesn’t mean he will turn this around but the collective knocking on the bloke is unprecedented honestly.

Not talking about the folks in here just more broadly in the football world most people loathe him and I think it’s because he flips the bird to how the game ‘should be played’.

Guardiola is more than a cheque-book manager, he is lucky to be born in Catalonia i'll give you that, but he had to work hard for everything else including being accepted into La Masia. Then he had to cement his place in the first team and become a great captain of the club. The rest is history.

Ange has always been ahead of the curve with most clubs he's taken over. As LFC mentions above, the game at the highest level has caught up to him and overtaken him.

If you can't find a way to win, the only option a club chairman has is to show you the exit door otherwise it is relegation.

 

[southmelb]

Generally he has taken on the right projects but this had red flag written all over it. As much as Nuno was loved he couldnt buy a win towards the back end of last season and the first few games of this season were patchy to put it mildly. Ange should have taken the year off and let the gloss of the Europa win carry him through to better job opportunities, was too keen to get back into it.

I'd say he has about 2 games left to buy himself more time and i dont see them beating either Newcastle or Chelsea.

 

[JS96]

The same issues are occurring, injuries. The squad is now thinner. Like Spurs, the club has an erratic head so anything could happen. Nuno was an abject failure at Spurs so work that one out.

This isn't Ange's squad. Ange is good at coming in and fixing a side. Forest didn't need fixing. Now the owner needs to decide if he wants to persist until the winter window but there's so much impatience. Forest reached their peak last season so it would've been hard to emulate with whoever was in charge.