Quote Originally Posted by Geoff Parkstone View Post
I think such comparisons are a tad iniquitous. We had zero expectation of Rosenior's hurriedly patched up squad, so it's performance across a handful of games would always have looked reasonable. Fans expectations (with the usual rapid forgetting of the recent past) rapidly escalated and so when PW's recruits didn't tear the league apart, they were suddenly crap.

Sure there have been failures (eg in the loan market in particular) but the less you pay, the greater incidence there will be of abject failure or, conversely, surprise success. Playing the free transfer market is hit or miss.

Look at the sainted Manchester United and it's transfer policy. Even with their massive resources, they have recently spunked away over £ 200 million on strikers Anthony (no goals, no assists in 19 games) Hojland (no league goals, no assists in 15 games) and Sancho (no comment needed). Yet their manager seems to be (curiously) untouchable, no doubt based on past successes. PW has had past success.

Managers need luck in recruiting, no matter how much they have to spend. The less money they have, the moe luck they need. Maybe LR was more lucky, maybe he is a better manager (Hull are doing well,) but frankly it doesn't matter. He isn't our manager now. No point looking back with rose tinted glasses.

All good...except that ‘Rosenior’s hurriedly patched up squad’ wasn’t judged on a ‘handful of games’. It was (Springett’s and White’s minimal contributions apart) the squad that got us to 7th last season.