Some interesting snippets in Paddy's EDP piece

They all had a chat about it after the game:

"But within hours Knapper and Zoe Webber had convened a transatlantic touchpoint with Mark Attanasio and Richard Ressler; City directors and captains of this particular ship in a post-Delia and Michael world."

"A further dialogue early on Tuesday morning reaffirmed the final decision, which was communicated, in order, to Thorup and Glen Riddersholm, then Jack Wilshire and his remaining coaches, before the players were briefed."

Not just about performances, also youth development:

"Declining results and performances may have proven the catalyst, but the perceived failure to improve players was also deemed a slight on his coaching ability from those inside the corridors of power."

Confusing communication with the players:

"At every turn Thorup the coach felt increasingly out of synch with the demands of melding a squad for Championship combat. Thorup the person was warm, engaging and excellent at conveying his message to the public. But that clarity was not always felt in the confines of the dressing room."


Personally I think we pretty much went backwards after his tactics were worked out around November and teams started to exploit our weaknesses. There was a little purple patch in the new year but that papered over the cracks. He did have a lot to contend with but also I feel was a bit out of his depth.

Posted By: Knitted Jesus, Apr 23, 09:38:03