Marinakis doesn't usually sack a manager until he's got the next one lined up. He's almost certainly having conversations, so if he's burned our reputation with decent prospects with all the sackings, at least he'll know before he bins Pereira.
5 May 2026
218
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A mate has got a nice email from Billy in the ticket office thanking him for being one of 241 fans who attended all 16 Europa League games.
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Sacking a manager because he lost a game where half of his regular starters were unavailable, and the regulars that did start played poorly (Milenkovic, Anderson, Wood)?
That would be crazy even for the Big Greek.
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Vitor has been brilliant, absolute breath of fresh air after the dross from Ange and Dyche. And he looks to have hopefully kept us up. BUT his record shows he barely lasts any time anywhere he goes.
So if a top manager becomes available and is willing to come then it absolutely makes sense to make that change in the early summer rather than the seemingly inevitable change in September.
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Me too!
Also it's amazing how sophisticated that Billy chatbot is.
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I'm coming more from the idea that it was only ever really an appointment until the end of the season, but if he'd won Europa and kept us up it would be very difficult not to extend.
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He’s got a contract for another year I think.
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How ‘top’ does this manager need to be? Are we talking Klopp or Guardiola? Or Silva or Iraola? Or are we still aiming too high?
I’m not being facetious, I’m just wondering what we’re actually hoping for or expecting here.
To me, VP is our level, we’ve rolled the dice (again) and so far it’s working out ok. If we sack him can we expect any better? -
I think the (legitimate) concern is whether good guy happy vibes can co-exist with having to make them run up and down sand dunes in pre-season, to avoid the arse falling out of our season at the sharp and pointy end. Again.
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I didn't comment as I thought it was obvious it was pre-planned, given it was half-time and the three who went off were all very likely starters v Villa, replaced by three very likely starters v Villa. (indeed five did, just MGW who didn't for obvious reasons)
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Agreed. it was planned and part of aiming for sharpness later in the week.
Of course in plotting a strategy for approaching these games, the coaches don't have the luxury of knowing the outcome. Unlike critical commentators post event. But that doesn't mean that it's not fair to say 'in retrospect that might have been a mistake'.
I don't actually think that was a mistake. Necessarily. Unfortunate that MGW picked up a bad injury. Unfortunately that other key members of our first choice Euro team are also injured. Sometimes that's just how it is. We couldn't reasonably have made a braver call for the game.
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Get the combination of points gained / rival points dropped we need for safety this weekend, and I think we can call this season a wild ride but a qualified success. Semi-final of a major European competition and not relegated is something most of us would have taken at the start of the season, I think.
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I agree. Without being some form of overly emotional ponce about this, I was fortunate enough to see us play in Europe twice. I went with one of my best mates 30 years to Auxerre, Lyon, Munich and never dreamt I'd have the chance to do it again. This year in Porto we both had our sons with us.
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I entirely agree.
Personally I actually value FA Cup progress over second rate euro pyramid killing competition failure, but potato, potato.
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Or Marato, Moraaato as Alan Smith would say.
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It wasnt (necessarily) having a go at you. I do think there are people who are being retrospectively wise. I agree with the wise one:
Good decision. Bad outcome.
Would Vitor do the same again? I think it was preplanned and given the game state, it was a good idea.
On the subject of Vitor, I think he is tactically more astute than Dyche and has a Plan B and C. I’m not saying those plans are great ones but at least he has alternatives.
I also think the vibes are going some way to pushing us over the line. Which is why last night could be more detrimental than just going out of Europe.
I’m not enamoured with him at all but I think he is a lot better than our previous 2 managers.
