How many flat liners? I softly touched on that before as well, curious what game everybody thinks we get our first victory. CL ofcourse not affecting the graph but I’ll count them. Espanyol the best chance, if not, we might have to wait 2 months.
This twitter acc is mentioning that Lope has received an ultimatum from the management.
I’m really having a hard time thinking about what that ‘ultimatum’ might be.
Let me guess:
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Don’t concede more than 4 goals vs. Barca
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Don’t concede more than 4 goals vs. City
Or something along the lines? What kind of pathetic standard are we setting here?
Unless it is win at least one of Barca and City matches, then this is utterly disgusting and not serious at all. Or maybe Espanyol and Copenhagen away will be the ‘lifeline’ opportunities?
Shameful.
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I wonder if there’s not drama behind the scenes? Could the ultimatum be something to do with how he handles himself instead of the results on the pitch?
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Could very well be. Maybe they are also forcing him to change the style and try different systems, or build some non-existing ones like counter-attacking or making better use of set pieces and crosses.
Let’s see.
That’s wild (if true…)!!
3 weeks into the new season and 2 days before the end of the window the board:
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Give an ultimatum to a coach who’s been struggling and has possibly lost at least part of the dressing room for since the start of the year. (This is the same coach they backed, then sought to replace, before deciding he was the best available option.)
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They decide to call time on several players, a couple of whom are/have been fairly regular contributors.
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Prevent their Sporting Director from making moves for players as it’s seen as a big risk.
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Sign off on a player who has been unable to play, for some mysterious reason, only to now decide he has to go for some tests in Madrid.
The team have no strikers that provide a consistent goal threat, the attacking play at best lasts for 45 minutes a game and there are two, fit, recognised centre backs, one of whom has only been at the club for a couple of weeks.
It’s utterly ridiculous and shameful that Lopetegui’s been left to struggle on with little help or hope. If they can’t/don’t want to sack him, they’re basically letting this situation reach boiling point and seeing who gets burnt first. He’s not the only one who needs to leave…
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Marcelino rumored as a replacement if Lope’s sacked.
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Don’t love remembering that 2011-2012 season of Míchel and Marcelino. But I also think he could be a stable hand to get us through the season. And probably slightly cheaper and less crazy than Sampaoli. I sorta suspect no one on the board would want to work with Sampaoli after what he did last time (and the rumors that the OM management hated him)!
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The coming games shouldn’t count, they should only give him extra bonus life points. If we steal something or lose gracefully.
However If it will be 6-0 butt kickings in both games as Shendm said, and lost all competitiveness. It will be the trigger without hesitation.
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Marcelino has been disastrous in our 2011-12 season - was sacked mid-season on 6th of February 2012 because of poor results.
However, what I love about the guy is that he has since evolved a lot as a coach and now can be easily considered as one of the best coaches in La Liga.
Some of his achievements since then:
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Sent Villarreal in the semis of EL in 2015-16 and finished 4th with them in La Liga that season + CDR semis in 2014-15.
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Finished 4th in La Liga with Valencia in two consecutive seasons (2017-18 and 2018-19), sent them to EL semis in 2018-19 and in CDR semis the season before that.
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Won the Spanish Supercup and went to CDR final in 2020-21 (in half a season only) with Bilbao and reached CDR semis in 2021-22 with them.
I’d say he is a very solid coach now and could take us to new heights with the support of Monchi.
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I’m wishing and praying that we get Marcelino btw. We need that guy to get us back on the rails.
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I’d take marcelino as well. He’s evolved like you say and do very well at the last couple of clubs he been at. He’s a very experienced coach and knows the Spanish league well.
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Look at y’all, giving up so easily on Lopetegui, wishing for another terrorist of a coach in Marcelino. I’m disgusted. Tuh! 
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I’d take Marcelino returning also. His last spell with us was ten years ago and he’s evolved a lot since then and had a lot of success with the clubs he’s been at. Lots of experience in La Liga also and would at least steady the ship which is what I think we need. We could do worse.
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If we are going to change, let’s make the change someone we can count on to bring new ideas and modern football. Marcelino isn’t that.
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Déjà Vu is terrible when it repeats.
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The board has disappointed all Sevillista by showing they’re happy with the status quo, react late only when the inevitable comes which 90% of us already know this coming years ago, don’t give a shit to what makes football’s football, lack of vision, doesn’t even try to help Lope which they decided to stick with by selling YEN & Ocampos early on.
I can only say that it’s a great way to lose fans worldwide.
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Poorest planning of a pre-season and summer transfer window since who knows when…
This is really shameful. Now we can only cross our fingers and hope that things work, or experience the inevitable (sacking of Lope) and then a pathetic transitional season with an anonymous coach…
Too predictable.
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Sadly i have to agree. This is well below the Standards required for a champions league team.
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Excellent very well-rounded article that I think sums up the situation to a tee.
For once, Monchi doesn’t seem to have got the big calls right for whatever reason. We could have parted with Lope in May in much more amicable terms than what we’re going to see now and properly rebuilt the squad. In the past, every time there has been a coming of a new era and we’ve lost a manager and star players, we’ve rebuilt and experienced more success. Not so far this time. Lope remains and although we got in the region of €80m for Carlos and Kounde, have failed to adequately replace them and reinvest in the rest of the squad. There is time before the transfer window shuts, but you feel any move now will be forced and rushed and the damage may sadly already be done.
A quite staggering fact from that article is we’ve only once failed to get into Europe since 2003 and managed to get into top half every single season without fail since our return to La Liga in 2001.
The question on all our lips is whether that astonishing record is under threat this season and where we go next from here.
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