The current injury 'situation' proves the difference between a world class coaching set up and an average one. Training methods and ability to set up a team aside. You're right Pie. There is no difference really and I dont think any of us have pretended otherwise.
Where there is a difference is when the 'face' of the club in being the person that speaks in public the most with honest opinions of what is going on and pretty much says it as it is, are those that are 'lauded' the most.
Out of Ashley's employees, stooges or whatever you want to call them, we have probably three people that stand out from the rest in the likability stakes and I dont include Shearer in this as he was used as a stop gap trump card that back fired but again, i'll agree the 'ambition' by Ashley has always been the same so although it could be called hypocrisy, it's a basic fact of life that happens in numerous other day to day events. Off the top of my head, politics is probably the most current comparison. Same shit, different face but different mind sets.
The 3 people I refer to out of the employee list are:
Steve Bruce
Rafael Benitez
Schteeve McClaren
John Carver
Alan Pardew
Chris Hughton
Joe Kinnear
Kevin Keegan
Nigel Pearson
Sam Allardyce