League One. With a squad that included Nick Powell and an in form Will Grigg, and several other players far too good for League One. With that squad, at that level, they'd have won the league without a manager. Cook didn't win anything. If anything, the lads won the league despite Cook.
At the time, admittedly it looked like Cook was doing a good job, but surely the last year and a half should've opened your eyes to the reality that it was never about Cook that year.
Hardly Cook, was it, being honest. It was a squad flying high on form and confidence and pulling out all the stops, and with no small measure of fortune that City took us for granted and didn't perform on the day. It wasn't a tactical masterclass, however fondly we remember it.
By a unicorn's pube, and judging by the manner of our survival (going on a run at the death), it was more about the players digging in for their own pride. And not having to take a pay cut on relegation. If Cook had had an epiphany and finally sussed it out at this level, that form would've carried into this season, because the squad is better this year than last year. But for Nick Powell, who barely played anyway, we're stronger now in every position.
And have those been stellar performances? Did we consummately outplay any of those teams we got points from? We've not improved, we've just had some luck for once, and I don't want a manager who can only win when we're lucky. Our squad has the potential to be so much better and we seeing barely any of it.
11 points from 8 games is hardly flying high, and it's rather selective to just ignore the diabolical form we've seen for over a year leading up to our recent rise to semi-passable mediocrity.
Yes, the worst. Statistically, and in terms of the entertainment value of the football on show. After having a season ticket for 19 years now, I'm not renewing if Cook is in charge. I have better things to do than pay hundreds of pounds for the dross Cook serves up. I'm far far from the only one. Our squad is much better than what we're seeing, and that is on Cook. The club has spent the past 20 plus years building and growing. The fanbase has quadrupled in that time, and Cook, in two years, stands to take us back to square one. And that's despite spending circa ten million quid on players. If we'd given Malky, Joyce, or Swain that much backing, I'd be willing to bet we'd have seen at least some return on it, rather than going backwards as we have done. If that's not the worst we've ever had, I'd be fascinated to know who you think has been worse?
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