Dan

It does remind me of when Tottenham appointed Nuno a few years ago, it became a bit of a cycle and with each rejection just made it a bit more embarrassing, so they likely view this as less embarrassing than another turn down. But honestly, how can he can serve up a season like that and land the Bayern job. It just feels alien to me. He wasn't just bad - I'd go as far as saying in the top 10 worst seasons I've seen a manager have. They got 101 points in the Championship, so in fairness, he deserves credit for that. But when you take the league apart in such a way I really think you ought to be capable of making a mark in the next league up. I think how many points would say a team 15th in the Premier League be expected to get in the Championship? 101 isn't unreasonable. To do this, spend over a hundred million and get 24 points, win only 5 games all season and of those, only 2 of them were against teams they didn't come up with - even one of those needed an opposition red card after 9 minutes! They weren't just bad, they were disastrous. It might be a case of him only suiting a squad with better players than the opposition, but if that's the bar for a manager then it's pretty low and it isn't going to serve them well in Europe. I think with Alonso committing to another year at Leverkusen they've got to be worth a bet to retain the league.

He's inexperienced as a manager, but I don't think he's this either. He's been quite vocally unhappy with our hierarchy for a lot of the season - something I do agree with him on.

My scepticism of tacticos on Twitter is too high. Them being in favour just convinces me this is a bad move.

In fairness I don't think Kompany would be in my top 50,000 candidates.

Maresca the favourite. He'd take it. He's not particularly happy with our hierarchy. Danny made the case for Frank staying at Brentford rather than taking Chelsea which I understood, but Maresca's not been happy with our lot for ages. I think he wants to stay here but wants certain assurances - you mix in both that and Chelsea interest I think he takes it. I'd be intrigued to see how he handles better players and those with more of a fit to his style of play but that'd be an enormous gamble for Chelsea. I mean it was a gamble for us. I think he's done a good job here on the whole, but he's shown a few red flags in the last few months. We got over the line but losing 7 of our last 14 with our squad level comparatively is quite worrying.

I'm actually at a complete loss at this point in football. It's actually quite bleak how much failing upwards is taking place. Think Leverkusen will walk it again next season.

Di Marzio reckons they actually want Maresca. That'll change things. He'll take that. I think he'd told us he wanted to stay with certain assurances but it's easier to do this when Chelsea aren't in for you. I think the compensation package we'd receive will be of interest to us.

Could've swore I put I was in. But here we are again, in!

I think they've possibly stumbled on the correct decision but the process that's taken them to it would seriously concern me if I was a Chelsea fan. How he can preside over a largely dire season and survive it on the proviso that it's some sort of build for the future, to then get the sack after literally the first time during his tenure where they've started to show any serious promise. It's like decisions being made by a computer and not a very good one. The list of potential targets as well are further 'project' coaches. McKenna, Michel, Maresca and Hoeness were the four I saw linked. These are all gambles. I could understand this if they had a top manager lined up who they thought could add the finishing touches, but this just seems driven by a fear of missing out on the next big thing more than anything else. Which is largely what they've been about under Boehly. For all the money swashing around the Premier League I think it's still ripe with total ineptness.

They've been fairly weakened by both injury and sales, but then I feel like we say this about pretty much every team and injuries to a point surely there's a bit of a leveller here. I don't think De Zerbi is bad, I just find he prompts some of the most absurd takes ever. I mean I saw him the other week getting praised for the way Brighton were playing out from the back against Man City, while being absolutely hammered, creating nothing, having loads created against them. I feel like I'm viewing football in a totally parralel universe to these people. I think he probably gets a pretty big job but no guarantee of success at all. He's quite a gamble.

It's nice to see a new name make it. Anyone else notice that the same three teams that fell in the play-offs this season also did last year? Quite peculiar.

I've long suspected that they've clashed a bit and that their downturn was thanks to him mentally clocking out of the place somewhat. Could be wrong of course but I'm a lot less surprised by this than the majority seem to be. His performance this season has been pretty ordinary. I think an obviously talented coach but never known somebody get so much smoke blown up their arse for so little tangible achievement. Lets be clear here, I'm seeing him called a genius, compared to the undoubted elite and based on what? I'd want a fair bit more evidence than what we've had especially this season. They don't even really score anymore. He seemed to want a bit more control on transfers than Brighton were willing to allow. Fair play to Brighton. Another who like West Ham have shook hands when it's clearly taking a downturn. I will forever resent our inability to do this in 2022. It's set us back years. Nobody is bigger than the club - that will always be the best way over time.

Genuinely, this has been fucking awful. First legs two of the shittest games you'll watch. Second legs the favourites have just strolled it. Definitely the two teams who deserve to be in it the most though if you're totally honest.

What an awful playoffs so far. Come on West Brom give us something.

The points tally this season to win the league wasn't actually 'that' high. Man City have raised the bar to an almost depressingly unattainable level but then at the same time I think they had a bit of an off year, first half of the season especially and they've still ended up almost certainly winning it. I don't think topping them was impossible this season despite the fact they have raised the bar. The others let them off the hook this time.

The lack of competition is a direct knock on from Champions League qualification being celebrated like its a trophy.

WEEKS 39, 40 & 41 Finally got around to doing these. A pretty horrid three weeks in general though. Just three weeks to go.

Been quite busy with housemoving lately, will get tables done possibly tomorrow albeit, don't forget this weeks. Aaaargh I was so good at doing this in the early part of the season. I think the constant losses have broken me.

Usually sympathetic when most sackings are heavily criticised but do think this one is a bit harsh. But then I also think they've invested quite a bit this season, they have quite a formidable attacking team and they were bang average post January despite the Carvalho / Zaroury additions. It's brutal but I can see why their owner is disappointed to not make the top six. Then again, this was a particularly tough year and you'd have backed them to be up there next time out. I'll be intrigued to see who comes in.

Serie B have a pretty good system for this I think. It's something like the top two go up, then whoever of 3rd-10th gets within X number of points of 2nd makes up the playoffs. It's probably the fairest I've seen.