09 Feb 2026 16:10:10
As with Semenyo and Guehi I fear Alonso will end up at City. The absolute reluctance of the board to sack Slot says they genuinely believe he is the right man for the job. They see him as a man who can change this from being a disastrous season to a reasonable one.
There is no way now Slot gets sacked before the final ball is kicked in May, if at all. We won't with the CL and will likely be out the Cup before long. And when that happens the players will surely give up and down tools. As professional as they are surely they are feeling this as well. We could genuinely finish out side the top 10.
Slot will be manager for the start of next season. I just do not see Hughes and Edwards sacking him. They seem to be putting all this down to the tragic and unprecedented events of the summer which is so wrong and I feel disrespectful. I fear this is the start of another long period of struggling to finish top 4 and the occasional domestic cup win. Slot is here to saty by the look of it.
09 Feb 2026 17:04:25
Hughes and Slot need to maintian the self-image they present to the world. They demanded absolute control, and thought they could do this without a figurehead like Jurgen.
Hughes has shown his weakness by not truly knowing what he was hiring. The psychology of a person is the most important thing, at that level of leadership.
Slot has not moved into the area and has no connection to L4.
Slot goes home or to Dubai at every opportunity.
Slot makes endless excuses like Ten hag did.
Slot is welded to an idea about how the game should be played, which is a delusional fantasy.
Alonso is a superior man manager, figurehead, brain etc etc.
Edwards and Hughes can both do one.
09 Feb 2026 17:10:47
I mostly agree. I share all the same concerns. But the final decision on hiring/ firing managers doesn't rest solely with Hughes/ Edwards. If we finish 7th or worse, I would fully expect FSG to come in and clean house. At this stage, we're not finishing top 5, too many difficult opponents to play and our form is shocking. We've no chance.
The way things are going, and I hate saying it, but the worse off we finish the season, the better it will actually be for the club in the long run. Slot, Hughes and Edwards have to go, they can't be allowed to reinstate mediocrity and have it deemed acceptable. The club's come to far in the last 8 years to see that happen. Head's need to roll.
{Ed025's Note - i have just posted similar Chewy..
09 Feb 2026 17:32:51
Never been overly impressed with Guehi to be fair so not too bothered by not signing him.
09 Feb 2026 17:34:38
Carra, thefields, victorG all mentioned that he will be replaced with Alonso.
09 Feb 2026 17:59:03
I don't know for sure it will be Alonso who replaces him but I'm pretty certain Slot will be sacked if we fail to make top 5 and secure champions League football. It's pretty much a guarantee.
He should be sacked now.
This failure is now becoming Hughes's failure.
As time starts to move away from us.
Fail to win at Sunderland and surely that is the end. We must be almost there now.
We ve honoured him winning the league long enough. Time to move on.
09 Feb 2026 18:01:34
Kha123 - Pretty sure they all said Semenyo and Guehi were done deals too. the only real ITK is the one who signs the contract, everyone else is just guessing, to some degree.
09 Feb 2026 18:05:11
Great post Chewy. I don't like the idea of failing first succeeding later, but on this occasion if it facilitates change and prevents a longer malaise than needs must.
I've said it before, and will say it again, we've done well in the past decade with a failing Man Utd, and for part of that time an Arsenal who were hampered because of the stadium funding. I'm fearful of what the next few years could look like if United get their act together, City don't receive punishment for their alleged breaches, and Arsenal keep building, all while we make misstep after misstep. Chelsea are more unpredictable but can also pose a threat. It's worrying times.
09 Feb 2026 18:06:32
Ed025 - Whereabouts ed? Glad to hear I'm not the only one.
{Ed025's Note - i cant remember which page it was on mate (im very old).. :)
09 Feb 2026 18:07:26
It'll get toxic in that ground at some point and it'll end very sour.
It's such a shame all this really, it could've been prevented.
We'll be Mid-Table by March in my opinion.
09 Feb 2026 18:19:18
I really don't want it to turn into a Man Utd/ Tottenham situation from last year where they gave up on the league completely. We're obviously not there yet and should have enough to keep pushing for the top 5.
The next 5 or 6 games are very winnable with the right instructions, can Slot fire these players up? Proffesional pride and fighting for the badge is needed, go 2 or 3 up then knock the ball around and make subs.
15 points and we're right back in the mix. Having said that I just don't see where an up turn in form comes from based on the last 20 matches, glimpses aren't enough.
Sunderland away worries me, never thought i'd say that.
09 Feb 2026 18:39:30
Kha123. respectfully to you and to those you mentioned mate, they also pretty much guaranteed Semenyo and Guehi would be wearing red as well. I will not hold my breath until I see it happening.
{Ed025's Note - i dont think it was bad information KK as much as things can change very quickly in football mate..
09 Feb 2026 18:48:04
Kha123, then I will wait and see what happens once the season is over.
09 Feb 2026 18:56:50
I don't understand the clamour for Alonso. What I am lead to believe is that his style of play is no different th Slot's. Just because he is an ex player, people think he is the messiah. Have we all forgotten the ex players who have gone into management in the PL.
Lampard OGS, the latest to have failed, and not to mention those with no PL experience who have come in and failed, Slot being one of a dozen.
09 Feb 2026 19:17:25
How often is Slot actually flying back to the Netherlands? Are we talking every week/ day off?
09 Feb 2026 19:25:53
Alonso cleaned up in Germany, much more than Slot in an inferior league.
Alonso gets the culture, his kid is a red.
Alonso is an intelligent man, with tactics that suit the league.
09 Feb 2026 21:06:46
I think it's important to experience failure and diversity. it helps with growth.
But the fixed idea that finishing 7th will be better in the long run is mired with a lot of risk. It needs clear heads to make decisions that will benefit the long run. Because if we make a bunch of decisions to try and quickly get back to 2024/ 25 or other glory years, then I feel we're far more likely to spend a decade spinning wheels than doing anything meaningful.
09 Feb 2026 21:23:04
I do not want Alonso JUST because he played for us. I want Alonso because he made his name and won as a manager. That's it. Alonso in his first job as a young manager ended the Bundesligaliga and German football as a whole by going undefeated.
He will be a HARD act to follow moving forward in that league for years to come, I reckon. And pls, do not mention Lampard and Alonso in the same sentence, btw. One is a winner. The other is a self-entitled whiner, IMO.
Alonso still has a lot going for him and I would be chuffed to have him coach us because he is a winner. he won as a player here and at RM and I love the way he plays footie.
Most importantly, we don't have the type of DR that Real have that can just go to daddy Henry and ask him to bin the manager because he is making them run too hard. Just saying.
10 Feb 2026 02:03:32
I don't fear Alonso as City manager as much as I fear Pep staying on.
Alonso is unproven at this level and couldn't handle it at Real.
I think he's got a marvellous agent, and there's a lot of hype.
10 Feb 2026 02:35:29
Faithinworks - Let me ask you this, do you think that entrusting the people currently in charge is the best option? The people who spent half a billion and somehow managed to go backwards, the people who spent half a billion only for us to have LESS squad depth than we did last season, the peeople responsible for a run of 9 losses in 11, the people who don't think change is necessary after our worst run of form in 70 years?
The wheels are already spinning mate.