I just meant that some people referred to United's second as a Palace defensive mistake and was just caveating for a predicted retort of "what about that mistake...XYZ". Not necessarily suggesting I thought as such (if I am honest, I was watching on TV and was so gutted that we'd conceded it I didn't even watch a replay). I do think teams at the very top will be generally more ruthless though and against lesser teams a similar approach would've ended in a clean sheet.

There have been a number of studies about sacking managers, or the effect of managers on a team. Top managers add about 15% to a team's performance, with most managers being around the 0-5% mark (either as a plus or minus). Sacking managers rarely makes any long term difference and the 'bump' is often less than most people think. Most of the major papers have published on this.

For me, the reason I want change is not that I think it will necessarily make a difference in the short term, but rather than we need a more pragmatic manager to achieve the longer terms goals of cup runs and developing our own young players. A solid middle table team has more options to bring in youngsters than one constantly yoyoing up and down the table.

If you come to a fork in the road, take it.

My broader point relates to the use of statistics, and to drawing conclusions from random samples. They are playing well now, but we won't know how they are doing until the end of the season (which is when it counts).

Edited by NickinOX (19 Dec 2016 4.13pm)

If you come to a fork in the road, take it.

And you watch all their games then?

I thought they broke FFP rules while in the Championship and have a billionaire Russian owner.

By the way, as I have already mentioned this a couple of times, I was using random stats to make a point about the misuse of stats to make an argument.

If you come to a fork in the road, take it.

I don't read such stories in the Press. I don't see him making absurd substitutions or attacking when he shouldn't be, either.

Oh and I see them well up the table whilst we teeter in 17th.

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The Ferret
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I think some people make up stuff simply to suit their argument. It makes it easier to justify slagging off a manager who they don't want. Just like my random use of stats to make a point.

As for his comment about Howe being more pragmatic, he's not a chancer like Pardew. But his record over the last 25 games shows his teams are not much better defensively and don't score as many goals. Likewise, if his team's results from the start of this season mean he is a better manager, then any 17 game sample should be sufficient for any other evaluation of a manager too. Ergo, Mourinho must be a s*** manager because he got 15 points from the opening 16 games last season, despite having an excellent squad.

If you come to a fork in the road, take it.