I know we have both been quite active in our views on here, and I've enjoyed and respected the debates with you. Glad to say on this one I'm 100% in agreement with you especially after reading the tactical analysis of him in a post I put on earlier. I feel it is defensively solid enough to suit us whilst the high press will scratch the more expansive approach fans would like to see AND I can see we have the backbone of players (Tekkers, Wilf (if he stays), Eze, Luka) already at the club to make it work.

Yeah I guess that is the biggest concern with Ismael - whether or not he can grind a point out here and there when we need it. But in fairness, Barnsley only conceded 11 goals more than Swansea last season. And when you consider the respective profile of each club, the squad he had, and the football Ismael played, they weren't exactly shipping goals for fun or anything.

He will have to be backed, we will have to bring in a certain profile of player. But if the budget is there, and we want to build something - we have a manager in waiting.

We're the Arthur over ere!

A big criticism of Ismael is he plays a very long ball game. It has been massively argued on here that Tekkers has suffered from us not playing a style that suits him. From what I can tell Ismael would play Tekkers as the lone striker with Zaha and Eze as Inside Forwards playing off him and high wingbacks supplying crosses. For all his faults as a target man tekkers is good, strong, can head and lay the ball off to the likes of Wilf and Eze who would love to then run at defenders. TBH there are very few better for this role than Tekkers, we could get the best out of him again just after showing some form. Issue would be we would need to invest in more attack minded wingbacks (Maybe Schlupp would be a good choice as one) who have the pace, energy and stamina to do a lot of work up and down the wings.

The talk of Palace pulling out of getting Nuno was just a negotiation ploy. Now Nuno has realised Everton's preferred option is Benitez he and the club have been re-negotiating on the quiet and this is the start of Palace shipping out staff to make way for Nuno and his backroom entourage. You heard it here first.

(Wishful thinking, tongue in cheek, love a good football conspiracy story lol)

Edited by Mwncisee (11 Jun 2021 9.49am)

Indeed wish him well. If your position at Palace cannot be guaranteed at this time, who can blame him taking another job offer

I'm not really convinced by these arguments. Whether Cooper has gotten a team Promoted before is rather pointless - has Ishmeal? had Frank before this year?

Does he have what it takes and to not bottle it in play-offs fight? don't know - don't care at this point. Though he did get Swansea into the playoffs and into the finals. he may have gotten his tactics wrong in The final, but sheesh, so did Guardiala in the Champs league final. some get it wrong sometimes.

he's been through bad runs at his time at Swansea - it's the Championship, supposed toughest league in the world. you have to pick yourself back up after some inevitable defeats. Any vaguely successful champ manager will have had to endure this. this is a plus point to appointing someone from The championship.

I'm not saying that we should appoint Cooper, but to disregard him based on these things seems a bit harsh.

Let SP et al be the judge of this, and have faith they employ the right man.

"It was a Team effort, I guess it took all players working together to lose this one"