WimbCypryandrew1957
err so I am meant to believe that Brian was offered millions to buy players and yet stubbornly refused to do so - instead looking for freebies - or do I believe him when he repeatedly said "I spent everything I was given". I doubt any football manager has ever refused to spend his budget.
All I can say is what I've been told by a source who's proven to be 100% reliable in the past - Anton was "practically begging" Brian to spend more in the Summer and he said he was happy with what he had....
If you want more, circumstantial, evidence, then just look at the way McD was said to have reacted to me repeating some of the things he said at the STAR forum. The only thing that i could possibly believe that he was upset about was my repeating of his response to someone who asked whether Anton was interfering with team selection, and player choices in the transfer market, to which Brian replied "he tried, but we soon put a stop to that" - could it be that Brian wanted to prove a point to Anton and "believing in the players that got us up" was part of that? Brian also said he wanted 2 players for every position - he did just that.
At the same event, Brian was very candid about the signing of Pog - I believe he was described as a "present" from Anton - you might wonder if it was an effort by Anton to "lead the way" and encourage Brian to look at players other than his established favourites...
Whatever, I believe that it was Brian's failure to deliver in the transfer market that led to his demise (and it's surely hard for anyone to argue that he was successful this year in that department), and suspect that had he not won MotM for January, then he would have gone sooner.
lol his reaction to the STAR leak had nothing to do with the information that was released but at the principal that someone was so quick to spout online what he'd heard at a 'closed doors' meeting.
I also remember at the same meeting that he said he'd admired Pog and then Anton went and got him for him, so hardly a present.
From other sources I've heard which again are as reliable to the public as what you say so I can only say it, Brian wanted a long short-list of players but was told this is your budget this is all you've got. So with those demands Brian went for depth rather than quality which obviously proved the wrong move.
As others have said, there can't be a manager out there who would have refused to spend his budget, unless he was worried that Anton didn't have the money and wanted to avoid being labelled the next Redknapp.
Finally, bear in mind that sources can be influenced by who they know, what they want to get out. Of course we don't know your source and nor should you reveal them but how do you know they're not trying to paint Anton in a positive light or just had a dislike of Brian?
I have no reason to doubt what my friend said, or why he said it. He has, however, been 100% accurate in the past with what he's told me, including a number of things which I've not shared (and will not share) on here.
Brian chose to be loyal to the players that won promotion - it was reflected both in his transfer activity, and in his selections on the pitch. That approach ultimately cost him....
