Football 2013-2014

[mrtourette]

Fergie is bound to take some of the blame, the same way Sir Matt Busby took some blame when it happened when he first retired.

Still unsure if I'm happy or unhappy with his sacking to be honest.

Edited April 22, 2014 by mrtourette

[eFestivals]

Mata is a class player and with the right manager at Utd he will be very dangerous.

Not with the current crop of players. It's a team that a lightweight player like him gets lost in.

As some of the smarter people keep saying, there's a reason why Chelsea sold him. It's not because he's crap, but it is because the team has to be set-up to suit him.

Unfortunately for Mata, Utd are a long long way from being that team. I have great difficulty thinking that before the new season kicks off any new manager can craft a squad that can get the best out of him.

I reckon it would probably be better for a new manager to bin Mata and try and build something round the other players, because they'd be less that needed doing (and there's still a hell of a lot that would need doing).

[eFestivals]

I can't believe Tottenham and Man utd will fuck up their managerial appointments yet again, eventually they'll appoint somone who knows what to do with the money and we'll be back down to scrapping for 6th/7th.

I can.

Spurs will never get the quality of manager they want for all the while that Levy is fronting the club. His rep will have spread far and wide, and Spurs will only ever have choice of the left-overs.

For the moment, Utd remains a prized job, but I'm not sure that aura can last for very long. This summer they'll be players and managers prepared to take the gamble of a bounce-back, but even then they're still going to prefer to go elsewhere if there's the opportunity.

Liverpool have spent over 20 years trying to get it right. Leeds have spent well over a decade failing to turn themselves around.

And amongst it all for Utd, the more they gamble with spending the more chance they have .... but they have owners that just can't afford to gamble and lose.

It's gonna be interesting.

Edited April 22, 2014 by eFestivals

[mrtourette]

Well here's hoping, I'm just resigned that there's a natural celing for teams like Everton and while Liverpool may have spent twenty years trying to get it right they've still consistently had the money top remain in the top six/seven. It's not like they came from nowhere this season, they aren't a plucky underdog, they've had considerable financial backing for a long time. Leeds are an extreme case of royally fucking things up, if Man Utd go down that route it certainly will be interesting.

Edited April 22, 2014 by mrtourette

[The Nal]

Rooney will be on his bike sharpish I'd imagine.

[thetime]

Still pissing myself here at Clayton Blackmore's two cents. What a bell.

[Wooderson]

Well here's hoping, I'm just resigned that there's a natural celing for teams like Everton and while Liverpool may have spent twenty years trying to get it right they've still consistently had the money top remain in the top six/seven. It's not like they came from nowhere this season, they aren't a plucky underdog, they've had considerable financial backing for a long time. Leeds are an extreme case of royally fucking things up, if Man Utd go down that route it certainly will be interesting.

Edited April 22, 2014 by Wooderson

[mrtourette]

Yeah compared to Chelsea and Man City, but I added the 'plucky' to try and signify something different, a 'true' underdog (as in your Southamption example). Poorly worded, I concede.

[eFestivals]

I'm just resigned that there's a natural celing for teams like Everton

they're always going to suffer a little from being the shadow of those across the park until they manage their own major success, but I don't think it's beyond them.

I think part of how Liverpool got lucky is by shunning the normal manager merry-go-round for a club of its rep and instead appointing someone more on their ability to impress in an interview than because of their rep.

I reckon major managers get stuck in a rut of sorts, where they all feel the need to do much the same thing and chase all the same players - and while they've been diverted with that, Rodgers has managed to come up on the outside with a bunch of players who were (mainly) off the radar of that major-managers game.

The same opportunity is there for all the clubs, but first you have to be prepared to take that leap, and few clubs are. Liverpool probably only got there by chance, with Henry having firstly taken the advice of the "experienced football people" in going with Dalglish, but when they showed themselves as not able to produce the rabbit from the hat an impatient new owner decided that his own management techniques had something to bring to the party (given the plan that was worked to for the Red Sox), where in different circumstances and with different timings things might have played out a fair bit different.

and while Liverpool may have spent twenty years trying to get it right they've still consistently had the money top remain in the top six/seven. It's not like they come from nowhere this season, they aren't a plucky underdog, they've had considerable financial backing for a long time.

oh, absolutely, and they've spent an absolute fortune on some duff players, and some not-duff ones too.

But, at the end of the day, they could have got to where they are now without the stupid and/or bad buys. It's the plan that's worked, not the spunking around of mega money; that's just something which happened alongside but didn't need to.

Leeds are an extreme case of royally fucking things up, if Man Utd go down that route it certainly will be interesting.

Utd aren't quite Leeds, but there's a fair number of similarities all the same. Leeds spent big to go for glory, while Utd can't spend big without glory. It's not so different at the end of the day.

In both instances, failure to get the glory is the killer.

It's gonna be interesting.

[Wooderson]

Yeah compared to Chelsea and Man City, but I added the 'plucky' to try and signify something different, a 'true' underdog (as in your Southamption example). Poorly worded, I concede.

[The Nal]

Lord Ferg named 6 teams 4 months ago he thought would compete for the trophy. LFC wasnt one of them.

Edited April 22, 2014 by The Nal

[eFestivals]

Anyway Red Nev is right The way the club dealt with this is shit. Gill still badly badly missed. No way this would've leaked with him and Fergie there.

Given what happened around the Mata signing too, there's clearly someone at the top who prefers talking to the media instead of doing his job.

[Wooderson]

No he didn't. He said "5 or 6 could win it" and named a few teams near the top. Didn't say Utd could win it either. It was more of a loose two minute chat than anything if you watch the interview. Off the top of his head.

[The Nal]

Given what happened around the Mata signing too, there's clearly someone at the top who prefers talking to the media instead of doing his job.

Edited April 22, 2014 by The Nal

[Wooderson]

When are Utd fans gonna stop blindly defending Lord Ferg? Its so "weak" from them.

[The Nal]

Moyes gone doesn't exactly solve a whole lot on the face of it. There is a lot out there. Pep is going nowhere, same for Klopp, Blanc, Jose, Simeone doesn't speak English.......

Van Gaal seems the only one.

Edited April 22, 2014 by The Nal

[eFestivals]

How does a manager being called into an Old Trafford boardroom and told hes been let go get to the press almost immediately? Before the club announce it?!

it's much worse than that - the press were told by a source they very obviously fully-believed around 20 hours before Moyes got his meeting.

[Wooderson]

Moyes gone doesn't exactly solve a whole lot on the face of it. There is a lot out there. Pep is going nowhere, same for Klopp, Blanc, Jose, Simeone doesn't speak English.......

Van Gaal seems the only one.

[eFestivals]

Moyes gone doesn't exactly solve a whole lot on the face of it.

true. Utd have only half a squad, and many of those are shite.

Van Gaal seems the only one.

It was reported a few days ago that someone (i forget who) said that the only way RvP would stay at Utd would be if they got Van Gaal.

(and supposedly, Welbeck asked for a move last week too).

Given the number of players whose contracts are up, plus the players who want out in most circumstances but might be persuaded to stay by the right manager, Utd have to be very very careful what they do - because of what i say above ("only half a squad, and many of those are shite").

What Utd don't want to end up with is no squad at all, cos then they'll really be fucked.

Edited April 22, 2014 by eFestivals

[The Nal]

it's much worse than that - the press were told by a source they very obviously fully-believed around 20 hours before Moyes got his meeting.

Edited April 22, 2014 by The Nal

[Wooderson]

The interview is here. Its not exactly a calculated statement if you watch it.

Anyway if it is a snub, so what?! You're a Liverpool fan. Why does his opinion mean that much to you?

[eFestivals]

This Woodward lad is an accountant. Which is a worry. Accountants aren't human in a lot of ways. Hes made Utd a load of cash in the background but as a boardroom leader I'm really not sure. Hes as green as any chief exec and got his arse handed to him last summer.

well, to add to the gossip-go-round, the players were apparently told that Moyes was going to be sacked before the Everton match, cos the players told their friends (who told the press).

What's not entirely clear at the mo is whether the players were told he was sacked whatever the result, or sacked if they lost.

The answer is pretty obvious tho, I'd say.

And Nal was calling Wenger/Arsenal weak?

Edited April 22, 2014 by eFestivals

[Wooderson]

Woodward has done well in shafting Moyes out of years of his pay.

[pink_triangle]

Moyes gone doesn't exactly solve a whole lot on the face of it. There is a lot out there. Pep is going nowhere, same for Klopp, Blanc, Jose, Simeone doesn't speak English.......

Van Gaal seems the only one.

[lost]

How about?