The Ongoing Serie A, La Liga, All English Football, Champions League Thread - - - - - - Part 15

[wobbly]

Originally Posted by Iceman

West Brom 4-2 away to Sunderland & up to 3rd place! What the hell is Steve Clarke doing there?!

I think Clarke did the wise thing after hanging up his boots and learned a lot as a coach under different managers before taking on the main job for himself. He has worked under Mourhinho, Zola and Dalglish, and while he might not succeed much long term at West Brom (early days yet and there's usually one team exceeds expectations early on each year), given a bigger club with greater resources I could see him doing very well.

Being an ex Chelsea player (and he was damn good one for us too) I wouldn't mind him coming back to the Bridge down the line, though I figure he'd likely avoid us while Roman keeps meddling and his trigger finger remains ever twitchy.

He keeps this up though I could well see Clarke placed on the ever growing list of managers cited as favorites for Fergie's replacement when that day eventually comes.

[Hunter Rider]

65 woeful minutes, then Fergie took Scholes and Young off and brought Hernandez and Anderson on, instant improvement. The resilience is admirable but the quality of football and the weaknesses are a concern.

It was a nice moment when Fletcher got his goal but it doesn't mask that he was poor on the ball and struggled to get back at midfield runners, I think expectations need to be kept in check.

Arsenal vs Aston Villa was a dreary game, I think the 5:30pm ESPN kick-off is some kind of lucky charm for Villa.

Originally Posted by Darthphere

BPITW?

Oh I get it, it's a Gareth Bale joke isn't it?

Indeed it is! I'[m hoping Real do spunk their dosh on him, it leaves some interesting players for the rest of us.

Originally Posted by kit1982

I know man, I guess the only brightside is now MOTD won't be ruined by 'Arry's constant "well Gary I tried to sign him a few years ago" on any half decent player. I'm slightly worried he'll do well there, he's got a decent squad and an owner who happily splashes the cash.
Sparky's been the gift that kept on giving, it's not like I got one month of poor results, crap signings and awkward interviews... I got 10!

The massive downside is that Warnock now seems to spend 90% of his interviews sticking 2 fingers up to Sparky and Fernandes.

Harry may not have been on MOTD tonight as a pundit but his presence at United vs QPR seemed to be the Beebs priority when covering the game. Now Harry can get back to nearly signing players, the January transfer window will be a better place with him in it, driving up and down the same stretch of road talking the Sky Sports reporters, triffic!

I wonder if Sparky will have to take a job in the championship now, I can't see another Prem club going for him with Di Matteo and one or two others ahead of him in the cue.

Btw I see your takeover finally went through, congrats mate. Will this mean some business in January?

[Hunter Rider]

Arsenal set to make £10m swoop for Liverpool flop Downing in January

'Cole will join PSG in summer': Twitter blunder by French giants leaks move

Red alert! Buy-out clause means Suarez can leave Liverpool for £40m

Hold that thought: Wilfried Zaha's £20m move to United will have to wait

Touch of Klaas: Huntelaar up for £6m Arsenal move now Van Persie has gone

[Hunter Rider]

Come and get me! Guardiola says he'd manage the Brazil national side 'tomorrow'

I'm really hoping he gets the Brazil job, then in 2014 becomes the new manager of Man Utd.

[Iceman]

Originally Posted by spidey-dude

maybe we shoulda just appointed him amanger

Haha. Well lets see where both managers are in a season or 2's time. Rodgers needs time but he needs to make his mark by the end of next season. As in Liverpool need to be competitive again even if they aren't winning things.

Quite a few managers/teams have had a freak successful season and then got relegated soon after so if Clarke is finishing top 7 2 seasons in a row he'll have proven his ability. Even top 10 would be commendable.

Originally Posted by wobbly

I think Clarke did the wise thing after hanging up his boots and learned a lot as a coach under different managers before taking on the main job for himself. He has worked under Mourhinho, Zola and Dalglish, and while he might not succeed much long term at West Brom (early days yet and there's usually one team exceeds expectations early on each year), given a bigger club with greater resources I could see him doing very well.

Being an ex Chelsea player (and he was damn good one for us too) I wouldn't mind him coming back to the Bridge down the line, though I figure he'd likely avoid us while Roman keeps meddling and his trigger finger remains ever twitchy.

He keeps this up though I could well see Clarke placed on the ever growing list of managers cited as favorites for Fergie's replacement when that day eventually comes.

Yeah, I think managers should do that. Excellent way to learn the ropes, and closely learn the secrets of the top men. When you are the no.1 too early you have all the responsibility but you have noone to learn from any more, have to just try your ways & hope they work.

Good luck to him & yes it's a big IF, but if he does continue with his current levels there's no reason why a job as big as Utd or a non Abramovich Chelsea would necessarily be beyond him one day.

[kit1982]

Originally Posted by Hunter Rider

Harry may not have been on MOTD tonight as a pundit but his presence at United vs QPR seemed to be the Beebs priority when covering the game. Now Harry can get back to nearly signing players, the January transfer window will be a better place with him in it, driving up and down the same stretch of road talking the Sky Sports reporters, triffic!

I wonder if Sparky will have to take a job in the championship now, I can't see another Prem club going for him with Di Matteo and one or two others ahead of him in the cue.

Btw I see your takeover finally went through, congrats mate. Will this mean some business in January?

He's like the John Cena of football, he's never off telly! I was listening to Talksport yesterday and Ray Parlour said it was good to have him back..... back? He was on MOTD every saturday and prior to that he was on the BBC during the euros!

It's odd about Sparky, I think he's a tool but I thought he did such a good job at Wales and especially Blackburn. I don't think he was ever good enough to take City where they wanted to go, I never thought it'd go as south as it did at QPR.


Yeah apparently Warnock will have £15 million to spend, which for a Leeds manager is like City level's of spending! I have a few reservations about the job Warnocks done up until now, but if he does get that money to sign some quality I think we'll do ok. We're 16th but only 6 points off the play-offs which is nothing. In this division as long as you can avoid too mny draws you'll always be there or there abouts.


On your boys mate I have no idea what to make of it, every other week you seem to be in trouble, you always seem to be playing without a defence and a decent midfield ....but at the same time I think you'll win the title.

[B]

Originally Posted by Hunter Rider

Come and get me! Guardiola says he'd manage the Brazil national side 'tomorrow'

I'm really hoping he gets the Brazil job, then in 2014 becomes the new manager of Man Utd.

I want Mourinho.

I'm somewhat curious to see Guardiola's next job & how he does. He somewhat inherited the current Barcelona team just as Vilanova has. Sure he flogged off some of the players that had either lost it or weren't that good in the previous season to begin with.. however the players he actually signed & brought in to replace the likes of Ronaldinho, Eto'o etc after he let them go have been somewhat hit & miss.. mostly miss though.

If for example he were to take over Chelsea at the end of the season, he won't have a Xavi or Iniesta hitting their prime, nor will he have a Messi that will rapidly progress from potentially great into one of the world's best.

I'm not saying he is a poor manager or anything like that, but I'm not convinced he'll be able to take a side say like Chelsea or Liverpool & reshape their footballing philosophy to the way he knows.. ie the Barcelona way. He didn't actually have to change much at Barcelona in terms of their playing style as ball to feet & free roam movement is something Barcelona teach from youth level.

[spidey-dude]

Chelsea fans showing their lack of class once again

[Iceman]

Newcastle lose again. Turning into a boring season for us. 8 year contract for Pardew looking a touch generous right now.

[Van Petrol]

So I'm wondering, all those United fans who despise Barca and the 'tiki-taka' style of play, will you feel the same way if Guardiola got the United job and then implemented it into their style of play?

[The Englishman]

Originally Posted by spidey-dude

Chelsea fans showing their lack of class once again

Why what were they doing now?

[Darthphere]

Originally Posted by Van Petrol

So I'm wondering, all those United fans who despise Barca and the 'tiki-taka' style of play, will you feel the same way if Guardiola got the United job and then implemented it into their style of play?

In my dream world, United would have 11 Darron Gibson's on the pitch and they would all shoot from 50-30 yards out.

[spidey-dude]

Originally Posted by The Englishman

Why what were they doing now?

booing and abusing their new manager before he has had a chance to do anything

although their pathetic attempts at banners were hilarious (home printed sheets of a4 paper held above their heads)

[Hunter Rider]

Originally Posted by kit1982

He's like the John Cena of football, he's never off telly! I was listening to Talksport yesterday and Ray Parlour said it was good to have him back..... back? He was on MOTD every saturday and prior to that he was on the BBC during the euros!

It's odd about Sparky, I think he's a tool but I thought he did such a good job at Wales and especially Blackburn. I don't think he was ever good enough to take City where they wanted to go, I never thought it'd go as south as it did at QPR.


Yeah apparently Warnock will have £15 million to spend, which for a Leeds manager is like City level's of spending! I have a few reservations about the job Warnocks done up until now, but if he does get that money to sign some quality I think we'll do ok. We're 16th but only 6 points off the play-offs which is nothing. In this division as long as you can avoid too mny draws you'll always be there or there abouts.


On your boys mate I have no idea what to make of it, every other week you seem to be in trouble, you always seem to be playing without a defence and a decent midfield ....but at the same time I think you'll win the title.

Hahah! Now I can't shake the image of Harry in a Cena-esque purple hat and shirt combo. Harry lands on his feet no matter what it seems, he'll always have a job somewhere in football.

Agreed, Blackburn was his zenith as a club manager and I am surprised how poorly he did with QPR although I do agree with the guy that said his buying for QPR was very erratic and at times flat out crap, I mean Cisse?

Yeah I was reading how tight the Championship is, so what do you think you need in, in January? the right buys could delvier you back to the Prem given the nature of the league as you say.

I have no idea either lol, we keep getting out of jail or at least have done so more often than not. We can't really do anything about the midfield bar starting to play Anderson and Cleverley more and not starting Giggs and Scholes, I think that alone would act in helping our defense as they are never protected when we have the legless combos in there, beyond that we rely on team spirit and our strikers as the wingers are all out of form.

[Hunter Rider]

Originally Posted by B

I want Mourinho.

I'm somewhat curious to see Guardiola's next job & how he does. He somewhat inherited the current Barcelona team just as Vilanova has. Sure he flogged off some of the players that had either lost it or weren't that good in the previous season to begin with.. however the players he actually signed & brought in to replace the likes of Ronaldinho, Eto'o etc after he let them go have been somewhat hit & miss.. mostly miss though.

If for example he were to take over Chelsea at the end of the season, he won't have a Xavi or Iniesta hitting their prime, nor will he have a Messi that will rapidly progress from potentially great into one of the world's best.

I'm not saying he is a poor manager or anything like that, but I'm not convinced he'll be able to take a side say like Chelsea or Liverpool & reshape their footballing philosophy to the way he knows.. ie the Barcelona way. He didn't actually have to change much at Barcelona in terms of their playing style as ball to feet & free roam movement is something Barcelona teach from youth level.

I like Mourinho but I am a little concerned over his style, he's ultra cautious and loves DM's a bit too much, on the flipside the man is a born winner and I don't think the pressure would be an issue for him at all, his confidence is and always has been through the roof.

With Pep I think he could fuse his style with our fast attack minded heritage and create something special, he did after all take the pieces at Barca and fashion them into a dominating juggernaut, something they hadn't been under previous managers bar Cruyff.

Originally Posted by Iceman

Newcastle lose again. Turning into a boring season for us. 8 year contract for Pardew looking a touch generous right now.

How is Cabaye playing? (I know he's injured atm)

Originally Posted by Van Petrol

So I'm wondering, all those United fans who despise Barca and the 'tiki-taka' style of play, will you feel the same way if Guardiola got the United job and then implemented it into their style of play?

Anything would be better than our current non-style. Seriously though, as I said to B I think he'd fuse his background with our DNA, as B says Barca play the way they do as it's bred from their youth on through, he could never get another team playing the same exact way. Look at Dortmund and Bilbao as good examples of how I think Pep could marry his style with ours successfully.

[Hunter Rider]

Ronaldo prepared to leave Madrid for Paris in staggering £100m deal

[Darthphere]

Originally Posted by Hunter Rider

Anything would be better than our current non-style. Seriously though, as I said to B I think he'd fuse his background with our DNA, as B says Barca play the way they do as it's bred from their youth on through, he could never get another team playing the same exact way. Look at Dortmund and Bilbao as good examples of how I think Pep could marry his style with ours successfully.

Can you imagine the training sessions though?

Pep: Ok, short passes everyone, get it into the box.

Rooney: You want me to cross it in boss?

Pep: What's a cross?

[Hunter Rider]

I fell asleep during the Chelsea vs City game but reading match reports the response to Benitez was brutal. Personally I can see where Chelsea fans are coming from however I think fostering such a hostile and negative atmosphere towards your own manager will end up affecting your team as well which makes no sense since winning the league is still very much on.

Originally Posted by Darthphere

Can you imagine the training sessions though?

Pep: Ok, short passes everyone, get it into the box.

Rooney: You want me to cross it in boss?

Pep: What's a cross?

I think whatever team Guardiola takes on next it's gonna require an adjustment for him and them.

[wobbly]

Originally Posted by Hunter Rider

I fell asleep during the Chelsea vs City game but reading match reports the response to Benitez was brutal. Personally I can see where Chelsea fans are coming from however I think fostering such a hostile and negative atmosphere towards your own manager will end up affecting your team as well which makes no sense since winning the league is still very much on.

Thanks for understanding why a lot of Chelsea fans are none too pleased with having Benitez in our dug-out. They have not forgotten our past run-ins with the man and I don't blame them for venting after the absurd sacking of RDM this week.

I agree it does the team no favours (and Torres was poor again, so no change from Benitez there just yet, eh Roman?) but they wanted to let Roman and the Chelsea board know just what they thought of both RDM's sacking and bringing in an 'old enemy' like Benitez. To call them out of touch with the fans for not seeing this coming is a big understatement.

I figure it will die down if he starts the delivering results. If he doesn't though it will only get worse. A lot worse.

On today's game...I was not impressed (almost dozed off myself). Beyond the defense, which was more solid than it has been of late, they seemed disjointed everywhere else. A lot of the passing game RDM had them playing so well at times was thrown out, and the obvious long prods up to the effective Torres inevitably came to nothing, so while better at the back, we were poor up front, creating far too few chances and hardly troubling Hart at all (think he had to make just one save? And that was an easy one from a long free kick)

So, a bit of a nothing start for Benitez. Not terrible as we didn't lose, but not good at all as we never looked like winning either. Hope for his sake as much as the club that things get better sooner rather than later. Ain't gonna win anything with boring 0-0 draws.

[Darthphere]

Originally Posted by Hunter Rider

I think whatever team Guardiola takes on next it's gonna require an adjustment for him and them.

Can you imagine him watching a Stoke vs West Ham match? His head would explode I think.

[Hunter Rider]

Originally Posted by wobbly

Thanks for understanding why a lot of Chelsea fans are none too pleased with having Benitez in our dug-out. They have not forgotten our past run-ins with the man and I don't blame them for venting after the absurd sacking of RDM this week.

I agree it does the team no favours (and Torres was poor again, so no change from Benitez there just yet, eh Roman?) but they wanted to let Roman and the Chelsea board know just what they thought of both RDM's sacking and bringing in an 'old enemy' like Benitez. To call them out of touch with the fans for not seeing this coming is a big understatement.

I figure it will die down if he starts the delivering results. If he doesn't though it will only get worse. A lot worse.

On today's game...I was not impressed (almost dozed off myself). Beyond the defense, which was more solid than it has been of late, they seemed disjointed everywhere else. A lot of the passing game RDM had them playing so well at times was thrown out, and the obvious long prods up to the effective Torres inevitably came to nothing, so while better at the back, we were poor up front, creating far too few chances and hardly troubling Hart at all (think he had to make just one save? And that was an easy one from a long free kick)

So, a bit of a nothing start for Benitez. Not terrible as we didn't lose, but not good at all as we never looked like winning either. Hope for his sake as much as the club that things get better sooner rather than later. Ain't gonna win anything with boring 0-0 draws.

I think Abramovich's appointment of Benitez is a very loud sign of him being out of touch with the supporters. He seems to have ignored history and just expected everyone to fall in line while sacking a man the fans have a bond with both as a player and a manager, it must feel a bit like tossing out a family member and bringing a long time foe into the fold.

From what you say about the way Chelsea played today it seems that Roman's wish to play like Barca and the investment this past summer is being pushed aside to try and avoid admitting he made a huge cock up signing Torres.

I'm sure you'll continue to win trophies and I'm sure you're right, that if the initial storm is weathered and you get some wins that fans will settle and there's no doubt you can go on and win the league, but the haphazard way Roman runs the club must surely take it's toll on things eventually, I guess we'll get an answer to that in the summer with Guardiola.

[Hunter Rider]

Originally Posted by Darthphere

Can you imagine him watching a Stoke vs West Ham match? His head would explode I think.

I could see him weeping at the way the ball is treated and ending up in a neck brace from watching the ball in the air for 80 minutes.

[Hunter Rider]

Despite a time of turmoil at the club players can still console themselves with a trip to the physios room.

[TheFuture]

While I disagree with the attitude of Chelsea fans towards Rafa, it is a reality that the only way he will win them over is by producing results. Pardew had to do the same when he got the Toon job after the disgraceful sacking of Chris Haughton.

[bapi]

re: Pep - Dani Alves said that every Barca player thinks he left because they werent able to fulfil his ideas and visions. Players like Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Busquets or Cesc. I love Pep a lot but anything can happen. Maybe Brasil NT would be his best choice right now.