Football

[WelshBluebird]

With Ridsdale, I am surprised it has taken this long to be honest.
He should have been stopped from being involved in football (or any other business really) ages ago!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Manchester City are finding that competing in the Champions League requires a real commitment, especially in the current group they placed in. One point from the first two matches mirrors exactly the points that they obtained last season from the first two group matches.


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The matter of Ashley Cole and of his evidence in the John Terry affair dealt with by the FA now stated as being retrospectively amended, coupled with the derogatory comments made by Ashley Cole concerning the FA on a social media site, make the understanding of the particular FA disciplinary hearing decision to be worthy of re-examination if his evidence can be proved to have been amended.

Has anyone else any more updated news on this matter ?
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We've got Preston at home on Saturday to which they can bring nearly 3,000 with them

Oldham Athletic 3...Preston North End 1.

At last a home league win to celebrate.

 

[richw]

Was watching some rugby today and came up with a rugby rule which I would like to see in football and would work well.
Players can be dual registered for a Premiership club and a national league club. The example I seen today was a Exeter Chiefs fringe player who was dual registered for Cornish Pirates. It works similar to a Loan but the Owning club pay his wages and if they need him they can recall him for a match then send him back to the loan club when they have first team back to strength. It appears to work wonders for player development and perhaps points to why our international teams perform so well. Rather than being stuck in the reserves, the players go out and get high level match practice.
Just cant help think how well this would work in football, premiership teams send their reserves to a championship club rather than playing reserve football, but can call them back without problem and then send them back to the loan club without restriction.
It would need to be limied though to how many players can be dual registered at one club at any time.

 

[Ferret]

Have Sunderland advertised in the local paper for a new goalkeeper yet?!

 

[Butts]

Have Sunderland advertised in the local paper for a new goalkeeper yet?!

Why did they let Craig Gordon go ?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Was watching some rugby today and came up with a rugby rule which I would like to see in football and would work well.
...

Wouldn't this stagnate development of young players at Championship clubs though?

Have Sunderland advertised in the local paper for a new goalkeeper yet?!

I haven't seen today's action but why do you say that? Mignolet's one of the best 'keepers in the Premier League IME, generally a very constant performer.

Why did they let Craig Gordon go ?

Because he was vastly, vastly overrated and turned out to be a worse all-rounder than Mignolet? Granted he was excellent at Hearts but looks little more than average for most of his Wearside tenure...

 

[CC 72100]

I haven't seen today's action but why do you say that? Mignolet's one of the best 'keepers in the Premier League IME, generally a very constant performer.

Because he was vastly, vastly overrated and turned out to be a worse all-rounder than Mignolet? Granted he was excellent at Hearts but looks little more than average for most of his Wearside tenure...

Agree with both of those, and would also add that Gordon has had injury problems which allowed Mignolet to come in and show that he was better. How much did Sunderland pay for Gordon, I recall it was around £9 million was it not?

 

[Butts]

Wouldn't this stagnate development of young players at Championship clubs though?



I haven't seen today's action but why do you say that? Mignolet's one of the best 'keepers in the Premier League IME, generally a very constant performer.



Because he was vastly, vastly overrated and turned out to be a worse all-rounder than Mignolet? Granted he was excellent at Hearts but looks little more than average for most of his Wearside tenure...

You are forgetting he was between the sticks for most of Scotlands big matches - keeping one erhmmm Mr Magregor out who played for your team

He did become very injury prone at Sunderland - unlike at Hearts - I don't think hes got a club yet has he ?

 

[Ferret]

I haven't seen today's action but why do you say that? Mignolet's one of the best 'keepers in the Premier League IME, generally a very constant performer.

Watch MoTD later!!!!!!!! In fairness, one seemed to take a deflection but it still went through him, as did the Kolarov goal. Maybe I'm being harsh, but I think a keeper of that quality should've done much better!

 

[SS4]

At least the Villa didn't lose today

 

[Ferret]

At least the Villa didn't lose today

......but we don't have long to wait for the next defeat............

 

[Donny Dave]

Scunthorpe United ....

Another day, another defeat. Once again we failed to take chances while we are the better team on the pitch ....

Then to top things off, another needless freekick given away, which Stevenage score from ....

 

[Ivo]

Some difficult developments at the forever-plagued Kettering Town today. Remember how a few years Arsène Wenger and others used to say that Arsenal should always play with 10 men from the off as they perform better with a numerical disadvantage? Well, for reasons related to money, and the threat of players leaving the club, the Poppies did just that today - and promptly lost 7-0.

Not so long ago Kettering were enjoying the meadia spotlight after one Paul Gascoigne joined the club as "manager" - now, the 140-year-old club are staring straight down the barrel into the depths of extinction.

The League Table (on Wikipedia) makes for depressing reading too.

Scunthorpe United ....

Another day, another defeat. Once again we failed to take chances while we are the better team on the pitch ....

Then to top things off, another needless freekick given away, which Stevenage score from ....

At least this was against one of the "stronger" (really?) teams in the division. At the moment I'm somewhat ashamed to call Southend my hometown team after failing to beat the League Two whipping boys at home (Barnet's first away point all season)

 

[WelshBluebird]

Another win for Cardiff today. Lucky one though as we were by far the poorer team for most of the game. But 3 points is still 3 points, and we are still top! (for how long though I have no idea).

 

[Butts]

Another win for Cardiff today. Lucky one though as we were by far the poorer team for most of the game. But 3 points is still 3 points, and we are still top! (for how long though I have no idea).

As the only non-English winners of the FA Cup it's time you had a shot at the Premiership - you have "blown up" so many times after a good start !!!

 

[andrew bell]

Watch MoTD later!!!!!!!! In fairness, one seemed to take a deflection but it still went through him, as did the Kolarov goal. Maybe I'm being harsh, but I think a keeper of that quality should've done much better!

You are being harsh, Kolarov's goal was just too good for anyone, I think if that was at the other end Joe Hart might of got a finger to it at most. the 2nd goal was one of those goals where the keeper was not at fault, and the 3rd took a deflection en route

 

[WelshBluebird]

As the only non-English winners of the FA Cup it's time you had a shot at the Premiership - you have "blown up" so many times after a good start !!!

Don't even mention it lol.
Someone I know was only mentioning earlier how this season is similar to the 2006-2007 one where we took 23 points off the first ten games and lead the table (its 22 points this time around). We blew up as you put it after November and ended up finishing 13th in the table! So yeah, really don't need reminding about how many times we have messed this up. I'm just enjoying being top for now!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Well, I am one happy man this autumn evening.

GET IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....That is all.

How matters can change in such a short space of time....:roll:

Whatever would you say were the main reasons which caused the 1-0 defeat in the Third Division match away to Stirling Albion today ?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Watch MoTD later!!!!!!!! In fairness, one seemed to take a deflection but it still went through him, as did the Kolarov goal. Maybe I'm being harsh, but I think a keeper of that quality should've done much better!

1st goal - Nothing that bad, 'keepers get caught out by things like that on occasion, a notable one was Petr Cech being beaten by a 30-yard punt in from Fabio Aurelio in the Champions League a few years ago. Nothing of massive concern.

2nd goal - Just a question of reflexes. Again, not a rare goal to concede - realistically how many 'keepers would you expect to save that? It could all depend on being an inch closer to the ball or having marginally quicker reflexes.

3rd goal - I will admit that he probably should have saved that but the deflection took it off-course slightly.

How matters can change in such a short space of time....:roll:

Whatever would you say were the main reasons which caused the 1-0 defeat in the Third Division match away to Stirling Albion today ?

Paul, go to Ewood Park, and ask any Rovers fan that passes you which they are more concerned about - I can tell you that many would rather have Kean gone and be 19th than have Kean and be top, as absurd to an outsider as that may sound. An interesting event was the mass queues outside the booking office at Ewood Park the day after Kean left - whole families renewing season tickets that they initially refused to. I'm told one man alone bought six, and queues were 45 minutes long. I trust this sudden surge in income will make Venky's take note that fans really can make all the difference - for example today's match v Wolves was meant to be boycotted by Blackburn fans, however I believe it actually turned into the highest home attendance all season. Once the right manager is brought in I'm sure performances on the pitch will turn good again, but I can tell you Paul, to any Blackburn fan, today's loss or Wednesday's draw matters not one single jot.

As for events in Scotland - we weren't good enough, simple. We obviously can't alter our away form like I hoped the Cup win would have!
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How much did Sunderland pay for Gordon, I recall it was around £9 million was it not?

I believe so, I believe that's was at the time (and still may be) the record transfer fee involving an SPL club.

You are forgetting he was between the sticks for most of Scotlands big matches - keeping one erhmmm Mr Magregor out who played for your team

Probably because at the time he was a better keeper than McGregor. However, as has been said, once he moved south of the Border things began to go downhill quite fast and in the end was replaced by someone who is in my opinion a better player.

 

[Ivo]

Don't even mention it lol.
Someone I know was only mentioning earlier how this season is similar to the 2006-2007 one where we took 23 points off the first ten games and lead the table (its 22 points this time around). We blew up as you put it after November and ended up finishing 13th in the table! So yeah, really don't need reminding about how many times we have messed this up. I'm just enjoying being top for now!

I've been trying to remember which year that was, so thank you. It is worth pointing out that Burnley suffered the same fate, but soon after reached the "Promised Land". How Cardiff have never done so is beyond belief; they are surely the biggest club in, uh, "England" () to have never played in the Prem. Maybe the investment will finally make all the difference - maybe they will be proven right in the idea of changing to red? Either way, compared to how things were in the late '90s (playing as Cardiff City on Premier Manager 64, based on 1998-99, is what made me follow Cardiff), things have improved massively, and everything seems to be a case of "onwards and upwards"...

...until you see the following statistic: Only Ipswich, who look like relegation fodder this year, have been stuck in what is now the Championship for longer than Cardiff (and then by only one season). Coventry had held the record until their relegation at the end of last season.

I will be happiest if Cardiff win the League this year, with Brighton promoted automatically behind them. I would also like to see one of Blackpool, Huddersfield and Ipswich win the play-offs, but somehow I doubt the last of those three will be doing so Interestingly however, looking at Cardiff's results this year, of their ten games they have failed to score at least two just twice... both against teams I have listed as teams I would like to see promoted with them.

Paul, go to Ewood Park, and ask any Rovers fan that passes you which they are more concerned about - I can tell you that many would rather have Kean gone and be 19th than have Kean and be top, as absurd to an outsider as that may sound. An interesting event was the mass queues outside the booking office at Ewood Park the day after Kean left - whole families renewing season tickets that they initially refused to. I'm told one man alone bought six, and queues were 45 minutes long. I trust this sudden surge in income will make Venky's take note that fans really can make all the difference - for example today's match v Wolves was meant to be boycotted by Blackburn fans, however I believe it actually turned into the highest home attendance all season. Once the right manager is brought in I'm sure performances on the pitch will turn good again, but I can tell you Paul, to any Blackburn fan, today's loss or Wednesday's draw matters not one single jot.

Any thoughts on who you would like to see brought in? The likes of Sherwood (really?), Larsson and Shearer have been mooted in the media, but none of those has substantial - if any - top level experience.

 

[Donny Dave]

1st goal - Nothing that bad, 'keepers get caught out by things like that on occasion, a notable one was Petr Cech being beaten by a 30-yard punt in from Fabio Aurelio in the Champions League a few years ago. Nothing of massive concern.

The keeper set the wall up and positioned himself for a free kick to be taken by a right footed player. Kolorov taking blew their planning out of the water. Nothing Mignolet could have done there.

2nd goal - Just a question of reflexes. Again, not a rare goal to concede - realistically how many 'keepers would you expect to save that? It could all depend on being an inch closer to the ball or having marginally quicker reflexes.

Very few shots taken from that sort of position get saved. Again, nothing Mignolet could have done (realistically).

3rd goal - I will admit that he probably should have saved that but the deflection took it off-course slightly.

He got wrongfooted by the deflection. Again no fault to be attributed to the keeper ....

Michel Vorm however for Reading first goal ....

 

[EM2]

- I can tell you that many would rather have Kean gone and be 19th than have Kean and be top, as absurd to an outsider as that may sound.

And to think I said similar about Allardyce last season, and was told by a number of posters that I was being rdiculous.

 

[Ivo]

That's because many of us feel that Allardyce is a decent reputable manager, whereas Kean is a clueless nobody

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

That's because many of us feel that Allardyce is a decent reputable manager, whereas Kean is a clueless nobody

I am thinking of Terry Connor's reign at Wolverhampton Wanderers being a similar managerial example of the ineptitude shown by Steve Kean....or is this not a good example to cite?

Perhaps there should be a new officially-named charge of "Gross Managerial Ineptitude" that could be levied and used by clubs against likely candidates to which that this may apply.

 

[EM2]

Perhaps there should be a new officially-named charge of "Gross Managerial Ineptitude" that could be levied and used by clubs against likely candidates to which that this may apply.

Surely it should be the clubs that are charged with this, after all it is they that make the decision on who to employ.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Surely it should be the clubs that are charged with this, after all it is they that make the decision on who to employ.

Well, put it like this. A company employs someone (any industry will do) to carry out a high-profile role for them. If subsequent events show that the employed person is totally unsuitable for that job, which was not obvious at the time of interview and noting the candidate's own assertions that they could rise to that challenge at the time of interview, then who then do you feel the blame should lie with ?

Perhaps recent matters at the DfT could be another such example to quote here.

 

[EM2]

In the instances of football managers, where the applicant's record is easy enough to check, and even more so when the applicant is an internal candidate, I'd still put it down to the club.
It was painfully clear that Terry Connor was never going to keep Wolves in the PL, nor could Glenn Roeder keep West Ham there, and there are a number of other similar cases.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

In the instances of football managers, where the applicant's record is easy enough to check, and even more so when the applicant is an internal candidate, I'd still put it down to the club.
It was painfully clear that Terry Connor was never going to keep Wolves in the PL, nor could Glenn Roeder keep West Ham there, and there are a number of other similar cases.

There again, we have the case of Roberto Martinez, who when he first took over as the manager of Swansea City, had no managerial experience at that time with which the club could formulate a judgement to employ him, but he was adamant at his interview that he could rise to the occasion. He has performed well since then as both manager of Swansea City, then of Wigan Athletic. Last season in the Premiership was very fluid for a long time period in the relegation zone with six clubs rather than the usual bottom four (one of which always escapes) being candidates for relegation and of the last nine matches played by all the Premiership clubs (almost a quarter of a season), a league table of those nine matches clearly had Wigan Athletic way ahead of the other teams at the top of that table, which shows how good a motivator of players that he indubitably is.

 

[EM2]

But Martinez had recently played for Swansea, so they would know how he is likely to approach playing the game. And at the time he was appointed, Swansea were in League One and in the process of 'rebuilding'. That gave him the chance to cut his managerial teeth in an environment with much less pressure, than at a club already struggling at the foot of the top division.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Meanwhile back in the Conference Premiership....

Hyde 1...Gateshead 1

Five points now from the last five matches, but still in the bottom league position, sees Hyde gradually recovering from the dramatic sequence of losses that first afflicted them in their first season at this level, but will they now be able to tailor their game accordingly in future to begin to put a stronger run of results together. Another midweek match, away at Kidderminster next week, should see how matters fare in that respect.
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Newcastle United v Manchester United in the 1600 kick-off today.

Will Newcastle United field a strong and solid central partnership at the heart of their defence...or will Perch play ?