Football

[SS4]

I bet Chelsea hammer Sunderland at the weekend now the players are free of the person they obviously wanted rid of.
Jose seems to be continuing his MO of only lasting a few years at a club before he p****s everyone off and makes his position untenable. He is very very epitome of the jam today manager.
I wonder what he would be like if he had to start from scratch at a smaller club build them up and develop them. It's easy to be successful when you start from a high base.

It would be a most interesting thing to watch. I wonder what he could do without a practically unlimited budget?

Look how long Wenger has survived, a serial under achiever!

Wenger has done pretty well from where I'm sitting. Of course the question cannot be answered without knowing what expectation the board set him.

To go off topic, why can I hear bird song from outside at 12:40am? And I don't mean lost seagulls.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

It would be a most interesting thing to watch. I wonder what he could do without a practically unlimited budget?



Wenger has done pretty well from where I'm sitting. Of course the question cannot be answered without knowing what expectation the board set him.

To go off topic, why can I hear bird song from outside at 12:40am? And I don't mean lost seagulls.

Wenger is a good manager and does the best he can with what he has.

Incidentally, I was thinking this the other day when I went to the Star Wars midnight showing - a good number of bird songs were heard
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From reports about Jose's sacking, seems he did not even know as he took the morning training session, had the Christmas supper with the team and was taken aside as they were leaving and told he was sacked.

As much as I dislike the man, it would have been easier for him to have been told before training and the meal and, on that point, I do feel sorry for him

 

[Butts]

Are Aston Villa one of only seven teams ever present in The Premier League since it's inception about to depart and leave half a dozen ?

The others ? Man Utd , Everton, Liverpool and Arsenal spring to mind - who are the other two ? Spurs and Chelsea ?

I don't care what Minilad and SS4 say the decline can be traced to the departure of Martin O'Neill combined with Lerner turning Scrooge

 

[Antman]

As a Derby fan it was pretty clear that many of the Chelsea players were not interested in running themselves into the ground for their manager. As a season ticket holder of many years this really gets on my goat, even though I don't support Chelsea. What about all the poor sods who pay out a small fortune for season tickets / match day tickets / travel costs to watch a bunch of lazy gits who don't want to play for the 'manager' The attitude of the likes of Costa and Hazard this season has been nothing short of a disgrace and yet they continue to earn handsome salaries. I'm sick and tired about all this nonsense of not playing for the manager, play for the bloody crowd who turn up to support you.
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However if you at the constraints under which he's had to operate he's actually done rather well. They are debt free, have a fantastic stadium and assuming that they get knocked out by Barca may well win the league. I say that because many of their players are now on the way back from injury and their defence is more reliable than Manchester City's.

I totally agree about the attitude of certain players and I don't think Hazard in particular has a future at the club, fans will not forgive him for effectively going on strike.

Managers are judged by their trophy record and Wengers is abysmal.

 

[richw]

I totally agree about the attitude of certain players and I don't think Hazard in particular has a future at the club, fans will not forgive him for effectively going on strike.

Managers are judged by their trophy record and Wengers is abysmal.

I don't agree all managers are judged by their trophy record. West brom for example the managers are judged by keeping in the premier league.

I've read an interesting article this morning where one of the pundits claim Hazard has gone from the best player in the league, to so poor he wouldn't make it into most championship teams, any thoughts here on that?

 

[Antman]

I don't agree all managers are judged by their trophy record. West brom for example the managers are judged by keeping in the premier league.

I've read an interesting article this morning where one of the pundits claim Hazard has gone from the best player in the league, to so poor he wouldn't make it into most championship teams, any thoughts here on that?

Hazard just hasn't bothered!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Hazard just hasn't bothered!

Perhaps his eyes are set somewhere in Spain.

 

[Minilad]

Are Aston Villa one of only seven teams ever present in The Premier League since it's inception about to depart and leave half a dozen ?

The others ? Man Utd , Everton, Liverpool and Arsenal spring to mind - who are the other two ? Spurs and Chelsea ?

I don't care what Minilad and SS4 say the decline can be traced to the departure of Martin O'Neill combined with Lerner turning Scrooge

Yes we are.

You are partly right but not in the way you think you are.
It's easy to see O'Neill as some sort of messiah looking from the outside. 3 6th place finishes in succession and looking like pushing for a top 4 spot. But in reality he really is a quite limited manager. His tactical nous is one dimensional and something from the dark ages. He made the same mistakes over and over again. He wasn't particularly liked by the players because of his insistence on doing the same things over and over again. He rarely took training so he and the players could work on tactical changes.
Unfortunately the model we were using at the time was unsustainable if we didn't make the Champions League. He bought a lot of players that were on high wages but had limited sell on value and once it was obvious we were not going to break the glass ceiling then the debts started piling up. He left us in the lurch 5 days before the start of a season after throwing his toys out of the pram because he wasn't given the amount of money he wanted for transfers. People in the club could see that, potentially, he was leading the club towards financial ruin.
Now, I agree, since that point Lerner has set the club on a downward spiral. But the penny pinching was all down to righting the mistakes made during the O'Neill era. So because of that it was always going to be a struggle. Mistakes were made with some pretty disastrous hirings both managerial and within the off field management structure. We used to have a fantastic CEO, Steve Stride, a man who knew the football business in and out. He left to be replaced by a series of idiots. Paul Faulkener the chief amongst those. He was the man responsible for quite possibly the single most ridiculous decision ever made at Villa Park. The hiring of Mcleish.
So yes things are pretty bleak at the moment and we are going down no question. But to think O'Neill was some sort of hero is wrong. He set us on the path we are now nearly at the end of. But right now I am actually a little more optimistic about our future than many. I think the new manager will be good for us if he is allowed to start from scratch. Get rid of the deadwood like Agbonlahor and N'Zogbia.
But one thing will never change. And that is my support for this wonderful football club. VTID

 

[DarloRich]

Darlington docked 12 points ( suspended until the en dof the season) and fined for fielding an ineligible player: http://darlingtonfootballclub.co.uk/club-statement-league-charge-for-fielding-an-ineligible-player/

DFC:

The Board of Directors wish to make the following statement in relation to the charge brought against the Club by the Northern Premier League.

Chief Executive Officer Dave Mills and Club Secretary Harry Dunn attended a hearing on Wednesday 9th December 2015 during which a Panel considered the charge brought against the Club under Rule 6.9 – Fielding an Ineligible Player.


Following a thorough and fair hearing, during which the Club’s written submission and personal testimonies were heard, the Panel found the Club guilty of breaching Rule 6.9 – playing an ineligible player, namely Anthony Bell when he was not eligible to participate due to not having International Clearance to play in England.

The sanction imposed by the League is that the maximum 12 points gained will be deducted from the Club’s playing record, suspended until the end of the current playing season and will not be implemented subject to no further charges under Rule 6.9. In addition, the Club has been fined in accordance with the Rule.

The Club will not appeal this decision and no further comment will be made.

We have been VERY lucky. I expected a 12 point deduction due to the number of games Bell played in.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The way Chelsea have been playing, they'll be after Jackie McNamara! :P

The way Chelsea have been playing they'll be after Steve McNamara!
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Managers are judged by their trophy record and Wengers is abysmal.

Firstly, managers are not judged by their trophy record, they're judged by their achievements in relation to the standing of their football club. The only thing Phil Parkinson has won for us is a fourth division playoff final, but he's judged as the best manager we've had in a generation.

Secondly, describing Wenger's trophy record as "abysmal" is just plain wrong. Winning 3 league titles, one of them having gone undefeated in the league and two of them doubles, along with 6 FA Cups and a French Ligue 1 title is something that most could only dream about. Keeping Arsenal in the Champions League for 15 consecutive seasons is a huge achievement, especially since the new stadium meant we were scrabbling around in the bargain bin for players, and is something managers of "big" clubs like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich never managed to achieve. Finishing 4th with a team whose star striker was Marouane Chamakh is an amazing achievement.

 

[backontrack]

To go off topic, why can I hear bird song from outside at 12:40am? And I don't mean lost seagulls.

I don't know, but Mourinho has been quite a 'Christmas turkey'.

 

[Minilad]

The way Chelsea have been playing they'll be after Steve McNamara!
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Firstly, managers are not judged by their trophy record, they're judged by their achievements in relation to the standing of their football club. The only thing Phil Parkinson has won for us is a fourth division playoff final, but he's judged as the best manager we've had in a generation.

Secondly, describing Wenger's trophy record as "abysmal" is just plain wrong. Winning 3 league titles, one of them having gone undefeated in the league and two of them doubles, along with 6 FA Cups and a French Ligue 1 title is something that most could only dream about. Keeping Arsenal in the Champions League for 15 consecutive seasons is a huge achievement, especially since the new stadium meant we were scrabbling around in the bargain bin for players, and is something managers of "big" clubs like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich never managed to achieve. Finishing 4th with a team whose star striker was Marouane Chamakh is an amazing achievement.

As a neutral I must say if it's a choice between watching a Wenger team or a Mourinho team it's Wenger all day long

 

[Antman]

As a neutral I must say if it's a choice between watching a Wenger team or a Mourinho team it's Wenger all day long

But not if you want to win trophies!
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Perhaps his eyes are set somewhere in Spain.

The sooner he goes the better as far as I'm concerned, nobody is bigger than the club

 

[Minilad]

But not if you want to win trophies!

I was speaking as a neutral. I couldn't care less who wins trophies.

 

[SS4]

Newcastle away for us today, a must win game if ever I saw one but no doubt we'll cockfosters it up

 

[Minilad]

Newcastle away for us today, a must win game if ever I saw one but no doubt we'll cockfosters it up

I don't know why. I have no basis for this at all. But I have a feeling me might get a win today. I'm usually totally wrong when I say that so time will tell!

 

[Butts]

See Jimmy Hill has died at the age of 87....

Certainly a character as a player, manager, chairman and pundit.

 

[SS4]

See Jimmy Hill has died at the age of 87....

Certainly a character as a player, manager, chairman and pundit.

I read that and was impressed the BBC managed to not talk about Chelsea for a brief time

 

[DarloRich]

Big game in the Evo Stick Premier League today: Hyde v Darlo

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Big game in the Evo Stick Premier League today: Hyde v Darlo

An opportunity for Darlington to reverse those most unusual league and cup match results from earlier in the season.

 

[Darandio]

I read that and was impressed the BBC managed to not talk about Chelsea for a brief time

Didn't last long though, they're frothing again now Chelsea are 2-0 up in their relegation six pointer.

 

[DarloRich]

An opportunity for Darlington to reverse those most unusual league and cup match results from earlier in the season.

1-0 so far. I couldn't go today due to Christmas expenses and having just bought a new house. If you want to listen try: http://darlingtonfootballclub.co.uk/media/Darlo-Fans-Radio/

 

[Butts]

I see Leicester are 3-1 up at Everton...

Can they actually win the title ?

 

[familyguy99]

Can they actually win the title ?

I still think Man City will win title but way Leicester are playing you can't rule them out of finishing top of premiership come May.

Coventry 1-1 Oldham

Oldham were heading to bottom of League One until 93th mins went Philliskirk scored equaliser goal to sent Colchester to bottom of table and Oldham move one place up to 22nd.

It sound like we deserve that point and sound like we played quite well in second half too, big six pointer game on Boxing day as we play Blackpool away, is going to be tough given Blackpool are on good run lately but feel we could nick victory there.

Shock to see Man Utd lost 2-1 to Norwich and with Tottenham won it mean Man Utd move down one place to fifth, I wonder if LVG will still be Man Utd boss come end of season?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

1-0 so far. I couldn't go today due to Christmas expenses and having just bought a new house. If you want to listen try: http://darlingtonfootballclub.co.uk/media/Darlo-Fans-Radio/

Hyde United 1...Darlington 3......

 

[Minilad]

I don't know why. I have no basis for this at all. But I have a feeling me might get a win today. I'm usually totally wrong when I say that so time will tell!

Having seen the team sheet I would like to amend my above posting.
Set up to try and scrape a 0-0. Which we won't do because we can't defend

 

[RichmondCommu]

Brilliant win for Derby today, was hoping Middlesborough v Brighton would be a draw but hey never mind.

Good to hear that Costa was booed off the pitch. Radio 5 Live are reporting that he was showered and away from Stamford Bridge by 17.05. Pathetic little cry baby :cry:

 

[DarloRich]

Hyde United 1...Darlington 3......

Hat trick or Lee Gaskill

 

[LuSiVe]

Chesterfield. 6 losses on the trot (in the league). Can't see where the next point is gonna come from.

 

[Busaholic]

See Jimmy Hill has died at the age of 87....

Certainly a character as a player, manager, chairman and pundit.

Much more than just a character. As chairman of the Players' Union he was instrumental in abolishing the maximum wage of twenty pounds per week that applied throughout British football,as an administrator he helped introduce all=seater grounds as an antidote to hooliganism and as a television presenter he had the concept of the expert panel to comment on games. John Motson this afternoon described him as the most influential person in British football since the Second World War.