crackerjack

Well-known member
I dunno, some club fans are just as bad. The half-season Jokanovic was at Chelsea he got booed against Everton when Ranieri took Zola off for him (perfectly sensible sub too; we were hanging onto a 2-1 win and needed to shore up the midfield). Seriously, not even his bloody decision and he got booed every other touch he took. And then came 'sell him to Tottenham' chants. It was pretty disgusting...

It's not the players you lot want to be booing ;)

Grant's standing at Chelsea, meanwhile, has been brought into question again after it emerged that he named a team with only 10 players in it for his first match in charge. Mourinho's replacement as manager has been undermined by dressing-room dismay over his training methods and track record. His failure to obtain Uefa-equivalent coaching qualifications has led to Chelsea appointing Henk ten Cate as 'assistant first-team coach'.

In a team meeting before Chelsea's 2-0 defeat at Manchester United three weeks ago, Grant named a line-up with just 10 men. According to a dressing-room source, the manager then described the team's formation as '4-4-1'.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2190883,00.html
 

tom pr

Well-known member
It's not the players you lot want to be booing ;)
You're telling me!

If Abramovich is smart (big if...), he'll send Grant back to the boardroom in summer, give Steve Clarke the manager's job and have Ten Cate call the shots from behind the scenes, like he's meant to have done at Barcelona. That way we've got a good tactician and someone who is allegedly good with handling players and training, behind a figurehead that the crowd adore.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
"In a team meeting before Chelsea's 2-0 defeat at Manchester United three weeks ago, Grant named a line-up with just 10 men. According to a dressing-room source, the manager then described the team's formation as '4-4-1'."
That's pretty funny if true.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
"The Barcelona bandwagon rolls on - but they haven't faced Rangers yet, that will be a stern test."
I knew that Rangers could get something from that game (or was I joking before? I can't remember). Anyway, looks as though reports of Rooney's death had been exaggerated 'cause he keeps on scoring. Arsenal did well too although I think it's a bit rich Wenger saying that Walcott should be in the England squad and implying that everyone is missing a great talent. If they are it's because he's never in L'Arsenal's first team you wanker.
 

tht

akstavrh
I knew that Rangers could get something from that game (or was I joking before? I can't remember

that wasn't a surprise, barcelona had eto'o, deco, toure, zambrottra missing, all of whom would have started, puyol playing out of position and ronaldinho not really giving a fuck (have a read about his and robinho's latest activities)

and messi is going through something of a crisis not having scored in two whole games now
 

hucks

Your Message Here
They won't last the distance.

One of the most impressive things about l'Arse last night was how physically imposing and,um, vital they were. Even with 90 minutes played Eboue, Sagna and Gallas were still flying in to tackles, boshing people off the ball etc. Gone are the days where you could just kick Reyes for 90 minutes and get three points...

I think it will take more than the normal heavy pitches/ "Wet Tuesday nights in Wigan" to put them off this season. Which isn't to say I think they've got everything won already. Clearly it's still early days...
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
"that wasn't a surprise, barcelona had eto'o, deco, toure, zambrottra missing, all of whom would have started, puyol playing out of position and ronaldinho not really giving a fuck (have a read about his and robinho's latest activities)"
Of course. It says something for their (Barcelona's) reputation that Rangers can salute a goaless draw at home against half a side as a great result.
Where can I read about their latest activities? What were they, "roasting", drinking, firing guns, what?

"I think it will take more than the normal heavy pitches/ "Wet Tuesday nights in Wigan" to put them off this season. Which isn't to say I think they've got everything won already. Clearly it's still early days..."
Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part.

Liverpool were pretty terrible last night anyway. They just don't look as though they have any ideas up front (though fair enough the keeper made a couple of good stops when he needed to).
 

tht

akstavrh
Of course. It says something for their (Barcelona's) reputation that Rangers can salute a goaless draw at home against half a side as a great result.
Where can I read about their latest activities? What were they, "roasting", drinking, firing guns, what?

that type of thing yeah, from tehguardian

Still at least Barça and Madrid had their excuses ready what with the "Fifa virus". And yet the three scorers at Montjuic were the three scorers for Spain and, on this week's evidence, it's not so much playing for your country that's the problem as celebrating the fact - the Catalan press gleefully reporting that naughty Robinho missed his flight back after a huge party at the Catwalk Club, where he allegedly ordered 40 condoms, drank himself silly, and didn't leave until 5am. Unlike their own ever-so-responsible Ronaldinho, of course, who left at 11.

Just a shame it was 11 in the morning - and in the boot of the car.
 
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redcrescent

Well-known member
What, nobody's said anything on Jol's exit from Spurs yet? Would love to hear some takes on this.

Almost everyone will agree that the Spurs board have been incredibly arrogant and stupid during this whole affair, and have chosen the worst possible moment to fire all round nice guy Jol. No?

I think the stage is set for Juande Ramos (whom I rate very highly) to swoop in and play the savior as Spurs certainly have the player material to win games, and 3 or 4 good results should take them back to mid-table in no time. Cue smugness from the insufferable gits in charge at Spurs.

Can anyone confirm if Jol was fired before or after the Getafe game? Madrid press claim a heroic Geta sunk Jol, but I don't buy it.

(Btw I was not at all suprised about Getafe's victory, a squad with no big names but an incredible work ethic. This is the team that, among other feats, annihilated a star-studded Barça 4-0 in last year's Copa del Rey semi-final, having gone down 2:5 in the first leg at the Nou Camp. They subsequently lost 1-0 to Juande's Sevilla in the final. A lot of good players (Güiza, Dorado, Paredes, Ruano) have moved on since then, even so Geta have depth as Laudrup's initial XI vs Spurs was without 4 or 5 sure starters.)
 

hucks

Your Message Here
Is this still the all-purpose football thread? In which case...

God, it's some weird sort of relief that England didn't spawn their way into the finals, innit? The embarrassments that would have followed...

fwiw, a coupla quid on Croatia wouldn't be a bad idea. They look a very tidy side.
 
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crackerjack

Well-known member
fwiw, a coupla quid on Croatia wouldn't be a bad idea. They look a very tidy side.

They did, but maybe we made them look that way. Fuck, we were just awful.

But Croatia could go all the way next year. There's no outstanding side around (as last year's World Cup showed) and it could go to a team like them who do the simple things right.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Is there anyone who didn't laugh when the first goal went in? After all the talk about Robinson's unreliability (not to mention Calimity James) and Carson lets it straight through him after ten minutes. In the pub where I was watching I think everyone was trying to hold in the (shocked) laughter but I just couldn't. Absolutely horrible performance apart from that, gifted the chance by Israel and gifted the chance of a fight-back by a lame penalty and they still throw it away. I don't think they created any chances apart from the goals and a couple in the first ten minutes.
Has McClaren been fired yet?
 
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crackerjack

Well-known member
Yes.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2215145,00.html

His tenure as manager was shocking, yesterday the only thing remaining to him was to leave with dignity - and he blew that as well.

He's not gonna walk into a sparkling new job - not surprised he wanted the rest of his contract paid up. Fortunately the FA had the nous - this time - to only give him a 2-year deal.

So who next? I still think they should take their time, use a caretaker and make sure they get the best available rather than rushing in with whichever Irishman can be persuaded to walk out on his club.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
He's not gonna walk into a sparkling new job - not surprised he wanted the rest of his contract paid up. Fortunately the FA had the nous - this time - to only give him a 2-year deal.
You gotta feel sorry for him, he was obviously in way over his head. The way that all his "big" decisions were instantly proved wrong yesterday was cruelly humourous. Carson dropping a bollock right at the start, Beckham left out but instantly providing the equalizer when he came on etc
Not sure about the nous of giving McClaren a two year contract - why give him a contract at all, everyone knew it was the wrong decision, they've got to fucking sort it out this time. It's a horrible job though, if you were Wenger or Morinho or whoever would you go for it?
 
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