Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Thu Apr 24, 2014 7:53 pm  

Lord God Jose Mourinho wrote:

But what is the correct decision though? What do you think they should do?

I think the Glazers know NOTHING about football and have been allowed to coast until now under SAF. I think if they could find a buyer right now they'd sell up and let the new owners worry about what to do.

Appointing Moyes was a Ferguson decision. It was a terrible one. I don't know whether Fergie sanctioned Moyes's sacking or the Glazers have made their first major decision, but IMO it's a correct one. Who they bring in now will be a huge decision.

Well it's a tough one. A lot/most of the European coaches operate under a DoF of some kind, be it a 'Director of Football' or a 'transfer guru', either way, not many of them manage in the traditional British way. But can United appoint a DoF? Who would interview the DoF and decide whether he's right for the club or not? Do the owners even have a clue what their aims are? Are they after somebody to start an empire but not run it? Are they going to become a club like Real Madrid, who simply go through top coach after top coach, back them with players but expect nothing but victory and style? As you say, they've piggy backed of SAF for years, with no plan seemingly in place for when he left. Our owners came in and found a club in a bit of a mess, they made their mistakes but decided to lead an interview process with a 'committee' in place. We nearly appointed Martinez and appointed Rodgers, so we seemed to take some decent steps in marking our targets and the choice has been right. There's no doubting United could try something similar to find their right man, but who at the club is capable/knowledgeable enough to appoint the right guy? I don't know who was responsible at our club, maybe it was pure luck.

Moyes found the step up nearly impossible, but should that mean United now ignore all similar level/reputable managers? It's tough because the best managers available are seemingly settled, so you'd think they'd go out and find the 'next great' manager, but they don't seem to have anybody in place capable of leading such a task.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Fri Apr 25, 2014 1:58 am  

Dita's Slot Meter wrote:

United wouldn't touch him simply because they know the fans wouldn't put up with the negative, turgid rubbish that the bloke gets his sides to play.

Like the fans didn't put up with the useless rubbish that Moyes delivered this season?

From a results perspective, Mourinho is a great manager, but he is a relic from the past with his dull defensive tactics, which are a throwback to the Italian sides of the 70's and 80's, who bored the ar$e off 99% of football observers.

As Man United manager that reputation would quickly be forgotten. There were plenty of seasons where Man United played pretty poor football. Both of Ferguson's CL final wins were pretty poor in truth, but no one cares because the trophy was brought back. The notion that Man United always play in a great way and Mourinho is always defensive is just moronic drivel that people are told to think because they can't form their own opinions.

There is no way that Mourinho would be allowed to spend shedloads of cash on seemingly world class players and then have them play in the manner that Chelsea did on Tuesday night.

Fans of Man United, Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal would have accepted the performance on Tuesday night in an instant.

Did Arsenal fans complain about their horrid 2005 FA Cup final win? Did they slag off their penalty shoot out win against WIGAN ATHLETIC two weeks ago? Of course they didn't, because a win by any manner is better than a heroic defeat.

"Attacking" Alex Ferguson won 2 CLs in 19 campaigns. Those wins were a 2-1 win where his team were losing 1-0 for 83 minutes, were outplayed for the whole game and then stole the trophy with two goals in injury time. The other was a 1-1 draw and a penalty shoot out win when up against the managerial genius of Avram Grant.

"Defensive" Jose Mourinho has won 2 CLs in I think 9 or 10 campaigns. He won the finals 3-0 and 2-0.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Fri Apr 25, 2014 7:24 am  

Roddy B wrote:

Well it's a tough one. A lot/most of the European coaches operate under a DoF of some kind, be it a 'Director of Football' or a 'transfer guru', either way, not many of them manage in the traditional British way. But can United appoint a DoF? Who would interview the DoF and decide whether he's right for the club or not? Do the owners even have a clue what their aims are? Are they after somebody to start an empire but not run it? Are they going to become a club like Real Madrid, who simply go through top coach after top coach, back them with players but expect nothing but victory and style? As you say, they've piggy backed of SAF for years, with no plan seemingly in place for when he left. Our owners came in and found a club in a bit of a mess, they made their mistakes but decided to lead an interview process with a 'committee' in place. We nearly appointed Martinez and appointed Rodgers, so we seemed to take some decent steps in marking our targets and the choice has been right. There's no doubting United could try something similar to find their right man, but who at the club is capable/knowledgeable enough to appoint the right guy? I don't know who was responsible at our club, maybe it was pure luck.

Moyes found the step up nearly impossible, but should that mean United now ignore all similar level/reputable managers? It's tough because the best managers available are seemingly settled, so you'd think they'd go out and find the 'next great' manager, but they don't seem to have anybody in place capable of leading such a task.

If they're going to appoint a D of F they need to do that before they appoint a manager and involve the D of F in the appointment of the manager. Appointing a D of F after appointing a manager is a recipe for friction and disputes. They don't have time to appoint both a D of F and a manager and spend £150m this summer.

A few papers are reporting United's interest in signing Cavani. Cavani's an excellent player but how would he fit in with Van Persie and Rooney? Surely they need to have discussed a signing of that magnitude with the manager first? Unless they already have the manager lined up and he has said he wants Cavani.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Fri Apr 25, 2014 11:25 am  

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-27152223 Someone has been upsetting the Scousers again, strange how It's emerged on the eve of the biggest game for them in 24 years, bit of extra motivation, more words to stick on the dressing room wall.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-27152223 Someone has been upsetting the Scousers again, strange how It's emerged on the eve of the biggest game for them in 24 years, bit of extra motivation, more words to stick on the dressing room wall.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Fri Apr 25, 2014 12:22 pm  

100% Wire wrote:

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-27152223

Someone has been upsetting the Scousers again, strange how It's emerged on the eve of the biggest game for them in 24 years, bit of extra motivation, more words to stick on the dressing room wall.

"The web of computers is tracked online by a handful of IP addresses, the details of which were released by Wallasey MP Angela Eagle following a parliamentary question in 2008, when she was a Treasury minister.

Analysis of Wikipedia’s revision history revealed the same unique ID codes were used to amend the Hillsborough and Anfield pages with a series of sick jokes."

So in 2008 the Whitehall IP addresses were released publicly.

In 2009 those same IP addresses were supposedly caught altering wikipedia pages about Hillsborough. And it's taken 5 years for this to emerge.

Why wouldn't this have become a police matter 5 years ago, rather than a news story now? I don't think it has anything to do with the game, but I do think it has a lot to do with the inquest which is going on right now.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Fri Apr 25, 2014 12:34 pm  

Cibaman wrote:

A few papers are reporting United's interest in signing Cavani. Cavani's an excellent player but how would he fit in with Van Persie and Rooney? Surely they need to have discussed a signing of that magnitude with the manager first? Unless they already have the manager lined up and he has said he wants Cavani.

I said it on another forum, but when Rooney signed his 300,000 a week contract for 5 years I was worried that Man United weren't actually doing that deal for them, but they were doing it as a way to make sure his transfer value was high this summer when he'd be signing for us.

Them allegedly going after Cavani brings that thought back to me.

The whole way that Mata went to United in January and the way we went after Rooney at the beginning of the season makes me worry that we've already got a deal agreed to sign Rooney after this season ends. I'd prefer we get Cavani to Rooney. But I guess I'll trust whatever Jose has up his sleeve.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Fri Apr 25, 2014 5:33 pm  

Lord God Jose Mourinho wrote:

I said it on another forum, but when Rooney signed his 300,000 a week contract for 5 years I was worried that Man United weren't actually doing that deal for them, but they were doing it as a way to make sure his transfer value was high this summer when he'd be signing for us.

Them allegedly going after Cavani brings that thought back to me.

The whole way that Mata went to United in January and the way we went after Rooney at the beginning of the season makes me worry that we've already got a deal agreed to sign Rooney after this season ends. I'd prefer we get Cavani to Rooney. But I guess I'll trust whatever Jose has up his sleeve.

I've never hidden my views that I don't rate Rooney as a top striker, certainly not in Suarez's league anyway. I've said before I believe he's a real headache for a manager at United, he's a '4-4-2' player, but not many clubs can afford to play a 4-4-2 formation on a weekly basis, purely because the 5-man midfield tends to overwhelm it on a regular basis. Rooney, for me, isn't fast/tall enough to lead the line, whilst he has creative ability to create by dropping deep, but he's not a midfielder and he wants to play up front.

If Chelsea signed him I'd be made up as I don't think he improves them that much. If United signed Cavani I'd be quite worried because he's a lethal forward who would give nearly every defender a massive headache, but it's going to take more than one forward to change their fortunes. I actually believe RvP will probably end up leaving this summer, if United can get a better/younger player I can see them going for it and getting rid whilst he still holds value.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Fri Apr 25, 2014 9:50 pm  

Rooney is overrated (srs).

People talk about him as one of the top players in the world, but he's never done anything to truly justify that, IMO. When you look at the type of numbers and consistency the likes of ronaldo have put over the years, it dwarfs rooney.

He never produces for england either.

2006 - sh*t.
2010 - sh*t.
2012 - sh*t.
2014 - He'll be sh*t.

Only time he's come close to producing on the big stage at international level (that's a major tournament BTW not the qualfying stages) was in 2004 as the new kid on the block.

Only time he's really produced on the european stage at club level was his debut when he got that hatrick against the nobodies in the group stage.

Yet all we hear from the media and pundits is how amazingly world class he is blah blah.

I'm sick of hype.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Sun Apr 27, 2014 3:03 pm  

Well, looks like the only people on par with Gerrard looking like an idiot is FlexWheeler and Saddened.

I'm assuming you will change your posting stance now saying you knew all along that Liverpool would f**k up and that it will go down to the wire, despite the other week proclaiming that Liverpool already have it in the bag.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Sun Apr 27, 2014 3:13 pm  

Still chance for a few more twists.

Nice 40 quid profit today. Opened an account just to bet on Chelsea before the team was even named. 10 quid at 4/1. I've been pretty much abstaining from betting since the Vialli days because I'm such a terrible gambler but just had a feeling today.