Football 2011/2012

[El Unicornio, mang]

The new Newcastle kit is horrible

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

Better than the old Oldcastle kit.

[rudi]

I was a Shoot! lad meself. And Roy of the Rovers, The Eagle and 2000 AD, but that's for a different thread.

The only football-related guff I buy now is WSC and the new (and bloody good so far) The Blizzard.

[Queneau]

I always preferred Shoot! to Match. I was on my own. I remember when one of the magazines gave out squad cards of the Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday teams for both cup finals. There was a year when they both reached both cup finals, right? Or am I remembering completely wrong? I could look it up but I'm very lazy. Plus, you never know who is checking your search history.

[buttgammon]

Yeah, they played each other in the FA Cup final in 1993. Arsenal won to a last minute goal in the replay.

[/geek]

[EOLAN]

Steve Bould scoring the winner in the League Cup final and then being out for several months when Tony Adams dropped him in the celebrations.

The FA Cup final was a bit strange from what I recall - in that it was actually a bit entertaining.

[Nuts 'n Gum]

It was Steve Morrow who got dropped by Tony Adams after scoring the winner in the League Cup Final.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZHbSCF1eu0o

[Beagle 2]

Well, looks like Man City are closing in on Alexis Sanchez. Bloody incredible he looks.

Alexis Sanchez tribute

[The Boston Crab]

He evidently plays like me, like a total cunt, a ballhog, glory hunting total cunt. I'm good, though. Better than him.

[confettiinmyhair]

I'm struggling to understand the logic behind Aston Villa even bothering to interview Alex McLeish. The best reason I can think of is that Alex McLeish is a masochist, and because of this Lerner believes  he will  perform well when under intense pressure, and hatred from not only the Blue half of Birmingham, but is potential new club who don't even want him there. Putting him under such conditions is likely to cause some kind of reaction, that allows McLeish to turn Villa's fortunes around and get them back into the Top 6.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

There is no logic that any Villa fan can see.

Even disregarding the link with our local "rival" - he has been relegated twice from the Premier League, plays dull, defensive football, favouring long balls.  I believe he may also have relegated Hibs as manager.  Yes, he did win the League Cup; through a frankly ludicrously fortunate run of circumstances.

And Scottish trophies won with Rangers or Celtic don't count.

Oh, and if we do appoint him, we may have to pay compensation to the scum.

[buttgammon]

Apart from having just had a pretty poor season, is there any reason why Villa should be in such a self-loathing mood?

Edit: though some clubs have it worse. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13770272.stm

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

Because it's a massive letdown.

As a statement of intent, it says "no ambition", "don't expect too much", and more of the same shit that we've had this last season, and pretty much throughout Doug Ellis' reign of mediocrity.

We appointed Houllier because there were no other credible candidates around.  Even then we'd have given him a chance, if it wasn't for his disastrous PR skills and not even bothering to try to win the FA Cup.  Fuck, I'd have him back now, if McLeish is the alternative.

Anyway, this time we were expecting someone better - Ancelotti would probably have been too much to ask, but there are/were a lot of respectable options around - Benitez, Hughes, Jol, Ranieri - or possibly some promising up and coming managers like Coyle, Lambert and Poyet.

Even Steve McLaren is beginning to look like a fucking messiah.

[buttgammon]

Apart from the lack of amibition, don't you think that Villa could have an appeal to a talented young manager (footie manager cliché intended)? Things aren't so bad for it to seem there couldn't be a better tomorrow there. Maybe you wouldn't have got Owen Coyle as he's going well at Bolton but an out of work manager like Mark Hughes et al would have a lot of interest in joining you.

Basically, fear of rejection is a terrible thing that can lead to becoming involved with Alex McLeish.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

Villa's a difficult club to manage - it's not good enough for us just to survive; but then we don't have the finances and commercial clout to challenge the Sky 4 and now Manchester City's wealth.

What we want in a manager is someone who can bridge that gap; or failing that an FA Cup would do.  But even then we have fielded weakened sides in the cups and given the indication that mid-table Premier League is the be-all and end-all.

Martin O'Neill got close - but he squandered most of Randy Lerner's cash on (mainly) ordinary players.  And now it seems the Chairman is tightening his belt, and appointed a manager who presumably is willing to operate on a much tighter budget and more modest ambitions.

[thehungerartist]

What we want in a manager is someone who can bridge that gap; or failing that an FA Cup would do.

Expectations would be greater but I'd imagine he'd have more money to play with at Villa; David Moyes needs his head testing.

Have been keeping an eye on the managerial mess there as I see certain parallels between that situation and Liverpool last season: football decisions being made by business men (albeit on the advice of supposed experts) which defy belief and anger fans. Similar amounts of journalistic bullshit flying around, too. I find the idea that the McClaren non-appointment was due even in part to an internet backlash laughable, it was surely more to do with the guy's low status within the press ("Wally with the brolly" was even dragged up in a couple of headlines this week), and the swinging dicks openly couldn't give a shit about supporters' views:

The uproar over McLeish is absolutely uncalled for. He certainly has proved he can manage in the big leagues. Just imagine what he could do if he was with an owner who supported him. Look at the owners he has worked for and their support of him monetarily. Then look at Randy and what he provides to his managers. Those fans who X the man out because he managed our biggest rival just seem to miss the point. Yes, Randy and the board understand the feelings of the fans - we are neither deaf nor blind. At the same time, whether it would be this man or any other, we need to do what we think is right for the club. No action is taken without huge input from many knowledgeable people. Honest to goodness, if a single man can cause all the fans to abandon ship, that is a sad state of affairs. What you are basically saying is: 'Randy, let us pick the manager, we know more than you, those who are advising you, those who are in the game and know the individuals, those who make a living recommending managers and players.' Sorry that just doesn't seem right to me.

McLeish is one of the LMA boys and this has been borne out in the number of articles appearing since Friday defending him/justifying his appointment. Still, cheer up Villa fans... you could have ended up with Roy Fucking Hodgson!

[EOLAN]

Still, cheer up Villa fans... you could have ended up with Roy Fucking Hodgson!

Ah well we are very happy with Roy the Boy down Sandwell way. Maybe Billy Davies for the Seals Aston  Villa :)

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

Christ! I'd love Hodgson right now.

It actually looks like he's really going to get the job.  It's not a rumour or tabloid shit-stirring; it's going to happen.

[Squink]

It looks like Newcastle are imploding again. You've got to love that Ashley-Pardew pairing, it's only going to lead to more and more amusement.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

And what's the point of getting £35 million in transfers if you won't stump up for contracts?

Well, we'll be excellently placed if we get rid of Nolan, Barton, Enrique and Carroll in 6 months- just our four best players by a country mile.

[George Oscar Bluth II]

Pards has to pay of his gambling debts somehow?

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Yeah but how many games of poker can one guy lose?

[mr. logic]

I like Nolan, but this was hardly unexpected. He was not going to be a starter next season.  Barton is obviously just going to engineer a move off the back of it, and Enrique was always going.  It's not as if we're going to replace them properly mind.

[rjd2]

I like Nolan, but this was hardly unexpected. He was not going to be a starter next season.  Barton is obviously just going to engineer a move off the back of it, and Enrique was always going.  It's not as if we're going to replace them properly mind.

Any reason why? Was he not a regular for last season who top scored for ye?

[mr. logic]

Any reason why? Was he not a regular for last season who top scored for ye?

Yeah, he was, but we have just completed the signing of Cabaye having obviously promised him first team football, and Pardew has been talking about Ben Arfa's role behind the strikers (the only place Nolan was effective for us). Strong runours seem to indicate Pardew didn't like Nolan's influence in the dressing room too. The moment Allardyce was mentioned, I knew he was a goner, for better or worse.

Good luck to the fella. Will never forget hin backheeling thr ball in to the net right in front of me at the Stadium of Light.

[rjd2]

Well, looks like Man City are closing in on Alexis Sanchez. Bloody incredible he looks.

Alexis Sanchez tribute

Them and about 250 clubs it seems from a very confused football media. Barca seem really interested so unless he is driven mainly by money you'd expect him to end up their. It does mean their attack will be even more unstoppable next year.

EDIT.. Cheers Logic for that on Nolan.

[actwithoutwords]

Bébé's off I see: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rorysmith/100017342/the-curtain-closes-on-the-curious-case-of-bebe-manchester-uniteds-lost-boy/

Besiktas can buy him for 2m after the loan. What was that stuff about him being 'one for the future' and a 'long term project', and definitely, definitely not a ludicrous mistake?

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

Better to lose out on the potentially greatest rags-to-riches story ever than on someone like Nicklas Bendtner or that Spanish forward Chelsea bought.

[Slaaaaabs]

Robbebe Keane

[the midnight watch baboon]

Interesting list of players available on a free this summer, Woodgate, Hargreaves, Upson, Vieira and many more...

http://www.premierleague.com/staticFiles/14/79/0,,12306~162068,00.pdf