Football 2010-2011

[worm]

The way these jokers are going I'm going to see SAFC in a Champions League qualifier next season.

[eFestivals]

The way these jokers are going I'm going to see SAFC in a Champions League qualifier next season.

By the end of the season you'll be lucky if they're in the top ten.

[The Nal]

Superb results for Utd last night. Arsenal vs Citeh game was poor but that was pretty much all down to City. They really are a bunch of c**ts.

How long has Woy got left? A few hours maybe? 75% of the squad need to go with him. Awful.

[Steve P]

By the end of the season you'll be lucky if they're in the top ten.

[eFestivals]

Nah, they're top 10 for sure and i think they'll qualify for the europa league.

I wasn't being entirely serious - but then again, my statement is going to be nearer to the reality than what it was said in reply to. They'll end up finishing 8th I reckon, 7th if they're lucky.

Getting back to the City performance, Tugger pointed out to me that it was a carbon copy of last season, and in the end it effectively cost them their place in the champs league. I really don't buy into the idea that they're not good enough to win the league. If they'd gone for it in all of their games they'd be top by now, but they've settled for too many draws. To win the premiership you've got to take chances, something that Benitez and now Mancini, just won't do.

I agree that Mancini has been overly cautious, but I suspect that might have more to do with ensuring they cement their position in the top 4 rather than trying to go for it and blowing top-4 again. Until they have Chumps League footie just about everything about them is transient.

[eFestivals]

How long has Woy got left? A few hours maybe? 75% of the squad need to go with him. Awful.

I was thinking last night that while it might sound rather mad, LFC might as well dump Woy and see how Dalglish does. This season is now defo a write-off for them (if they'd have won last night then 6th would have been easily possible, but playing as they are they won't manage that), so they've little to lose by giving him a go, and it'd avoid the costs of getting in someone else that they might end up sacking not long after.

Some might say that Kenny is too old, but he's 4 years younger than Woy.

[ampersand]

I was thinking last night that while it might sound rather mad, LFC might as well dump Woy and see how Dalglish does. This season is now defo a write-off for them (if they'd have won last night then 6th would have been easily possible, but playing as they are they won't manage that), so they've little to lose by giving him a go, and it'd avoid the costs of getting in someone else that they might end up sacking not long after.

Some might say that Kenny is too old, but he's 4 years younger than Woy.

[eFestivals]

i'd say they have plenty to lose. they're only 4 points from safety. could easily get a lot worse!

a liverpool 'fan' last night on twitter said the same about dalglish. surely o'neil is the best bet for them now? i remember dalglish at celtic during the barnes era and it was a disaster! pretty sure he took over when he got the sack and didn't do much better. tarnished his rep at celtic. sure he doesn't want to do the same at liverpool, which he more than likely would with the squad he has.

He did poorly at Newc too didn't he?

While it would be a shame if his Liverpool rep got tarnished, all the reports in the summer were saying he wanted the job then, so it doesn't seem to be something that concerns Dalglish.

And while they might be hovering a bit too near the bottom, and despite their often awful performances, I really can't see them getting any worse than they are already.

I'm not thinking that Dalglish will be an automatic success, he might do no better than Woy. But he's available without having to compensate another club, and could slot straight into the job. I can't see them getting anyone else that would guarantee them anything better on the pitch as any new manager is always on a hit-or-miss basis, but they desperately need a change, the fans would love it, and if he's tried and fails then Liverpool avoid having him hanging over them as an untried saviour in much the way that Keegan haunted Newc until he bombed at his last try.

[ampersand]

yeah it's unlikely that they'll go down but stranger things have happened. i didn't honestly believe that leeds would be relegated.

i just think dalglish would be a disaster. and it's the same sort of people that want shearer to be the newcastle manager so bad. but a change is needed. don't see what's wrong with o'neil though if he'd take it.

[eFestivals]

i just think dalglish would be a disaster. and it's the same sort of people that want shearer to be the newcastle manager so bad.

No, it's nothing like Shearer. Dalglish has great experience and success as a manager.

A Keegan @ Newc comparison would be far closer, but unlike Keegan Dalglish has remained involved with football, so while I acknowledge that there's a danger of Dalglish being out of touch with the modern game in the way that Keegan was when he went back to Newc, I don't see it as being anything near as big a risk.

but a change is needed. don't see what's wrong with o'neil though if he'd take it.

O'Neill has spoilt his rep with his time at Villa. He might steady Liverpool, but I don't see him as someone who gives them much of a chance of getting them back into the top four (which is where their fans, etc, will be clammering for them to be).

As I've said, Dalglish is a risk, and not someone that comes with any guarantee - but that'll be the case with anyone they get. They could give him a go to the end of the season, and if it works out good they let him stay but if not they find someone else.

O'Neill or any other manager would be an expensive option (cos they'd want a decent length contract and so a big pay-off if they fail), while coming with no better guarantee of success. And then they'd still be Dalglish in the background, who the fans would be calling for if a new manager didn't get the team performing better.

If they give Dalglish a try for six months and he fails, it at least puts that whole idea to bed without calls for him to be manager constantly undermining the person who is in the job.

[ampersand]

fair enough. i hope they do bring him in then cos i'd love to see an english giant crumble. and dalglish would be more likely to make this happen than prevent it for me.

*edit* and all i meant with the shearer comparison was people wanting a man with a love, connection and history with the club to take over. even if he's far from the right man for the job.

Edited January 6, 2011 by ampersand

[The Nal]

And while they might be hovering a bit too near the bottom, and despite their often awful performances, I really can't see them getting any worse than they are already.

[pink_triangle]

yeah it's unlikely that they'll go down but stranger things have happened. i didn't honestly believe that leeds would be relegated.

i just think dalglish would be a disaster. and it's the same sort of people that want shearer to be the newcastle manager so bad. but a change is needed. don't see what's wrong with o'neil though if he'd take it.

[llcoolphil]

I see little point in sacking Hodgson. It's a poor squad he's had no real time to work with. This season is a write off anyway so back him and give him the kind of length of time any manager needs. Arsenal coming back after a lull, though when you consistently played some of the best football the top flight has ever seen, a lull was inevitable and United about to win the title again. When did either last sack a manager?

[eFestivals]

I think theres no chance liverpool will go down with roy, he is doing well enough at home to keep them ticking over and safe. They also have a better squad than the other teams down there which will tell as the season goes on.

The trouble with appointing kenny is in the tight premiership only a slight improvement in form could lead to liverpool flying up the league leading liverpool fans to claim he is doing an amazing job and flying up the league, forcing the boards hand to take him on permanently. I just dont think he is the right man for the job in the long term.

I agree 100% with all of that.

But it's the fact that whoever they get as manager won't be a long term manager that makes the idea of giving Dalglish another go quite attractive to me. They're not going to get themselves anyone who might be regarded as a 'top' manager anyway, at least until the club has been stabilised and turned around a little.

Dalglish is going to be hanging over any manager they might get, unless they somehow amazingly shot back up to near-top of the league (which ain't going to happen). To my mind, the best way to neutralise that idea is to give Dalglish a go at things: I don't see him as a greater risk than anyone else they might get in. There's been lots of rumours flying around about a number of different possible Woy replacements, but none of them have fantastic records and almost all of them have no Prem experience, meaning they're very unlikely to have instant success.

The one thing that Dalglish has over any other option is that people can be certain that he'll have the club interests above his personal interests, that his loyalty will be beyond question. While Woy is clearly (for a modern footy manager) a man of integrity, it's still the case that he won't care too much if he fails from one angle (as it would be for anyone else, bar Dalglish) as he'll walk away a rich man from the pay-off.

[Steve P]

I see little point in sacking Hodgson. It's a poor squad he's had no real time to work with. This season is a write off anyway so back him and give him the kind of length of time any manager needs. Arsenal coming back after a lull, though when you consistently played some of the best football the top flight has ever seen, a lull was inevitable and United about to win the title again. When did either last sack a manager?

[eFestivals]

I see little point in sacking Hodgson. It's a poor squad he's had no real time to work with. This season is a write off anyway so back him and give him the kind of length of time any manager needs. Arsenal coming back after a lull, though when you consistently played some of the best football the top flight has ever seen, a lull was inevitable and United about to win the title again. When did either last sack a manager?

The difference is tho that Woy is not going to be there for years even if they win all the rest of their games this season and win the league next season. He's too old, and has been appointed to try and steady and improve things - but he's not really succeeding at that.

His buys have been worse than Rafa's (however good or bad you might think Rafa's buys were), and he's failing dismally at getting any consistency from them. He's continuing their slide.

Woy is (in Prem terms) a second rate manager. He doesn't have a record of success anywhere that matters (in either the UK or elsewhere), so while I could see the logic in giving him a go at Liverpool, his results to date show he's not the man for the job after all.

As you say, this season is a write-off. As Woy hasn't succeeded at doing what he was brought in to do and doesn't look like changing anything for the better, they might as well use the rest of the season in trying a different approach.

Appointing a new manager for any club is always a gamble, a toss of the coin and keeping your fingers crossed it works out. It's not worked out: it's time to flip.

[eFestivals]

I agree with you, but then as neither of us are fans it's easy for us to say. As others have said, I think getting rid of Hodgson now, especially for Dalglish, carries far greater risks than keeping him. Dalglish may have stayed "involved in football" but that's a far cry from the pressures of managment, which have made him walk out before.

BBC are reporting that Liverpool are meeting now to discuss whether to sack Woy. If he survives today, it's still only a matter of time - it's no good having a dead man walking.

Any replacement is, from one angle, a greater risk than Woy. With Woy we all know they're not going to be relegated - but despite the players and form, they're not going down this season whoever is in charge. They remain better than the real relegation possibilities.

Yes, Dalglish could fail and walk again, but that's the same with anyone they might get. O'Neill is an obvious possibility but he's a quitter too, and the likes of Deschamps (the other name most often mentioned) has limited management experience and no Prem experience. At least Dalglish would be a cheap option, without being any greater risk to my mind.

[The Nal]

Wheres Langdale Wolf by the way? Still hungover from last night I’d say.

[Steve P]

BBC are reporting that Liverpool are meeting now to discuss whether to sack Woy. If he survives today, it's still only a matter of time - it's no good having a dead man walking.

Any replacement is, from one angle, a greater risk than Woy. With Woy we all know they're not going to be relegated - but despite the players and form, they're not going down this season whoever is in charge. They remain better than the real relegation possibilities.

Yes, Dalglish could fail and walk again, but that's the same with anyone they might get. O'Neill is an obvious possibility but he's a quitter too, and the likes of Deschamps (the other name most often mentioned) has limited management experience and no Prem experience. At least Dalglish would be a cheap option, without being any greater risk to my mind.

[Steve P]

Wheres Langdale Wolf by the way? Still hungover from last night I’d say.

[The Nal]

Rarely seen around here these days. He was rather happy on facebook last night.

[Steve P]

Same with Tugger - hows he? I owe him a "what do do in Dublin" email actually, hes coming over for a stag.

[ampersand]

Same with Tugger - hows he? I owe him a "what do do in Dublin" email actually, hes coming over for a stag.

[llcoolphil]

his results to date show he's not the man for the job after all.

As Woy hasn't succeeded at doing what he was brought in to do