Football 2011-2012

[TheGayTent]

There are so many things on my list I reckon your excellent video might be as close to going as I get! Other than the two argentinian grounds mentioned, there's another 33 grounds outside of England i'm yet to tick off my list. That's just football, there's other venues on the list too for rugby union, cricket, etc...

[Ed209]

5Live got a big interview with Fergy on now

[pink_triangle]

5Live got a big interview with Fergy on now

[Ed209]

yeah its with Spoony - who's been pretty dreadful. An hour interview with Fergy and they use DJ Spoony? Totally wasted opportunity.

[kaosmark2]

Is that the one with spoony they were talking about last week. As soon as I heard the name spoony, any interest I had ended!

A couple of comments about earlier discussions. I think the league cup has been much better in recent years, due to the fact bigger teams have realised that fans get fed up winning nothing and therefore have taken it more serious. As for the FA cup I found the 5th round draw a bit dull, as most games were very predictable, unfortunately the qf line up looks like it could go the same way. The semis should be exciting though.

As for la liga v premiership, I dont think the gap is as big as some think. After watching how medicore liverpool, chelsea and arsenal have been this season, I am certain that valencia would be capable of competing for positions with these. I am certain both madrid and barca would have won the last few premiership titles easily. After watching the last champions league final which could have ended up a rout, I also believe barca and madrid would thrash the teams at the bottom of the premiership as easily as they would the teams at the bottom of la liga. The way I look at it la liga is best (1-2) premiership (3-6) and they are pretty equal (7-20) so any difference is pretty marginal.

[Ed209]

yeah its with Spoony - who's been pretty dreadful. An hour interview with Fergy and they use DJ Spoony? Totally wasted opportunity.

[strummer77]

yeah its with Spoony - who's been pretty dreadful. An hour interview with Fergy and they use DJ Spoony? Totally wasted opportunity.

[kaosmark2]

To be fair a more jovial/less pushy interviewer was probably one of the ways they could get him to agree. He would want a laid back slightly sycophantic presenter. He's hardly going to want to go on with Paxman... although I'd love to see that.

[The Nal]

[pink_triangle]

Haven't listened to it, but assumed an interview with spoony would be too lightweight. If I hear a fergie interview, I want some hard balls, or I don't really see the point.

[kaosmark2]

Chelsea very fragile. Cracking game as well. Be interesting how they do in the Prem without Terry for the next few weeks as well.

[eFestivals]

Chelsea very fragile. Cracking game as well. Be interesting how they do in the Prem without Terry for the next few weeks as well.

Is AVB going tgo get sacked?

I reckon the chances of that have lessened since Hiddinck took that job in Russia.

[The Nal]

Is AVB going tgo get sacked?

[eFestivals]

I was thinking they should give him more time. Then he went and dropped Essien and Lampard last night and now I think he should be sacked.

he was sounding pretty desperate the other day, when he was basically asking for Abramovic to publicly back him. having dropped some 'heroes' and then losing last night is the final nail I reckon.

When any manager (in any job role) needs to ask for backing then they're finished. If they can't command respect by themselves then they're not going to get that respect via their bosses words (been there, done that myself ).

So whatever Abramovic thinks about AVB as the future of Chelsea he needs to wake up to that unchangeable fact and do what needs to be done sooner rather than later. That lack of respect isn't something which will go away by kicking out the players he wants to think are undermining him; those players might go but the lack of respect will remain.

But who would want the job in his place now? There's just about no one of high profile now that Hiddink has made himself unavailable, as he's already used everyone else.

Except of course Postman Pat. He's a greedy fucker and Roman can satisfy his greed. So there you have it, Pat will be the next Chelsea manager, and before the end of March.

[pryce]

Anyone see Graham Turner Shrewsbury manager going mental last night...

What chance is there of expecting players behaviour to improve when we have such idiotic managers in the game...

[The Nal]

Except of course Postman Pat. He's a greedy fucker and Roman can satisfy his greed. So there you have it, Pat will be the next Chelsea manager, and before the end of March.

[eFestivals]

Aldershot knocked Southend of the top two last night with their third win on the trot.

It's starting to look as tho they might have finally got their form back together, which fell apart when they drew Man Utd in the Carling Cup, the big-time charlies.

Their defensive record is pretty good for that league, and their goal difference isn't bad (-5 I think), and now they seem to have a few players in who can score the only way is up .... a top ten finish isn't looking out of the question, even tho they're currently only 15th.

If they can hang on to Holdsworth as manager for next season then I'm half hopeful that they might be genuine promotion challengers next season, even if realism says they're only ever gonna be League Two long term.

[eFestivals]

I don't think hes a greedy fucker at all, none of his previous moves have been (solely) about money. But you could be right about Roman going for him. Chelsea not qualifying for the Champo League is disaster and Capello (regardless of what England fans think) is a winner.

And yes. He will demand a high salary. Rightly so too.

the only other possibility I can think of is Rafa. I actually think he'd do pretty well with Chelsea, as his style is much more theirs than it was ever Liverpool's.

But AVB is definitely a dead man walking now. I can't see how there's any way back for him.

[pink_triangle]

Avb took on a difficult job, successive managers have just thought short term and he was left with a squad with too many big egos past their best, protecting their position. Avb should be judged on how he does when they are all gone, he probably wasn't aggressive enough shifting them out in the summer.

[pink_triangle]

Aldershot knocked Southend of the top two last night with their third win on the trot.

It's starting to look as tho they might have finally got their form back together, which fell apart when they drew Man Utd in the Carling Cup, the big-time charlies.

Their defensive record is pretty good for that league, and their goal difference isn't bad (-5 I think), and now they seem to have a few players in who can score the only way is up .... a top ten finish isn't looking out of the question, even tho they're currently only 15th.

If they can hang on to Holdsworth as manager for next season then I'm half hopeful that they might be genuine promotion challengers next season, even if realism says they're only ever gonna be League Two long term.

[The Nal]

the only other possibility I can think of is Rafa. I actually think he'd do pretty well with Chelsea, as his style is much more theirs than it was ever Liverpool's.

But AVB is definitely a dead man walking now. I can't see how there's any way back for him.

[TheGayTent]

To sack AVB would be utter lunacy.

[strummer77]

bit harsh .... turner is one of the most respected managers in the league

its funny when di canio does it... its a bit of a laugh

[strummer77]

Thats a good shout yeah. Hes certainly organised but hes not the type to bow down to the owners. He left Valencia for that reason, arguably Liverpool for that reason and he 100% left Inter for that reason.

And at Chelsea you dont have to bow down to Abramovich. You have to bend over!

[The Nal]

To sack AVB would be utter lunacy.

Edited February 22, 2012 by The Nal