Football Focus

[mockney piers]

I wouldn't mind O'Neill in east London.

Zolas a lovely chap and breathes football but there's only so many times you can wacth him say 'my players gave everything' as we crash to another defeat we really should have got a result out of, before you think that loyalty and belief in your players is all well and good but the odd hairdryer does work wonders, and MON is reputed to have a pretty scary one in reserve there.

I think the reputation Matthew refers to probably comes from the Leicester period and that can often be the only way to get a team with poor resources punching above their weight.

I don't watch the SPL, but whilst this very good villa side dont necessarily embody the beautiful game, they are playing far and away the least dull footie of a Villa side in a good long while.

[Mick Mac]

probably true. Leicester was a stepping stone for MON and with each team he has improved his style of play. But he has often been accused of long ball football because he always has a big front man but i would say at celtic and villa its been wide play and crosses.

Matt-i failed to see what Arteta had at rangers as when up against paul lambert he never got a look in. I can see now that he is a good player.

[kpc]

mockney piers Wrote:

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> but whilst this very good

> villa side dont necessarily embody the beautiful

> game, they are playing far and away the least dull

> footie of a Villa side in a good long while.

Took MO'N a bit to get to this stage - his early days there, they played very direct football with the team he inherited.

[SCSB79]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> Me neither. Martin O Neills team were a passing

> team, with lots of width, very direct. Not

> particularly up and at em.

>

That's got to be a wind up!!!! Becuase I've not stopped laughing since I read it...

O'Neill's Celtic team a "passing team"???? I think the term "hammer throwers" was actually invented for them. O'Neill's teams were all bruisers. Couldn't have passed water.

[SCSB79]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> I'm pleased for Birmingham City but I have to say

> I'm slightly surprised as Martin O'Neill was

> streets ahead of McLeish when they were both in

> Glasgow.

> Now they are both in Birmingham now and I guess

> MON is still ahead but with McLeish on the much

> smaller budget its difficult to say which is the

> bigger achievement.

> McLeish comes across as a nice gut but always has

> been a winner too, so well done to him. Birmingham

> as a city of 4? teams has never seen it so good -

> or not for a while anyway.

I'm not arguing about the abilities of both managers, thats another issue...

But they both won 7 trophies during their times as managers of Rangers & Celtic... that's ahrdly "streets ahead".

Plus, McLeish actually got Rangers into the last 16 of the CL - the first ever Scottish club to do so.

[Mick Mac]

SCSB79 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Mick Mac Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Me neither. Martin O Neills team were a passing

> > team, with lots of width, very direct. Not

> > particularly up and at em.

> >

>

> That's got to be a wind up!!!! Becuase I've not

> stopped laughing since I read it...

> O'Neill's Celtic team a "passing team"???? I

> think the term "hammer throwers" was actually

> invented for them. O'Neill's teams were all

> bruisers. Couldn't have passed water.

Hmmm.....bruisers you say....ok he goes for tough and uncompromising players but they are also footballers. Chris Sutton would be a perfect example.

Anyway I'm glad McLeish and O'Neill are both doing well.

[matthew123]

Mick Mac Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Matt-i failed to see what Arteta had at rangers as

> when up against paul lambert he never got a look

> in. I can see now that he is a good player.

What because he is now playing in the blue of everton?

[SeanMacGabhann]

Oi - Wenger!

Given is apparently unhappy with events at Man City... January transfer window opens soon... you know what to do

[Atila Reincarnate]

I'd prefer Brad Friedel, but Given would be good.

[Atila Reincarnate]

As I might not have the opportunity to do this beforehand here goes, but with form running as it is at the moment I'm not holding my breath with these predictions.

Birmingham 1 v Chelsea 2

Burnley 1 v Bolton 0

Fulham 2 v Tottenham 1

Liverpool 2 v Wolverhampton 0

Man City 3 v Stoke 1

Sunderland 1 v Everton 1

West Ham 2 v Portsmouth 0 (provided they play the way they did against Chavski)

Wigan 0 v Blackburn 1

Arsenal 2 v Aston Villa 0

Hull 0 v Man Utd 3

[Bluerevolution]

Keep your bloody hands off our Shay, we lost Dunne, we can't afford to lose Shay too

[kpc]

Shay to stay; sign Friedel so the other Brad can play and we'll keep Hart. All happy.

[Atila Reincarnate]

I think you might be facing a bit of a player revolt at Citeh, some of 'em are not happy at the way Sparky (spits) was treated.

[Bluerevolution]

Media speculation- the problem is there is a leak at MCFC- Hughes probably should have been sacked after Spurs game and then nobody would be outraged/shocked or into conspiracy theories

[Jah Lush]

For all his good work Mark Hughes made a lot of bad moves in the transfer market. It's not looking such a good idea to have got rid of skipper Richard Dunne now was it?

As well as they look good going forward Man City are a shambles at the back. Kolo Toure is past his sell by date and at 12 million quid, Arsene Wenger must have bitten his hand off. As for the one-legged injury prone Wayne Bridge, what a waste of space. Julian Lescott is another whose price-tag wasn't worth it and Robinho only likes playing at home.

With the next few league games coming up all of which Citeh would have been expected to win Hughes will soon be forgotten if Roberto Mancini can be successful and with the resources available it shouldn't prove too difficult. But he must sort out that appalling defence first.

[Bluerevolution]

Defence is a big weakness, Hughes didn't get rid of Dunne, it was a board decision that pissed Hughes, players and supporters off no end- nobody gets rid of a player who has been captain for a season unless there is background influence

[Jah Lush]

I didn't know that. I think Garry Cook has a lot to answer for.

[Atila Reincarnate]

Le Boss must have laughed himself silly when he got waht he did for Kolo, no disresepct to Kolo I used to love him at the Arsenal but his best days are gone.

[Bluerevolution]

Gary seems to be a bit of a stool pigeon, Sheikh Mansour and ADUG board have more influence than is openly reported. I spoke to the Club yesterday and they were mortified that SSN had this "news" before half time.

To "officially" inform Hughes during a game hardly motivates. Mancini hadn't even been mentioned anywhere prior to half time- Guus Hiddink was clearly in the frame according to all speculation

[kpc]

From Richard Williams column in The Guardian:

At Eastlands there is Brian Marwood, known to fans as a moderately talented winger with Hull City, Sheffield Wednesday and Arsenal in the 1980s but appearing to owe his present role at Manchester City to a spell as a marketing manager with Nike. It was there that he encountered Garry Cook, who is now City's chief executive and is given to voicing his ambition to transform the club into [pre]

"a successful business where the core competency is football"

[/pre]

.

[????]

Beryl and Gladys really pull all the strings at Man City as us ITK know

[Bluerevolution]

Quids Lol Lol !

I don't read the paoers, full of crap and speculation !

Ok, my sources are Paul Lake ex MCFC, Emily Brobyn, Blue Tuesday on Radio Manchester and I speak via phone and email regularly with Danny Wilson,Supporters Liason Officer, City of Manchester Stadium, MCFC.

I'm the real deal and work hard for MCFC Official Supporters in London

[Sandperson]

I thought all the supporters in London were United? Must be all that new money! ;-)

[Bluerevolution]

I'm a Manc !Only been here 18 Months

[mockney piers]

I'm pretty sire Emily Br?nte's dead isn't she. I can't belive she was a man city fan. I always had her down for Beverle FC