Football Focus

[Otta]

I meant the England Manager job.

Although to be honest, if I was on that sort of money I doubt I'd be desperate to get more.

[rendelharris]

Can't help thinking the tabloids have missed a headline by not using "BIG TWAT SAM"

[Mick Mac]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> I'm going to go out on a limb and say we will give

> Man City a good game on Wednesday night.

>

> That means we wont get hammered. Lose by two at

> the worst, but hopefully give them a scare and

> maybe sneak something.

Think I called that about right - great game but unfortunately had to watch it with no sound in the Rye as a big group of fans watching the Arsenal game (on big screen with sound) tried to make a pub into a library.

[titch juicy]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> Mick Mac Wrote:

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

> -----

> > I'm going to go out on a limb and say we will

> give

> > Man City a good game on Wednesday night.

> >

> > That means we wont get hammered. Lose by two at

> > the worst, but hopefully give them a scare and

> > maybe sneak something.

>

> Think I called that about right - great game but

> unfortunately had to watch it with no sound in the

> Rye as a big group of fans watching the Arsenal

> game (on big screen with sound) tried to make a

> pub into a library.

Fantastic game. I hope City bring that level of defending with them to White Hart Lane on Sunday and we show Celtic's levels of commitment.

[Mick Mac]

Rodgers compares Moussa Dembele to a young Drogba :

There?s no doubt about it. I worked with Didier at Chelsea and I think Moussa is of that ilk,? the former Swansea and Liverpool manager said.

?Didier came into Chelsea at 24 or something like that. This boy?s just turned 20. He?s still a baby.

?But he?s tough. You can see on nights such as Wednesday that he is a big reference for the team.?

Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2016/09/30/celtic-ace-moussa-dembele-can-be-the-next-didier-drogba-claims-brendan-rodgers-6161928/#ixzz4LjSrt4pY

[titch juicy]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> Rodgers compares Moussa Dembele to a young Drogba

> :

>

>

> There?s no doubt about it. I worked with Didier at

> Chelsea and I think Moussa is of that ilk,? the

> former Swansea and Liverpool manager said.

>

> ?Didier came into Chelsea at 24 or something like

> that. This boy?s just turned 20. He?s still a

> baby.

>

> ?But he?s tough. You can see on nights such as

> Wednesday that he is a big reference for the

> team.?

>

>

>

>

> Read more:

> http://metro.co.uk/2016/09/30/celtic-ace-moussa-de

> mbele-can-be-the-next-didier-drogba-claims-brendan

> -rodgers-6161928/#ixzz4LjSrt4pY

I like him and with no disrespect intended to Celtic, i'm astonished he went there as opposed to one of the PL teams interested.

The midweek tie contradicts me obviously, but i don't see how he can develop to his full potential playing in the SPL week in week out, especially under Rogers.

To me it tells me something about his attitude (wants to be a big fish in a smaller pond).

I may well be completely wrong of course.

[Mick Mac]

I suspect the Rodgers effect is seen as a positive one - eg Suarez credits him with making him a much better player.

He's only 20 and to get Champions league at 20 is something he's likely to have wanted.

And, its Celtic....

Dembele feels Celtic is the ideal place for him to progress.

He told Celtic TV: ?I?m happy to be at a massive club like Celtic and I can?t wait to start scoring goals.

?To be the first signing of Brendan Rodgers is unreal for me. He told me that Celtic is a good team for me. I will have game time. I obviously have to show I can stay in the team.

?I think it?s a good way for me to progress, with a massive stadium and the fans and the city. Everyone lives for Celtic and it?s unbelievable for me to play for a massive club like this.?

[Otta]

Fair play to Spurs today. Much as I was hoping for a draw (from a Liverpool perspective) you have to say hats off.

It is much more interesting now that there are 6 or maybe 7 teams with genuine top 4 potential. It got so boring for a while when it would be the 2 manchesters, chelsea and Arsenal year in year out. Leicester will be nowhere near this year (as we all knew they wouldn't be), but Liverpool and Spurs will I think give it a proper push.

From a Liverpool point of view, it's great to see them get results from Hull and Swansea, especially when they came form behind yesterday. Those are the sorts of games we've often lost after big wins. Long may it continue.

[Jah Lush]

Agree. Spurs and Liverpool making good progress under two very special managers. I think it also helps enormously when the manager has the full backing of the board which seems to be happening at both clubs. I knew we had the beating of Man City today. Would be nice as another friend mentioned if the media would get the fuck out of Guardiola's arsehole.

[Mick Mac]

Victor had a game today. Happy that Spurs got him but he was obviously quality 3 years ago at Celtic and could have had him sooner. Always thought MU were asleep on the job on that one RD.

[Jah Lush]

Victor Wanyama's an absolute beast of a player in that holding midfield role. Most clubs would miss a player of Mousa Dembele and Eric Dier's quality in that area of the pitch but Wanyama's come in and done a magnificent job while they've been out injured. Harry Winks can do that job too so its safe to say we're well covered if anyone gets injured this season not just in that area but all over the pitch. Our investment in the players we bought during the summer was excellent without splashing out ridiculous sums of money.

Still early days but I'm confident Spurs can have a very good season and hopefully pick up some silverware along the way.

[red devil]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> Always thought MU

> were asleep on the job on that one RD.

Didn't see the game Mick, but from the highlights it looked like we created plenty of chances and like the Leicester game should've buried them by half-time. Hopefully Mkhitaryan will be fit after the international break, I think he will make a big difference once he gets a run of games.

A good win for Spurs, shaping up to be a very open title race...

[red devil]

Guidolin sacked on his birthday, harsh, they've had a tough opening set of fixtures.

New American owners have appointed an American, get all your money on them being relegated...

[JohnL]

red devil Wrote:

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> Guidolin sacked on his birthday, harsh, they've

> had a tough opening set of fixtures.

> New American owners have appointed an American,

> get all your money on them being relegated...

My twitter is full of very angry Swans fans.

At least the new manager has very low expectations.

[Jah Lush]

Very harsh. Should have been given more time.

[Otta]

Especially given the way they lost at the weekend. They worked very hard, and it took a late penalty to beat them. Harsh indeed!

[Otta]

Interesting to see Sterling pulled out of England squad through "injury" (no details of which have been given). Suspect his manager is protecting him from it, thinking his confidence still needs building up more.

I do rate him (to a point), but for what ever reason it's just not clicking when he's with England. Though to be fair to him, no one really clicks with England.

But at least Wayne the conqueror is still there to lead us to glorious mediocrity.

[titch juicy]

Otta Wrote:

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> Interesting to see Sterling pulled out of England

> squad through "injury" (no details of which have

> been given). Suspect his manager is protecting him

> from it, thinking his confidence still needs

> building up more.

>

> I do rate him (to a point), but for what ever

> reason it's just not clicking when he's with

> England. Though to be fair to him, no one really

> clicks with England."

It's too soon for the poor lad to see Danny Rose again. He's only been out of his pocket for 5 mins.

[Mick Mac]

Some fantastic footage of Celtic's 13 year old who played for the under 20s last night.

[Alan Medic]

Is he still 13? Great footage but playing against much older players doesn't sound like a good idea for someone that young.

[Jah Lush]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> Is he still 13? Great footage but playing against

> much older players doesn't sound like a good idea

> for someone that young.

It didn't do George Best any harm.

Very good prospect. We've a young 17-year-old lad at Spurs who we have very high hopes of in Marcus Edwards, who made his debut first team appearance against Gillingham a few weeks ago who plays in a very similar style. Both of them need to use their right foot more.

[Alan Medic]

@JL

I don't think Georgie was playing against adults at that age. There's a big difference between 13 and 17 in a kids development.

Small piece in the Metro this morning about the boys debut last night as a sub for the U20's. Gist of it is they won't be pushing him too soon. Sounds like they have already.

[red devil]

I think it was wrong to throw him in with the U20's, albeit a 9 mins sub cameo. Each kid is different, Rooney was a boy in a man's body when he was a teenager, physically this kid is still a kid. I looked up Rashford's career path after reading about this, he too has played with older kids but only a couple of years older than him. When he was deemed too good for the U16's he went to the U18's, then the U21's when he was 18. Surely it makes more sense to play this kid with the next age group up and see how he gets on rather than jumping up 3/4 levels in one go....

[Jah Lush]

Actually, I think you're both right about that, especially as the boy is still 0nly 13. He's a long way off the first team at that age so no need to rush him.

[Alan Medic]

You could also imagine some agricultural full back having being made a fool of, wanting to teach him a lesson.