Football Focus

[Otta]

Agreed. The whole thing beggars belief.

[Jah Lush]

And yet Blatter is still claiming to be in charge. Deluded and clearly bonkers. Meanwhile Gazza has collapsed and is hospitalised again 'drunk and in a pool of blood.' Gazza is turning into the longest suicide note in history. Very sad.

[Alan Medic]

red devil Wrote:

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> I can't believe some Utd fans would be happy for

> Mourinho to become manager. As well as his antics,

> his style of football can be just as pragmatic and

> boring to watch as LVG's...

If Pep is going elsewhere then part of me would like to see JM him at OT, just to see what happens. He can be charming and is difficult to condemn entirely without knowing what really happened at Chelsea. I'd also get some petty pleasure in having something Chelsea fans want.........

[maxxi]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> Blatter & Platini get banned for 8 eight years by

> the Ethics committee. Wonder what the purpose of

> the committee was over the last 10-15 years? I

> don't know how FIFA can continue to exist. It

> should be disbanded.

I think the time has come and that rather than try some long winded legal disbanding process the FA should - possibly in concert with as many other disaffected FAs as it can muster - just pull out of FIFA. House of cards etc.

[????]

Rumours on LVG circulating

[????]

Oh, and this Hammers in top 20 :)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3363864/Real-Madrid-valuable-club-Europe-Premier-League-sides-including-West-Ham-dominate-20-rich-list.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

[red devil]

???? Wrote:

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> Rumours on LVG circulating

Indeedy, this guy is usually on the money...

Plus you get to laugh at de Bruyne's corner kick and the young lad laughing his head off behind him :)

[Jah Lush]

???? Wrote:

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> Oh, and this Hammers in top 20 :)

>

> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-

> 3363864/Real-Madrid-valuable-club-Europe-Premier-L

> eague-sides-including-West-Ham-dominate-20-rich-li

> st.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

That's you that is. So vulgar.

 

[Parkdrive]

LVG really threw his toys out of the pram this afternoon. Talk about lost the plot. "Enjoy the wine, mince pie goodbye"

[Alan Medic]

He didn't lose the plot he was just angry. Quite dignified too.

[Otta]

Although I thought fair play to Winger for telling the press it was disrespectful to speculate so much.

I was thinking this just the other evening. The press are almost deciding when managers should be sacked these days.

[Parkdrive]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> He didn't lose the plot he was just angry. Quite

> dignified too.

Acted like a baby and threw his rattle out of the pram. Being paid millions to do a job and doesn't like the media having a dig. That's very dignified

[red devil]

Otta Wrote:

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> I was thinking this just the other evening. The

> press are almost deciding when managers should be

> sacked these days.

They also go OTT whenever a manager is doing well, best thing since sliced bread, Gary Monk future England manager etc.

All down to the internet, they need fresh stories to keep getting hits, increase advertising revenue etc.

If there isn't an agenda, they'll create one....

[Jah Lush]

red devil Wrote:

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> Otta Wrote:

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

> -----

>

> > I was thinking this just the other evening. The

> > press are almost deciding when managers should

> be

> > sacked these days.

>

> They also go OTT whenever a manager is doing well,

> best thing since sliced bread, Gary Monk future

> England manager etc.

> All down to the internet, they need fresh stories

> to keep getting hits, increase advertising revenue

> etc.

> If there isn't an agenda, they'll create one....

Exactly right.

OK, Utd have lost a few games, they are boring to watch... yada yada. How long has he been there? How much has he spent? They're 5th in the league, in with a chance of winning the Europa League (welcome to Thursday night and Sunday football by the way), we're barely halfway through the season and the press are gnashing their teeth what with Mourinho being sacked, they want big stories, especially this time of year, they're in the business of selling newspapers after all.

[Alan Medic]

And now for something completely different. 2 and a half seasons ago Michu scored over 20 goals for Swansea in the PL. He's now just signed for a Spanish 4th division club. I think he's only 29 I believe. I'd love to know what went wrong.

[Alan Medic]

Parkdrive Wrote:

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> Alan Medic Wrote:

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

> -----

> > He didn't lose the plot he was just angry.

> Quite

> > dignified too.

>

> Acted like a baby and threw his rattle out of the

> pram. Being paid millions to do a job and doesn't

> like the media having a dig. That's very dignified

You're entitled to your opinion. I happen to disagree with your clich?d response.

[Jah Lush]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> And now for something completely different. 2 and

> a half seasons ago Michu scored over 20 goals for

> Swansea in the PL. He's now just signed for a

> Spanish 4th division club. I think he's only 29 I

> believe. I'd love to know what went wrong.

Injuries.

[Alan Medic]

If your team could have any player from another PL team for the rest of the season, who would it be?

I'd pick Ryan Shawcross.

[red devil]

No point Meds, LVG would simply drum out any individual, attack-minded, free-spirited play. Ryan Shawcross would fit in better...

[Alan Medic]

Duly noted.

[Jah Lush]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> If your team could have any player from another PL

> team for the rest of the season, who would it be?

>

> I'd pick Ryan Shawcross.

Tough one this. And it is a very good question you have posed here and one I shall enjoy answering. I've drawn admiring glances at Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey for a very long time now and on his day and when fully fit I think he is one of the best midfielders in Europe but the way our own Dele Ali has performed this season beyond most people's expectations except mine I'm not sure if we'd need him and to be fair we're pretty well covered in that department anyway but still, I wouldn't say no. Another midfielder I like or as a number ten is Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho but again I think we're covered so.. Let's face it if Harry Kane get's injured we are pretty much in the do do. With Nje out until April and who hasn't looked entirely convincing and needs time to settle in I'd go for the obvious answer which would be cover up front and that has to be Jamie Vardy yes? Wrong, not gonna happen. He should stay where he is for now and I hope he does because who knows what could happen at Leicester this season such is the season they are having so far and he most certainly wouldn't want to play second fiddle to Harry Kane. Think of those two up front together for a moment. Maybe for England, your never know. Last year he scored only five goals.

Hmm... may surprise you but a player I've enjoyed watching since he was at Barcelona and been at Stoke City for the past few seasons and I think was one of Mark Hughes shrewdest buys and I really think he'd be a good fit at Spurs is Bojan. He works his socks off and plays with a smile on his face, can play all the roles up front and hopefully he's over the worst of his little problems with injuries. So, that's my answer. Bojan.

[Otta]

Liverpool need a finisher, so Vardy on current form.

Merry Christmas football fans!

[Alan Medic]

Bojan is one out of the blue Jah though with the money in the game in England now even Stoke can have players coveted by others. My original pick was David Silva but RD did point out some home truths. I'm pretty sure Ryan Shawcross actually started out at United.

As for the Europa at least its a knock out competition from now on. English teams need to get their act together or soon the top 4 will become a top 3 in terms of CL qualification.

Merry Christmas Otta.

[red devil]

After the Stoke defeat, LVG looked and sounded like a broken man. Unless Utd put on a very convincing display tonight, it will probably be his last game in charge. I don't like to see any manager hounded out of a job, but he only has himself to blame. It's alright rocking up with a 'philosophy', but not when that philosophy is at odds with the club's own philosophy and more importantly, it's DNA. Many fans like myself took a pragmatic view about the football served up in the first season. It wasn't always good on the eye, but there were signs of improvement, especially in early Spring when we convincingly beat Spurs, Liverpool and City on the bounce. At last the handbrake was off, then inexplicably LVG went back to type and things have steadily gone downhill ever since. He was more interested in not losing a game then trying to win one. This is summed up perfectly by his continual use of 2 holding midfielders, regardless of the opposition or whether it was a home or away match. His appointment was always going to be a stop gap, but the suits upstairs need to get the next appointment spot on.

In hindsight, there was a real 'sliding doors' moment a couple of seasons ago for Spurs. LVG was nailed on to go there until Moyes was sacked. Utd got LVG and Spurs ended up with Pochettino. I've no idea who Utd would've got had LVG gone to Spurs, maybe Klopp, but Spurs definitely dodged a bullet there...

[Jah Lush]

red devil Wrote:

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> In hindsight, there was a real 'sliding doors'

> moment a couple of seasons ago for Spurs. LVG was

> nailed on to go there until Moyes was sacked. Utd

> got LVG and Spurs ended up with Pochettino. I've

> no idea who Utd would've got had LVG gone to

> Spurs, maybe Klopp, but Spurs definitely dodged a

> bullet there...

I'm not sure how far negotiations ever got with LVG or if they ever went anywhere at all and if those rumours/press speculations were true at the time then it most certainly was a mighty big bullet we dodged there. I really could not be happier with Pochettino. He is doing a superb job with a limited budget but the way he has brought on the youngsters and homegrown talent is most impressive. That would never have happened under LVG.

I think Chelsea will win today and that will be the end of LVG's tenure at Man Utd.