Football Focus

[Alan Medic]

It could be 0-0 today. Chelsea are pretty fragile too and won't have Costa. I still can't see LVG staying for long whatever the result. The question is who is next? Pep G can probably choose either Manchester club. City would seem the obvious one but don't yet have the status of United. I imagine his next club is already decided. If it's United they will need a caretaker. I'm sure Giggs would want it but one out of left field would be Fergie coming out of retirement for a few months as Busby once did. If PG is going elsewhere it may well be Mourinho who is available. Talk of Madrid wanting him back may have a lot to do with their internal politics from what I've heard. There's also the problem for a manager starting in the Summer as a lot of players will be returning for pre season at different times.

If I were a betting man I'd bet on JM being the next United manager.

[red devil]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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> 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.

That's exactly what he did with Ajax though, which makes his style of play at Utd all the more baffling.

With a couple of older heads he moulded a team of unknown youth/home grown players into Champions League winners. Quite an impressive roll call...

Edwin van der Sar

Michael Reiziger

Danny Blind

Frank Rijkaard

Frank de Boer

Clarence Seedorf

Finidi George

Edgar Davids

Ronald de Boer

Jari Litmanen

Marc Overmars

Kanu

Patrick Kluivert

His CV is impressive too. I think it's just a case of right man at the wrong time. Utd need a manager with a clear 5-10 year plan/vision, not someone with one foot in his Portugal retirement home...

[Jah Lush]

Impressive but that Ajax team was 20 years ago.

Anyway, Spurs up to third, albeit probably only temporarily but nonetheless a very good result against an in-form Watford side. Very pleased with our progress.

[Alan Medic]

What manager these days has a 5-10 year plan? It just doesn't happen. Their club cycle is normally a lot less. In England 1.23 years according to the LMA.

[Otta]

Was going to say the same. Too much pressure at the very top, and no time for building.

[red devil]

I think you're both confusing a plan (strategy, vision etc) with a contract, they're not the same thing.

Regardless of the length of a contract, a prospective manager should be asked how he sees the medium and long term future of a club. Moyes was given a six year contract. He failed spectacularly, but the intention was he would be a long term appointment. Even Mourinho talked about building a dynasty/legacy at Chelsea. Spurs have given Pochettino a 5 year contract, you can see they are trying to build something long term. I fully expect they will try to extend his contract in the near future. That's how Utd should be thinking, bollox to LMA averages.

LVG's appointment was only ever going to be a short term solution regardless of how well he did. He told Utd he would retire after 3 years no matter what, he was never going to be a medium or long term solution. All I'm saying is that Utd now need to be thinking medium to long term, have a clear strategy in place. At the moment there doesn't appear to be one. As Moyes proved, a long term contract/plan doesn't guarantee a manager will last, but at least the intention is there, we haven't got that with LVG...

[Otta]

Contracts mean absolutely fuck all. Moyes wasn't given any time, which proved that giving him a 6 year contract wad always bollocks.

[red devil]

Of course contracts are meaningless when it comes to resigning/sacking, but that isn't my point. There's a big difference between offering someone a 3 year and a 6 year contract, regardless of whether the contract is honoured.

Moyes was shit and clearly out of his depth. Any other club would've sacked him by Christmas. He was even beginning to look ill, sacking him was the equivalent of putting an injured animal to sleep...

[Alan Medic]

Building something medium/long term is hardly the remit of any prospective manager. He may buy into it but it is surely the owners who should have the strategy. With LVG and the money he spent it wasn't a long term view. The immediate plan was to get back into the CL.

So there is no confusion over a plan and a contract. A large clubs foundations can't be based on what a new managers 'plan' is. If Pep G. wanted to come to United but only wanted a 3 year contract and was likely to leave after 3 years,it's hardly grounds for saying no.

[Otta]

All I was getting at is that at the very top (I'm only talking about 4 or 5 clubs, of which United are one) they need results, and they need champions league. That means a manager is limited in how much he can build or implement a philosophy.

[Otta]

I've only just seen that apparently United scarves with Mourinho's name were being flogged outside the ground on Monday.

Louis van Gaal: Man Utd manager will not quit after Chelsea draw - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35191544

[Jah Lush]

Bought by fickle fans in a quick fit world.

[Jah Lush]

This is an excellent article on Mauricio Pochettino and well worth a read whether you're a Spurs fan or not and why I believe Spurs will start winning trophies again under his leadership, possibly even the Premier League.

Well, I can dream can't I?

http://twentyminutereads.com/2015/12/27/the-sheriff/

[malumbu]

No doubt there is discussion already but it has been 30 years or so since the top division has been so interesting.

I don't think Leeds or Blackburn's Premership titles count ('big club' and moneybags).

Reminds me of (dare I say it) Villa's title in 81, Ipswich coming so close, Forest under Clough, QPR in 75, Palace no doubt (only quarter of a century ago) and Regis and Cunningham.

And it isn't just Leicester (who perhaps are being found out), but, something I also hate to say, Stoke too. Watford??

Of course helped by relatively poor Chelsk and the Mancs, and of course looks like Arsenal's to lose. But still there to enjoy.

[Jah Lush]

Agree with all of that Malumbu. Crystal Palace are another example of what's so good about this season. It has really helped that the TV money is getting spread around more.

[Alan Medic]

Jah Lush Wrote:

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

> This is an excellent article on Mauricio

> Pochettino and well worth a read whether you're a

> Spurs fan or not and why I believe Spurs will

> start winning trophies again under his leadership,

> possibly even the Premier League.

>

> Well, I can dream can't I?

>

> http://twentyminutereads.com/2015/12/27/the-sherif

> f/

I really enjoyed that. Great insight into the man and manager.

[????]

Man United after Payet apparently

[????]

malumbu Wrote:

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

> No doubt there is discussion already but it has

> been 30 years or so since the top division has

> been so interesting.

>

> I don't think Leeds or Blackburn's Premership

> titles count ('big club' and moneybags).

>

> Reminds me of (dare I say it) Villa's title in 81,

> Ipswich coming so close, Forest under Clough, QPR

> in 75, Palace no doubt (only quarter of a century

> ago) and Regis and Cunningham.

>

> And it isn't just Leicester (who perhaps are being

> found out), but, something I also hate to say,

> Stoke too. Watford??

>

> Of course helped by relatively poor Chelsk and the

> Mancs, and of course looks like Arsenal's to lose.

> But still there to enjoy.

Derby don't forget (and West Ham close in '86 of course)

[Alan Medic]

I really hope that the so called smaller clubs don't sell any of their better players in the transfer window.

As for nearly teams in years gone by, I think QPR was my favorite. They had Gerry Francis, Stan Bowles (I think) and Don (ROI) Givens. His brother John played for my home town club, a sort of equivalent to Dulwich Hamlet.

[malumbu]

In deed

But shocking to say that mid 80s was my low point in watching footy so don't recall the great West Am team of the time.

Forest eclipsed the Clough Derby team as (a) prmomotion to champions in a season

(b) champions to European cup winners (and again) in two seasons

They had a pointless question on the Forest Teams that won the European Cups - both me, the contestants and Richard OP came up with the same (low scoring but not pointless) answeres - Kenny Burns, Gary Birtles and John Robertson. Pointless were Frakie Gray, John O'Hare and one other.

[Jah Lush]

Aaah...memories. As the years go by Brian Clough's achievements seem even more incredible and yet... they are. What he did is absolutely astounding in today's money yet alone back then. Notwithstanding the late great Dave Mackay winning the league with Derby was another massive achievement which would be almost akin to Ranieri winning it with Leicester this season but that's not gonna happen is it... or is it? That's how exciting this season is and different from the past 20. I feel a more open playing field with the nouveau riches at the so called smaller clubs.

Oh dearie me, muddy pitches, small boys, jumpers for goalposts. Enduring image isn't it.

I feel good things coming at my club. Really for the first time in a very long time I am really happy with the way things are being done on and off the pitch. I so hope I haven't spoken too soon. I'd really not want to get carried away having experienced so many false dawns since we last won anything of note.

Anyway, good luck to everyone and happy new year to you all.

[Alan Medic]

Maybe it's a sign of hope Jah, I got a teasing text from a Spurs fan when United lost there 4th game in a row. My response was it was the first time and the same number of years since Spurs won the league. Maybe it's an omen even if they were in different seasons. Same year.

May 2016 be a great year and not your last folks.

[Otta]

Can't see Leicester hanging on to win, but would be amazing for them to get top 4. And who knows, maybe just maybe they'll pull it off and win the whole thing. I don't think any real football fan would not live to see that.

[maxxi]

Good result today - rough losing Payet, Sakho, Moses but team hung on, no collapse and even some 0-0s were entertaining, now players coming back - Payet off bench today - and Antonio developing into another good buy.

[Otta]

Totally deserved for West Ham. Reading a lot of Liverpool fans slagging off Benteke, but his 2 goals have won us 6 from 9 points, and the rest of the team haven't managed a goal between them in 3 matches, so think these fans need to look at the bigger picture. LFC just need better players in the majority of positions.

Would love to see a couple of good buys in Jan, but not expecting much until the summer.

But speaking of Jan, surely someone will go for Charlie Austin now. I still can't believe he wasn't snapped up in the summer, and wonder if I'm missing something?