On the Ball (new Football Focus)

[david_carnell]

SimonM where are you? Do we have any Wendies on the forum or is it down to a part-time Leeds fan to mock the first double to the Owls since 1913-4!!! Ouch.

[ratty]

Tony Adams is too nice and honest to be a premiership manager Atilla. Sad times!

[Atila Reincarnate]

Too right ratty, sad times indeed.

[Keef]

Good work David. I was chatting to another local shef U fan yesterday, and he was not impressed!

[????]

I think there are a few Hammers who nowadays take more than a passing interest in Sheffield United's woes that they used to...or is that just me?

[SeanMacGabhann]

I must confess I thought I could here chortling coming from MockneyPiers Towers over the weekend

[Keef]

I have nothing against Shef U, but I hate Neil Warnock, and want any team he's involved with to do badly!

[david_carnell]

You know he's at Palace now though, Keef.

Kevin Blackwell's the man at the Blades these days.

[Keef]

Yeah I know, which is why I am no fan of palace at the moment (well actually I never was, more a Charlton follower).

[SimonM]

>>SimonM where are you? Do we have any Wendies on the forum or is it down to a part-time Leeds fan to mock the first double to the Owls since 1913-4!!! Ouch.<<

I am sulking under my desk, but enjoyed the positive spin the Blades supporter put on it in "The Observer" - "it only happens once every 95 years". Yeah true....Colin now lives in Beckenham so is almost your neighbour Keef. Anyone else see him on Question of Sport on Friday?

Kevin Blackwell has barely been in charge a year, and United have won rather more than they have lost under him, but already the knives are out amongst a certain section of the "supporters". It seems to me some people follow a football club for the sole reason of shouting abuse at the manager...Oh well roll on Saturday and the (untelevised dammit) FA Cup against Hull: be interesting to see how/if the team bounces back!B)

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

Pompey Update

Avram Grant - top price 6/4

Alan Curbishley - 3/1

Paul Hart - 14/1

Sven-Goran Eriksson - 16/1

Stuart Pearce - 16/1

THE OUTSIDERS (and what they might say in their first pre-match team talk

Neil Warnock - 20/1: "If it doesn't work out we can always sue West Ham."

Louis van Gaal - 20/1: "What on earth am I doing here? Was I hypnotised?"

Gordon Strachan - 20/1: "I thought Portsmouth fans loved ex-Southampton managers?"

Paul Jewell - 22/1: "At least you're not as bad as Derby. Are you?"

Slaven Bilic - 22/1:"Look, just give it to Kranjcar. OK?"

Darren Ferguson - 25/1: "Hi, Dad... I'm putting you on speaker phone."

Joe Jordan - 25/1: "Just pretend I'm doing Harry's team talk for him."

Glenn Hoddle - 25/1: "Stay up or you'll come back as a donkey."

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

luiz F Scolari Sacked by Chelski...

Did not see that coming.

[matthew123]

Some of those managers might be worth considering pre-season but not when you're already in the trenches fighting for existence.

I cannot believe anyone would employ Stuart Pearce as a manager again, although if he sits next to Capello long enough there'll always be someone gullable enough to believe it's the failed manager of both Nottm Forest and Man City who is actually pulling the strings. Simply put Pearce is another Tony Adams.

What odds now that Chelsea have SACKED Scolari - it's the Brazilian?

[Mojave1979]

It's sad that young managers aren't being give more a chance. But, if you're an ex-pro entering management, it's probably better in the long-term to go the Martin O'Neill route and learn the trade at the lower level, and out of the media spotlight, then be a Gareth Southgate who is under pressure game after game.

[david_carnell]

Scolari gone.....jaysus!

Who can they get in at this stage of a season? Anyone good is already at a club and battling for honours. Ray Wilkins as caretaker for the rest of season?

Come back Jose, all is forgiven. Chelsea fans must be wondering where it all went wrong. And if anyone suggests Zola or Di Matteo they need examining.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Ray Wilkins may surprise you all and do a pretty good job.

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

So Scolari gone on a 3 year contract ?4 mio a year? nice payoff Chelsea all over the place.

Happy we have Steve Clark at West Ham we seem to be doing well with him and Zola

[ratty]

Smart Money is on Hiddink and Grant for Chelsea which leaves pompey....... in the sheeeeeeeiiiiiitttt!

[Ted Max]

Just because he topped up the pension plan for a couple of years at Castle Greyskull doesn't mean you have to defend him, PGC.

[matthew123]

I think Wilkins can and will do a good job for rest of season.

Chelsea & Pompey have both made the right decision to try and stop the rot before its too late.

[Sandperson]

Maybe they have been lining Adams up and now he's free....

[Mojave1979]

Unbelievable decision by Chelsea. They have the patience of a two year old child. I know football went mad a long time ago, but I think it may be time to check the prescription and up the dosage levels.

[Jah Lush]

Good grief! Slolari gone...well, results speak for themselves and they've been crap at home this season but they are still third in the Premiership and still in the Champions League but even Toad Of Toad Hall had a better match by match record.

I went to Spurs yesterday and reading the papers this morning I've seen that the myopic Mad Professor is at it again. "We had the best of chances (eh?), we scored a regular goal that was cancelled out by an illusionary foul seen only by the referee. I've seen it two times and I still don't know why it was disallowed."

Facts

(1) Spurs shots on target 5, Arsenal 2

Spurs shots off target 11, Arsenal 4.

(2) Ball possession - Spurs 56% Arsenal 44%.

(3) Pass completion - Spurs 74% Arsenal 69%

(4) What the feck is "an illusionary foul"? Eboue pushed Woodgate twice and was tripped by Adebayor into the bargain and the referee blew for the foul long before the ball was in the back of the net.

(5) He claims he's seen it twice. Normally he says he didn't see it. I'd say he was under the influence of some powerful mind expanders and was hallucinating off his tits because he was certainly watching a different game from the one I watched yesterday.

Having said that I think Robbie Keane looked a little off the pace from his bench warming times at Liverpool and we missed the cutting edge of Jermain Defoe. However, Arsenal did well with ten men and made it very difficult for us with their defending.

I thought William Gallas had a fantastic game at the back but my man of the match was Wilson Palacious who had a fantastic home debut. He tackles brilliantly (and you don't see that too much these days, it's a bit of a dying art) wins the ball, has a good passing range and even came close with a rasping 20-yarder.

[red devil]

Ray 'the Crab' Wilkins in charge - expect to see lots of 60 yard sideways passes.

Fergie was right at the start of the season, Chelski are an ageing team, past their peak...

[Mick Mac]

Amazing to think only 9 months ago Chelsea were a JT slip/width of the post, away from being Champions of Europe.