[Archived] The Italian Mafia

[thenodrog]

McClaren was massively over-paid at £2.5m.

Looks like John Collins is the new Scottish boss- he stood down as Hibs manager this morning.

Whats the going rate for a manager of Scotland?

[waggy]

a bottle a whisky and a haggis

[DP]

It's all barking up the wrong tree, we can't produce players who are comfortable on the ball.

Obviously, McClaren was the Gold Top of t*ts, but I do worry that it is pointless to worry about the national team for the next 10 years or so. Any money spent on trying to polish a turd now would be much better spent on producing something which isn't turd n 20 years time.

We're not as good as we think we are and we have far too much bloody money. We need players who can think for themselves on the pitch and WIN.

This is like spending mega-money on cleaning up after a flood when you should've invested in flood defences.

All of our players are over-rated and tehy are laughung to the bank. They have it too easy.

Not true. We produce plenty of young players who are good on the ball. Only trouble is they don't appear to be getting coached in the right manner and end up being surpassed by athletic, and more effective (in the league) players such as Frank Lampard. Strength and pace are given priority over skill and technique, so players like Joe Cole never end up fulfilling their potential. This guy should really be in the centre of midfield pulling the strings as opposed to aimlessly running down the left wing doing lollypops and failing to get a cross in with his left foot.

[philipl]

Whats the going rate for a manager of Scotland?

£300K ish.

That is how Eck tripled his pay going to £1m at BIG CLUB.

[thenodrog]

Not true. We produce plenty of young players who are good on the ball. Only trouble is they don't appear to be getting coached in the right manner and end up being surpassed by athletic, and more effective (in the league) players such as Frank Lampard. Strength and pace are given priority over skill and technique, so players like Joe Cole never end up fulfilling their potential. This guy should really be in the centre of midfield pulling the strings as opposed to aimlessly running down the left wing doing lollypops and failing to get a cross in with his left foot.

A point that I've made many times with messrs Lampard and Gerrard on the bench at best. Prob is how the hell was it missed by the last two managers?

[tony gale's mic]

IN MY PAPER YESTERDAY IT Showed a picture of capello with a england shirt,they had not even bothered to take the labels off,lets hope they do the same with his contract

mm, not like he's an outstanding world class manager or anything is it?

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Speculation that Bentley will start and Michael Owen is for the chop

It's been reported that Capello has introduced a new set of rules to the pampered England players in an attempt to put an end to the circus of the WAG culture. In future, wives, girlfriends and general hangers-on won't be welcome at team hotels prior to a match.

So if David Beckham ever gets back into the England squad he won't be able to invite his hairdresser, tattooist, manicurist and army of agents and PR consultants to the hotel.

Capello has apparently banned mobile phones (apart from in hotel bedrooms) and there are strict meal times where the players have to sit down to eat together. Capello is said to be very hot on punctuality.

Rio Ferdinand described Capello as a "hands-on" manager who played a full part in training sessions (unlike Sven who tended to stand on the touchline while McClaren did the coaching.)

Rio said: "He called me 'Ferdinand' and a lot of the other players by their surnames too."

I think this Italian regime is going to be very different from the cosy cuddly 'pat on the back' style of Steve McClaren, who appeared to be too easy going with the players and allowed some of them to take liberties.

It will be interesting to see the tactics and style that Capello adopts on Wednesday night. I would expect England to beat Switzerland - who qualified for Euro 2008 automatically as one of the hosts. The Swiss are currently ranked 41st in the world, behind Northern Ireland.

[Hasta]

Bentley starts - as does Jenas. To be fair ever since Capello officially took over Jenas has looked quite good and has been picked on form.

Looking in the paper today, the last England manager to lose their opening game was Alf Ramsey in 1963. McClaren won his first two games 4-0 and 5-0, so even if England do roast the Swiss lets hope people don't get carried away.

[American Rover12]

turned it on just as the goal was scored. looking forward to the second half

[Yorick]

I must say that not only is Capello rightly going about sorting out the Billy Big Times in the england set up, (Mr and Mrs Becks staying in a different hotel to the rest of the team under SGE will rightly not be happening under the Italians.) but Capello is putting a variety of options onto the pitch, players who are adaptable and can play in a number of positions seem to be his preferred choices. Bentley seamlessly moved infield on Wednesday which SWP / Lennon would be unable to do, Joe Cole is equally adept, as are Gerrad, Barry, Brown and Rooney. It seems that players dedicated to just one position will have to be damned good to get in the team. The likes of Lampard and Owen are probably going to struggle.

Another good touch is the banning of agents from the players hotel. They have no place there other than to create dissatisfaction and unrest in the squad in their attempts to sign up the players for themselves.

All good signs so far.

[tony gale's mic]

the title of this thread is embarassing and portrays all of us blackburn fans as bigoted idiots to any passing onlooker. any chance it might be changed?

[Yorick]

the title of this thread is embarassing and portrays all of us blackburn fans as bigoted idiots to any passing onlooker.

[tony gale's mic]

care to offer anything more substantial than a smiley?

[AggyBlue]

the title of this thread is embarassing and portrays all of us blackburn fans as bigoted idiots to any passing onlooker. any chance it might be changed?

Have you tried comedy as a living?

[tony gale's mic]

Have you tried comedy as a living?

well i was only being half serious, obviously what people think of us won't be dictated by what some idiot names a thread of on a message forum. but still, it is a little misrepresentative of us all when there's plenty of people who aren't xenophobic morons who are making good points in this thread.

[AggyBlue]

well i was only being half serious, obviously what people think of us won't be dictated by what some idiot names a thread of on a message forum. but still, it is a little misrepresentative of us all when there's plenty of people who aren't xenophobic morons who are making good points in this thread.

I'm sure whoever is soooo sensitive to be upset by this threads title will also be far toooo sensitive to venture onto the internet.

[tony gale's mic]

think you've missed my point a little. it's not about causing offence, just it makes us look a little bit stupid really.

[Hasta]

there's plenty of people who aren't xenophobic morons

Hopefully Don Capello and his 'family' are some of them.

[USRoverME]

was thinking the same, to be honest.

[speeeeeeedie]

Did the Beckhams really stay in a different hotel than the rest? If true, no wonder we were sh!te and boring; team spirit would have been shot to pieces.

I do think the thread is misleading, and I am in Tony's camp. The topic was started as someone was p!ssed off that England had appointed a foreigner as manager, it would have been the same general stereotypical comment if they were Irish, Spanish, French, American. It should now be the general England thread, just like we have the other Premier league thread.

As for England, I'm impressed. I'm not watching until WC qualifiers start but the nosie I'm hearing is good. Capello is a disciplinarian, something England's bigshots desperately need. One of his many assistants also came out today saying that the players should expect extra training whilst on duty as their technical skills aren't good enough.

Capello managed to give Beckham the hump last year, he's the reason why Goldenballs went to LA, yet when he was needed the boss recalled him, Backhgam played like a man on fire and Madrid won the league. Keep it up, I say.

Soccernet also has a good article taking the p!ss out of the press for not knowing the England team before the game; here.

[waggy]

watched the game on wed night and i did notice all the england players mumbled the national anthem except rooney,happen it is too much for him to learn.capello has made waves with his rules,which to me seem ok,you just wonder what the players got away with under sven and mclaren.still i would rather have a english man in charge

[waggy]

watched the game on wed night and i did notice all the england players mumbled the national anthem except rooney,happen it is too much for him to learn.capello has made waves with his rules,which to me seem ok,you just wonder what the players got away with under sven and mclaren.still i would rather have a english man in charge

[roversmum]

Ferdinand was just opening and shutting his mouth, Waggy. Had a mind to send him and the Roon copies of the words...

[Yorick]

watched the game on wed night and i did notice all the england players mumbled the national anthem except rooney,happen it is too much for him to learn.capello has made waves with his rules,which to me seem ok,you just wonder what the players got away with under sven and mclaren.still i would rather have a english man in charge

I cannot think of an english manager that would not give way and name a team largely selected by the red top newspaper reporters. The press have held political sway over weak English managers for decades, and as most know it has been our achilles heel for ages.

[adopted scouser]

Ferdinand was just opening and shutting his mouth, Waggy. Had a mind to send him and the Roon copies of the words...

Enjoyed reading the quotes Sky put up before the game, many of the top names in football proclaiming Capello as the messiah (don't do that Life of Brian thing Flopse, it's duller that ditch water).

Agree totally about the national anthem though, as thick as Ferdinand is at least he was having a go, Rooney needs a rocket up his arse, come on monkey head learn the effin' words