[Archived] Other Pl Happenings 2009/10

[T4E]

You that surprised E_R? Did a great job with Boro and had his reputation destroyed by the gutter press. Same with Sven. Why anyone would want to manage England is beyond me.

[Commondore]

You that surprised E_R? Did a great job with Boro and had his reputation destroyed by the gutter press. Same with Sven. Why anyone would want to manage England is beyond me.

Drifting a bit off topic here, but I couldn't agree more with that post.

[thenodrog]

You that surprised E_R? Did a great job with Boro

No he didn't Tugs. Not unless you class quite a lot of money spent and an annual battle against relegation in the bottom 6 as a 'great job'.

[cn174]

No he didn't Tugs. Not unless you class quite a lot of money spent and an annual battle against relegation in the bottom 6 as a 'great job'.

Bit harsh there theno - a couple of 11th placed finishes, a finish in Europe and the League Cup win in that time isn't too bad.

[FourLaneBlue]

No he didn't Tugs. Not unless you class quite a lot of money spent and an annual battle against relegation in the bottom 6 as a 'great job'.

Think the lowest he ever finished was 12th. Not sure how that translates to annual battles in the bottom 6. A league cup win and a Uefa Cup final were pretty special as well.

Not that it makes him a great or anything but he is very harshly seen as a poor manager. Think Curbishley is also underrated. Two jobs and left both in a far better position than when he took over.

Coming across as boring types doesn't help.

[neekoy]

It is also criminal that Rovers do not win the title with their history in the 1890s.

No it FANTASTIC!! I hate them with a passion and id love it if they finished 6th or worse! Fat Rafa will hopefully go to Juve in the summer, and maybe Torres will jump ship too!

Apologies I didn't have enough sarcasm dripping from my words, also I tried to tie in Liverpool and criminal as well but wasn't obvious enough

[T4E]

No he didn't Tugs. Not unless you class quite a lot of money spent and an annual battle against relegation in the bottom 6 as a 'great job'.

Think you need to have a look back Gord. Did very well at Boro, hence being given the England job.

[Hughesy]

Trouble at Liverpool.......

Liverpool winger Albert Riera has hit out at manager Rafael Benitez and said: "His dialogue with the players is practically zero." Riera also branded the Reds a "sinking ship".

Full story: Marca (in Spanish)

Another Vacancy in summer?!.......

In the wake of their Champions League defeat by Inter Milan, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich challenged his players to prove they are worth their pay packets and threatened manager Carlo Ancelotti with the sack unless he wins the Premier League title.

Full story: Daily Mail

[Majiball]

Its nice to see a British coach doing well abroad.

As for beneitez's lack of rapor with the players, well he's always reminded me of the fat kid at school who got his friends with his sweetie's, guess they've run out. Sacking Rafa will cripple Liverpool, almost every level of the club are now his men, youth all the way through. It may cost 16million to get rid of Rafa but if the new guy also wants his men out then its going to be seriously expensive.

Mourinho won't go to Liverpool, I'd be really shocked not to see him turn-up at Madrid or Man city.

[Hughesy]

Sacking Rafa will cripple Liverpool, almost every level of the club are now his men, youth all the way through. It may cost 16million to get rid of Rafa but if the new guy also wants his men out then its going to be seriously expensive.

Mourinho won't go to Liverpool, I'd be really shocked not to see him turn-up at Madrid or Man city.

I think he will go to Juve without Liverpool needing to sack him.

Mourinho would be great going to City. Going to Madrid isnt a challenge for him - anyone can win the league with them.... also isnt he originally a Barca lad, working under Bobby Robson?!

[Majiball]

Provided Juve want him?

Mourinho to City seems the most likely, but I can see the lure of Madrid especially if he gets a say in transfers. He started out at Barca, but I don't see it putting him off, if anything since they spurned him I reckon he'd be quite keen to show them what they missed out on.

[S15]

Going to Madrid isnt a challenge for him - anyone can win the league with them....

?

What a peculiar thing to say, Madrid is a managerial graveyard, and probably the biggest challenge in world football.

If you manage to stay in the Real Madrid job for more than 2-3 years, chances are you're the real deal.

[Hughesy]

There were lots of rumours that Juve wanted him....his agent admitted they met with Juve Officials & then they only appoint a manager until summer.....something sounds likely to happen there!

What a peculiar thing to say, Madrid is a managerial graveyard, and probably the biggest challenge in world football.

If you manage to stay in the Real Madrid job for more than 2-3 years, chances are you're the real deal.

I get what your saying ...but the only real challenge for him there is to win the Champs league - now he doesnt have anything to prove there as he managed it with little old Porto....so why risk your reputation with the biggest media circus that there is?

A challenge would be to take over a team like Villareal or Valencia and win the league with them!

[S15]

There were lots of rumours that Juve wanted him....his agent admitted they met with Juve Officials & then they only appoint a manager until summer.....something sounds likely to happen there!

I get what your saying ...but the only real challenge for him there is to win the Champs league - now he doesnt have anything to prove there as he managed it with little old Porto....so why risk your reputation with the biggest media circus that there is?

A challenge would be to take over a team like Villareal or Valencia and win the league with them!

Madrid are currently the number two team in Spain, and haven't won the European Cup in nearly a decade.

Considering they are just about the worlds biggest club, I think the challenges and appeal out weight any presented by Manchester City.

If Mourinho goes to Madrid and wins titles domestically and in Europe, he'll be immortal.

[Exiled_Rover]

He's too prickly for a club like Real Madrid. The siege mentality he installs and the brand of football he plays wouldn't fly at that ridiculous club.

Mancini will almost certainly get another year to prove himself at City too, so I doubt Jose is going there either.

[T4E]

He's too prickly for a club like Real Madrid. The siege mentality he installs and the brand of football he plays wouldn't fly at that ridiculous club.

Totally agree. I would be very disappointed if Jose went there, its a complete circus and he doesnt need that.

I can definitely see him at Barca after another stint in the Premier League. Hope its not at Liverpool.

[jodrell]

I think he will go to Juve without Liverpool needing to sack him.

Mourinho would be great going to City. Going to Madrid isnt a challenge for him - anyone can win the league with them.... also isnt he originally a Barca lad, working under Bobby Robson?!

I think he is not well liked at Barca as they rate him as a translator. He worked under Bobby Robson as a translator, and the press made some big deal when Barca played Chelski when he was there.

[philipl]

Liverpool would need new ownership- Mourinho wouldn't touch the current mess with a bargepole.

Whether Rafa solves Liverpool's managerial problem by getting another job remains to be seen. I doubt they can afford to sack him as things stand.

It does look like all the chickens are coming home to roost for the Americans though; they have to find a minimum of £100m for the banks this summer. So it is pay-up, sell-up or sell-out (Torres and Gerard) time.

[tcj_jones]

For a supposed former youth team manager who insists upon total control of the youth set up at Liverpool, the last five years have witnessed very few youngsters come through the ranks. In fact, Lucas is the only one and he was bought in aged 20.

Unfortunately, I think Liverpool will get fourth spot. They have all their big guns fit again now and have no European distractions. I have the top six eight finishing like this:

Chelsea

Man United

Arsenal

Liverpool

Spurs

Man City

Villa

Everton

Spurs or Liverpool for fourth? I don't know which one is worse!

[thenodrog]

Think you need to have a look back Gord. Did very well at Boro, hence being given the England job.

I don't need to Toogs. My memory will do fine. The last 2/3 years were poor despite Wally blowing plenty of bunce on billy big time players. In comparison SA easily matched his successes (Carling cup final excepted) with peanuts and didn't suffer the relegation scrapes.

Wally's tenure at Boro under the admirable Steve Gibson reminds me very much of Bruce, Quinn and Sunderland. Maybe we need to ask a few Boro fans.

[tcj_jones]

Considering the amount of money McClaren had to spend at Boro, I'd say he did an adequate job, at best. Undoubtedly he's doing a great job in Holland though.

[thenodrog]

I can definitely see him at Barca after another stint in the Premier League. Hope its not at Liverpool.

I can see him at RM or MU. Without the massive debt he'd be a cert to replace the old RFW imo. Even with it it's a challenge that he would love.

[philipl]

Let's see tcj.

I think you are forgetting Liverpool are playing Lille tonight and they are the worst placed in terms of points available of the four clubs challenging for fourth.

If games in hand are won by their challengers, Liverpool will be 5 points behind City, 4 pts behind Villa and 4 pts plus significant goal difference behind Spurs with just 8 games remaining including for Liverpool Man U away and Chelsea in a home game which the visitors could emulate Rovers by taking the Prem trophy at Anfield.

The odds are against Liverpool being in the CL next season- not all three of Villa, Spurs and City are going to fail to find a consistent winning streak in the run in and Villa certainly have both the fixtures and previous track record to do so.

[T4E]

Gord - He won Boro their first ever trophy. Took them to Europe for the first time. The next season he took them to a European final. They were never really close to relegation and managed a 7th place finish in that time. Yes, he had some money, but in reality he delivered results for them as no other Boro manager had done before (or since), despite being backed by the same chairman. Sunderland have not done the same under Bruce, nor did they with Keane. According to Wikipedia he's statistically the most successful English manager of this century, the first to win a trophy since 1996 and the first to make a European final since 1984.

Manchester United won the league in all 3 seasons he was with them (and the Champions League). And now he's tearing up the Dutch league with Twente. The facts speak for themselves, McClaren is an excellent coach and a very good manager.

[sparkspakespoke]

I don't need to Toogs. My memory will do fine. The last 2/3 years were poor despite Wally blowing plenty of bunce on billy big time players. In comparison SA easily matched his successes (Carling cup final excepted) with peanuts and didn't suffer the relegation scrapes.

Wally's tenure at Boro under the admirable Steve Gibson reminds me very much of Bruce, Quinn and Sunderland. Maybe we need to ask a few Boro fans.

I dont think you even need to ask. They have the same chairman and the same funding but are now in the Championship. Pretty clear that he did a very good job there.