LOL, reports (not confirmed yet) of the first big signing of the summer - Hazard to Shiteh in a 5-year 140K a week deal. Might as well suspend betting on next season's winners.
Signing all the best players does not always work, witness Chelsea, the team has to gell, to work.
City won this year, is it a good idea to tinker to much with that team, no add maybe one or two only.
Mess too much, you might not win as many as you need
Hazard will improve Shiteh, even though he won't necessarily walk into the first team. The Reds over in Salford should be quaking in their boots if this deal is true.
For all the money City spent , they didnt exactly romp away with the title, I thought Man U's very average squad done bloody well hanging on to them.
Wigan have given Martinez permission to speak to Liverpool regarding the vacant managerial position RAWK is falling apart with the news Personally I don't see it as a bad appointment, should they choose him.
I think Matinez has done well, it is bloody hard to keep a team in the bottom three for mths keep believing they can stay up, managing a winning side when morale is alway high and players are interested is much easier, are there many Managers in the prem that could have kept Wigan up
Totally agree. Just imagine if Ferguson was manager of Shiteh and Mancini was manager of United, it wouldn't have been close.
He did do well. Very well. He changed the shape of the team after realising it wasn't really working. The change didn't yield immediate results but he didn't panic, he stuck with it, getting the players more and more used to it. By the run-in, he had the system perfected and they won 7 out the last 9 games (including wins against Man U, Arsenal, Newcastle & Liverpool)
But is he a one-trick pony? Is he only good at getting a team of average players working effectively*? Did the element of surprise/complacency of opposition teams play the biggest part? Would he be able to handle the sort of big egos at Anfield?
In time he may turn out to be the best manager who ever managed. But equally, he may be found wanting when he makes the next step up (like so many 'next big thing' managers).
It is crucial for Liverpool that they get the right manager in place this time. Another couple of seasons in the wilderness of no ECL football and their name falls further down the pecking order when top players look around for their next big payday challenge. Global publicity dims and the commercial side suffers, thus adding to the death spiral. In terms of global sales of replica shirts, Liverpool are 4th (behind Man U, Barca & Real Madrid - in that order). For how much longer with an average side, playing uninspiring, pedestrian football, lounging in mid-table mediocrity?
Personally, I'd go for a proven, experienced coach - ideally one who knows the Premier League & English football. Mourinho would be my first pick, but he's out of the question. So is my second choice, Hiddink. Could Martin O'Neil be lured away from Sunderland after such a short spell in charge there? He'd be my third choice. After that, I don't know. Anyone reckon Ferguson could be tempted for a new bit of perch knocking-off?
* in response to the inevitable smartarse cracks about Liverpool now being a group of average players, yes, you're right. I'm talking, though, of rose-tinted hope that the owners have ambition & would back a new manager financially. That takes a different skillset within a manager.
Not sure, no doubt time will tell, if he is the right man. He maybe cheap, but it would be a shame, if his career is ruined seemingly by being pitched into a club with great expectations and no patience.
He has been given time by Wigan and support and its paid off.
As stated by others, I would have thought however they would pick a manager with european expeirence.
It could be regarded as not a step forward..
Somehow I completely missed McLeish's sacking from Aston Villa, but then I guess he/is was a bit of a non event
But I see now that the bookies are saying that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the red-hot favourite to be the next manager.
Seems a bit early in his career, to move to a premier league club. still it would be interesting.
Personally, I'd take a punt on Allardyce. His Real Madrid style of football would be a breath of fresh air.
Altenatively, you can 'Arry if you want.
Think McLeish has been hard done by to be honest, although I do know there are/were a lot of Villa fans that didn't want him as their manager in the first place having previously managed Birmingham. Had Villa gone down, then IMO they would have had more reason to have dispensed with him, but having avoided the drop he surely deserved at least another season.
They shouldn't have been near the drop IMO. 7 wins all season says it all. If I were a Villa fan I'd have been calling for his sacking too, regardless of his Birmingham connections.
I think Martinez would be a good appointment for Liverpool. He would be a cheap option, excluding the money owed to Dave Whelan/Wigan. I'm sure most Liverpool fans would love a big name, but being realistic the club is not the attraction it once was unless as already said the owners are once again looking to open the wallet and dangle some big bucks to attract a big name.
Talk of Benitez being approached, would be surprised considering he is another one who can't be trusted with money, some of the cack he purchased.
Seems like a many former players are finally accepting a dose of reality, that the club could end up fading away of they don't get this right.
I hadn't realised they'd won as few games as that. That's only a couple more wins than Newcastle managed in the whole of the 2008-09 season when they were relegated.
Am I allowed in this Thread now?
I suppose you are for this season (don't rely on it though)
Rumours circulating that Levy may be going for a DoF. 'Arry won't like that.
As long as it isn't Comolli I'm not fussed
The Liverpool fiasco rumbles on and on. At least they hadnt sounded someone out before letting Dalglish go! Surely they would have had second thoughts if they had known that everyone would distance themselves so quickly!!!
Perhaps they had sounded these people out, and that's why they're focusing on their initial target, Martinez.
I'm far from convinced, but at least he'll bring freshness and enthusiasm.