[Jaspersharpe]

Yeah the jury's out. He's certainly spent a lot of money and not always wisely (£10m on Curtis Davies). His net spend at Villa was over £80m.....

[Jaspersharpe]

Brilliant stuff from Surreal Football's Alex Netherton on how Messi is actually crap:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story/_/id/990327/alexander-netherton:-talk-of-messi%27s-genius-is-flawed?cc=5739

And re the backlash:

http://www.surrealfootball.com/2011/12/05/ban-this-sick-filth/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ban-this-sick-filth

 

[Jaspersharpe]

Interesting data from the LMA about how long managers keep their jobs for. The current list shows how there is no longevity any more.....

http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/longest-current.html

[nai]

His net spend at Villa was over £80m.....

And he still only finished in their average league position.  Either the "big4" (+Everton) really were unbreakable or he's not actually the messiah after all (but I'd have him at my club, just to be sure)(and he does have a very good cup/finals record)

PL figure in that LMA list is skewed by Moyes, Wenger & Ferguson.  Comes down to 1.7 without them 

[slackline]

Footballer sent off for having his cock pierced...

!

 

[Grubes]

Peasrson asks permission to speak to LCFC
Tomtom you bothered?

Yup. Not good news.

Caught the HCAFC score on SSN this morning as I was running out the house
Still bothered?

Last 5 matches:
Derby 0-2 Hull (barmby)
Hull 2-3 Burnley (barmby)
Southampton 2-1 Hull (barmby)
Hull 2-1 Liecester (barmby)
Hull 2-1 Birmingham (barmby)

Since barmby came in you have:
Won 3
Lost 2 Looks like close games
scored 6 goals at home (9 all together) looks more interesting matches to watch from the scores.

Whats your thoughts on barmby now after a few games? stick with him or get an experienced manager in?

Also was at t'works till closing and did not see any scores. Did anything else happen in football last night?

[Jaspersharpe]

 

[tomtom]

Peasrson asks permission to speak to LCFC
Tomtom you bothered?

Yup. Not good news.

Caught the HCAFC score on SSN this morning as I was running out the house
Still bothered?

Last 5 matches:
Derby 0-2 Hull (barmby)
Hull 2-3 Burnley (barmby)
Southampton 2-1 Hull (barmby)
Hull 2-1 Liecester (barmby)
Hull 2-1 Birmingham (barmby)

Since barmby came in you have:
Won 3
Lost 2 Looks like close games
scored 6 goals at home (9 all together) looks more interesting matches to watch from the scores.

Whats your thoughts on barmby now after a few games? stick with him or get an experienced manager in?

Also was at t'works till closing and did not see any scores. Did anything else happen in football last night?

Apparently theres some crisis with the Euro up in Manchester... *shrugs*

OK. Last night was my first home game since Barmbs took over. I was (am a little) worried about it as its a footballing decision based more on the heart than the head.... He's been a little naive - especially in the Burnerley game, where we were 2:0 up, he then brought on Dawson, shifted the formation, we ship a goal and it all goes to bits...

But... we're playing alot further up the pitch - the defence is pushing up. This means our midfield is actually doing something.. under Pearson it was just a buffer strip between two lone strikers and the defence... Koren has been liberated, and loves playing off the front two - he pulled most of the strings last night - and some great runs into the box like Lampard of old..

The flip side is our defence that was so well drilled under Pearso is now under more pressure. And shipping goals... With Pearson a 1:0 lead was safe. You could sit back in the chair and relax.. not so now.. bum clenching time.. though it does make a game more exciting. And yes, we're scoring goals..

Football has also been liberated. We played great football last night. Played Brum off the park in my view - maybe it was a cold night away from home for them (and their 200 supporters that made the trip) but they threatened little apart from the last 10 min when we sat back... Myhill had a very warm welcome back at the KC.. home fans chanting his name alot, and trying to lure him back with chants of 'your kids are from Hull.. your kids are from Hull...' etc.. It obviously worked as Myhill of old came out when he fluffed a shot from range from McLean to give us the lead.. Sadly Barmby likes to play his best mate Andy Dawson, who was back to his scampering old self for the first half then ran out of puff and was a liability for the rest of the game..

So maybe a footballing choice from the heart wasnt so bad after all (dont mention Keegan!) and as the bloke behind me was saying - any 'big name' manager would spend X months stripping the squad and building his own. Pearsons time was great - he stabilised a rocky ship, bought some much needed discipline. Be interesting to see what happens next.

BUT... the worst thing is I can't rename my fantasty side from 'Pearsons piss flaps' to 'Barmbys ball bags'...

[nai]

This'll put a big smile on the face of the ABUs if it hasn't already:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/dec/08/manchester-united-champions-league-exit

[Jaspersharpe]

This'll put a big smile on the face of the ABUs if it hasn't already:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/dec/08/manchester-united-champions-league-exit

Strong stuff from DT there and it gets worse for United. Vidic is out for the season.

[nai]

oops, can't remember the exact @optajoe stat now but it was something like 75% vs 49% win ratio with/without him.

oh dear, how sad, never mind.

[Jaspersharpe]

It's such a shame.

[nai]

74% - Man Utd's win percentage with Nemanja Vidić playing (PL 2006-present), compared to 59% without him. Leader.

[Jaspersharpe]

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Kelvin  MacKenzie - he's lost none of that old charm, has he?

Seems it was the fault of the Liverpool Echo.

Or then again, perhaps not.

[Jaspersharpe]

Brilliant.

He's so used to lying about stuff and then apologising that he can't help himself.

[Grubes]

Lampard is baffled by the fact he is older and shit http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16155208.stm

I know I've got a lot to give.

Yet he disappeared on the pitch for 90% of matches

[Jaspersharpe]

Interesting interview with Cantona from earlier this year:

http://nycosmos.com/news/chat-king

Why? Just because I felt like it. I never thought before a game, “If I score a goal, I will react like this.”

[Jaspersharpe]

Good piece on Everton's finaces and what they mean for the rest of English football:

http://www.twohundredpercent.net/?p=16839

[tomtom]

Good piece on Everton's finaces and what they mean for the rest of English football:

http://www.twohundredpercent.net/?p=16839

Yup - I think we may have 2 or possible even more 'Portsmouths' in the EPL this season... Bolton owe c.£100mill, Blackburn are probably up to their chicken wings in debt though no-one is really sure, and Wigan... well can Wigan really be sustainable with their gates and costs?

I think the sorriest tale that isnt getting much media attention is whats happening at Coventry... crowds of 12-15000 in a 35000+ seater stadium... owned by 'venture capitalists' who's only intention is now to reduce whatever loss they have made...

[Jaspersharpe]

Yeah there are a lot of disasters waiting to happen. As I've said before, the whole "gamble to get to / stay in the Premiership" model is doomed and I'm pretty sure that eventually, the more sensibly run clubs will filter to the top as the gamblers go one or another sort of bust. Aside from the massive clubs like Man U, Liverpool & Arsenal and the benefactor model clubs (who now also have FFP to deal with) the level of wages in the EPL is totally unsustainable.

As the article says, if Everton have to mortgage future income, sell all their assets and sell all their best players just to pay the wages of the rest of the squad then this shit can't carry on forever! Bolton look screwed this season on the pitch and if they go down then they are in serious trouble. This is why Gartside was trying to push the disastrous closed shop / no relegation idea a few years ago as he and other EPL chairmen are terrified of the financial meltdown that relegation would bring.

Meanwhile the likes of Burnley and Blackpool kept a sensible cap on spending when they went up and will now be benefitting from the money they've made from the EPL with the parachute payments system. I know what I'd want Brighton to do if they ever get into the Premier League and it certainly isn't gamble the entire future of the club on staying up (you tomtom and nai both have more experience of this type of thing!).

[Jaspersharpe]

I think the sorriest tale that isnt getting much media attention is whats happening at Coventry... crowds of 12-15000 in a 35000+ seater stadium... owned by 'venture capitalists' who's only intention is now to reduce whatever loss they have made...

http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/8091/38/

[moose]

Sounds a bit like Darlington - dragged down by a huge, white elephant stadium (built by an egomaniac ex-safebreaker). 

Still, for all football's greed and stupidity, I can't help but look forward a few days off and a festive feast of football - starting with televised Premier league games this Tues, Weds and Thursday.  No need to ponder what I'll do for the next few nights... these little things they make me so happy....

I just hope some of the festive games live up to Man City vs Arsenal on Sunday.  Great fun, like so many of Man City's games this season.  I feel a bit guilty enjoying such a naked display of purchasing power, but find it hard to maintain a critical perspective whilst Balotelli and Silva are on the pitch.  Feels good just to gain uncomplicated pleasure from football.  Being a Leeds fan (albeit strictly a armchair one) often results in ambivalent feelings: it's hard to enjoy any success when its main beneficiaries are Ken Bates and his tax-haven ensconced friends.  I've often felt being a football fan is akin to having a minor congenital malady - you know it's not your really fault, but can't help but feel slightly ashamed.

[Falling Down]

Great post Moose.

I went to the match yesterday and my goodness, what value for money. Packed stadium, both sets of fans in fine voice, both teams wanting the win.  What a priviledge to see such fantastic football close up.  City are in danger of turning into Arsenal if they arent careful though, too many touches in front of goal when a shot would do just fine. 

[Jaspersharpe]