Potter and Rodgers were sacked from Chelsea and Leicester respectively. Rodgers is now on the shortlist for Chelsea, and if rumours are to be believed, Potter is on the shortlist for Leicester. Benitez was favourite for Leicester until the Chelsea job became available and now he is on the shortlist for Chelsea.
You have to feel for both Potter and Our Brendan. Potter has too many players. With no experience of managing top pros, Chelsea give him the impossible job of keeping and enormous squad of top pros happy when not playing. He was never, ever going to succeed in that job. He was happy and successful at Brighton and would probably have preferred to stay there for a couple more seasons, but Chelsea came for him and he had to go. Just like when Lampard was at Derby and Gerrard at Rangers, a season or two more would have been ideal before making the big jump. Rodgers too was let down by the club, who sold his best players and didn't replace them. Also, Vardy is getting past it and Ihenacho and Daka just aren't at that level. I hope they both get good jobs in the coming months.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Battle of the Brunos on Sunday: Newcastle's Guimares against Man U's Fernandes. Newcsatle won and leap frog Man U into third. Fingers crossed they can keep it. The question has to be asked though: why are none of the two Brunos at Liverpool? Liverpool got their pants pulled down on Saturday by City because they have no midfield, neither legs nor guile. Man U bought Casemiro and Fernandes. If Liverpool had bought them they would probably be up there with Arsenal and City. Instead they were overrun and humiliated by a dominant City team. TA-A gave away his weekly goal, as per usual. This time it was Grealish who was allowed to stroll into the box and pass the ball into the net unopposed. Why he is still allowed to play at full-back is something that absolutely baffles my Liverpool supporting mates. What is going on at Liverpool? No-one knows. Is this the start of a decline? Or, will they buy what they need in the summer (2 top midfielders and a right back) and see a return to heavy metal football?
Talking of City, Guardiola is a footballing genius, surely no-one can deny that fact. But, his ability to do the unusual and for it to work is just incredible. This season it is the full back job. Having sold Cancelo and Zinchenko, people thought he had screwed up badly. Things weren't going well and City looked 'off'. So, he brings in Ake at left back and Stones at right back. But Stones doesn't play at right back, he tucks into midfield to support Rodri and only moves to right back when needed. Now City look back to their imperious best. I am totally biased but the man is a one-off. However, if he doesn't win the Champions League this season . . .
I thoroughly enjoyed the Battle of the Brunos on Sunday: Newcastle's Guimares against Man U's Fernandes. Newcsatle won and leap frog Man U into third. Fingers crossed they can keep it. The question has to be asked though: why are none of the two Brunos at Liverpool? Liverpool got their pants pulled down on Saturday by City because they have no midfield, neither legs nor guile. Man U bought Casemiro and Fernandes. If Liverpool had bought them they would probably be up there with Arsenal and City. Instead they were overrun and humiliated by a dominant City team. TA-A gave away his weekly goal, as per usual. This time it was Grealish who was allowed to stroll into the box and pass the ball into the net unopposed. Why he is still allowed to play at full-back is something that absolutely baffles my Liverpool supporting mates. What is going on at Liverpool? No-one knows. Is this the start of a decline? Or, will they buy what they need in the summer (2 top midfielders and a right back) and see a return to heavy metal football?
Talking of City, Guardiola is a footballing genius, surely no-one can deny that fact. But, his ability to do the unusual and for it to work is just incredible. This season it is the full back job. Having sold Cancelo and Zinchenko, people thought he had screwed up badly. Things weren't going well and City looked 'off'. So, he brings in Ake at left back and Stones at right back. But Stones doesn't play at right back, he tucks into midfield to support Rodri and only moves to right back when needed. Now City look back to their imperious best. I am totally biased but the man is a one-off. However, if he doesn't win the Champions League this season . . .
 |
| Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports |
Van Dijk , Hendo , Robo , Matip , Fabinho ; mean age 31 , totally burned out playing too many club & international games - time to be offloaded . Man U are 3 points better off compared with last season , they could end up finishing fifth ! City to win the title , Arsenal to finish second with a club record points tally ( better than the 2004 invincibles ! ) # 96 City , # 94 Arsenal
ReplyDeleteI wanted to give Potter time but the Mad Yanks spent like a sailor in a whorehouse and brought in too many players for consistency to even being a remote fantasy. Not Brenda, just no. Nagelsmann is being touted but he'll have the same issue. Zidane is the only one who would command respect from any professional. He's my choice.
ReplyDeleteSteve R
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think about Lampard's return?
Peter,
DeleteCompletely and utterly baffled. It's like the yanks think football is just like Gridiron. He's far too nice for management of a huge club. I want someone who is going in fury at the players.
I don't think either Frank or Tuchel should have been let go when they were. Tuchel was a marvellous manager - the way he was treated wasn't good.
ReplyDeleteThe way that Chelsea are run is equivalent to that an oil bloated Third World regime with money to splash out on vanity developmental projects rather than on proper infrastructure and sustainable growth. I fear that this regime like that at the Etihad will come crashing down once the scale of its financial chicanery (and associated lack of accountability to its loyal supporters) in the form of Financial Fair Play abuses .
DeleteBarry,
DeleteNo. Our academy is world class and producing excellent players so overall we are solvent. There will be a balancing of the books in the summer with lots of players sold. Mourinho will be back fingers crossed.
AM, Tuchel lost the trust of the players not the club, and they hold a lot of power.
Delete