+1. I think they'd better look up the definition of the word "professional" and start acting like one.
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2010-2011 Football Thread
- Thread starter Lord Blackadder
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+1. I think they'd better look up the definition of the word "professional" and start acting like one.
Hodgson's a good manager, and has proven his credentials at domestic club, European and international level many times for more than three decades. I'd consider the players far more culpable than him for the on-field problems, they've been poor since well before Hodgson's appointment.
The players not committing is exactly 100% the manager's responsibilty because it's their primary job to put a motivational firecracker up the players' behinds if they're dragging them. Ferguson and Murinho are good managers because they do exactly that. Hodgson obviously can't. Which makes him useless in this situation.
The belief is that suddenly he *will* be able to motivate his players once the club is owned by Henry. I don't buy it, but hey, we'll all find out soon enough this weekend! Can you believe it, the Merseyside Derby is a relegation battle...
The belief is that suddenly he *will* be able to motivate his players once the club is owned by Henry. I don't buy it, but hey, we'll all find out soon enough this weekend! Can you believe it, the Merseyside Derby is a relegation battle...
Then there is a God after all.
Benitez brought in a lot of crap players, Hodgson brought in a couple that have yet to quite prove themselves. Liverpool haven't had much money to spend lately, and losing Alonso and to a lesser extent Mascherano has ripped the heart out of Liverpool's midfield over the last couple seasons. Aquilani was a huge flop. Torres is injury-prone. We haven't got a second striker of Premier League quality. Carragher is slow, Johnson can't defend and our left back position is a revolving door of different players. Joe Cole has yet to really play to his potential (will he ever? I hope so). We have a weak bench. Our (new) manager has just started trying to rebuild the squad while the ownership situation is being hashed out in a sensational and rancorous manner.
This ain't a rant - it's reality. Things are bad, but they could be a lot worse. We still have some great players, and I still think Hodgson deserves time. I think the players are demoralized by the bad start to the season as well as the ownership situation. I think the bad performances are partially symptomatic of the change in managerial styles, i.e. Hodgson is a good manager, but the players aren't yet doing what he's asking them to do. He needs to be given time to impress his system on the squad.
I think Henry has just made an announcement about taking control of Liverpool so expect an update soon. I just saw him giving a statement to the press via solicitors outside Slaughter & May (making me late back from lunch)
I know just how he feels, they kept me from my Mc Pret sandwich too!
I know just how he feels, they kept me from my Mc Pret sandwich too!
That'll be USD 1.6 Billion please:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/...pool-fc-sale-live-coverage-dallas-hicks-henry
Other Liverpool news; the snail/octopus hybrid, Jamie Carragher, has signed a two year extension.
Cheers,
OW
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/...pool-fc-sale-live-coverage-dallas-hicks-henry
Other Liverpool news; the snail/octopus hybrid, Jamie Carragher, has signed a two year extension.
Cheers,
OW
Looks like the Liverpool Red Sox are in business. It'll be interesting to see what if any changes take place. It would be horrible if Liverpool hit relegation. But the season is early and I think that prospect less likely no matter who the owners would have been. The season is still in its early stages.
Okay, so Hodgson is speculating that now the club debt has been reduced from £30 million down to £3 million (wait a minute, what debt is £3 million interest? I thought Henry's deal was to pay off all debt?) he will have a transfer budget for January to boost the squad. Although no such budget has been confirmed yet.
But anyway, assume it is and my question remains - now there are new owners what's he going to do with the current squad between now and the January window that he hasn't been able to do already? What's he going to suddenly change now that Henry's the new owner? Starting with Everton this weekend? Will the players just suddenly start motivating themselves into winning now of their own accord like I asked before? If so, what's Hodgson's actual job then?
But anyway, assume it is and my question remains - now there are new owners what's he going to do with the current squad between now and the January window that he hasn't been able to do already? What's he going to suddenly change now that Henry's the new owner? Starting with Everton this weekend? Will the players just suddenly start motivating themselves into winning now of their own accord like I asked before? If so, what's Hodgson's actual job then?
The $1.6 billion lawsuit doesn't scare me, but, sadly, it does mean that Hicks and Gillett might make their money back after all, because an out-of-court settlement will be the fastest solution.
Personally, I hope that NESV, RBS and the club itself make Statler and Waldorf grind it out in court for years. If it's a Texas court the odds are in their favor though.
In MLS news, ex-Watford captain and Wisconsin native Jay DeMerit has announced he's looking for an MLS club. This probably means he didn't get any satisfactory offers in Europe, which is a shame, but he's 30 now and would make a fine addition to just about any MLS roster.
Personally, I hope that NESV, RBS and the club itself make Statler and Waldorf grind it out in court for years. If it's a Texas court the odds are in their favor though.
In MLS news, ex-Watford captain and Wisconsin native Jay DeMerit has announced he's looking for an MLS club. This probably means he didn't get any satisfactory offers in Europe, which is a shame, but he's 30 now and would make a fine addition to just about any MLS roster.
As pointed out in the London court it's a matter of no jurisdiction now Hicks can burn money in the U.S. all he likes there is no way he will win.
I'm not so sure...on first glance, it does seem that he's going to have a hard time making a US court successfully collect damages from a UK sports team or a Scottish bank, but if it can be done, he will find a way.
The current ruling was about his ability to prevent the sale, but the civil suit is a totally different kettle of fish.
I want to believe he's just whistling Dixie here, but who knows?
The defendants in a civil case in the U.S. would include RBS and believe me they've got deeper pockets than Hicks.
I don't think Hicks would win, but he might be able to drag it out long enough to get an out-of-court settlement.
Ultimately, I hope he loses. He's a financial speculator, he's gambled and lost, and he's just doing everything he can to make some money out of this. I hope RBS & Liverpool ultimately make him swallow his losses.
Genuine trouble for Manchester United. True, the result came after a goalkeeping error, but that's three draws now, and United don't have the depth they had a couple seasons ago. Hernandez scored again though, that's a positive.
The table is still tight though, 8 points separate 2nd from the bottom. Chelsea's early momentum has slowed a bit.
I await the Merseyside Derby.
I salute you.
The table is still tight though, 8 points separate 2nd from the bottom. Chelsea's early momentum has slowed a bit.
I await the Merseyside Derby.
pknz said:
I salute you.
Refreshing to see that – unlike the bidding processes in other sports – the race to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups isn't bogged down in murky talk of corruption, underhand dealings and...
Oh, no – hang on.
Oh, no – hang on.
Agreed. If I were Liverpool, I'd sell Torres as soon as possible. He looks out of form and disinterested, and when he's your only striker that causes a problem.
Use the money from Torres to buy a couple of harder working strikers, and maybe Liverpool can turn it around.
Also, anyone else think that Rooney might not be at Man Utd this time next year?
Needed to happen. Turn the spotlight where it truly belongs now instead of on the off-field distractions. All this ownership saga has been masking the fact that Hodgson isn't the man for the job. He just can't motivate his star players, so do you replace the players or the manager? One more home loss and he's gone I reckon, don't even wait for Christmas.
One wonders where the bottom is for Liverpool at the moment. It's bad, very bad. January is going to be critical, because we will absolutely need to buy a couple players to avoid relegation, and they will probably not be bargain buys.
Ferguson is not squeamish about selling players when he thinks their attitude is not right. I would not be surprised to see Rooney go, but the question is, with his current poor form will he still command a price United will accept?
The choice of whether to keep Torres will probably be taken out of our hands if a rich club offers big money for him. If we could get 30 million for him I'd sell him instantly. We really don't have much choice, because we need a striker of Torres' caliber - but one who is motivated and in-form.
Torres' bad form is as much Benitez's fault as anyone else's. He kept playing him when half-fit, and may have marred the rest of his career as a result. Hodgson can't be completely blamed for that. Besides, Torres had a bad World Cup even before Hodgson showed up.
Regardless, the pressures of the job being what they are, Hodgson may be forced out before the end of the season, but I still think that he's mostly just a scapegoat in a very complicated situation.
Ferguson is not squeamish about selling players when he thinks their attitude is not right. I would not be surprised to see Rooney go, but the question is, with his current poor form will he still command a price United will accept?
The choice of whether to keep Torres will probably be taken out of our hands if a rich club offers big money for him. If we could get 30 million for him I'd sell him instantly. We really don't have much choice, because we need a striker of Torres' caliber - but one who is motivated and in-form.
Torres' bad form is as much Benitez's fault as anyone else's. He kept playing him when half-fit, and may have marred the rest of his career as a result. Hodgson can't be completely blamed for that. Besides, Torres had a bad World Cup even before Hodgson showed up.
Regardless, the pressures of the job being what they are, Hodgson may be forced out before the end of the season, but I still think that he's mostly just a scapegoat in a very complicated situation.
The Guardian's sources reckon he's not going to be signing a new deal and is angling for a move in the January window...
IIRC, that's from the same writer who said Nemanja Vidic was on his way out of Old Trafford last year. Probably the same thing going on here, negotiations through the tabloids and all that.
However, I do have to wonder if he's opened up a severe rift with Sir Alex. I'm sure he's none too pleased with Rooney contradicting him in public and blowing the cover he laid just to protect him, nor with the marital infidelities and boozing about town. But I think if Rooney is trying to angle his way out of town, he's only painting himself into a corner. It's said he wants to play his entire career in England, but Spain will probably be his only logical move.
Traditionally, if a player crosses Sir Alex his days at Old Trafford are numbered. Real Madrid are supposedly interested if the rumours are to be believed, so we'll have to see what happens...
RE: Man United: A below-par season, issues with squad depth, questions over whether sufficient transfer funds are available, a talismanic player underperforming, a major rift between the owner and fans, major debts to service....sounds a lot like Liverpool last season doesn't it?
Hmmmm.
Hmmmm.
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