12/13 Football Thread

[king mob]

Ha, I wouldn't go that far. But yes, Charlie Adam can't run 6 yards. Which is kind of a disadvantage for a professional footballer.

To be fair there's been some great footballers who couldn't run. All the talk about Le tissier misses out how little movement he actually had, but he was the most skillful player of his generation so didn't need to move, Adam is just unfit and although clearly talented, is just a lazy player.

The Dalglish chat terrifies me; he's been a crap manager for ages now. And with all that time between games I can't see him doing much scouting either; that's tee-off time.

Dalglish has clearly still got the huge weight of Hillsborough on his shoulders and that has been something which has dragged him down increasingly over the years, plus he's not developed as a manager which is why he got Steve Clarke (now there's a dream choice which won't happen) to help him at Liverpool but didn't seem to listen to him.

All the available candidates have a downside though. Strachan's final season at Celtic was poor, and his Middlesborough spell atrocious.

It was but Strachan is the right age, has actually won things as a player and manager and isn't going to take crap from average players.

Billy Davies had an okay time at Derby but then spent a few years blaming the board at Nottingham Forest for everything that went wrong.

Davies was right though. The board at Forest refused to give him money and it's remarkable Davies got them in the play-offs with fuck all money, but as soon as Davies left they hired Schteve McLaren, gave him a load of money and suddenly Forest looked like relegation candidates.

Davies though is clearly looking to prove himself at club level so will fuck off as soon as the first offer comes knocking.

Owen Coyle is coming off a disappointing spell at Bolton and is likely to harbour ambitions elsewhere; same is probably true of Alex McLeish.

Indeed, neither are realistic options though I'd love Coyle in charge.

Joe Jordan has never managed (caretaker spells aside) before and I'm not convinced he's tactically all that aware after helping 'Arry for all those years.

Jordan has, he's managed Bristol City in two spells and they still look back fondly at what he did down at Ashton Gate. He's managed a few other clubs as well in between those spells but he's clearly happier being a Number Two.

Can you imagine someone like Charlie Adam giving Jordan any lip? Fuck, that would be messy.

On the flip side I can see why they'd all be a step up from Levein - apart from Dalglish, he's just terrible.

I don't envy the SFA this decision.

The clear and obvious choice is Strachan. He won't cost anything, he's got the profile and he's a personality who won't take shite from players. He will make us more defensive (with Craig Gordon apparently coming back from his physio and looking for a club in January this would also help, and McFadden is playing again at Sunderland) but that's a good thing, but we really do have the best group of players since the late 90's and we should be smashing a team likes Wales who frankly have little beyond Ramsey and that cheating wee shite Bale.We should be competing with these players but Levin didn't know what to do outside of playing crap formations and Kenny fucking Miller up front when he's playing kiddie football in the MLS.

[king mob]

Please choose Lee Clark, please choose Lee Clark, please choose Lee Clark, please choose Lee Clark, please choose Lee Clark, please choose Lee Clark, please choose Lee Clark, please choose Lee Clark...

Won't happen. It really probably does boil down to Strachan or Davies.

[JDogindy]

My first reaction to that was: "Why on Earth are Dynamo Kiev playing Sporting KC?"

But yeah. Is it the MLS playoffs already?

Yeah, the playoffs are here. Houston had to beat Chicago to play Sporting Kansas City.

[Alan Lynch]

Jordan has, he's managed Bristol City in two spells and they still look back fondly at what he did down at Ashton Gate. He's managed a few other clubs as well in between those spells but he's clearly happier being a Number Two.

Shut my mouth, I didn't know that. I only remembered his caretaker spells at Pompey and (technically) Spurs.

Ewan Murray at the Guardian has thrown out the idea that Strachan plus Gary McAllister would be a decent shout. Can't argue with that - I seem to recall McAllister doing decent things at Coventry before his wife took ill.

[king mob]

Shut my mouth, I didn't know that. I only remembered his caretaker spells at Pompey and (technically) Spurs.

I knew he'd managed Hearts, but didn't know about Bristol city til I was down there for a game and his name came up, then I was told about it.

Ewan Murray at the Guardian has thrown out the idea that Strachan plus Gary McAllister would be a decent shout. Can't argue with that - I seem to recall McAllister doing decent things at Coventry before his wife took ill.

That could work, though McAllister's time at Villa needs to be remembered.

[mcgaffer]

Ian Holloway to Crystal Palace surprised me this week. Craig Levein being sacked did not. A mate of mine said that Scotland would probably appoint Steve Kean because he'd be a cheap option. He also said that he'd like to see John Collins get the nod.

[mcgaffer]

Former Wales midfielder Ivor Powell has died aged 96.
Powell, who was capped eight times for his country, started his playing career at QPR in 1937 and also had spells with Aston Villa and Blackpool.
He took over as manager at Bath City in 1964 before becoming a coach at the University of Bath, where he worked for 37 years, until the age of 93.
Powell won a place in the Guinness Book of Records for his role as the world's oldest working football coach in 2006.
A statue of Powell, who also coached at Carlisle, stands at the University's training village and a scholarship fund was set up in his name to support undergraduates in their studies.
He was made an MBE in 2008 for services to sport.

[mcgaffer]

Chelsea are considering moves for Marseille's France striker Loic Remy, 25, and Porto's Colombian forward Jackson Martinez, 26, after being put off by Atletico Madrid's £46m valuation for Colombian striker Radamel Falcao, 26.

Tottenham could move for Andy Carroll in January. Liverpool's England striker, 23, is on loan at West Ham.

Roma are ready to listen to offers for their £30m-rated captain Daniele De Rossi. The Italian side turned down an offer from Manchester City for the 29-year-old midfielder in the summer.

Liverpool could miss out on Athletic Bilbao's Fernando Amorebieta, 27, with Roma and Zenit St Petersburg showing interest in the Venezuela defender.

Liverpool are closing in on Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. The German side are understood to be ready to let their 29-year-old Dutch international leave in January, although Liverpool's £9m valuation may not be enough.

Lille coach Rudi Garcia wants to re-sign Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole, 30, who spent last season on loan with the French club, but admits it is not financially possible.

Reading are preparing a move for Arsenal's £15m-rated Russian playmaker Andrey Arshavin, 31. (£15 mill??? I think there should be a decimal point in that valuation)

Manchester United are considering Blackpool winger Tom Ince, 20, as a potential replacement for Nani, 25. Ince is an option for Sir Alex Ferguson due to uncertainty over the Portuguese winger's future.

Leeds want to keep Stoke midfielder Michael Tonge, 29, who has more than half of his three-month loan deal at Elland Road remaining, for the rest of the season.

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli is planning to miss the hectic Yuletide schedule by taking two weeks off to be with his pregnant girlfriend, who is due to give birth on Christmas Day. (So are we all going to guess at what stunt he pulls over these two weks and see who get's closest?)

Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross, 25, who has 18 months left on his contract, has been offered a six-year deal as the Potters attempt to ward off interest from former club Manchester United and Tottenham.

Lille's France right-back Mathieu Debuchy, 27, admits he was disappointed not to join Newcastle during the summer and does not expect to move in the January transfer window.

Portsmouth manager Michael Appleton has emerged as the strong favourite to replace Ian Holloway at Blackpool. (I'm guessing Paul Ince is landing this one, he's been up there enough times watching his son)

Spanish defender Marc Bartra, 21, insists he has no issues with Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi, despite reports of a training-ground clash with the striker at the start of the season.

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 27, has revealed he would vote for himself to win the Ballon d'Or if it was allowed. He added: "I am what I am and I'm delighted."

Neymar, 20, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona and is rated as the best young striker in Brazil, has joked that the only way he will play alongside Lionel Messi is if the Argentina forward joins him at Santos.

Footballer Ched Evans has lost the right to appeal against his conviction for rape.
Judges also rejected Ched Evans's bid to cut his five-year jail sentence

[king mob]

Former Wales midfielder Ivor Powell has died aged 96.
Powell, who was capped eight times for his country, started his playing career at QPR in 1937 and also had spells with Aston Villa and Blackpool.
He took over as manager at Bath City in 1964 before becoming a coach at the University of Bath, where he worked for 37 years, until the age of 93.
Powell won a place in the Guinness Book of Records for his role as the world's oldest working football coach in 2006.
A statue of Powell, who also coached at Carlisle, stands at the University's training village and a scholarship fund was set up in his name to support undergraduates in their studies.
He was made an MBE in 2008 for services to sport.

I bumped into him in a pub in Bath years ago and hadn't a clue who he was til he started holding court. Wonderful old bloke.

[king mob]

Strachan seems up for the Scotland job if asked according to the BBC, so I'll expect him to be the next manager.

[mcgaffer]

Former Bolton manager Owen Coyle has told BBC Radio Scotland that he would be "open" to an approach about the vacant Scotland manager's job.
Coyle, who was sacked by Bolton in October , revealed he had already turned down two offers from clubs in England.
However, the Glaswegian admitted he would listen to any approach from the Scottish Football Association.

[mcgaffer]

Footballers guilty of racist abuse should be sacked by their clubs and banned for up to nine months, according to the body behind plans for a black players' union.
The Society of Black Lawyers has put out a 10-point plan to tackle racism.
It wants matches to be abandoned if there is racial abuse from fans.
The organisation is also demanding referee Mark Clattenburg be suspended while claims he made racial comments to Chelsea players are investigated.

In addition, the society has also warned the Football Association and Tottenham Hotspur that it will make a complaint to police unless action is taken against what it says is anti-Semitic abuse taking place at White Hart Lane.
The document was published ahead of a meeting between the FA, Professional Footballers' Association, Premier League and trustees of anti-racism body Kick It Out on Wednesday.
The plan calls for:
a minimum six to nine-month ban for racial abuse, rising to a five-year ban for a third offence
any fines going directly to Kick It Out to fund grassroots anti-racism initiatives
the creation of representative associations for black players, managers and coaches
guidance for referees to send off players using racist abuse and the power to call off games where the crowd is using such abuse
a 20% quota at all levels of the FA, PFA, clubs as well as football agents and referees
racial abuse to be a matter of gross misconduct incorporated into players' contracts
clubs to invest in the personal education of all players, including university or college education
recording referees and assistants during matches to pick up any possible abuse by players.
a system for reporting racial incidents to be set up with details of such incidents, both on and off the pitch, published each year
The society is involved in talks to create a Black Players' Association with some professionals, claiming the football authorities are not doing enough to represent them or to tackle racism in the sport.
The PFA recently introduced its own six-point action plan but the society says this will prove "ineffective".

[DebkoX]

I'm sickened to read it was a 13-year-old millwall fan who abused Sordell.

[mcgaffer]

Millwall have banned a 13-year-old boy after he admitted verbally abusing Bolton forward Marvin Sordell.

Chelsea have banned a fan from Stamford Bridge pending a police investigation into a racially aggravated offence during last week's League Cup victory over Manchester United.
Pictures taken during the fourth-round tie showed a fan making a "monkey" gesture.

[mcgaffer]

Hearts say there is a danger that Saturday's home game against St Mirren could be the club's last.
The club have been issued with a winding-up order by the Court of Session in Edinburgh after failing to pay a tax bill for close to £450,000.
"This isn't a bluff, this isn't scaremongering, this is reality," read a statement from Hearts.
"Without the support of fans there is a real risk that Hearts could possibly play its last game next Saturday."
The latest matter is unrelated to a £1.75m tax bill Hearts are currently contesting.
The bill is understood to be for unpaid PAYE and VAT and the club have eight days to pay or the winding up order will be enforced by the court.
Hearts, who, have confirmed that the amount due is £449,692.04, say they are hoping to reach agreement with HMRC over a repayment plan.
The Edinburgh club, owned by Lithuanian-based banker Vladimir Romanov, are appealing for fans to invest in a recent share offer and to turn out in numbers for the next three home games.