Like most people, I just can’t fathom out why, for a simple offside call, you can still be faffing around after 3 or 4 minutes, still not having reached a decision. They inevitably go with the on-field decision anyway due to the referees union
Anyone have this on their New Years Day bingo card?
Maresca leaves Chelsea after turbulent end to 2025 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c8exj6w3y41o
That has been coming for a few weeks, it was only a matter of time.
His agent trying to exert pressure on the chelsea hierarchy (to go into the market and buy even more players?) by linking him to replacing Pep at city was a bit bizarre, as was the "worst 48 hours of my life" statement.
Didn't see that coming myself. I'd say he'll not be short of offers.
This is the new normal now, isn’t it? Manager is brought in by owners who demand instant (and totally unrealistic) results, spends a fortune on players, falls out with the owners about the failure to be instantly top of the league and is sacked.
Rinse and repeat….
Who’ll be next? Amorim or Frank? Both are on borrowed time
The only thing saving Amorim right now is Ratcliff's ego, sacking him just puts the nail in the coffin of his competence and proves he is as useless as the glazers.
I expected Frank to do better, but I guess it shows it isn't as much about the manager as the way the whole club is run.
However it looks like Glasner isn't signing a new contract so will probably replace one of them at the end of the season, unless chelsea throw down enough money to tempt palace now (which could start a clamor for him).
Not impressed by Frank myself. It's not clear at all that he has a plan, a style, a way he wants the team to play.
I won't miss him.
And so the managerial merry go round starts.
I wonder if there's a few at risk - I don't think the leadership has lost faith with Howe yet, but they didn't put their money in to sit in mid-table and not push on, and time isn't limitless. Howe himself has already intimated there will be a time after Eddie, once that's accepted it's when not if.
Frank has to be at risk, hasn't really got a plan AFAICT at Spurs. Amorim seems to have sorted it only to then fall back again...a right box of allsorts and the loss of Fernandes isn't going to help, with City and Arsenal looming they need something before then. Not sure what it's like IRL but online at least even Liverpool fans are turning against Slot - no passion, intensity, desire, just a side to side possession based game that isn't getting them behind the team in the way Klopp's side used to hound the opposition down and make Anfield a proper test.
The bottom positions are reaching the point where plans to stay up might need changes, are they so far adrift already that plans at Wolves and Burnley and maybe West Ham too start to turn to a Championship promotion campaign next season. Forest need some results, I think Dyche has improved them but the chairman is unpredictable so I wouldn't ink his name in for a long time either.
Pep, Arteta and Emery aside, I think it's only Le Bris that can really sleep that soundly once the madness begins!
This Sunderland City game is a proper old style premier League game. Loud, committed and end to end.
I think MSP is bang on about Amorim only being there to spare Sir Jim’s blushes. He can’t admit that he got it wrong yet again. I predicted at the start of the season that he’d be gone before Christmas and under normal circumstances he would have been.
By reverting back to his totally failed experiment with a formation that just doesn’t work in this league he is virtually crying out to be sacked. If you can’t grind out a result at home, playing that system, against the worst squad in premier league history, yet still stubbornly refusing to change it, then you’re done.
My prediction now is that he’ll be given yet more money to spend in the January transfer window and then he’ll be promptly sacked when that (predictably due to his ‘system’) fails to deliver any improvements. That’s the order in which things tend to get done at Old Trafford. Utter madness!
Anyway. enough of talking about that dross, this City Sunderland game is a right old ding dong. How on earth is it still nil nil?
I'd keep it but use it similar to the way they use it in cricket;
I wouldn't. It sucks all the joy and spontaneity out of the game. Cricket is stop/ start anyway so much less of an issue.
Disappointing result, but fair play to Sunderland. And I thought the ref was excellent tonight as well, let the right amount of stuff go, could easily have descended into a yellow card bonanza, but the game was competitive without being overly dirty and the ref helped make it a proper hard fought 0-0, best 0-0 I have seen for quite a while.
That was a cracking game. As entertaining a nil nil draw as you’ll ever see.
Another amazing performance by Sunderland. It doesn’t look like anyone can get a result at the Stadium of Light. Granit Xhaka looks like the shrewdest buy of the season. He’s been superb!
When you're own travelling away fans, the die hards, are singing for half a dozen long gone players, singing, 'We want our money back!' And singing, 'Boring boring Tottenham!' It can't be long.
Frank is not tne messiah.
For me it's Glasner (realistically) or time for a return of the Prodigal Poch (nostalgically). The later may not work out, but my My it'll improve the mood in N17
Daniel Sturridge looks like it’s his first day at school and his mum has bought a uniform 3 sizes too big for him so he’ll grow into it.
Why Sky keep using him as a pundit, I have no idea. He’s an absolute idiot!
Liverpool board are pretty patient, generally don’t do knee jerk reactions, but Slot will test their patience. So dull. Pass, pass, pass, mainly sideways. No urgency. The way the leagues gone, being a bit more direct and end to end, more physical, makes the contrast between Klopp and Slot even starker.
Why Sky keep using him as a pundit, I have no idea. He’s an absolute idiot!
Who do we think are the worst pundits?
My money would be on Sturridge and Lescot with Rooney running them close. I used to enjoy the Micah Richards/ Roy Keane double act but Richards has had far too much screentime and is just annoying now,
Who do we think are the worst pundits?
Rooney for the win. I personally can’t watch or listen to the bloke. Micah’s quite good fun I think.
And the best? Or better ones?
I don’t mind Carragher. Says what he thinks at least, but gobs at kids.
He’s mainly on Five live but Nedum Onouha is good. Pretty insightful I find and measured.
Yeah I like Nedum Onouha, like you say I think he brings good insights without being too biased. Carragher and Neville can be ok in commentary, but way too biased and indoctrinate into the "big 3" mythology for the post match analysis, especially Carragher.
Nedum Onouha is great on Five Live. Very dry and genuinely funny. I think Keane is great despite becoming a pantomime version of himself. “It’s his job”. The Carragher/Neville double act works, as long as they’re kept away from United and Liverpool games. Micah is always value for money. Rooney is awful.
Yeah, Onouha is always worth a listen when he pops up on The Guardian Football Weekly podcast.
Decent point for Leeds was that. Ekitike looked dangerous but him aside Liverpool looked toothless. Hopefully get a result against Binners mob next.
Great point at Anfield (what an atmosphere - could hear a penny drop) whilst fielding a weakened side in preparation for Sunday. Thought the lads who stepped in (Bornauw, Justin & Gruev) were excellent and probably did enough to stake a claim for a starting place in the next game especially with the absence of Ampadu (ball bounces up, hits his upper arm - yellow card). The ref was pretty poor yesterday with things like that...
Well if Wolves got a point at Old Trafford and were pushing for all 3 in the second half, I don’t fancy our chances at Elland Road with Leeds on their present form.
We’ve got Citeh and Arsenal in the next few games too, which could both be embarrassing, as well as Brighton in the FA Cup, who always seem to turn us over.
Unfortunately, it looks like we could be about to replicate the second half of last season, along with Spurs, scrapping it out with them for that much cherished 14th spot.
Amorim seems keen on the definition of madness - repeating the same exercise and expecting different results. Everyone apart from him can see that it’s just not working.
Everyone apart from him can see that it’s just not working.
Its even worse than that, everyone can see it isn't working and he has stated that is now the reason for him sticking to his guns, he thinks he will look weak if he does the right thing after everyone else has noticed he is ****ing it up, pretty much the same reason for Ratcliff not replacing him.
All everyone else has to do now is publicly give them good advice, and the chuckle twins will take it as a challenge to do the opposite. In fact you could even tell them that is what you are doing and they would just spend the rest of the season standing on the spot vibrating with indecision.
He’s starting to swither though, isn’t he? Didn’t they play four at the back recently? After being so dogmatic about his special formation, that can’t instill much confidence in the players. Leeds favourites on Sunday for sure!
Watkins misses a sitter at the start, then 40mins of dull, then a Watkins screamer!
Youri Tielemans is an absolute gem. Modric like vision.
I reckon Martin O'Neil will be back at Celtic pretty soon the way things are going up there
Has anyone been following the African cup of nations?
I haven't so far but it is the knockout stage now, so I wouldn't mind knowing if there are any tasty matches happening.
Youri Tielemans is an absolute gem. Modric like vision.
One of the most underrated players in the league. Just quietly gets on with it, with no dramas. His passing accuracy reminds me of Paul Scholes at his peak
I was at Villa Park today and Tielemans shone again, but so did a couple of others, Konsa and Rogers very noteworthy.
Sancho though... On about £250,000 a week and achieves nothing on the pitch. Mind you, he has to go and get his own balls because nobody bothers passing to him.
Tough ask, but maybe Wolves could just turn this round. Next game is a biggee, West Ham 🤞
3-0 💪
A glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel 🤞
This Arsenal Bournemouth game is another belter!
3-0
A glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel
That very much depends on which team you support! I've got to the point where I'm not even angry.
Tielemans was a huge loss when he left Leicester.
A lot of my mates in England are West Ham fans and I've sent letters of sympathy to them this evening.
Reading v West Ham next season, perhaps.
Looking forward to ManU Leeds game. Best chance Leeds have had of a win for many years.
Do managers ever put their hands up, say I’m not up to it and resign?
Losing 3 nil to wolves you would at least not take your wages for that.
Ipswich match postponed but Birmingham have done us all a favour.
The keystone cops would be confused by Liverpool's defending.
I've just had another look at the Man Utd manager stats. Amorim is now only the worst permanent manager since 1972! Things are looking up!
A few more wins under his belt and he'll be breathing down the neck of Dave Sexton and his 40% win percentage
God only knows how we’re sat in 5th and still in touch with the champions league spots. We’re awful!
Goal of the weekend has to be Reeds 97th minute equaliser against Liverpool, with only his second touch of the ball. An absolute screamer!
His post match press conference seemed to me to be inviting them to sack him, either that or the whole of the backroom set up.
Very impressed with Wisse now he's getting back to fitness, adds a different dimension to Newcastle's play and much as I like what Woltemade brings I think is actually better suited to Newcastle's style. I wonder if there's a way to play them together...but Eddie does like his wide men and overlapping full backs (Murphy, Gordon, Barnes with Livramento, Hall and even Miley, who for a fill in RB has been quality)
It's mad tight in the mid-table - assuming City beat Chelsea 10 places (5-14) are covered by 4 points, and another 3 covers 4th as well. Win 3 or 4 on the bounce and Europe's a real prospect for anyone in that pack.
Absolute screamer for the Fulham equaliser, first goal for three years, you might as well make it a memorable one! Not even Liverpool's comical defending could be blamed for that.
Not even Liverpool's comical defending could be blamed for that.
Well, if you don’t include closing down a player and putting pressure on him, you could say that, but there wasn’t a Liverpool player within 10 metres of him - it was begging to be taken. Woeful defending.
You can say that, some of us are banned from criticising Liverpool
Problem with Amorim is his system requires very specific players to play it. I feel Amad is not a wing back, and wasted there, and then there’s the Bruno issue. He’s not suited to the deeper midfield positions or the narrow forward positions where he plays Mbeumo and Cunha. Then there’s Sesko who really looks to be struggling. It does feel like it’s not going to work 😀👍
Well after today’s post-match outburst I’d imagine it’s all pretty academic anyway. It looks like the manager and the club are on completely different wavelengths about the style of football and the direction and make up of the squad. Who knew? 🤷♂️
So I suppose we just wait for him to be sacked, as he clearly wants, which I’d imagine won’t be long considering we’ve Arsenal and City up in the next few games, and then the whole farcical soap opera begins again
Something to look forward to...
You could get something against city, we lost our 2 best centre backs yesterday, and Ake is playing though an injury. Nico O'Reily also played on for the last 10 mins after picking up a knock, so we have to see how that pans out, he was already looking leggy and should have been rotated before Alt-Nouri went to the AFCON.
As with a few games this season, Would've taken a point as the start but feels more like 2 points dropped tbh
If Benjamin Sesko was a footballer and not some kind of competition winner that Man Utd inexplicably paid what, £60m+ for, it might have been a different game. In the end it kinda feels that Leeds could/should have won - DCL's header off the post, Okafor's overhead kick (good save keeper) and if Piroe's first touch of the ball had dipped that little bit more... Leeds were miles off their best today without Bogle and Ampadu (although fair play, JJ has been excellent defensively but lacks the attacking threat Bogle does) but still looked comfortable. Tanaka should have been on far earlier (started) ahead of Gruev.
Onto Newcastle...
And Amorim’s gone. Who’s next??!
His 12 million quid payoff will be some consolation, I’m sure
Line up the next mug to be sacked in 12 - 18 months time. In the meantime I wonder which former United Player they’ll get in as caretaker? I’m guessing Darren Fletcher?
Good job we’ve no big games coming up. Burnley must fancy their chances on Wednesday
Worrying. They were 6th despite playing a dogmatic system the manpower was ill suited to. With a bit more pragmatic leadership, they might even be quite good.
Don’t worry. If they can make the wrong decision, they will. Pragmatic leadership doesn’t exist at Old Trafford
Apparently Frank will be available soon.
Maybe just a head for head swap would have provided the most entertainment
Worrying. They were 6th despite playing a dogmatic system the manpower was ill suited to. With a bit more pragmatic leadership, they might even be quite good.
True but only 4 points separate 5th and 14th and as close to the struggling Liverpool in 4th as they are to Everton in 12th. Very tight!
Shame my boys saw him off as he was comedy gold!
So the next ManU manager/coach one will be the 11th bad and failed manager since Ferguson. Hmm.
Dear Man Utd.
Please can I be your new boss as I'm really good and I love football and that.
Thanks very much,
Wayne Rooney
[oh please, please, please, please let this happen]
I thought maybe Big Sam, but then remembered he's been appointed manager of Venezuela until the end of the season
I was just going to suggest Rooney! Please please please let it happen, it would be SO funny. And it would get him off Radio 5live all the flipping insufferable time. Or would it?...
Dear Man Utd.
Please can I be your new boss as I'm really good and I love football and that.
Thanks very much,
Wayne Rooney. Wilfred Nancy.
[oh please, please, please, please let this happen]
fixed that.
I note Rooney has been quiet on the whole thing on the BBC sport site which is unusual since they seem to be pushing his opinion on everything else this year since signing him up. Makes you think
Big Ange for Man U. He'll have them playing the kind of football they should be playing - attacking, full-on, and completely lacking in any defensive solidity 👍
Another one bites the dust. To be fair, he made Amorim look like Fergie
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/ckgk9g2500no
Just keep all eyes of Emery.
lacks the attacking threat Bogle
I used to teach him, he wasn't very nice
To be fair he didn't look like a Nancy. Martin of the O'Neil next.
I'd like to see Chris Sutton given a go.
Celtic connection, that he mentions from time to time, and as pundits go he's very forthright in exactly how managers are getting it wrong so i assume he must be itching to show how easy it is.
Why on earth did they get rid of O'Neil. He's on record as saying he'd have stayed on if asked.
I always use to question the manager taking the blame when a team doesn't perform. But clearly this one is entirely justified
Rather worryingly, Kieran McKenna did his managerial apprenticeship at Old Trafford. I'm hoping he's seen enough not to risk it if offered.
Why on earth did they get rid of O'Neil. He's on record as saying he'd have stayed on if asked.
I always use to question the manager taking the blame when a team doesn't perform. But clearly this one is entirely justified
I believe (without googling) O'Neil is seen as a bit of a control freak and wants all aspects of oversight which was against the board's modus operandi.
OK, because I am a good guy and don't want to see anyone else suffer, I will take the hit and do the job. And i will do it cheaply to prove my commitment I will only demand 100 grand a week, and a 5 million pay off when they sack me.
I believe (without googling) O'Neil is seen as a bit of a control freak and wants all aspects of oversight which was against the board's modus operandi.
Possibly, but maybe that’s the way that good Managers get to be good Managers? Fergy was well known to be in charge of most things at Old Trafford, as he thought success started from the small things in the Club, and most things are intertwined.
Its well known that many Managers walk out of Clubs as they have little say in some things, such as player recruitment. It’s not good when you’re trying to build a Team when the Football Director tells you they have bought a brilliant left back from Chesterfield, when what you were actually looking at, and hoping for, was the Right Back at Chelsea. I think that was why Rogers left Celtic - it should have been the dream job, best team in the Country, european football coming up, yet the Board/Director of football wouldnt back him, or disagreed with his way forward, so he felt there was no other way than to walk out.
And on that point, the Director of Football was also sacked at Celtic today, as he is clearly liable for the mess they are in on the field now, with appointments that were nowhere near good enough for the top Club in Scotland.
O'Neil is back 🤣
Hmmm, what’s Ole Solksjaer up to?
I think most of us would have Ole back in a heartbeat. At least it was entertaining and there was some passion and love for the game. it ended up being far, far better than what followed.
I think the club is even more screwed now though. It’s even more dysfunctional than it was when he was here, though you’d have thought that impossible at the time. Too many cooks at the top, all with totally different ideas and wildly different goals. There’s no way on earth any manager will be able to weave a coherent strategy out of the present mess of contradictions.
I think it was the guy at the Athletic who summed it up perfectly this morning. He said United isn’t so much a football club any more, it’s an episode of Succession
Bang on! And while they’re all having their boardroom power struggles, nobody seems particularly bothered about what’s going on on the pitch, which is absolutely dire!
Maybe José Mourinho has unfinished business in Manchester.
I bloody well hope not! 😂