January '17 Football Thread: 'Scorpion Kick' Edition

[PorkChop]

Who do you guys want as England manager?



I'd be tempted to give it to Sherwood for the absolute scenes, but Eddie Howe would be top of my list.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Difficult to say to be honest. I can't think of an outstanding candidate, English or otherwise, that should get the job. I've not got high aspirations for Southgate but who knows, his work with the under-21s might inject some energy and style to the team. I don't see Wenger (will get his new deal at Arsenal) or Howe (too inexperienced and frankly, despite being a decent progressive manager, he hasn't done anything ground-breaking to warrant his name on the list).

In other news, ding dong Di Matteo is gone. Who do you expect to take the job @PorkChop? Heard they've been exchanging barbs with Virgin Trains as a more important task. Just me, might be wrong, but since the owners have taken over there seems to be more attention on Villa, probably down to the owner's tweets!

[PorkChop]

In other news, ding dong Di Matteo is gone. Who do you expect to take the job @PorkChop? Heard they've been exchanging barbs with Virgin Trains as a more important task. Just me, might be wrong, but since the owners have taken over there seems to be more attention on Villa, probably down to the owner's tweets!

A bit like the England job, the list of names being linked with the Villa vacancy is hardly inspiring. A sign of the times, really.

Apparently the board are interested in Huddersfield's David Wagner, who would probably be my choice. Steve Bruce is being linked though, and although he's got a history with Birmingham, he's proven in the Championship. He's promoted 4 clubs from the Championship in his career, so there are certainly worse choices to have as boss.

I just want a manager who can get Villa playing well again and win the fans back. 4 wins in 49 games is an abysmal record for a team like Villa and morale couldn't be lower for players and fans. Stability, enthusiasm and a fresh approach are needed.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Fucking international break, boring as hell. England squeeze through over Malta 2-0 and surprise, surprise days after saying he sees himself in midfield, Rooney plays there today and plays shit. But of course, few Hollywood passes ignores the simple passes he can't make and the needless tackles he can't avoid. Top quality opposition could tear him apart and shame him into retirement.

[SlightlyJames]

If any of you fancy getting pissed, watch the last 20 minutes of the Scotland game and take a drink every time a Lithuanian goes down "injured".

[SlightlyJames]

The ridiculous amount of fake time wasting injuries aside, Lithuania did score a pretty nice goal and Scotland weren't good enough to get more than the equaliser. Gordon Strachan has made some appalling selections in his Scotland tenure, refusing to give Leigh Griffiths - probably the best active striker Scotland has available since Kenny Miller retired from the National team - anything more than the occasional substitute appearance is bewildering. Especially when he continues to hand starts to Chris Martin who has never been anything but forgettable in a Scotland shirt.

Last night his first tactical change was to take off Olly Burke (who had been our most threatening player by far) for an absolute empty shirt in James Forrest who repaid that decision by knocking one of our best chances of the game wide. He brought him on in place of Shaun Maloney, who was easily our most important player during the previous campaign and made the difference in several games.

I don't feel like this Scotland team is far away from being a strong side that can have a real go at this group and challenge for qualification, but Strachan shows far too much blind loyalty to under-performing players. He said that Chris Martin was outstanding last night! He was fucking rotten. The worst part of it is, there aren't any real candidates to replace Strachan when he makes an arse of this campaign and gets sacked.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Rooney dropped by Southgate for tomorrow. Easy for the manager to do now than Malta but have to give Rooney credit for speaking up at the press conference. Spoke well but can't help but think he made a mistake not retiring from internationals in the summer, it would have given him more of a chance to rest and be involved in the mix at United. Now he's constantly under the microscope

[AkydefGoldberg]

Villa appoint Steve Bruce - if the chairman can keep it quiet and let him do his thing, then it could be good times for Villa.

Meanwhile McClaren is somehow back at Derby.

[PorkChop]

Steve Bruce is looking good. He's lost a a bit of weight and looks several years younger.

Give him three months down Villa and he'll look like he's 85.

[Daz]

Steve Bruce is looking good. He's lost a a bit of weight and looks several years younger.

Give him three months down Villa and he'll look like he's 85.

LOL

As frustrated as I feel sometimes as a Norwich fan, and it was pretty awful after that Newcastle game a few weeks ago, there is always that silver lining of "At least I don't support Villa."

[PorkChop]

Steve Bruce is looking good. He's lost a a bit of weight and looks several years younger.

Give him three months down Villa and he'll look like he's 85.

LOL

As frustrated as I feel sometimes as a Norwich fan, and it was pretty awful after that Newcastle game a few weeks ago, there is always that silver lining of "At least I don't support Villa."

Honestly, I wish I was from Manchester or London, I'd have so much to write home about. Unfortunately Midlands football is shite and has been for years. The best team around these parts now are West Brom. What a sad state of affairs. (Leicester don't count as they're the east Midlands, and the east Midlands doesn't really exist).

We're currently in the relegation zone of the Championship, and it'll stay that way if we don't get something from Wolves tonight. It's all so depressing.

[Daz]

Norwich top of the Championship after 12 games. Hopefully it's still the same after 46.

[PorkChop]

"Red Monday" has been shite.

[AkydefGoldberg]

^SSN hype the fuck out of it as usual.. I'll take the draw and left mightily impressed by Herrera.

[PorkChop]

First away win since the opening day of last season, almost 50 league games ago. I'm crying real tears.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Plaudits rightly deserved for Chelsea, they took full advantage of shoddy, lackadaisical performance by United.

Individual mistakes and a lack of concentration can't be blamed on Mourinho but this is the third game of the season against what would be classed as our big rivals and in two of those games, the manager has made errors in his line-up and strategy, namely for the latter that they didn't seem to have one. Ibrahimovic might be devoid of service but can fault him for missing his chances and Pogba playing too fancifully and not with purpose and simplicity.

We can be relieved that we picked up something on Monday and that others dropped points this weekend so it isn't worse than it could have been.

Mourinho, considering he had since December '15, to work on United's plan and strategy. He got the players he wanted, has been supported in pushing Schweinsteiger out so quite simply he has the pressure of turning it around and quickly.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Yesterday Mourinho praised the phenomenal Carrick yet said he can't play 5, 6, 7 games as he is 36 yet Ibrahimovic is clear evidence that he's struggling coupled with his barren run. The chance in the first half Mata nicely laid on for him was clear evidence - guy of his clinical thinking would have taken it round the keeper. The chance at the end could be forgiven for a dodgy bounce but overall he needs a rest.

Rather than a jab at the referee coming sarcastically from Faria, he'd have been safer off making a subtle remark of someone getting a new tattoo as that second booking for Herrera was a poor decision.

The exclusion of Henrikh more baffling when he needs minutes and could have got his confidence up and taking off Mata (who as captain, was influencing the play) for Rooney who proceeded to waste a clear chance at the end. WTF?

Title hopes are becoming distant away as this run of games, starting today were winnable opportunities.

[PorkChop]

Ibrahimović has been dreadful lately. He began the season well but has started to look older and slower with every game.

Mourinho has made his mark at United already - players blaming one another for shitty performances, poor conduct on the touchline, fans getting restless. Wouldn't be surprised to see him go at the end of the season.

On another note - WTF Norwich?

[Daz]

We were woeful. Looked awful going forward. Pritchard was the only bright spark in the entire game. Hoolahan is never good against well disciplined back fours, because he doesn't get the space or the time on the ball he likes. Jacob Murphy has looked tired and ineffective for weeks now, but Alex Neil won't drop him for some reason. How Cameron Jerome is still in the starting eleven is beyond me. Couldn't hit the side of a barn door half the time and doesn't contribute anything else. Oliveira in his brief playing time has looked much sharper, and better link up play.

Defensively, we just look inept, and it's been that way since Russell Martin came back into the team. He is just awful. Nice guy, passionate (there's an interview he did post-game where he looked close to tears trying to describe the performance) but good god, he's just not good enough. He doesn't have the pace to be effective going forward, his crossing is and always has been poor, he gets caught up too many times. He always puts us in difficult spots because he doesn't know how to deal with direct balls over the top.

Howson is injured and we're missing him. Dorrans is good and gets the ball moving for us but doesn't do a job defensively which leaves Tettey all alone. He can't cover 2-3 men at once.

Yesterday, McGovern made 3 errors which lead to three goals. We made it so simple for Brighton. They didn't even play particularly well. They scored their first 4 goals through mistakes and simple counter attacks. The problem is, we've had the same problems with the past 4 managers. People wanted to blame Hughton when he was here, and Neil Adams, but it's been increasingly clear over the past few years, that it isn't the managers, it's the players. They have no fucking bottle and there's no one in the team capable of picking people's heads up when we go behind, like Grant Holt used to do. Even when we were winning games all of two weeks ago, we looked bereft of confidence, and now we're playing better opposition, it's beginning to show all the more.

[AkydefGoldberg]

So the annual Poppy debate is back and football, is of course, in the discussions.

No poppies worn during the previous two meetings for England v Scotland in November in the past yet both will break FIFA rules and take a fine this time round. Although the latter wearing pink shirts next Friday should be worthy of a fine tbh..

Hearing Theresa May have a nice, open goal at PMQs on this question rather than the real issues relating to ex-service personnel who will be having a difficult time, was most infuriating. Never like politicians to dive into an comfortable topic to distract from their own shortcomings.