March 2015 Fútbol/Football Discussion: Roberto Martinez MOTS Edition

[SKS]

City can't win at. Anfield. I have a feeling Pellegrini's getting canned this season if we don't make a comeback to win the title.

[AkydefGoldberg]

City can't win at. Anfield. I have a feeling Pellegrini's getting canned this season if we don't make a comeback to win the title.

I actually like him but this season seems to be fizzling out rapidly. Nothing wrong with being unable to retain the title (although it does have a reflection on the team's place in history) but at this rate, Chelsea will be coasting to the title.

Poor performance/tactics vs Barca for two years in a row, poor signings hasn't helped but I think if he can make the race close he'll be given a chance to finish off his deal, which was for three years IIRC. Then they'll probably target Pep but if Pellegrini went at the end of the season, I think they might give the job to Vieira for a year. I know it's the development squad but he seems to be working well there and saves the hassle of bringing in a coach for a year who might to bring his own team in.

[PorkChop]

Inspired by the thread title - who should actually win MOTS?

I would've initially said Koeman but his ridiculous decision to not sign a striker in January has caused Saints to drop from third to sixth, and they've scored like one goal in their last four games. On top of that, signing Shane Long for £12 million was really silly.

I'd go with Pulis - again he's taken a team with no hope and made them into a strong midtable side.

[SKS]

City can't win at. Anfield. I have a feeling Pellegrini's getting canned this season if we don't make a comeback to win the title.

I actually like him but this season seems to be fizzling out rapidly. Nothing wrong with being unable to retain the title (although it does have a reflection on the team's place in history) but at this rate, Chelsea will be coasting to the title.

Poor performance/tactics vs Barca for two years in a row, poor signings hasn't helped but I think if he can make the race close he'll be given a chance to finish off his deal, which was for three years IIRC. Then they'll probably target Pep but if Pellegrini went at the end of the season, I think they might give the job to Vieira for a year. I know it's the development squad but he seems to be working well there and saves the hassle of bringing in a coach for a year who might to bring his own team in.

Vieira has done quite well with the youth squad, wouldn't be a bad option for a year. I do like Pellegrini but nothing about him seems to scream "urgency". He's always saying that there's still hope and what not, which is good, but at some point you have to fix your tactics when things aren't going well. He seems too stubborn to change or at least adapt to difficult situations.

We won the league last year on Liverpool's magnificent choke job, I don't think Chelsea will suffer the same fate. Disappointing exits in the FA and Capital One Cup this year, likely another early CL exit at the hands of a team Manuel just can't defeat, and we'll need another miracle comeback to win the league. With such an expensive and deep squad like this we should have at least one trophy per season and should go deep into the Champions League, I think that's the mindset of the higher ups which is why I think he'll be gone like Mancini. Unfair perhaps, but that's just how it goes.

As you mentioned, Pep's and Manuel's contracts both expire next year, but perhaps if Manuel gets canned Pep would jump ship early. Would love to have someone with his CL experience, and he knows the City executives so maybe it could happen.

[Romo]

Adam Johnson has been arrested for sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16

[Viazon]

Adam Johnson has been arrested for sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16

[PorkChop]

Sheeeit.

[SKS]

Adam Johnson has been arrested for sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16

To be honest he kinda looks like he's 16 himself.

Still, that's creepy as fuck. It's like athletes can't use common sense. If he genuinely knew she was underage, of course.

[PorkChop]

The chants in the terraces after this one will be brutal, whether he gets convicted or not.

[SKS]

Saw this on reddit:

"On March 2nd 2015, Johnson was arrested in connection with having sex with a 15 year old child. It was the first time Johnson had scored with the England U19s in nearly a decade."

[AkydefGoldberg]

Difficult to gauge what has happened but you can only go off Johnson's image and tbh, making a guess, imagine that he's just been naive and in a situation, made a big mistake or it might just be incorrect and he's, potentially, scarred for the rest of his career if he's not charged/found innocent.

I'm not a fan of naming him tbh - he was taken in for questioning, released on bail, not sure it's worth naming him for that unless he was charged.

But here comes the Twitter jokes at the ready...

[prophet]

MOTS? Surely Rodgers has to be in there if he manages to get Liverpool finishing in the top four again, particularly after the way he started, losing Suarez and the ludicrous pressure he was under? #justifiablebiase. Mourinho will likely win all the accolades this year and I suppose you can't argue with it, success speaks for itself.

How are you finding Sherwood, Porky? I find myself warming to his brand of 'look at me I'm a normal bloke' syndrome he's so hesitant to promote now he's not out of his depth at a side competing for Europe. His attitude towards the dogfight is positive and by all accounts Villa's performance against Newcastle was one of their best this season plus they were unlucky against Stoke. Surely bodes well?

[PorkChop]

Rodgers is a good shout based on the turnaround Liverpool have made since their bad start. His work in the transfer window was pretty poor though - £40 million for Lovren, Balotelli and Lambert.

As for Sherwood, I think he's alright. I like that he doesn't take any shit from anyone and tells it how it is, that's what Villa need right now. I don't think we'll stay up, but the future is probably brighter if we go down this year.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Ben Foster showing he always has a mistake in him. Got lucky with a spilled shot just before the penalty decision.

Big win for Villa.

[PorkChop]

Our first penalty of the season, lol. Benteke took it brilliantly though. Huge win.

Michael Owen's commentary is fucking shite. It was hilarious when he was talking about teams who were "too big to go down" and listed Nottingham Forest and Leeds, but somehow Newcastle slipped his mind. Do you not remember that, Michael, when you got relegated with them?

[Romo]

Porky, can we keep Big Bazza he was superb once again today really really unlucky not to get himself a goal aswell.

[PorkChop]

Porky, can we keep Big Bazza he was superb once again today really really unlucky not to get himself a goal aswell.

Sounds like he's doing alright for you guys, but then again midtable Championship is probably the level he's cut out for. He was never anything special in the Prem.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Michael Owen's commentary is fucking shite. It was hilarious when he was talking about teams who were "too big to go down" and listed Nottingham Forest and Leeds, but somehow Newcastle slipped his mind. Do you not remember that, Michael, when you got relegated with them?

Nothing new there. I doubt he remembers that relegation, he probably was in the treatment room but come think of it, think he did play that game v Villa.

His commentary is still awful. How his voice hasn't gone IDK.

[PorkChop]

Michael Owen's commentary is fucking shite. It was hilarious when he was talking about teams who were "too big to go down" and listed Nottingham Forest and Leeds, but somehow Newcastle slipped his mind. Do you not remember that, Michael, when you got relegated with them?

Nothing new there. I doubt he remembers that relegation, he probably was in the treatment room but come think of it, think he did play that game v Villa.

His commentary is still awful. How his voice hasn't gone IDK.

Apparently there was a huge scuffle in the Newcastle kit room when they got relegated at Villa Park. Steven Taylor was crying his eyes out and the rest of the team were silent, when Owen chimes in with "Anyone going anywhere nice on their holidays?". Kevin Nolan had to be held back from smacking him.

[SKS]

Excited for Orlando City vs NYC FC this Sunday at 4:30 EST. Sold out crowd as well. Should be great to see Kaka vs David Villa again.