Archive for the ‘Managers’ Category

Amorim Takes Up The Poisoned Chalice At Old Trafford

Posted: November 1, 2024 in Football, Managers, Manchester United, Opinion
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Manchester United will have a new head coach in situ by the 11th of November. The significance of this, apparently, is that he is the first ever head coach to be appointed by the club. All his predecessors were, in some cases rather generously, given the title of manager.

As is the case these days at Old Trafford the previous coach/manager was sacked after a long run of poor results and performances.

This exalted little collection of misfits also includes once-great managers such as Louis van Gaal and José Mourinho, a good manager in David Moyes and a pretty bad one in Olé Gunnar Solskjær, (although the totally deluded amongst the Manchester United supporters still pine for a return to the days when the Norwegian spent an absolute fortune to win precisely nothing over a three year period, playing some abysmal football along the way).

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What Ten Hag Must Do To Stay In His Role At United

Posted: November 9, 2023 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Eric ten Hag, Football, Liverpool, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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The best James Bond, by a country mile, was Sean Connery. So good in the role was he that Ian Fleming changed his parentage to reflect the fact he spoke with a Scottish accent.

Jeremy Brett, no doubt to the chagrin of Basil Rathbone fans, was the ultimate Sherlock Holmes and nobody, but nobody, has quite mastered the voice and mannerisms of Hercule Poirot anywhere near as well as David Suchet.

The point here is that, although many actors took on the aforementioned roles, only the very best are remembered. The ones who became the character.

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United’s Decline Stems From The Appointment Of Woodward, Not The Retirement Of Ferguson, (But It’s Still All On The Glazers)

Posted: September 28, 2023 in Arsenal, Eric ten Hag, Football, Liverpool, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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Ed Woodward was employed by the Glazers. It was, in many ways, a thank you for the part he had played as an enabler when Malcolm Glazer bought United with very, very little of his own money and a lot of borrowed money. Unfortunately, the collateral for the borrowed money was Manchester United Football Club who, fairly soon afterwards, became plain old Manchester United.

Woodward soon became, in his own mind at least, the most important person at the club. Some good sponsorship deals and profitable alliances were coupled with shocking football decisions which, as he had never kicked a ball in his life, was hardly surprising.

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Ten Hag’s Uphill Battle Involves Nearly Everybody At United

Posted: September 18, 2023 in Arsenal, Eric ten Hag, Liverpool, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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Erik ten Hag is considered to be a modern coach. He was successful at Ajax and he should, if given time, be successful at Manchester United. Having bought himself a modicum of longevity by winning the Carabao Cup and finishing third in the Premier League, he is now finding out what it’s really like at a big club.

Comparisons with Sir Alex Ferguson in his early days are inevitable yet unreliable. Ferguson’s main problem was the drinking culture which had spread around Old Trafford back in the eighties as well as the form and discipline.

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Weghorst Could Be A Good Short-Term Alternative

Posted: January 14, 2023 in Arsenal, Carabao Cup, Chelsea, Eric ten Hag, Europa League, Football, Liverpool, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Opinion, Premier League, The FA Cup, Tottenham Hotspur, Transfers
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Watching Manchester United currently is like a breath of fresh air compared with the dark days of Ole Gunnar Solskjær and the one-hand-tied-behind-his-back management of Ralf Ragnick.

Whilst Eric ten Hag has brought in a couple of experienced midfielders, a young left back and a centre back in the same mould as Roy Keane the major changes he has made have been those of discipline and mentality.

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Manchester United Get Some Of Their Targets!

Posted: September 1, 2022 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Eric ten Hag, Football, Liverpool, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur, Transfers
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There may be a new sheriff in town but, unfortunately for him, the posse he sends out to round up the wanted men is full of the same inexperience and clueless leadership as it was under the previous sheriff.

John Murtough, who is described as ‘Director of Football’, was promoted to this role based on previous experience of having coached the academies at Fulham, Everton and United which was followed by trying his hand at sports science!

Another strange promotion was that of Richard Arnold, a clone of Ed Woodward, who was put in overall charge when the hated Woodward finally fell on his sword.

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Ten Hag’s Time At United Is Limited But Could Become Limitless!

Posted: August 18, 2022 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Eric ten Hag, Football, Liverpool, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur, Transfers
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Time. A flexible little word as in ‘what time is it?’ or ‘do we have time for that?’ or ‘the time has come, (the walrus said). Time, it is said, waits for no man. In today’s politically and gender correct sorry excuse for a world, we must also assume that time waits for no woman or change the expression to ‘time waits for no-one’.

Whatever, time certainly won’t wait for Eric ten Hag at Manchester United. If he were an ex-player who had been a very reliable substitute and had scored the winning goal in a Champion’s League final then, despite the fact that he was a terrible manager winning absolutely nothing, he could expect to be given at least three years.

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At Last! Manchester United Give The Impression That They Know What They’re Doing!

Posted: December 27, 2021 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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Manchester United have a new manager. A time-served professional has been parachuted in to replace the failed apprentice who will now seek alternative employment. It could be a long seek unless he is prepared to drop down a division or two because, as has been shown time and again over the last three years, he just wasn’t up to the job at the highest level!

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United Need A New Broom To Sweep Out All The Rotting Deadwood!

Posted: November 23, 2021 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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Now that Ole’s underwhelming three years as United manager have, thankfully, finally been brought to a close the search is on for an interim manager.

It’s to be hoped this search is concluded very quickly as the alternative is quite frightening. On Tuesday night the team to play Villareal will be selected, as will the tactics & the substitutes, by the very ‘coaching’ staff who have done very little, if anything, to keep their former boss in a job.

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Ex Players Refusing To Acknowledge Solskjær’s Many Faults Are Keeping Him In A Job At Which He Is Inept!

Posted: October 24, 2021 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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Roy Keane thinks that, if he’s not careful, Ole Gunnar Solskjær will be thrown under the bus by the players. Why does he say that? If he’s right then there are only really two reasons for this to happen.

The first is that the players don’t like Solskjær and want him gone. This is unlikely as the Norwegian comes across as a very likeable person which, in fact, is one of his problems.

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