Posts Tagged ‘Antonio Conte’

So Far So Good For Manchester United And JosĂ© Mourinho

Posted: March 25, 2017 in Chelsea, European Football, Football, Jose Mourinho, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League
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“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…………”

And so it goes on. This extract, as learned readers will know, is taken from “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens. In some ways, it describes quite well the period between Louis van Gaal being told to do one and JosĂ© Mourinho being welcomed into the spider’s web which masquerades as the manager’s office at Manchester United. (more…)

Who Is The Better Manager, Mourinho Or Guardiola? Time Will Tell If Manchester United Or Manchester City Got It Right

Posted: March 23, 2017 in Chelsea, European Football, Football, Jose Mourinho, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Pep Guardiola
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Let’s just assume for a minute that Manchester City win the FA Cup and finish in the top four. Certainly one of the two is a probability whilst the other is only a possibility.

Let’s also assume that Manchester United win the Europa League and finish in the top four. At present these are both just possibilities but, remember, they have already won the EFL Cup.

Given these two scenarios, who would be thought to have been the more successful? United or City? JosĂ© Mourinho or Pep Guardiola? (more…)

Goofy Gareth, The International Break, Roy Keane, Manchester United And JosĂ© Mourinho

Posted: March 18, 2017 in Arsenal, Chelsea, England, Football, International Football, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion
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Just as the Premier League season nears it’s pulsating climax it happens. What happens, (we don’t hear you ask)?  What happens is one of those pesky international breaks.

It is called a break because the players, particularly the English ones, can have a rest. All of the ones not included in their national team squad can sit, feet up, and watch the dross churned out by their so-called “betters“.

All of the players selected by their national team manager can also have a rest as the pace of the games, at least those involving England, will border somewhere between snail and tortoise. (more…)

Manchester United And Manchester City Face A Battle For The Top Four, But Both Should Make It Thanks To The “Predictor”

Posted: March 1, 2017 in Arsenal, Chelsea, European Football, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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We here at WSA recently had a spare five minutes which we filled by playing the Daily Mirror top six predictor game, (it’s here if you want to try it out).

It’s quite simple really, all you do is enter whether you think the top six will win, lose or draw their remaining games and the widget calculates the rest. Our final table had Chelsea as champions, Manchester City second and Manchester United third. Tottenham edged out Arsenal and Liverpool for the fourth spot. (more…)

JosĂ© Mourinho Has Adapted His Style To Suit Manchester United And Is Now The Perfect Fit

Posted: February 18, 2017 in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Chelsea, European Football, Football, Jose Mourinho, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League
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Arséne Wenger and Louis van Gaal have a couple of things in common. Firstly, they are both past the 65 years of age mark. Secondly, they have been unable to adapt themselves to compete in the modern football world.

It is now seven years since van Gaal won La Liga, his last major championship title and a whopping thirteen years since Wenger last won the Premier League. Yes they have both won cups since those days but even a blind squirrel will eventually find a nut and they were both managing historically successful teams at the time. (more…)

Will The Top Six Keep Their Current Managers Next Season?

Posted: February 13, 2017 in Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Chelsea, European Football, Everton, Football, Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Pep Guardiola, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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The current top six are unlikely to remain with their present managers for too long unless they find a way of sharing the trophies between them on an annual basis.

The Holy Grail, however, remains the Premier League title but with half an eye on winning the Champion’s League, (unless you are Arsenal, in which case just qualifying for the competition is sufficient).

If, this season for example, sees Chelsea win the title, City, United and Tottenham finish in the top four and Liverpool and Arsenal making up the remainder of the top six then little should change for next season. (more…)

Who Is Winning The Battle Of Manchester? Guardiola’s City Or Mourinho’s United?

Posted: February 12, 2017 in Chelsea, Football, Jose Mourinho, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Pep Guardiola, Premier League
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When these two managers were appointed by their current clubs it was widely expected, particularly in Manchester, that the top two positions in the Premier League would be contested between them.

Obviously, this view would not have been the case in parts of London or Liverpool but, generally, it was the concensus in the frozen, rainy wastelands of Manchester.

The facts have proven to be quite different. They have proven, for one thing, that even some of the best managers cannot just take over at a club and immediately turn them into champions. (more…)

The Things We Have To Put Up With To Watch The Beautiful Game

Posted: February 4, 2017 in Arsenal, Chelsea, European Football, Football, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League
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As regular readers of these chronicles will be aware, there are several amongst the football fraternity who are, to put it mildly, an irritation. We are not just referring to current players in the previous statement, as there are far more irritating people who have never played the game, who have retired from the game or who have dabbled at it and been no better than average.

There are reporters, presenters and referees. There are “celebrity” fans, another horrible expression suggesting that some people are “celebrated” whilst others are completely ignored throughout their life despite the good they may do. (more…)

Manchester United, City, Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool And Arsenal All Make Changes With Varying Degrees Of Success And One Spectacular Failure

Posted: January 29, 2017 in Arsenal, Chelsea, European Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, The FA Cup, Tottenham Hotspur
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The top six were all in FA Cup action this weekend. They all fielded “weakened” teams which, however it is viewed, means that the FA Cup is now regarded as being on a par with the EFL Cup. They are both competitions clubs would like to win but, if they don’t, then it’s no big deal and some of the fringe players and youngsters have had a run-out.

One manager was quoted as saying that, “we don’t have a weakened team we have an alternative team“. This should be true, especially when you consider the size and quality of the squads belonging to the top six, but it was said tongue-in-cheek. (more…)

Praise Indeed From The Old Boss To The New As Sir Alex Ferguson Finally Seems To Think That JosĂ© Mourinho Is The Right Man For The Manchester United Job

Posted: January 26, 2017 in Chelsea, European Football, Football, Jose Mourinho, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League
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Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Well, almost. Mourinho is certainly more like Ferguson than Moyes or van Gaal were. Even taking into account that Moyes is from Glasgow he had little else in common with Ferguson.

Some of the press have been reporting an interview given by Lord Ferg to BBC Sport during which he mentioned how Mourinho has now calmed down on the touchline, pointing out that it was his Latin temperament which was to blame for the occasional outbursts. (more…)

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