Manchester United began their defence of the Carabao Cup in some style. Whilst they have never actually won the cup under it’s current sponsorship, they did win it last time when it was the plain old EFL Cup.
An easy 4-1 win at Old Trafford over a poor Burton Albion side meant that José Mourinho and his team progress and will now meet Swansea City in Wales in the next round. (more…)
It means, quite simply, that for the first time this season, Manchester United and Chelsea have failed to win a game whilst Manchester City march on unbeaten and undrawn, (is that a word?). This in turn, in the grand scheme of things, means absolutely nothing!
No doubt the press will be rattling on about how Manchester City are the best team in the league and how they will win it at a canter. Also about how José Mourinho needs to sort out the Manchester United problems and how Antonio Conte will have to tighten up the Chelsea defence. (more…)
Given that the top coaches in club football have a few million £/€/$ in their bank accounts, why would they want to take up positions where, at best, they win a trophy at a club where that is the least that is expected anyway and, at worst, they face a humiliating exit, sacked for failing to deliver the least that was expected anyway?
One of the obvious answers to this question is, “not money!” So what is a less obvious answer?
If we take Jose Mourinho as the first example, he is driven by the desire to succeed. As with many megalomaniacs he only desires success at the top level. He doesn’t see taking over a first division side, as Brian Clough did for example, as his type of challenge. It would take too long and Jose craves almost instant success.
Mourinho wanted to win the title in three countries. He has achieved that. He also wants to win the Champion’s League with three different clubs, he is one away from achieving that particular goal. His problem is that, if he were to take a job at a lower league club, then the chances of attaining his particular goals are reduced tremendously. (more…)
(Jose waves goodbye to Chelsea again, probably for the last time, but who really knows?)
For a while it was a match made in heaven. Jose and Chelsea had a passionate marriage which lasted three years and only ended in divorce when the bubble appeared to have burst and the passion went out of it.
After a short separation, Mourinho and Chelsea realised that they could no longer live without each other and decided to give it another go. The passion returned for a short while and everything was fine for a short while. The problem is that “short while” has come to define the marriages between Mourinho and Chelsea.
Now he has gone, probably for good, because of the vow “for better or worse” in the wedding ceremony. To Jose’s way of thinking this meant that the “better” bit was for him and the “worse” bit was for Chelsea and everybody else. In other words he was quite happy to take all the praise when winning, but turned into a spoiled brat when losing.
The final straw, in my humble opinion, was when he turned on his own players after the Leicester City game, which Chelsea lost 2-1. (more…)
(Roy can hardly contain his excitement following a particularly clever question from an ITV presenter)
When Roy Keane delivered the kick that effectively ended the career of Alfie Inge Haaland, I wonder if it went through his mind that, at some stage in the future he may find himself in a responsible position where he has to prevent players from doing far less than he did.
As a manager he has had a rather chequered, if short, career. Hailed as the Messiah on Wearside when he not only saved Sunderland from possible relegation, (they were in 23rd place when he took over), but got them promoted to the Premier League. His tenure did not last much longer as he left during his second season in the Premiership with Sunderland again in the relegation zone.
His next job, with Ipswich Town, was to last 20 months after which he was fired with the club occupying 19th position. (more…)
WHY SAY ANYTHING? 