DISQUS

I think that Harry Redknap makes a good point about this on the Times podcast this week.


A manager is often only as good as the setup they have in place. If you put Arsene or Sir Alex in the Lower Leagues they aren't going to necessarily be able to do the job.



I think it is a different skill-set to get shit players to perform vs. finding and molding elite talent.

Unless England is somehow going to give him a huge transfer budget to go out and sign a bunch of unheralded Africans, I don't see him being a productive choice.


England need either an innovative inspiring manager or an established firm hand. Arry, alas, is neither.

I think that Martin O'Neill or Sam Allardyce make the most sense. But, do either of them give up their Premier League jobs to enter the England meat grinder?

I think its like with anything in life, some people are just idiots.


I believe that it is also a bit more difficult to statistically evaluate footballers than baseball players. Everything a footballer does is so intimately connected to what the other ten players on the pitch are doing that its much harder to project value.

I've noticed that that phenomenon extends to all American programming, not just soccer.


I normally watch Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on BBC America. But, the show has been re-edited for Fox Reality Channel on American TV. All of a sudden it has crazy intros and a whole lot of flash without substance.

I actually haven't been that impressed with him this season. Given, he has been caught in the morass of the rest of the squad. But he hasn't looked like the dominant player he was last season.


There is also his record against the big clubs to worry about.



Spurs made a mistake not selling him in the summer. I think his transfer value has probably halved.



To the aforementioned Spurs supporter, yes they can compete with virtually any club for money. It is the little things like winning trophies and competing in the Champions League that get in the way.

The timing seems a bit ridiculous.


Did he have an ultimatum that if he didn't get a result against Chelsea he was fired?



They actually didn't play that badly in that game either.



It seems they had come to the decision before the match, so why not just fire him immediately?

I have been saying the same thing for weeks.


Crouch is not a great header of the ball which, because of his height, clouds the judgement of him. He is actually a fairly decent striker when the ball is on the ground.



He also has the large man in the box factor where he freaks out opponents and creates space for everyone else.



Yes, he scores goals mostly against lesser opponents. But, that is who Liverpool are having trouble with. Ridiculous

I could see it logistically happening. For the squads with a lot of international players and playing in Europe at midweek it would be bad. But, they could have like Boro at Reading or something, but then who would want to go see that?


Something more sensible would be a pre-season tournament or a Cup Final.

It is because England is a generation behind the U.S. in stadium building. All of the parks built in the 60s and 70s had that same modern state-of-the-art feel and it took going through that to realize that people didn't like it.

I don't think any of those names sound particularly inspiring.

I was having similar trouble during Arsenal-Bolton. I had always thought it was the internet connection. I am glad to know I am not alone. I am seriously considering cancelling as well.

I think that they should be more concerned with revamping their product on the field. Though, since they won't be going to Euro 2008, they will have a lot of time on their hands.

That would be a major wall to breakdown. Even though Gab is writing for a major English paper and does the podcast, he is still, at least technically, there to be their expert on continental football. Are there any non British-Isles writers who cover specifically the Premier League for an English news organization?


I would love to go over there after my journalism masters, but I would probably end up having to cover the Premier League for an American news organization and maybe writing about American sports for an English one.

I disagree. If you are an employee of a company and that company changes hands and the future of it is uncertain, it is natural to consider your options.


If Chelsea turns out to be a sinking ship under incompetent leadership, I don't think that it is the player's responsibility to stay.



I think the difference with the English players is not so much a change of heart, but more that they are too chickens--t to go abroad and there really isn't an option for them domestically.

Here's to another 1,000 Gaffer! Keep up the good work!

Don't forget unemployed!


I'm actually surprised their aren't more beer advertisements? Is there some kind of regulation against having those in the morning?

I tried to watch this match, but I fell back asleep.


There was another similarly amusing incident in the Chelsea-Blackburn match. When they were showing Samba being treated after getting kicked in the head, an overweight Chelsea fan gets a cell phone from his friend.



He answers his phone, and his friend obviously alerts him to the fact that he is on television. He looks toward the camera, lifts up his shirt to show some less than finely toned hairy man-boobs, smiles, lifts up his shirt again, and then hangs up the phone looking quite pleased with himself.

I think that you are right symbolically, but not in terms of fact.


What is going to determine whether those clubs can compete with the big boys is whether or not they start pounding on the little ones and climbing up the table. It is a boost psychologically, but realistically they aren't more important than any other matches.



West Ham got results against Man U and Arsenal last season, but that doesn't mean they are on the verge of breaking into the top four. It has to be backed up by an entire year's worth of performances.

Your points about flaws in England's developmental system are valid. However, I don't think it possible to blame a dearth or lack of depth of talent is what is weighing them down. Germany was calling up people playing for FC Koln in the 2nd division to fill out a squad for that match.


They have gifted young players. Rooney and Richards come to mind. They have elite caliber players like Gerrard who would be automatic first choices for every squad in Europe. The problem is forming them into a coherent and competent unit, a task to which McClaren has proved woefully inadequate.



What top European international squad has looked good? Italy just got beat 3-1 by Hungary with a bunch of geriatrics. France has called up Boumsong in the last year. Spain are perpetually incompetent.

I'm happy that Danny Kelly is out of the way. The best podcast they had was the Champions League one with Guillem and Gabriele. I could listen to those two talk for hours.

I see your point. But they are reimbursed rather well for their trouble, and when they get fired they get a huge severance package, so I don't really much sympathy.

Glad to have you back in action, Gaffer.


I am glad you aren't subscribing to the Tottenham pipe dream. Thats also a ballsy pick for Bolton to go down over Derby.

I am hoping that you are right. I believe that he was writing for World Soccer as well. If doing the Italian coverage on TV didn't hinder his Guardian ability, I don't know why this would.

what is the location?