Fulham VS Manchester United Today!

Man Utd manager Alex Ferguson hinted that he was envious of Fulham manager Roy Hodgson for his much-traveled exploits managing , amongst others, Inter Milan, Switzerland, Blackburn (!).

As quoted in an interview …

‘Sometimes I used to say to myself `I’d love to have tried managing abroad sometime’ but then it was difficult for me.

‘My choices were cut off simply because I was the manager of Manchester United which is amazing and you don’t leave Manchester United.’

Let’s hope this doesn’t give CRon any ideas about moving to Spain.

 My prediction: Fulham 0 Manchester United 2

Who’s on top?

This is the 2nd week atop the leaderboard, after an immense season-long struggle to regain top spot. Due mainly to Cristiano Ronaldo and some astute (or rather lucky) purchases – Benjani’s hattrick among the notables.

Good luck in Week 23rd!

YFF P.S. Take a long hard look at Sunderland players: Prica (striker), Evans (defender) and Craig Gordon (goalkeeper) – a very enticing matchup at home against Wigan.

“Lack of attractive, attacking football” …

… is becoming the latest lame excuse reason a football manager is getting sacked these days. But then again, it’s hard to complain now that the EPL is becoming more akin to a globally televised reality show. Team not entertaining enough? Rewrite the script to add more sex and slapstick humor! Or, sack the manager and hire someone that can bring attractive, attacking football!

Consider the managers who have been dismissed for not turning up the style for the respective teams they have managed:

• Jose Mourinho. Chelsea’s charasmatic Portuguese was dismissed (or quit?) DESPITE helping Chelsea win a trophy every season he’s been in charge.
• Martin Jol. Apparently the owners got Juande Ramos to replace him because he can bring attacking football to an unmotivated Tottenham team.
• Sam Allardyce. Latest manager to be fired because of the apparently ugly football that he crafted so effectively in Bolton did not translate well to Newcastle’s credibility as a top EPL team.

The irony? Hiring Capello as England manager! This is the man known for his boring, defensive football, which recently resulted in his firing from Real Madrid — despite winning La Liga! Will he transform England to a World Cup winning team? If so, will this set a trend for teams to deviate to “dour yet effective” football — resulting in a chain of managerial firings across the Premier League?

Who’s next on the firing line?

Who’s next on the firing line? EPL managers beware…Big Sam ain’t gonna be the last gaffer sacked for this season.

My guess is as good as anyone, if everyone’s guessing Benitez.

You know who would slot in perfectly into the vacated role?

Chew this, Sam! The Sam Allardyce dilemma

There was a passage in one article about Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce which I found laugh-out-loud funny.

Let me chew the whole essay and spew it out for you … the way Big Sam chews his gum during games. Read this:

There has rarely been anything to like about Allardyce, whose rugged appearance and ugly Bolton side did their best to stop any of their opponents from playing football over an unfortunately successful period.

If you enjoyed watching football from the dark ages, then Big Sam was your man during his time at the Reebok Stadium, but the empty seats in the stands every week suggested his supporters were hard to find.

We all knew Big Sam was destined to mould Newcastle into Bolton 2.0, but lest we forget, the tough-as-nails approach is not attracting supporters nor big-name foreigners. Will this be the latest dilemma for this side of Tyneside?

Watch Newcastle’s attempt to get medieval on Man City’s ass on Astro TV Malaysia

ESPN (Channel 812) 03 Jan 2008 0330 Newcastle United vs Manchester City

Our Week 13 Game Predictions are Out!

Cantona Kickem’s Predictions VS Small Potato’s Predictions

As you can see, we generally share the same predictions except one – the Newcastle vs Liverpool game – as Gerrard and Crouchie, still reeling from England’s Euro 2008 disaster, won’t be much of a factor. Added to that, I am still not convinced of Rafa Benitez long-term future in Liverpool.

Expect Allardyce yet again trying hard to prove his England Manager credentials to the FA, although I think he’s too old school for consideration. A cultured, yet tough-as-nails foreigner like Mourinho is a better bet for an England team accused by the media of having overpaid millionaires.

Pires praise for Wenger

 

As told by Arsenal old boy Robert Pires to the Spanish press … and yes, it’s of his ex-boss Arsene Wenger:

‘The club has a magic and it is called Wenger. He has a special eye when it comes to young players.

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‘He will spot them, guide them and finish by getting them playing at the very highest level.

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‘The fashionable one now is Cesc Fabregas, but do not forget (Robin) Van Persie, (Emmanuel) Eboue, (Kolo) Toure. ‘I was fortunate enough to work with Wenger, who is the ideal coach for a player, allowing you to do what you want on the pitch, expressing what you have inside. He gives you all your confidence.

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‘To play how they want to do at Arsenal, Arsene is unique; simple football, fast, looking for goal all the time. The fans like it. For enjoyment, there is nobody like Wenger. He is unique.’

Arsenal are sitting on top of the league as you are reading this. But their ascension is due to the highly-skilled matured play of their key players. The myth that Arsenal are a young team should be dispelled as they are in fact a team of men, not boys. Arsene Wenger did, however, brought in many of them from various parts of Europe and Africa when they were young (and not to mention, nobodies … ) and painstakingly groomed them to be the exciting team that they are now. The antithesis of Chelsea, the only gripe I have is their ability to play against teams with dirty players that have no qualms in roughing them up.