spurious
Player in Training.
Hell, I'd think twice about taking the gig if it was offered.
Dave
Player in Training.
Klinsmann could be a rank outsider... Out of work at the mo too I think. Still put a tenner on Parker though.
Style And Glory
On My High Trojan Horse
Klinsmann's managerial career at club level is limited to just 53 games between Bayern & Hertha with a PPM of 1.95 & 1.20 respectively. Nevertheless, if he had been brought in as caretaker for the rest of this season, I'd been OK with it.
ClemFandango
Lord High Chief of the Privvy
Southgate's name is being thrown about at the moment. I think i'd take bloody Allardyce before him
The Cryptkeeper
The Aussie Yid
Nuno is at least a gentleman. Unlike the last cunt, who is a cunt and has always been a cunt.
Dorset
The Voice Of Reason
Founding Member
Levy could give Wanda Ramos another go, maybe it could be 17th management job lucky for him.
It's going to be Nuno or Scotty, I'd slightly prefer Nuno, but either one would be OK. Or it's going to be Ralf Ragnarok and that would OK. Or if it's not one of those blokes it will be Graham Potter, he'd be alright I reckon If it is not any of those then I expect it will be someone not in my list, I could be an ITK chap! My tenner is going on Nuno.
It really doesn't matter who the next coach is as Levy will still be the real manager, so I don't really care who it is.
It's going to be Nuno or Scotty, I'd slightly prefer Nuno, but either one would be OK. Or it's going to be Ralf Ragnarok and that would OK. Or if it's not one of those blokes it will be Graham Potter, he'd be alright I reckon If it is not any of those then I expect it will be someone not in my list, I could be an ITK chap! My tenner is going on Nuno.
It really doesn't matter who the next coach is as Levy will still be the real manager, so I don't really care who it is.
Don Diaz
Zero tolerance of Numpty's
Founding Member
ClemFandango
Lord High Chief of the Privvy
I do sometimes wonder if Steve Hitchen is a bigger part of the problem than we think really. As "technical director" he's the one who replaced Paul Mitchel, who was actually competent at his job. Mitchell oversaw the signings of Dele Alli, Sonny, Kieran Trippier and Toby Alderweireld.
Hitchen complained about the January transfer window and "panic buying". He's also supposedly recommended Graham Potter for the manager's job.
If we had a competent and credible transfer policy, then maybe the cheap punts that Levy prefers and would be willing to sign would actually stand a chance of working out. Just a random wondering ...
Hitchen complained about the January transfer window and "panic buying". He's also supposedly recommended Graham Potter for the manager's job.
If we had a competent and credible transfer policy, then maybe the cheap punts that Levy prefers and would be willing to sign would actually stand a chance of working out. Just a random wondering ...
Don Diaz
Zero tolerance of Numpty's
Founding Member
And I assume also responsible for the calamitous signings that keep appearing from France
Yid
Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Football is one of those jobs where fucking up doesn't guarantee you the tintac or hamper your future career prospects...
Great shout Clem...
Hitchin is a CUNT... Hitchin Out...!
Great shout Clem...
Hitchin is a CUNT... Hitchin Out...!
BrooklynYid
Player in Training.
Early on i thought that Marsch might be an interesting choice, but that ship has sailed. If it's progressive football that Ralf Rangnick could be the guy. Have a weird hunch we're gonna end up with Rafa Benitez. Not sure how I feel about that. A lot of things all at once.
Yid
Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Look Raffa has been round the block and has enough weight to tell these pre-madonna fucks what is what... but its hardly a progressive move and its hardly like we're batting for the fences either...
We are on our 4th or 5th choice manager and its an embarrassing cluster fuck of a position to be in after having the hottest managerial appointment in world football actually running the show less than 2 years ago...
Piss fucking poor from Levy, who should have his feet against the fire for this situation.
Dave
Player in Training.
This!
Motspur Hotspur
Player in Training.
It would be truly unbelievable, a bloke at work (Forest fan) was telling me the day after we sacked Jose that he thought we'd end up with Rafa. He was so sure he was telling me to put money on it but I was like naaaaaah never gonna happen. Must admit my bum is starting to squeek.
Style And Glory
On My High Trojan Horse
Squeeky bum on that account for sure. Don't want that at all.
Rather we chance on a young progressive.
Not that it matters, heard Jose is on for the Juve job.
ClemFandango
Lord High Chief of the Privvy
Yep. He was appointed Chief Scout in 2017 apparently. He was responsible, amongst others, for the signings of Sanchez, Foyth, Doherty, Reguilon and Joe Rodon.
When we needed extra firepower up front, he identified Gedson Fernandes and Steven Bergwijn as the solution.
It's also largely down to him that we missed out on Jack Grealish and Bruno Fernandes as well.
Unless any new manager coming in makes it a condition of his employment that he has final say over transfers or wants his own people to come in as scouts, Hitchen won't be going anywhere unfortunately.
Don Diaz
Zero tolerance of Numpty's
Founding Member
Nailed it. new manager is almost irrelevant.
Motspur Hotspur
Player in Training.
Yep
USspur
Player in Training.
USspur
Player in Training.
Atalanta's Gian Piero Gasperini: 'Players who aren't used to working hard scare me'
The manager on turning his club from relegation candidates to Champions League quarter-finalists – and living through Covid-19 in Bergamo
Atalanta's Gian Piero Gasperini: 'Players who aren't used to working hard scare me'
Atalanta are, simply put, one of the most entertaining teams in the world. How has Gasperini done it? “To give you an idea I will use a Chinese proverb from 500 BC [from the Art of War]: ‘Defending makes you invincible, but if you want to win, you must attack.’ This sums up the spirit and mentality I want my team to have. But there’s something else that is important too: the identity you create in a team must always be reinforced. You must grow and improve, day by day, because if you do not improve, you are done. Those who stop, they have lost.”These players are in the best form of their lives, but why? “There is a secret,” the 62-year-old Gasperini says. “When you reach the maturity necessary to understand that hard work leads to results, you no longer feel tired. Let’s not lose track of the fact that footballers don’t train as hard as other athletes, where the training is tough and intense. My players must think of that and go at it harder. We never had the means for big investments, so we had to find young players in Europe with the same philosophy: able to adapt to our style of play, winning mentality, offensive-minded and willing to work hard. Those who believe in that is one of us, those who are afraid leave.”
Gómez once said Gasperini trains players so hard that a match feels like a day off. “With Papu we are talking about an extraordinary player who had not achieved his potential because he never trained well,” Gasperini says. “When he started training better he raised his level to become one of the best in Europe. He wasted time because training makes you into a champion: he always had everything to become one.
Tactically, Gasperini rarely deviates from 3-5-2/3-4-3, although there is a lot more positional rotation now. His high-pressing game is unusual for the Italian league. He wants players to look for space and has even told them that watching the referee can help: “Finding space is fundamental for a player so I told them: ‘Look at the referee, he’s never being marked, he’s always in an ideal position to see the game!’ Papu, in particular, has taken on this advice and it has really helped him.”
“The formation doesn’t matter, but rather with how many players do you attack or defend. If I had to sum up my defensive philosophy in one phrase it would be that I don’t believe and I will never believe in the concept of waiting for your opponent to make a mistake: I think you must try to steal the ball to attack.”
Style And Glory
On My High Trojan Horse
Atalanta's Gian Piero Gasperini: 'Players who aren't used to working hard scare me'
The manager on turning his club from relegation candidates to Champions League quarter-finalists – and living through Covid-19 in Bergamowww.theguardian.com
Atalanta's Gian Piero Gasperini: 'Players who aren't used to working hard scare me'
Atalanta are, simply put, one of the most entertaining teams in the world. How has Gasperini done it? “To give you an idea I will use a Chinese proverb from 500 BC [from the Art of War]: ‘Defending makes you invincible, but if you want to win, you must attack.’ This sums up the spirit and mentality I want my team to have. But there’s something else that is important too: the identity you create in a team must always be reinforced. You must grow and improve, day by day, because if you do not improve, you are done. Those who stop, they have lost.”
These players are in the best form of their lives, but why? “There is a secret,” the 62-year-old Gasperini says. “When you reach the maturity necessary to understand that hard work leads to results, you no longer feel tired. Let’s not lose track of the fact that footballers don’t train as hard as other athletes, where the training is tough and intense. My players must think of that and go at it harder. We never had the means for big investments, so we had to find young players in Europe with the same philosophy: able to adapt to our style of play, winning mentality, offensive-minded and willing to work hard. Those who believe in that is one of us, those who are afraid leave.”
Gómez once said Gasperini trains players so hard that a match feels like a day off. “With Papu we are talking about an extraordinary player who had not achieved his potential because he never trained well,” Gasperini says. “When he started training better he raised his level to become one of the best in Europe. He wasted time because training makes you into a champion: he always had everything to become one.
Tactically, Gasperini rarely deviates from 3-5-2/3-4-3, although there is a lot more positional rotation now. His high-pressing game is unusual for the Italian league. He wants players to look for space and has even told them that watching the referee can help: “Finding space is fundamental for a player so I told them: ‘Look at the referee, he’s never being marked, he’s always in an ideal position to see the game!’ Papu, in particular, has taken on this advice and it has really helped him.”
“The formation doesn’t matter, but rather with how many players do you attack or defend. If I had to sum up my defensive philosophy in one phrase it would be that I don’t believe and I will never believe in the concept of waiting for your opponent to make a mistake: I think you must try to steal the ball to attack.”
Polar opposite philosophy from the last guy
spurious
Player in Training.
I like the sound of this very much. I've always wondered about players complaining about matches, cuz they should be easier (physically, not mentally, sure) than the training sessions.
Love the groundbreaking idea of going and getting the ball, too...
Love the groundbreaking idea of going and getting the ball, too...
NiceOneCyril
Player in Training.
Gasperini sounds like a very attractive possibility. I like what he says about seeing where the referee is to get the best view of the game. Unfortunately some of our lot will pick the 4th official or the VAR.
NiceOneCyril
Player in Training.
I’d still like to see Potter in the job, given that Levy is going nowhere. He has a workable system and has wrung a lot out of some very mediocre players. He also seems to be able to get both players and owners on board, although ours might be more of a challenge. If Kane and Son are in fact going, then i’d like to see the rebuild done with hard-working inexpensive players, you know, the kind Levy would like but for some reason doesn’t buy.
J.spurs
Well-Known Member
Founding Member
I agree--Gasperini is a very interesting prospect. Success (i.e. CL appearances) by playing good football and getting decent players to buy into a system. I also think Pottter would actually be a very good appointment. Football is very nice to watch, he's improved many of their players, and honestly, most important at this point, he won't be a total fucking prick and embarrassment like Mourinho.
That said--and I know this is incredibly naive and dumb and will never happen--part of me just says "fuck it, give Ryan the job." Especially if we continue to finish strong. Put it this way: If he was appointed, I'd be more emotionally invested in success than with anybody else bar Ledley, who I don't think has finished his badges yet? To be honest, that would feel good.
spurious
Player in Training.
I can't see this happening, but I can't say I'd be upset if it did. We've no way of properly judging him on the evidence available, but Lloris sounded pleasantly surprised with Ryan's footballing nous after the first match.
Could be just fodder for the journos, but who knows?
ClemFandango
Lord High Chief of the Privvy
If Ledley had his badges and was appointed, can you imagine it ?. The king ascending to the throne and all that 
But it would definitely create a much more emotional connection to the team if The King was in charge. He could bring back Michael Dawson as his assistant defensive coach ..
But it would definitely create a much more emotional connection to the team if The King was in charge. He could bring back Michael Dawson as his assistant defensive coach ..
Motspur Hotspur
Player in Training.
The only thing I would worry about is Ledders tarnishing his legend status ala Hoddle and Ardiles by making a Horlicks of it.If Ledley had his badges and was appointed, can you imagine it ?. The king ascending to the throne and all that
But it would definitely create a much more emotional connection to the team if The King was in charge. He could bring back Michael Dawson as his assistant defensive coach ..
ClemFandango
Lord High Chief of the Privvy
Yeah, fair point, although I suppose he couldn't do any worse than nearly getting us relegated like Ossie ..
Motspur Hotspur
Player in Training.
Well there is that! But still, I think the time isn't right yet, a few more years learning then yeh I would love to see him in the Hot(spur) seat (sorry!)