English Football Thread 2013/14

[Auwais]

Moyes should look at Luis Gustavo at Bayern. With Thiago's arrival, he's so far down the pecking order now so might be worth putting in a bid.

 

[Epic]

None of them will take city up to another level I feel.

Navas may have recovered from his homesickness problems, but when you've got chronic homesickness for almost all your life I'm certain it won't completely go away after a year or two. He had trouble leaving Sevilla and going to other parts of Spain, Manchester is a whole different proposition. Navas isn't someone I've particularly fancied ever. We were linked to him last season and I didn't really want him to give you an idea. He is a great crosser but barring that he is quite limited and last season wasn't his best. He needs a great target man in the middle to be putting them away and I don't think either Negredo or Dzeko are great. I think he can do well but he isn't going to make an impact like say Silva, Toure and Aguero made early in their Man City careers, and City need someone to provide that.

Negredo is very flaky, and even when on top form is quite limited and still misses chances. He has goalscoring patches. While that should be less of a problem at a club like Man City with numerous strikers, he still isn't a satisfying improvement at all and doesn't add much to the squad.

I don't know a whole lot about Fernandinho admittedly, I've only seen him play in the CL and while he was very good, I don't think a Brazilian coming from Ukraine is going to settle quickly. Plus them Brazilians seem to really fall away around 30 and he's close to that...

Jovetic is good but again not going to take City to another level just yet. Last season wasn't his best like for Navas and he still has numerous parts of his game which he must improve. I think he will be an amazing player in time, though. I don't think he'll get the game time he needs just yet though. He plays by far his best atm behind the striker and could develop into a striker later on, but I think he'll end up getting more game time on the wings this season.

City still favourites for the title though, David Moyes will struggle and Chelsea haven't strengthened much.

The signing that's supposed to take us to another level is Pellegrini I feel.

 

[thedon5]

The signing that's supposed to take us to another level is Pellegrini I feel.

I would definitely agree with that. I was part of the group that thought Mancini was massively underperforming.

He's still not a sure fire to get the results though, Pellegrini still has to prove himself in English football.

@MB: I think Klopp is one of the best managers in Europe if not the best right now, so someone like him maybe. Mourinho was also available. I don't rate him that highly since I feel he achieves his success through spending shedloads of money, but he is still better than Moyes. Guardiola could've been sorted out early. Maybe Ancelotti or Hiddink.

This is Man Utd, a guy doesn't have to be available for you to try and get him to your club so anyone really.

All are better than getting the former Everton manager who has never won a title in his life.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

I would definitely agree with that. I was part of the group that thought Mancini was massively underperforming.

He's still not a sure fire to get the results though, Pellegrini still has to prove himself in English football.

@MB: I think Klopp is one of the best managers in Europe if not the best right now, so someone like him maybe. Mourinho was also available. I don't rate him that highly since I feel he achieves his success through spending shedloads of money, but he is still better than Moyes. Guardiola could've been sorted out early. Maybe Ancelotti or Hiddink.

This is Man Utd, a guy doesn't have to be available for you to try and get him to your club so anyone really.

All are better than getting the former Everton manager who has never won a title in his life.

Of course, Moyes was chosen on Sir Alex' recommendation; the fact that he wouldn't disappear after three years (like Mourinho would) helped as well. We'll see what happens - it could be a masterstroke so we have a Shankly to Paisley situation... or it could be a repeat of what happened after Matt Busby. Whoever took over, Sir Alex' shoes would always have been impossible to fill; Moyes' appointment is certainly a gamble but if it comes off, it could ensure that Utd continue to be a top force for years to come.

Obviously, Moyes has never won a title, but even Sir Alex wouldn't have won the title at Everton.

Actually, that's not strictly accurate - Moyes has won a title and this excerpt shows what he's capable of - with not much money to play with:

Preston North End

Moyes took over as Preston manager in January 1998, taking over from Gary Peters as the club struggled in Division Two and were in danger of relegation. He had spent much of his playing career preparing for management, taking coaching badges at just 22 years of age and compiling notes on managers he had played under, their techniques and tactics.[8] Preston avoided relegation at the end of the 1997?98 season and reached the Division Two playoffs the following season which they failed to win.

The following season though, Moyes guided Preston to the Division Two title and a promotion to Division One. An even greater achievement perhaps was to steer Preston into the Division One playoffs the season after that, with largely the same squad. Preston lost in the final of the playoffs in May 2001. One month later, Moyes signed a new five-year contract with the club.[9] Towards the end of the following season, he left for Everton, to take over from fellow Scotsman Walter Smith in March 2002. Moyes was in charge of Preston 243 times, of which his team won 113 games, lost 63 and drew 67.

So we can see that Moyes can turn a club around; now we'll see if he can maintain a successful club...

 

[thedon5]

The fact that he is hasn't had a top role before is significant though, he has no experience of managing a team like Man Utd and that is huge, no experience managing egos or going after hot properties in the transfer market. He's already stuffed both up. They're both important, without RVP you wouldn't have won the title last season and Ferguson's skill got him to Utd and got him firing, Moyes wouldn't have got him there and probably wouldn't have known what to do with him, Chicharito, the world's most improved striker and Rooney.

Doing something in Div 1 is a whole different kettle of fish and if you were hiring someone based on their merit in lower leagues, you should've taken Nigel Adkins or Paul Lambert.

Sir Alex may not always know best, just like he thought that Roy Keane would be the perfect guy to replace him some time ago.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Hmmm...

The start of the season will be pivotal - if we have a lousy start, I can't see him lasting a year; the club won't give him the time they gave Sir Alex, that's for sure.

Time will tell.

 

[Epic]

I would definitely agree with that. I was part of the group that thought Mancini was massively underperforming.

He's still not a sure fire to get the results though, Pellegrini still has to prove himself in English football.

True, but what he is a sure fire in though is the CL, the "another level" we're truly after.

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[thedon5]

Looks good. Not to be a pessimist, but it may look a bit different on a rainy day in Manchester though.

 

[Haarithan]

They won't be wearing an away or a third kit on a rainy day in Manchester though

EDIT:

Nice one Everton

 

[KBC]

Happened to catch my eyes, Deufolou? really?


ahahaha I was curious, looked up his tricky name and found this:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/embarrassment-everton-club-shop-spells-2080872

 

[ste_mc_efc]

Liverpool did the same for Mignolet.

 

[barmyarmy]

I reckon that both Arsenal and Graham Henry must be smoking something. Arsenal for offering $40m and Liverpool for not tearing their arms off to accept.
Maybe Liverpool are playing it cool and it's another Torres moment...

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Happened to catch my eyes, Deufolou? really?


ahahaha I was curious, looked up his tricky name and found this:

Embarrassment for Everton as the club shop spells star signing Gerard Deulofeu's name wrong - Mirror Online

Whoops.

 

[thedon5]

I reckon that both Arsenal and Graham Henry must be smoking something. Arsenal for offering $40m and Liverpool for not tearing their arms off to accept.
Maybe Liverpool are playing it cool and it's another Torres moment...

Graham Henry won the Rugby World Cup with New Zealand, he is clearly doing something right.

 

[barmyarmy]

Meh
I'm more than happy to get the names of people involved with Liverpool wrong.