Football 22/23

[Manoverboard]

Patience is the key word Liverpool were patient with Klopp, Man United were patient with Ferguson, Arsenal were patient with Wenger, all three clubs had amazing success because of their patience. A decent manager will over haul the entire playing staff at a club from academy to first team and that takes time. Clubs who keep sacking their manager will never get success.

Liverpool, Manu and Arsenal have shed loads of money, Watford on the other hand do not.

Pre the Pozzo era we were managed by Sean Dyche, a safe pair of hands working on a minimal budget. We bought Deeney on the back of proceeds from two Elton John concerts, additionally the stewards at that time used to mingle with the supporters on match days carrying buckets to try to raise money for a proper grondsman every once in a while.

Then the hire 'n' fire Pozzos rode into town ... Dyche was replaced with Zola on day 1. During their reign they have totally rebuilt the stadium and provided a state of the art training facility next to that of the Arsenal. We have one of the best playing surfaces in the Country and we've been in and out of the Prem attracting umpteen International players from all over the world along the way.

I think they have been extremely successful

[oldbluefox]

Did you read the link I added in #116. I can only go by what I read. I'll be up in Leicester in a couple of weeks I'll let you know the mood of the natives.

I did read the link but it was a very generalised report of the situation. The financial situation at Leicester is due largely to overpaying some players (who are not worth that sort of pay and whom we cannot now shift until contracts expire next summer) and the Covid situation which merely made matters worse. From other reports the chairman says the development of the training facilities and other planned developments are covered by loans.
City have now found themselves breaching FFP regulations by overspending so there are not the funds to spend now. Not sure even that they can afford to sack Rodgers and pay his compensation.The article below explains the financial situation in more detail.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/spor ... id-7541817

The supporters understand this but are unhappy with the style of play they are witnessing, and have seen for much of last season - possession football played around the back three or four, taking the ball into a promising attacking position and then passing it back again, lack of adventure, poor tactics and rather strange substitutions. I hope they do turn it around but at the moment I cannot see it, having seen them capitulate too many times this season.

[barney]

Luxury !!!
We’ve scored two goals all season so far.
I can’t actually believe that there are four teams below us.
We got relegated last season because of failure to score.
Thirteen new players later, still can’t score.
Our manager was a quality striker.
It’s a mystery.
Last Saturday, 97 minutes and not a single shot on target.
We look pretty good in possession until the final third.

[oldbluefox]

We look pretty good in possession until the final third.

We do as well, except our defenders can pass the ball round to their hearts content but just can't defend when the other team get the ball.
Regards
Frustrated Fox

[Manoverboard]

We can score goals ... but unfortunately we can let them in as well

[Bensham33]

Home to Chelsea today. A good game to win. Just been watching Arsenal v Tottenham's. A good derby Arsenal look the real deal.

[Bensham33]

Bloody Chelsea

[barney]

Been a while coming but the good feeling is back after Saturday’s win.
God I love football.
Three more ‘goals’ disallowed before finally converting legally in the 91st minute.

[Bensham33]

Best time to score a winner.

[oldbluefox]

Big game for Rodgers tonight. The knives will be out if they lose at home to Forest.

[oldbluefox]

Been a while coming but the good feeling is back after Saturday’s win.
God I love football.
Three more ‘goals’ disallowed before finally converting legally in the 91st minute.

Sickener for the other side and their supporters.

[barney]

Been a while coming but the good feeling is back after Saturday’s win.
God I love football.
Three more ‘goals’ disallowed before finally converting legally in the 91st minute.

Sickener for the other side and their supporters.

Not really Foxy
We murdered them and it should have been six or seven.
Gills are so hot and cold.
One week look like champions
The next, eleven strangers
Sutton were quite fortunate to get nil on Saturday.
Crewe away next Saturday
Who knows?
I’m pretty sure the manager doesn’t.

[oldbluefox]

I imagine Sutton were disappointed not to scape a point after holding out for so long - so close. Naturally you would feel elated, I know I would.

[barney]

Foxes on fire

[oldbluefox]

Forest were poor. Brenda was on borrowed time so they had to go for it.
Must say they looked a different team to the one we have been seeing lately albeit against a poor team. We need the same against Bournemouth at the weekend.

[Bensham33]

See a little bit of patience , makes all the difference.

[oldbluefox]

Against a poor team it was a match they had to win. I'm hoping the change in tactics was not just a one off. There was much we saw last night which we hadn't seen in the past six months or more.

[Manoverboard]

See a little bit of patience , makes all the difference.

We showed commendable patience with Bilic on Sunday and won 0:4

[Bensham33]

That was nothing to do with him.

[Manoverboard]

That was nothing to do with him.

Actually it had everything to do with him. He was a new voice and because of his background the players knew they had to put a shift in ... that was not the case with Rob nor indeed Woy.

[Bensham33]

Don't know what Roy's got to do with it.

Anyway Watford weren't struggling under Rob Edwards, they were just outside the play off places when he was unfairly sacked. So the players were putting a shift in, if they weren't they would have been at the other end of the table and Bilic would have relied on those already at the club to make the decisions he would have just observed . I bet he didn't even know the players names.

[barney]

New manager bounce is normal.
Everyone is trying to impress.
Poor old Bilic knows that it’s automatic promotion of P45.
I’d wager that even if Watford lost in the playoffs, he’d be sacked.

[Manoverboard]

Bilic has been looking for an opening in the Championship for a while now, Watford was one of the teams that appealed to him ... so yes he knew all the players names plus their strength and weaknesses. This was demonstrated on Sunday when he played them in their best positions which was something Edwards didn't manage at all during his short tenure.

[barney]

Lose at unfancied Blackpool on Saturday and he’ll be under immediate pressure.
I get the distinct impression that the owners of Watford have unrealistic expectations.
I reckon the fifteen previous managers would agree.

[Manoverboard]

I cannot argue with that but it's the Italian way ... more or lessa