Football 22/23

[Manoverboard]

The West Ham Board held onto Moyes to further the interests of the Club, fair enough but now the Cup is in the cabinet and with Rice moving on. Goodbye Mr Moyes we now have no use for you

[paultheagle]

Declan Rice may well move on and good luck to him, but I think he is still under contact so West Ham can keep him provided they don't wish to cash in , they would get a hugh sum for him.. and besides why would he want to go. There is no evidence that the Hammers board would get rid of Moyes. He will be there next season.

You shouldn't assume another club would act in the same despicable way Watford do.

[Manoverboard]

Rice is a wonderful player and needs to test himself at the highest levels rather than at a club that only just escaped relegation this year, Arsenal perhaps. Sullivan has allegedly said that he could go if that was his wish but that the cost would be high.

Moyes has reached his plateau by winning a cup but his league performances have been on a decline these past few years so he has nothing more to offer. I would like to see him return to Everton.

But we will see how it pans out ... not long to wait

[towny44]

Declan Rice may well move on and good luck to him, but I think he is still under contact so West Ham can keep him provided they don't wish to cash in , they would get a hugh sum for him.. and besides why would he want to go. There is no evidence that the Hammers board would get rid of Moyes. He will be there next season.

You shouldn't assume another club would act in the same despicable way Watford do.

Too true, and Rice will only want to move to a team playing in the Champoions league, since West Ham will be playing in the Europa league themselves next season. So in the UK its only Man City, Arsennal or Man Utd he has to appeal to, that's assuming that Newcastle will probably not over achieve again next season.

[paultheagle]

That's true as well but the fact us West Ham will only sell Rice if the price is right ie another club matches their valuation. They don't have to sell him.

[paultheagle]

By the way, I'm sure you will all want to know. Palace have just signed Jefferson Lerma in a free from Bournemouth. Great business and a very good replacement for the leg end that is James McArthur.

[Manoverboard]

Nasty bit of work is Lerma ... just saying

[paultheagle]

You know nothing about him.......just saying

[oldbluefox]

Fourteen Premier League managers were sacked last season. That is a huge number but when you look at the finances involved club chairmen will be wanting to protect their investment and the club's status whether that is getting a place in Europe or avoiding relegation. When your team is dropping points with alarming regularity (especially against fellow strugglers), when the fans are turning against you, when your sponsors are suddenly having second thoughts and when you are suddenly hovering around the relegation zone club owners will naturally get rather twitchy and I don't blame them.
Nobody can predict what would have happened had these clubs persevered with their managers but if you are not getting the results then ultimately you will get the great heave ho with a nice compensation package to sweeten the disappointment. Interestingly the majority of those who were sacked are yet to find new clubs. I wonder why?

Hopefully we appoint a manager with hunger and fight in his belly who will produce an energetic team playing exciting football on the front foot. So far I've not been impressed with the names we've been linked with but it is what it is. We'll just have to wait and see. Meanwhile we've got a lot of dead wood to clear out................where's Mob when you want him?

[Manoverboard]

Interestingly ( or not ) three of our highest paid deadwood past their sell by date type players are out of contract this summer but instead of getting shot of them the Club are looking to retain them in a different capacity because of their loyalty and service to the Hornets over many years.

Do those Foxes need trainee coaches / ground staff / canteen assistants .... ?

[oldbluefox]

At the moment we don't seem too sniffy who we take? Which do you fancy taking on?

[barney]

Interestingly ( or not ) three of our highest paid deadwood past their sell by date type players are out of contract this summer but instead of getting shot of them the Club are looking to retain them in a different capacity because of their loyalty and service to the Hornets over many years.

Do those Foxes need trainee coaches / ground staff / canteen assistants .... ?

If only they had shown that level of loyalty to the last ten managers

[towny44]

Well done Man City, not an epic final but they had to work hard for their win.

[paultheagle]

Congratulations Man City. Enjoy it while you can. We are coming for you.

[Stephen]

I’m no football fan, but what an achievement. Congratulations

[oldbluefox]

Great win, great team. Congratulations to Man City on achieving the treble

[Manoverboard]

Brilliant achievement ... can only be downhill from now on in

[oldbluefox]

We know all about that don't we Mob

[towny44]

I can't see City going downhill anytime soon, even without any further investment they a playing staff that, with all the academy players and the current squad should be able to maintain a top 4 finish for the next 10 years at least.

[barney]

Man City
A truly rags to riches story.
Multi multi billionaire buys down on luck football club, chucks hundreds and hundreds of millions at it and suddenly they become successful.
Who’d have thought that ?
Even despite numerous accusations of breaching the regulations.
Let’s celebrate buying success!
Sorry, but can’t get excited about this.
Literally everything I despise about the Premier League.

[paultheagle]

If I remember rightly it was a Play Off Final against the Gills that changed Man City's destiny. A last minute goal from City saved them and they went up to Championship instead of Gillingham after a penalty shoot out. Barney will remember it better than me. Had the result been reversed then who knows what would have happened, maybe the billionaire would have bought the Gills instead.

It's a funny old game.

[oldbluefox]

Sadly football nowadays is a business and the majority of players are merely mercenaries who will ditch the club at the first whiff of more money or the lure of a medal. I don't blame them but the only loyal servants to the club are the supporters, with the odd example (Jamie Vardy, Matt le Tissier.....)

[Manoverboard]

I found this interview with Troy Deeney most revealing about being a footballer ...' Click here '

[barney]

If I remember rightly it was a Play Off Final against the Gills that changed Man City's destiny. A last minute goal from City saved them and they went up to Championship instead of Gillingham after a penalty shoot out. Barney will remember it better than me. Had the result been reversed then who knows what would have happened, maybe the billionaire would have bought the Gills instead.

It's a funny old game.

Obviously, it’s burned into my mind Paul.
I also remember the City fans streaming out of Wembley at two nil down with a couple of minutes to play.
Then they pulled one back.
Then the board went up for six minutes ( very rare in those days)
Then they equalised in the seventh minute of those six minutes and nine were played in total.
Their fans were trying and many succeeding to get back into the ground, including the Galaghar brothers.
We were literally out on our feet after dominating for most of the game.
Penalties, and we only scored two.
Both main strikers were off the pitch by then.
It was a weird journey home, I can tell you that much.
Anyway, we regrouped and won promotion the following year beating Wigan in the playoff final.
Five seasons punching above our weight and playing the likes of you guys, West Ham, Wolves etc, then the debt burden became too much and we went down.
Eleven seasons in league one then down to league two.
Next season, new owners and hopefully, slowly but sustainably on our way back up.
Maybe the Championship again, who knows ?

[barney]

Warnock is Huddersfield new (old) manager.
Good signing to stabilise the club.