McBride's - Off The Beat Discussion

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Mixed emotions today. Just heading out to Twickers with my daughter instead of being at the Cottage with my son (we could only get two tickets for the rugby and he lost out!). However, leaving him to listening to The Maccabees - he tells me their main guitarist is a Fulham fan.

Got to say I quite liked this track from their 'Given to the Wild' album -


[video=youtube;7HaW5alLnC0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7HaW5alLnC0[/video]
 
Gosh this is a shock. Not so much his going but the timing. Although the owner did look a bit glum on MOTD last night - even before the game against Villa.

Premier League strugglers Reading have confirmed the departure of manager Brian McDermott


McDermott, 51, led the club to promotion last season, but four successive Premier League defeats have left them four points adrift of safety.

A Reading statement said: "Owner Anton Zingarevich wishes to place on record his thanks to Brian.

"The search for a successor starts immediately. It is hoped a new manager will be in place as soon as possible."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21748762


There are not that many obvious choices for the new manager, among the inevitable candidates, who can pull them out of the mire. Owen Coyle? Roberto Di Matteo? Mr Ambition???
 
I don't really understand it, myself. I don't think McDermott was doing that bad a job given the squad he had. By the same token, who is going to do better?
 
Bidley said:
I don't really understand it, myself. I don't think McDermott was doing that bad a job given the squad he had. By the same token, who is going to do better?
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Strange decision. Four points from safety. Where was the Chairman expecting them to be at this stage in the season? Is there a manager available who can get them to safety now? Unlikely.
 
Dicanio has been mentioned in the media, but I think this is definately a job for Mr Ambition. Normally he has to work hard to get his club into a bad position - but Reading are already there!! Do you recall that Reading supporter coming on here saying how ambitious they were as they has signed Pog instead of us. Looking at the table, their problem is defending in general and scoring away from home. The last 2 results at home have undone them - losing to Wigan and Villa. the 6 points they should have got would have given them 29 points instead of the 23 they have now. They have 4 home games left - all winable except Man City - so they could have been in with a fair shot of safety. Perhaps that is why he has gone now. We have pulled clear - we must be safe as the pundits have stopped talking about us slipping into relegation trouble!! - but I wonder if there would have been pressure on Jol if results had not gone so well for us over the last few games.

With so much at stake - especially this season with the TV bonansa on the way - a bad run of form can put a manager under intense pressure - is McDermott the latest victim of that pressure?
 
Pog really has been turd for them. You know things aren't going to go well when they're relying on him to be their 20 goal a season man.
 
Watched MOTD tonight for the first time in months (decided to lift my boycott to give Pat Nevin a chance - I thought he was very good, btw), and saw the McManaman tackle. The pundits seemed dead set that he had intent to hurt the player. Am I the only one who didn't see that? It was very, very bad, too high and he definitely deserved to walk for it, but he's clearly going for the ball? Or am I missing something?

Also our mate Lawro seemed bent on mocking Berbatov at any opportunity. He highlighted a Berbatov tackle in midfield and his response was "look, how often does he do that?". Erm, more often than you think you moron!

Also, has anyone heard from the Captain recently?
 
Also, has anyone heard from the Captain recently?
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I’ve been wondering as well, Bidley. Hopefully all is okay and he’s only taking a ‘comfort’ break.


Watched MOTD tonight for the first time in months (decided to lift my boycott to give Pat Nevin a chance - I thought he was very good, btw), and saw the McManaman tackle. The pundits seemed dead set that he had intent to hurt the player. Am I the only one who didn't see that? It was very, very bad, too high and he definitely deserved to walk for it, but he's clearly going for the ball? Or am I missing something?
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I agree with you. There can’t be any doubt though that it was “reckless”


[video=youtube;_ZCJVleGM9k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_ZCJVleGM9k[/video]



What confuses me however, is why the FA can opt out of a decision because the assistant allegedly saw McManaman’s tackle yet they are charging the Newcastle coach despite him being sent to the stand. That seems to be double standards since ‘appropriate’ action was taken on the day by officials in each case.
 
Yep, he's gone to kick the ball away but timed it horribly. It certainly is reckless, but there's no malice at all.

I didn't know the Newcastle coach is being charged, that does make things, er, interesting. Having just read an article (prompted by this), it seems Graham Barrow (Wigan coach) has been charged as well; he was also sent to the stands. I'm not sure how these things work, are the charges not part and parcel of the dismissal during the game? It would make sense, as McManaman can't be charged because he wasn't dismissed (and the ref saw it) but the coaches are being charged because they were sent to the stands. Very confusing and it's a stupid rule anyway.
 
The tackle gets worse and worse every time you see it, whilst I agree that it wasn't intentional, calling it 'reckless' hardly does it justice either. Could have been a genuine leg breaker and the worst thing was that McManaman continued with the play instead of checking if the player he had assaulted was ok. I remember Shawcross being in bits over Ramsey's challenge, not to defend it, but at least he showed some concern for the player he had injured.
 
Bandit said:
I remember Shawcross being in bits over Ramsey's challenge, not to defend it, but at least he showed some concern for the player he had injured.
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That's because Ramsey's leg literally snapped in half! I agree though, Haidara gave enough of a genuine yelp to warrant concern.
 
The Horror Book writer James Herbert has died and that brings me back a few few years to my youth
hours spent reading his classic Horror books such as The Rats, Lair and Domain. He also wrote one
Called The Magic Cottage (but it wasn't about Fulham).
They used to get on the best sellers list within days of the first issue.
Now a days I tend to stick to non-fiction, but as a teenager his books were great, I just couldn't put them down.
 
Bidley said:
Also, has anyone heard from the Captain recently?
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I'm fine, Bidley. Thanks for the concern (and you too, Cottager). My Dad died a couple of weeks ago after a very brief (diagnosed less than a month before he died) bout of cancer. I'm fine, but I've been quiet on this board due to a combination of having less time to log on and not really feeling like engaging with the banter and discussion. I've done a bit of lurking, to keep in touch with developments of contracts etc. The funeral is on Tuesday of next week. I'm sure I'll be back to my normal level of engagement before too long.
 
Glad that the future of the Olympic Stadium has been agreed ensuring that the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the 2017 World Athletic and the Commonwealth Games bid can go ahead.

Less than happy that it has been “given” to West Ham, however.


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“After very long negotiations West Ham have secured a 99yr lease of the Olympic Stadium, although they will never own it, and the only revenue they will get from it is their games at home.

The owners have retained the right to all revenue from other attractions, such as athletics and music concerts.

West Ham will be able to move in for the start of the 2016/17 season, it will take that long for the place to be revamped and retractable seating put into place, afterwards it will take up to eight days to convert the stadium for athletics or other uses.

The cost of re-vamping the stadium is in the region of £150m (that is on top of the £450m it cost to build). The deal was finalised following the government's agreement to contribute a further £25m towards converting the venue. (in total the Treasury have contributed around £60m of the estimated £150 cost of adapting the stadium). However the deal only went through when West Ham agreed to increase their contribution to the project from £10m to £15m.”


So West Ham only pay £15m (10% of the refurbishment) up front and they get to sell Upton Park. In addition they will Pay Newham Council £2m pa but it’s not clear who pays for maintenance of the stadium. Something doesn’t feel right about these financial arrangements.

Nor does the fact that the deal was rushed through in advance of the findings of the Judicial Review called for by Leyton Orient.
 
Another Shock for Fergie


[video=youtube;o4cpOpvoWgM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=o4cpOpvoWgM[/video]




[With apologies for his use of 'homeland' language]
 
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