Rival watch

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
Man City & Chelsea closing the gap on the goons, but you practically put the goons in 3rd place as their current lead is nothing more then inevitably being cut short <whistle>:laugh:
 
Man City & Chelsea closing the gap on the goons, but you practically put the goons in 3rd place as their current lead is nothing more then inevitably being cut short <whistle>:laugh:

Same sized gap as it was before the weekend. Albeit we've had a tough away fixture gotten out of the way whereas Chelsea and City had straight forward home games ;)
 
Same sized gap as it was before the weekend. Albeit we've had a tough away fixture gotten out of the way whereas Chelsea and City had straight forward home games ;)

Lol, I knew you would reply! But in all honesty do you believe you can remain in the top two until may?
 
Well,that was a "had to win" game for Spurs.They didn't so that makes them also runs at the first day of December!
Maybe we can do something in the cup competitions?

Poor old Martin Jol......and we can't win either!!!!!!!
 
Same sized gap as it was before the weekend. Albeit we've had a tough away fixture gotten out of the way whereas Chelsea and City had straight forward home games ;)

Didn't Swansea beat you at the Emirates last season?

Southampton already won at Anfield and by all intents and purposes played United off the park at Old Trafford. Cardiff aren't half the team Swansea and Southampton are.
 
Didn't Swansea beat you at the Emirates last season?

Southampton already won at Anfield and by all intents and purposes played United off the park at Old Trafford. Cardiff aren't half the team Swansea and Southampton are.

Swansea this season are a different team to last season - with Michu out as well, that's a lot of firepower gone. They seem to be struggling to balance Europe + the league.
 
Didn't Swansea beat you at the Emirates last season?

Southampton already won at Anfield and by all intents and purposes played United off the park at Old Trafford. Cardiff aren't half the team Swansea and Southampton are.

They might not be but Cardiff have still shown it's a difficult place to go this season. Not saying they're the new Stoke but it was similar with going to the Brittania when Pulis was in charge, they've been more than capable of making things difficult for the top sides so I think Arsenal's result needs to be respected.
 
Didn't Swansea beat you at the Emirates last season?

Southampton already won at Anfield and by all intents and purposes played United off the park at Old Trafford. Cardiff aren't half the team Swansea and Southampton are.

But this season, Cardiff have shown that they can compete against the bigger teams, while Swansea have really struggled. A draw against Liverpool at home was I think the only positive result they managed against the so called big teams this season.
 
But this season, Cardiff have shown that they can compete against the bigger teams, while Swansea have really struggled. A draw against Liverpool at home was I think the only positive result they managed against the so called big teams this season.

Fair play to Cardiff, they've made the most out of their limited ability but it was more down to lapses of concentration from United and City from set pieces, lapses Arsenal didn't have.

Aston Villa and West Ham both beat Cardiff with ease.
 
"I'm sure Jol will bounce back, made a bit of a mess of things at Fulham though"

It happens a lot. Teams get into slumps and a manager just cannot get them back on track.

...and this is what separates good and not so good managers. I don't share others high regard as a manager, limited imo. Puts a good side together initially but other than the Dutch league, nuff said there! has trouble maintaining it, runs out of ideas, good ones that is. I was sick to death of him if we went say 2-1 up with half hour to go, changing things to try and see the game out from there, games we went on to draw or lose 3-2!
 
...and this is what separates good and not so good managers. I don't share others high regard as a manager, limited imo. Puts a good side together initially but other than the Dutch league, nuff said there! has trouble maintaining it, runs out of ideas, good ones that is. I was sick to death of him if we went say 2-1 up with half hour to go, changing things to try and see the game out from there, games we went on to draw or lose 3-2!

I don't think there is any doubt, Martin Jol deserved another chance in the PL and Fulham and Jol certainly seemed to be a good mix. Apart from a brief spell in his first season, the relationship has never really kick started and as this season has progressed, the man had clearly lost his way. The jovial Jol we all knew and loved, was replaced by a negative and sometimes shifty figure who looked stunned at what was going on. I bet this sacking will hurt him, but at the same time, it might come as a relief to someone who is genuinely a decent man.

He served us well, got us believing again, and for that alone, I wish him well.
 
I'll be surprised if Jol works in England again as his management style and personality doesn't offer the same impact as when he first took over from Santini. Jol had his period of helping us regain some respect but maybe he should now look at jobs abroad and back home if he wants to gain success.

But I agree he will be hurting and he won't want to be remembered for his failure at Fulham but it's done now and hopefully he will find a better suited club to match his style of management.
 
I can't help but feel we've been partly responsible for Jol's demise at Fulham. Buying far and away their two best players in Dembele and Dempsey, for decent sums, but money that you knew would never be fully reinvested at a club of their limited financial clout.

Having said that, Jol's definitely underperformed with the squad at his disposal.
 
I can't help but feel we've been partly responsible for Jol's demise at Fulham. Buying far and away their two best players in Dembele and Dempsey, for decent sums, but money that you knew would never be fully reinvested at a club of their limited financial clout.

Having said that, Jol's definitely underperformed with the squad at his disposal.

And signing Darren Bent and making Berbatov captain didn't do him much favours