One would think: champions, same players, same manager, same opposing teams of whom none have strengthened significantly. OK a few players off form shouldn't make that much difference as the squad is quite strong. Even with the manager off form, things should almost go on automatic pilot. These are players who have played together a whole season and won the title. But to lose 9 matches out of 16 (the most of any team) smacks of something totally different.
Good morning Chelsea. What's the main topic of conversation today? Is it Jose? Relegation battle? Lazy players? Tell you what just to mix it up shall we throw God into it all so that people rant about his existence/non existence.
You're off your ****ing trolley Luv I deleted the last part of your post, because it is insane, and untrue
To day, who was closest in predicting Rafa's demise at Real? Mind you the President, Lopez has one mighty big ego! Perhaps he should have gone as well. Maybe the players and the fans will respond better with a real footballer in charge until the end of the season at least.
Was always going to be a ticking time bomb, for a few reasons: 1) Rafa's football is far too formulaic for a gung ho club like Real, who face maybe 3 or 4 hard games in an entire season. Everyone else they are expected to batter by at least 3 goals. 2) He is not a very likeable person, much like Jose, he can become very bitter and venomous when he feels unjustly treated 3) He is ****. He has won jack **** in 10 years and probably will not win jack **** for years to come. He snuck a league title with Valencia, this was Pre-Barcelona and during Real's ridiculous galactics phase, and then a CL with Liverpool that they didn't deserve. (Yes I am still bitter about that).
The president is a clown at Real and until he has gone the madness will continue. That aside, Rafa has been unfortunate and has done what could reasonably be expected given how good Barca are and the egos in the Madrid dressing room. Rafa should never have got the job though and it was never going to last. Apparently Ronaldo and Benzema at least are going in the summer to try and build a new team not so focused on the individual. But Real have created the monsters with their ridiculous spending and inflating the egos of players like Ronaldo. The polar opposite to Atletico.
And others like Sevilla, Villareal (a good bet for the EL), and my favourites Athletic Bilbao who I would like to see in the EL final slaughtering Tottenham or Liverpool!! Please make the dream come true!!
Hopefully not! I think most football fans up and down the country like Everton. We just loathe the big boys like United, yourselves, Arsenal, Liverpool. City are new boys on the block so I don't mind them have their bit of glory in the sun. Would be good for Spurs or Leicester to win the League this year. Last outsiders being Chelsea under Mourinho the first time (well it was nigh on 50 years since the previous triumph) so it must have been a surprise at the time, although there was plenty of success in the cups in the previous decade.
I don't mind Everton doing anything honestly. Just wanted to check the odds of another Wigan - atleast the owners are similar LOL. Would be great if actually Leicester win it. But it is 99% City now - especially having Aguero back.
So Pep going to City. Think they've treated Pelligrini quite poorly here but this is a massive coup for them. We really need to get our next appointment right now!
I think you find these top and much sought after managers usually do a three year stint and then move on. Top teams constantly need an injection of fresh ideas, methods. I heard a conversation on the Sports Bar on Talk Radio Europe and one of the panellists on the programme was of the opinion that if Fergie was working with the squad that Wenger has, Arsenal would be 10 points clear. So the question is who do Chelsea get now that Guadiola has committed himself. Pellegrini or one of the newer generation like Simione, the Juve manager, Sevilla's boss, Poch from Tottenham, Eddie Howe of Bournemouth who surely needs testing with a higher grade level club before becoming the incumbent at a stratosphere club (ie Chelsea, City, United)
Might as well right off any British manager, just can't see that at all. Maybe outside chance of Hughes but even then, it's not Roman's style and Moyes (and to a lesser extent Rodgers) has probably ruined it for a lot of other up and coming Brits. Conte has been talked about and has a good record. Simeone will obviously be talked about but I'm not sure myself. Atletico are pretty disciplined but dull and heavily rely on a striker banging them in (Falcao, then Costa now Griezman). They don't score a lot outside of their main no. 9. The Chile manager has also been mentioned but don't know much about him at all.
