Very good post, Lidls. Agree entirely. The only part which I would slightly alter is 4, as I'd say that they all show a high workrate and anything less is unacceptable. Mata was basically Mourinho's sacrifice to these principles. It was his way of demonstrating that everyone's expendable, regardless of ability and fan opinion.
They've actually made very good signings, overall. Tadic might actually be more important to them, despite Pelle's goals.
Yes. Their starting 11 this year may be better than it was last year, between the new signings and the young players who are starting for the first time.
And you would appreciate all of this because it is exactly what Manchester United had for umpteen years under SAF.
I think Mourinho is a lot more pragmatic than SAF. He thinks nothing of getting 2-0 up after an hour and then shutting up shop. Things often didn't do to plan for SAF but the resilience and never say die attitude he instilled in the players meant they never gave up a lost cause. The common denominator though is/was the ability to manage people and get the best from them by using simple methods and gaining trust in those methods. Whatever the price tags and egos, the players know who is in charge and what is expected of them. They know the team is more important than any individual. Any personal success is gained as a result of team glory. Success has to be earned through endeavour, commitment and unity. Any individual who doesn't buy into the team ethic is given short shrift whatever their reputation. Of course, it takes a very strong personality to manage in this way successfully - the wheels can come off very quickly if there is dissent and the autonomy of the manager is undermined- but it is the blueprint still, as it was in the days of Nicholson, Busby and Shankly or Clough or Graham, despite football having changed so much where even average players can become instant millionaires.
Becoming instant millionaires, is a big part of the problems,managers face now,there is no incentive to do well.
http://www.espnfc.com/tottenham-hot...o-keen-to-overhaul-tottenham-squadsay-sources Interesting read, even though it is likely pure conjecture from the "ESPN Sources"
Prehaps that's what is needed,i wouldn't be unhappy if verts and Dembele are sold,hope they take Ade with them
A few Italian clubs are looking at Chiriches, too - so with some luck that might be £20m+ in the coffers so we can actually have a spine in the team, rather than a toothpick.
Would £20m get us Shawcross and Cattermole? Why we didn't go in for someone like Shane Long too i'll never know.
My first thought is whether we can fool Van Galling into accepting a bid for Carrick. That should make our midfield less like a sponge and add some much-needed experience to the team. Hell, why not make a bid for Javier Mascherano, saying we'll let him play in his favoured central midfield position? Shawcross is probably going to cost for two reasons: he's English, and his contract is until 2018.
Strange one to appeal. Stick Chiriches out there and see how he does. As I've said before, he seems suited to it.
Is there no punishment for pointlessly appealing nailed-on reds? I thought it was possible to extend the bans to dissuade clubs putting in silly appeals (what's the word I'm looking for?).
You can get an additional game for frivolous appeals, but they generally have to be either very silly or objectively wrong. Sunderland absolutely ballsed one up a few years back, when they should've appealed against a red but instead appealed against the length of the ban. There was no reason to do so, so not only did the appeal fail, when it definitely would've succeeded if they'd got it right, but the player got an extra game for their mistake! Naughton serves two games anyway, as it's his second red and we didn't appeal the first, for some reason.
disingenuous? I think it's another word that you are looking for, which is now driving me mad as well. thanks Lenny.
