Roberto Martinez' Belgium side were booed off after a limp defeat to Spain. Toby and Jan both played, Dembele started on the bench and came on at half time for the guy with 6 syllables in his name. How that buffoon was handed the reins of one of the best teams in the world is simply beyond me.
He is a footballing version of the emperors new clothes. His premier league record was no better than Paul Jewels (excuse spelling) or Steve Bruce in keeping Wigan up and in some ways worse. Their Wigan teams never got battered 9-1 and 8 nil in the same season. He did well winning the FA Cup and I think that hid how poorly he managed them in the premier league that season when they were also relegated. He inherited a decent defence at Everton so his first season looked good but his lack of knowledge about how to defend was shown in the second season when he managed to make Stones look like Ben Thatcher. That's the long version The short version is.... Just a Spanish Brendan Rodgers
Very unusual for a goalkeeper as young as he is to have such a poor injury record. I remember there was a lad at Liverpool years ago who was tipped to be the next David Seaman but then picked up a string of injuries and that was that. Something Kirkland. When you're a goalkeeper, it is much, much harder to bounce back simply because opportunities to wear the gloves are so few and far between if the #1 is well established. Look at us last season - Hugo even played in the minor games instead of Vorm. It's a shame as Butland imo is a far better keeper than that self-absorbed plank now eating humble pie Joe Hart, and would be England's number 1 if only he could get a whole season under his belt.
Chris Kirkland. He's basically retired now, having signed for Bury at the start of the season, then changing his mind. He was replaced at Liverpool by Scott Carson, who's had a similarly patchy career, though not due to injury. Motto of the story? Don't join Liverpool if you're an English keeper nowdays, I guess.
Don't knock it, if the ban is extended and doesn't apply to Utd game, it will knock him out of the game with us. A bit of a long shot, but he does well against us (and everyone else)
With the players he had at Everton, and aside from his first season where he inherited a very solid defensive structure, he did a horrendous job over there. Everton have a lot of talented players and he couldn't organise a balanced team to save his life. It's truly a mystery how he landed himself a job with the Belgian national team after the mess he created in Merseyside. I'm fairly sure Mirallas and Lukaku have come public in how poorly he handled things over there, too. Terrible appointment.
The only thing that I will say in defence of Martinez is that he has time on his side - he's still very young for a football manager and has time to repair the reputation he currently has. But if he does a crap job with Belgium, and the omens aren't looking good so far, I can't see him getting a job with a top side for a long time.
I see Yaya Toure has been left out of the City CL squad. Seems a bizarre way to treat a useful player. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37249153
So, if you were still in league one, you wouldn't be where you are today? Penetrating observation....
They had to leave someone out and this gives Guardiola the opportunity to send a message to Toure. I suspect that they wanted to shift him this summer, but he either wouldn't go or they didn't get the right offer. The Chinese league would certainly welcome him, though.
