Benitez is more experienced and can probably navigate his way through the demands of a PL season better than many, but di Matteo had galvanised the players, got them winning against the odds in crucial games and won trophies including the Holy Grail of the CL. Quite what he did to deserve being sacked remains a mystery even if Benitez won a domestic treble this season.
There's absolutely nothing new there. Every manager you've ever had, since the Russian Mafia took over, has been treated shabbily. The only difference being that RDM played or the club..
You could argue the same for Spurs under Levy. It's a throat-cut business now where money rules over sentiment and morales. But that's capitalism for you
That's just a tad away from the original point that RDM was not treated anymore shabbily than Abramovich has treated your other managers. However, I would concede that Jol was treated badly. Although I'd put that more down to Comolli, than Levy. It's clear to me that Benitez is a far better manager than Di Matteo. Unfortunately, it also means that you have a far better chance of finishing ahead of us in the table.
Vermaelen is a headless chicken, worst defender Arsenal have by a mile (although that doesn't say much). I've no idea why Wenger doesn't start Koscielny and Mertesacker. Koscielny carried Vermalen last year and Djourou did the year before.
Sorry DL, but he's been awful at centre-back whenever he's been put under any pressure. As you say, he's a good footballer, but he's a **** defender.
I don't think he's awful but extremely unreliable. He was a rock against Bayern but ****e against United. Vermaelen is far worse though as is G*llas
With good reason, they're bottom of the league. I don't get why Jussi's in people's teams, when ever I've seen him he's looked shaky and conceded a bucket load. Practically the opposite of last season on his recent form. Cahill's a fair shout thinking about it, I'd probably have him in ahead of Mertesacker. Luiz is getting a bit of the Ekotto treatment by the media. It's easy to point out his mistakes because they're so blindingly obvious and sometimes they're not even mistakes but with hindsight you can claim they are. The media revel in doing it to these foreign players who are unorthodox, they drag out an old defender like Pallister and get them explaining how they'd never run with the ball when playing centreback. AVB and the "high line" got similar criticism last season and at the start of this(curiously when we weren't even playing a particularly high line) becuase it's so obvious when it goes wrong and a player gets through the defence yet there's never any praise when it works or any recognition that players were scoring goals by running on to balls in behind the defence long before people were talking about a "high line".
WBA just lost 2-1 at home to Fulham. WBA and Everton beginning to drop off now, 3 horse race for 3rd and 4th methinks.
Everton dropping off? They lost one game against a very expensive team and were good for at least a point. Far too early to write them off. West Brom are stuttering a little, but Clarke's done a good job there, so far. Not sure if they can strengthen the squad in January, as they might need to.
Come on you Saints Got to say I expect Arsenal to win this comfortably. Lallana's still missing isn't he? They'd need all their best players fit and firing to give an inform Arsenal problems.
Here's a good one - one shot in the first half (and their goal was an own goal, how much more luck can they get?) Anyway, they only need 29 more shots in the second half to overtake our tally today. Nevertheless I fully expect them to win this one (but of course would love to be wrong!)
I know they are very quick t say how lucky Dempsey's goal was. I would love it if Southampton got any result today. As you say unlikely though.
