Since when has that ever mitigated an owner's actions? They could have the whole of the 1st team injured and owner's would still expect them to perform.
Poll Who's next to go? (Sack race)
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Rooney gone apparently. An announcement supposedly being made in the next half-hour.
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Taking a team from 6th to 20th is some achievement
Oh please let this happen. Oh please.
I watched that Colleen Rooney v Vardy show a month or so ago. Wayne comes across well in it, very likeable. Which was not what I was hoping for. But I'd be delighted if he got a go at managing United now.
Have also been watching the Beckham one as well. Lots of looking back at that United team that won the treble (bastards). It's well made. Beckham also comes across very well.
Have also been watching the Beckham one as well. Lots of looking back at that United team that won the treble (bastards). It's well made. Beckham also comes across very well.
Birmingham binned Eustace while he had them at 6th place after 11 games for Rooney who left them at 20th place 
Steven Gerrard shielded by status but Al-Ettifaq job in the balance
Just lost his assistant to Plymouth.
[article]After a fine start in Saudi Arabia, Steven Gerrard is in trouble at Al-Ettifaq. The former Liverpool captain hit the ground running in the east of the country with five wins from the first seven games in the Saudi Pro League, but the Dammam club have not won in the last eight and, amid a six-week Asian Cup-induced break, the pressure is on.
Normally in Saudi Arabia, it would already be over. There have been 13 coaching changes in the 18-team league this season. Clubs can be, and usually are, brutal, with the glow of success lasting about as long as a Saudi winter. Nuno Espírito Santo was dismissed in November, just five months after leading Al-Ittihad to an impressive first title since 2009, while two of Gerrard’s former Liverpool teammates have fared even worse – Igor Biscan took the Al-Shabab job in mid-October and is now home while Robbie Fowler was fired in October after four months at Al-Qadsiah despite not losing a game.
Ettifaq have gone through more than 30 changes this century alone. History is, therefore, against Gerrard, and ultimately what has saved him is his status as a legendary former player. Even in the region itself few of the many coaching comings and goings generate many column inches, but Gerrard’s presence ensures international attention and, as such, a little more patience.
The question is how much? The good start was helped by the goals of Moussa Dembélé and the attacking play of Sweden’s Robin Quaison. Both were on the scoresheet in the famous 2-1 win over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in the opening game. Jordan Henderson, Ettifaq’s marquee signing, may have visibly struggled in the heat of those early season furnaces but the England international quickly established an understanding with Dembélé and it was all looking rather good. There was a lack of creativity but the introduction of another ex-Red in Georginio Wijnaldum helped in that regard.
Quaison’s goals dried up in September and while Dembélé’s didn’t, injury sidelined the French forward for a couple of months. He was badly missed. Only six teams have scored fewer goals than Ettifaq. The issues were evident in the final game of 2023; Ettifaq should have sealed the three points at home to bottom club Al-Hazm long before the visitors got an injury-time penalty to seal a 1-1 draw.
A few days prior, Gerrard met with club officials and called for more signings. “We need to be aggressive, we need to be ruthless, and we need to make a lot of changes to make this team more competitive,” he said.
“We need to show in this window, and also the summer window, that we mean business and we want to be competitive at the top of the league, and not where we are at the moment. It’s a collective thing – the players here and now need to give more, and people need to step up, and, at the right time, we will hopefully be able to make significant changes to the team and the squad. Hopefully, at the back end of January, you will see a different, stronger and more competitive squad.”
Such a public demand for transfer activity is not something that many foreign coaches do in Saudi Arabia. Perhaps that is because, in the past, they would sweep in from South America or the Balkans for a season at most before leaving with barely a mark on their résumé, either positive and negative. With Gerrard it seems different. After failure at Aston Villa, Saudi success may not restore his coaching reputation but another setback would be taken as further evidence that the former England midfielder does not have what it takes to be a manager. Certainly the Liverpool job, which appeared to be Gerrard’s destiny, looks a long way away.
Nobody was expecting Ettifaq, slightly lucky to finish seventh last season, to challenge the top two of Al-Hilal, 18-time champions, and Al-Nassr, or the Jeddah giants, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli, the other members of the “Big Four” who were taken over last summer by the country’s Public Investment Fund and showered with cash and big-name stars. There is less of an excuse when it comes to other teams, however. Unfashionable Al-Taawoun, expertly led by the supremely well-travelled Péricles Chamusca, are in fourth. Damac and Al-Fateh are also teams that have made more from less investment.
Fans are starting to complain. Gerrard’s stature in the game has helped him survive this long, and almost certainly will for some time yet, but it’s hard to say for how much longer.[/article]
Just lost his assistant to Plymouth.
[article]After a fine start in Saudi Arabia, Steven Gerrard is in trouble at Al-Ettifaq. The former Liverpool captain hit the ground running in the east of the country with five wins from the first seven games in the Saudi Pro League, but the Dammam club have not won in the last eight and, amid a six-week Asian Cup-induced break, the pressure is on.
Normally in Saudi Arabia, it would already be over. There have been 13 coaching changes in the 18-team league this season. Clubs can be, and usually are, brutal, with the glow of success lasting about as long as a Saudi winter. Nuno Espírito Santo was dismissed in November, just five months after leading Al-Ittihad to an impressive first title since 2009, while two of Gerrard’s former Liverpool teammates have fared even worse – Igor Biscan took the Al-Shabab job in mid-October and is now home while Robbie Fowler was fired in October after four months at Al-Qadsiah despite not losing a game.
Ettifaq have gone through more than 30 changes this century alone. History is, therefore, against Gerrard, and ultimately what has saved him is his status as a legendary former player. Even in the region itself few of the many coaching comings and goings generate many column inches, but Gerrard’s presence ensures international attention and, as such, a little more patience.
The question is how much? The good start was helped by the goals of Moussa Dembélé and the attacking play of Sweden’s Robin Quaison. Both were on the scoresheet in the famous 2-1 win over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in the opening game. Jordan Henderson, Ettifaq’s marquee signing, may have visibly struggled in the heat of those early season furnaces but the England international quickly established an understanding with Dembélé and it was all looking rather good. There was a lack of creativity but the introduction of another ex-Red in Georginio Wijnaldum helped in that regard.
Quaison’s goals dried up in September and while Dembélé’s didn’t, injury sidelined the French forward for a couple of months. He was badly missed. Only six teams have scored fewer goals than Ettifaq. The issues were evident in the final game of 2023; Ettifaq should have sealed the three points at home to bottom club Al-Hazm long before the visitors got an injury-time penalty to seal a 1-1 draw.
A few days prior, Gerrard met with club officials and called for more signings. “We need to be aggressive, we need to be ruthless, and we need to make a lot of changes to make this team more competitive,” he said.
“We need to show in this window, and also the summer window, that we mean business and we want to be competitive at the top of the league, and not where we are at the moment. It’s a collective thing – the players here and now need to give more, and people need to step up, and, at the right time, we will hopefully be able to make significant changes to the team and the squad. Hopefully, at the back end of January, you will see a different, stronger and more competitive squad.”
Such a public demand for transfer activity is not something that many foreign coaches do in Saudi Arabia. Perhaps that is because, in the past, they would sweep in from South America or the Balkans for a season at most before leaving with barely a mark on their résumé, either positive and negative. With Gerrard it seems different. After failure at Aston Villa, Saudi success may not restore his coaching reputation but another setback would be taken as further evidence that the former England midfielder does not have what it takes to be a manager. Certainly the Liverpool job, which appeared to be Gerrard’s destiny, looks a long way away.
Nobody was expecting Ettifaq, slightly lucky to finish seventh last season, to challenge the top two of Al-Hilal, 18-time champions, and Al-Nassr, or the Jeddah giants, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli, the other members of the “Big Four” who were taken over last summer by the country’s Public Investment Fund and showered with cash and big-name stars. There is less of an excuse when it comes to other teams, however. Unfashionable Al-Taawoun, expertly led by the supremely well-travelled Péricles Chamusca, are in fourth. Damac and Al-Fateh are also teams that have made more from less investment.
Fans are starting to complain. Gerrard’s stature in the game has helped him survive this long, and almost certainly will for some time yet, but it’s hard to say for how much longer.[/article]
I think he's biding his time for a decent chance. He's a decent manager; definitely better than most on the manager merry go round
Hasn’t he got got one of the lowest win percentages of all the managers in the top 5 leagues?
It’s amazing how some of the great managers can’t seem to adapt over time. Always seems to be defensive minded coaches too.
View: https://x.com/TheAthleticFC/status/1758069839879381277?s=20
This site goes into maintenance and when it comes back up Roy is in hospital and unemployed....
Hope the old cogger is okay. 2024 has already taken so many lives 2023 left alone
Is JJ any good at managing a footie team? No? Then they are one
One we all saw coming, now confirmed.
Immediate new (caretaker) managers bounce starting tonight would be very much welcomed.
www.bbc.co.uk
Immediate new (caretaker) managers bounce starting tonight would be very much welcomed.
Hodgson steps down as Crystal Palace manager
Roy Hodgson steps down as Crystal Palace boss so the club can "bring forward their plans to appoint a new manager".
www.bbc.co.uk
I didn't like the Hodgson appointment either but how was he disrespectful?
By saying shit like “famous 1-0 win at Bolton”
That sounds more delusional than disrespectful. I don't remember much from his short spell at LFC because I've tried to suppress those memories, but I do remember that we played terrible football and he managed us like we were a mid table team.
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