Pre Match Leicester v Burnley

[Jeff]

That could happen tonight

No it couldn't.

 

[homer]

No it couldn't.

That'll teach me to trust Radio feckin' Leicester, who declared that this morning :icon_roll

 

[Hazzman]

Of course, success cannot be guaranteed, but Manchester United have a good manager, spend a lot of money and, would you bet against them being there, or thereabouts, as League and European champions? I am not suggesting that we are in the same universe as that, but money does count in football. The fact that money can also be frittered away, does not make it valueless.

I said Football is cyclic. Money is one ingredient but it is not the path to success. With all the investment Manchester City had they were seconds away from failing to win any trophy last season. It was part luck, part good play which won them the title.

Before Ferguson, Manchester United were massively underachieving. They still had great support, a stadium with bigger capacity than the majority of the division, decent finances and players such as Bryan Robson, Ray Wilkins, Gordon McQueen, Joe Jordan who were at the time considered the finest British players of their generation plus the likes of George Best and Bobby Charlton.

Yet between 1967 and 1993, they didn't win a single league title. But they had everything. It just missed one ingredient, a manager in this example (who the club happened to stick by even during mid-table finishes).

A better modern-day example would be Liverpool. Years of league titles, the odd European trophy and now they are average. Yet they have tried three managers of varying qualifications, buckets of money and two takeovers....success has stopped.

 

[bocadillo]

No it couldn't.

I was wondering earlier whether it could and having checked the fixtures, realised that it couldn't. Unfortunately I had to go out and missed my opportunity of reply.

On the positive side, Wolves were in the bottom three before they beat us on Sunday and are now just two points and four places adrift of the play-offs. With a following wind, we could find ourselves similarly positioned by 10 tomorrow night.

 

[Jeff]

On the positive side, Wolves were in the bottom three before they beat us on Sunday and are now just two points and four places adrift of the play-offs. With a following wind, we could find ourselves similarly positioned by 10 tomorrow night.

If we win tomorrow and on Sunday we could find ourselves in second place, depending on other results. If we are people will be saying what a good job NP is doing and that he should be given a new contract...

 

[bocadillo]

Somebody won't be going to the match - she's presumably on a curfew as well!

 

[bocadillo]

If we win tomorrow and on Sunday we could find ourselves in second place, depending on other results. If we are people will be saying what a good job NP is doing and that he should be given a new contract...

Some people will be saying that - the sensible ones will be no more excited than they are now disappointed.

 

[Graz]

Some people will be saying that - the sensible ones will be no more excited than they are now disappointed.

Indeedy.

I was worried after the Wolves game that I'd have to run for the hills to escape all the negativity on here. Seemed everyone was out for blood. Seems to have got more sensible today and those who feel we're doomed and NP should be shot seem to be dwindling/have gone back into their holes waiting for the next bad performance.

 

[gregs_y2k]

I said Football is cyclic. Money is one ingredient but it is not the path to success. With all the investment Manchester City had they were seconds away from failing to win any trophy last season. It was part luck, part good play which won them the title.

Before Ferguson, Manchester United were massively underachieving. They still had great support, a stadium with bigger capacity than the majority of the division, decent finances and players such as Bryan Robson, Ray Wilkins, Gordon McQueen, Joe Jordan who were at the time considered the finest British players of their generation plus the likes of George Best and Bobby Charlton.

Yet between 1967 and 1993, they didn't win a single league title. But they had everything. It just missed one ingredient, a manager in this example (who the club happened to stick by even during mid-table finishes).

A better modern-day example would be Liverpool. Years of league titles, the odd European trophy and now they are average. Yet they have tried three managers of varying qualifications, buckets of money and two takeovers....success has stopped.

Whilst I would say Liverpool are a shadow of their former selves these last few seasons, I wouldn't say success has stopped. They spent a lot under Rafa Benitez and won the Champions League in 2005 and finished 2nd in 2009. That's only 3 years ago. Ok they don't look like a club that's going to break into the top 4 any time soon but in terms of success and trophies they've done better than Arsenal in recent years which by the way is a club that has the most enviable finances in the UK but is run by a manager who's been there for years but who is single handedly letting the club fall away from the pack by refusing to spend.

 

[Willlow]

Whilst I would say Liverpool are a shadow of their former selves these last few seasons, I wouldn't say success has stopped. They spent a lot under Rafa Benitez and won the Champions League in 2005 and finished 2nd in 2009. That's only 3 years ago. Ok they don't look like a club that's going to break into the top 4 any time soon but in terms of success and trophies they've done better than Arsenal in recent years which by the way is a club that has the most enviable finances in the UK but is run by a manager who's been there for years but who is single handedly letting the club fall away from the pack by refusing to spend.

Falling away from the pack...How many years in a row have Arsenal qualified for the Champions League?

 

[Longcliffe]

Alternatively we could pick up just one point in the next 2 games, and be in the bottom 3.

 

[Miles Away]

Alternatively we could pick up just one point in the next 2 games, and be in the bottom 3.

Or none even, or 2, or 4.

I think any less then 3 could lead to the boot though, seriously.

 

[Hazzman]

Whilst I would say Liverpool are a shadow of their former selves these last few seasons, I wouldn't say success has stopped. They spent a lot under Rafa Benitez and won the Champions League in 2005 and finished 2nd in 2009. That's only 3 years ago. Ok they don't look like a club that's going to break into the top 4 any time soon but in terms of success and trophies they've done better than Arsenal in recent years which by the way is a club that has the most enviable finances in the UK but is run by a manager who's been there for years but who is single handedly letting the club fall away from the pack by refusing to spend.

I mentioned the European Cup wins. Their performance in recent years is nothing compared to their 80s domination. Now is their downtime. The cycle is on it's way down. They've spent and spent and can't get anywhere near their 1980s side.

 

[DillyDing22]

Get them to prove a point, start with Beckford and Futacs... mix it up for once. Let Nuge know how it feels to sit on the bench

 

[Matt_B]

Get them to prove a point, start with Beckford and Futacs... mix it up for once. Let Nuge know how it feels to sit on the bench

You mean like the first few games?

 

[DillyDing22]

You mean like the first few games?

I don't remember Futacs playing? and 11 games without a goal is inexcusable

 

[Matt_B]

I don't remember Futacs playing? and 11 games without a goal is inexcusable

Nugent knows what it feels like to start on the bench.

 

[lanxfox jnr]

In other news we're 21st

 

[fox58]

In other news we're 21st

were up to 19th now with a game in hand

 

[fox58]

as it stands a good win tomorrow night would see us in a play-off spot