The (Un) Official Football thread

[houston4044]

Lerner: "we need a manager with tenacity, skill, knowledge and the ability to work within confined limits to produce miracles, what's that? None of available? Fuck it get that Tom Shorewood guy, I see him sniffing in the bins by clubs who've recently fired managers, he's our guy"

[mcroper]

Villa have basically resigned themselves to relegation, unless Sherwood decides to be the second coming all of a sudden

[Skippy]

Hmm I must be the only one who thinks Sherwood isn't a TERRIBLE appointment. At the very least I think he could provide a short term boost in fortunes, enough for them to stay up. I can see him getting sacked when they under-perform even more next season, but I can see him doing just enough this year unfortunately.

[Tet]

Hmm I must be the only one who thinks Sherwood isn't a TERRIBLE appointment. At the very least I think he could provide a short term boost in fortunes, enough for them to stay up.

No, you're not alone. I think he'll do a reasonable job. But from what's come out after Lambert's dismissal, I think it's probably a bit of a poisoned chalice. If the explicitly listed goal of the manager's role is not to finish high in the league and earn European football next year, but to cut the club's wage bill, I think it's probably doomed to failure no matter who is in charge.

[Jobdone]

That was pretty depressing.

"We need you to save money"

"So, finish 10th or something?"

"What? No. 17th will be fine. Just cut that wage bill down"

[Gandalf the Red]

Apparently the Villa fans wanted Brian Little back.

[kanet666]

Hoping for a decent draw tonight, Reading at home would be ideal, although I'd also have any of Villa, WBA, Bradford or United at home too, I'd rather not face Liverpool or Arsenal.

I imagine the big teams will be kept apart until it's physically impossible for them not to be drawn together.

[Gandalf the Red]

I'm half expecting Arsenal or Man United away.

[Ghost]

I'm hoping Arsenal get Man Utd and knock them out at the Emirates. My ideal final is Arsenal against Liverpool. The most entertaining.

[Bearstock]

United will beat Preston tonight then get drawn at home to Bradford or Reading.

[mcroper]

Just our luck for it to be Liverpool vs Arsenal or something like that.

[kanet666]

In all fairness, Arsenal and United deserve to be drawn against each other due to their easy ride with the draws so far. Winner to play Liverpool and then one side of the draw can stay open to a lesser side.

[Gandalf the Red]

Forget that. No one wants to watch lesser teams in the cup final unless they are fans of that team.

[kanet666]

As a fan of one of the remaining "lesser teams" I'd much prefer any of the lesser teams in the final. In fact, I'd rather none of Arsenal, United and Liverpool reached the final personally.

[Gandalf the Red]

The average man in the street doesn't bother when it's "lesser" teams. Just look at the amount of people watching it in the boozer when it's big teams. And then look at the amount of people out when it's someone like Millwall, Portsmouth, Wigan, Cardiff, etc. I seem to recall that they didn't even turn the TV on when it was Portsmouth V Cardiff as nobody else wanted to watch it. We had to ask for it to be put on.