chinapig

For once the word legend is not an exaggeration. I don't expect to see anything more beautiful in football than his 1970 team. It wasn't just about Pele so it's good to see the likes of Gerson and Tostao get a mention. The way Zagallo got them playing was a joy to behold.

Self-interested ***** was the phrase I think. You're right of course but there is also conflict between PL clubs because the big ones want all clubs to put the same fixed amount into the pot whereas the smaller ones want the contribution to be based on each club's revenue. It's hard to see a resolution until the independent regulator is in business.

Check out yesterday's PoF podcast to hear Kieran Maguire quote a senior person at a Championship club about the Premier League. Let's just say it wasn't complimentary!

Well he did say maths wasn't his strong point! It might help him if you showed your workings though Dave. Write on one side of the paper etc....

Richard Gould is a hugely respected sports administrator and has a much higher status than Tinnion. As soon as the ECB were looking for a CEO he was hot favourite especially as his former boss at Surrey CCC is the Chairman. Fortunately we had the benefit of his skills in turning the club around before we lost him but it's no different to Scott leaving for the Premier League. Though we don't need a CEO anyway because Tinnion is growing into the job according to Jon. We'll see in time how well Brian does and whether he is head hunted by a bigger club but he was hardly likely to turn down the Technical Director job in the absence of other offers.

What Everton fans, and indeed fans of other clubs, don't seem to get is that the Premier League is not some separate body it's an association of clubs with 20 members. The PL Executive cannot introduce any regulations without the clubs' approval. In fact the Executive proposed a sliding scale of sanctions but the clubs, including Everton, rejected it. If it had been passed my guess is that they would have had fewer points deducted. What they also don't get is that the Everton case was straightforward (once they belatedly admitted their breach) whereas the Man City case involves 115 more serious charges going back years so is very complex. The submissions in the Everton case reportedly had 30,000 pages. Imagine the amount of documentation in the City case then. Oh, and if they can't meet the timetable (which aims to deal with a breach before the end of the season) they either need better accounting processes, better staff or both.

Barney Ronay makes a very good case with his usual humour. As he says, the enablers of Wayne and their kind are the real problem. This bit made me laugh though: Only last week Steven Gerrard could be heard urging the owners of Al-Ettifaq to finally get their wallets out or risk failing to maximise his own managerial brilliance.

But that is a different matter. I was responding to you saying 'Why does everyone keep thinking we're likely to get top 6?' You'd be hard pressed to find fans who think anything of the sort. Perhaps JL and BT have to believe it is true so they can convince themselves they have made the right decisions. We're not so easily persuaded.

Nobody does. Unless by everyone you mean JL and BT who seem to pretty much alone in their opinion.

Nigel's preference was for 4-3-1-2 and Wells and Conway was his best front 2. Liam seems to think Tommy is naturally a lone striker so that's what we get. I don't think it suits him or the team. In a recent interview Tommy said he had been told to stay in the middle and that he no longer has to make runs in behind. On the first point Nigel said the same so no change there. On the second if your only striker is not allowed to run in behind it will surely be harder to break down a well organised defence? Ollie Watkins is an outstanding lone striker who makes lots of runs in behind. Has Unai Emery got it wrong?

But Tinnion never defined what front foot actually means so he will doubtless claim it is what we are doing. Much like Jon saying we had a top end squad then telling the Senior Reds that 10th would be success. It's hard to tell if they are lying or just don't have a clue but the effect is the same either way.

So the last time the Gas beat us then.

Yes, the Peter Principle ie a tendency in most organizational hierarchies for employees to rise through promotion until they reach a level of maximum incompetence. Not something that applies to our Technical Director or Chairman of course.

I was at that game. Two of our teachers took me and a mate as the chance to see Real Madrid live doesn't come along often. But second division Cardiff beat them 1-0 with Brian scoring with a header. Brian was in two great partnerships, with Atyeo and then with Toshack, though Tosh had moved to Liverpool before the Madrid game I think. He was in their shadow but was a terrific striker of the old school.

True except that I suspect we will soon be told that actually we haven't reached the limit of our wage after all.

I see they claim to be the original family club when everybody knows that's the Gas. I can see them suing Watford given the success of their case against Wycombe. NB: The above may be entirely false. You decide.

Bear in mind that we are speculating on this thread based on what Man Utd have done. There isn't actually any indication that there are any negotiations going on with any potential minority investor. Remember also that Jon told us categorically that the football operation doesn't need a CEO. When challenged on that at the Senior Reds he compounded it by saying we didn't need one because Tinnion was growing into the job. So the Technical Director is also fulfilling at least some of the CEO function? Really? Of course that could just be Jon's usual hapless communication but on the evidence available I'm not inclined to credit him with cunning strategic thinking.

It's worth asking whether any other Championship club would have the same, shall we say, unorthodox governance structure. I suspect not. Furthermore would any other club appoint Jon as Chairman? Again I think not. There is a worrying lack of professionalism and best practice at the top.

Mark Gavin could put the ball on Rennie's head at the near post from corners 9 times out of 10.

An interesting list of young players to look out for from Ben Fisher. FYI Ben is a City fan which may explain one choice. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/dec/28/from-jobe-bellingham-to-adam-wharton-10-rising-efl-stars-2024

What struck me in Manning's post match interview was that the qualities he praised the players for were those Nigel brought to the squad. Qualities that were sadly lacking when he came in. Look also at the players he signed who played at Watford and I'd say he had a pretty good recruitment record too. It was not a job for a young coach and he has left Liam a very good basis to work with. It would be nice if the club recognised that but that would require more gravitas than they have. No reason why Liam can't continue to build on that. He had my support when things didn't look good and he will continue to have it but I don't see why we have to be in one camp or another rather than recognise the different qualities they have.

It's hypothetical but I can't see Steve ceding control over football operations given that he and Jon seem to think they have football expertise. In any event would any serious investor of the right calibre want somebody as unqualified as Jon as Chairman? Would they want to replace Tinnion with a proven Technical Director? Would they want a Chief Executive and a better governance structure? It seems to me that there are real barriers to attracting investment quite apart from the money. Barriers that Steve would be unlikely to remove.

Phil has just been appointed by Portland Timbers. Their fans are not happy.

I was shocked at how bad Watford's defending was especially down their right side. This seemed to be a weakness Manning spotted as we overloaded our left side. Nice work if so.

At the start Manning seemed to want to show what a funky young coach he is. Things like playing Sykes as a de facto left wing back, putting him back in his proper position but taking him off when he was our best player because he "had a feeling", dropping TGH. Now he is making more rational decisions and getting the reward. Well done Liam. Long may it last.