Football Banter

Just give him time. As long as you don't expect an instant turn around. You've already said the rot at Wolves is deep. He'll need to not only ship out any of Slobs players but also any of the ones McCarthy brought in that don't want to be there any more. The problem with the sacking culture is you get a back log of players who were brought in from previous managers who still remain but are only to happy to pick up a wage slip until their contracts are up.

If Saunders can keep them up with out grief and be given some freedom to build in the summer then there is potential for him to build a half decent side ready to challenge the play off places next season.

Barnes-Homer was a free agent in the summer, I was hoping Aldershot might have taken a gamble on him as he's been pretty prolific in his time... Mind you, so was Stuart Fleetwood and he is back playing non league football again.

actually saunders was good when he worked under mark hughes with rovers

wouldnt put it our defence to put them in for you as well thank god we got a good attack cos we cant defend for toffee

I actually feel a bit sorry for Solbakken in all this. He walked into an unholy Molineux mess and no doubt tried his best to sort it out. My feeling is that he took the job on the basis of a club steeped in history with the challenge of restoring the club to former glories.
The reality though was that the culture of failure, apathy, lack of accountability/responsibility at all levels was so acute and the ability of players to drop their heads at the slightest thing going wrong so overwhelming it was going to take quite a superhuman effort to turn it all around.
The extent of the mess is now even greater not exclusively because of Solbakken but because more time has passed with the negative culture within the club having had time to be further entrenched.
Solbakken was dealt a crap hand of cards, he tried to do thing his way and it did not work. He had no experience of management within the English game so arrived a bit blindfolded as to the extent of the mess that faced him.
It is only in recent weeks with some of his recent and rather shall we say bluntly honest comments that I feel reality has dawned on him. He is better away from the place and I wish him well.
Over to you Mr Saunders . Good luck - you are going to need it .

(07-01-2013 01:02 )snookered147 Wrote:  I actually feel a bit sorry for Solbakken in all this. He walked into an unholy Molineux mess and no doubt tried his best to sort it out. My feeling is that he took the job on the basis of a club steeped in history with the challenge of restoring the club to former glories.
The reality though was that the culture of failure, apathy, lack of accountability/responsibility at all levels was so acute and the ability of players to drop their heads at the slightest thing going wrong so overwhelming it was going to take quite a superhuman effort to turn it all around.
The extent of the mess is now even greater not exclusively because of Solbakken but because more time has passed with the negative culture within the club having had time to be further entrenched.
Solbakken was dealt a crap hand of cards, he tried to do thing his way and it did not work. He had no experience of management within the English game so arrived a bit blindfolded as to the extent of the mess that faced him.
It is only in recent weeks with some of his recent and rather shall we say bluntly honest comments that I feel reality has dawned on him. He is better away from the place and I wish him well.
Over to you Mr Saunders . Good luck - you are going to need it .

That's basically what I'm saying too - the common denominator for the problems (which are very root deep) at this club revolve around the inept board, led by an equally inept chairman. Results were poor, and I expected Morgan's cronies to strike again. But at the same time, I do feel sorry for Solbakken. Look at the shite he's inheritied - and as you say snookered, the culture of mediocrity, the relegation hangover, the lack of quality which we've known has been absent for ages - the lack of team investment during the premier league seasons is bordering on negligent.

This really humbling video was an interview with Solbakken after he was fired. Quite dignified I thought. You can sense the sadness and tears were not far away I think...

Just watched it. Poor fella. I genuinely feel quite sad for the guy .
I hope he gets another job in football soon and is successful.

from what I can see, it's not him who doesn't know what he's doing it's the owners who sound like they need to learn how to run a football club.

(07-01-2013 02:25 )Fernandez Esperenda Wrote:  from what I can see, it's not him who doesn't know what he's doing it's the owners who sound like they need to learn how to run a football club.

I was reading this article in The Guardian (by the way its sports writers are the best) and here it is by the way:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/...cup-finals

But it wasn't the article as good as it is that didn't impress me the most, but this comment in its comments section.

Quote:If football changed drastically when Sky invented it at the start of the nineties, it has changed so much more in the past 10 years.
I think people (fans and media and such) have become increasingly more sensitive and are always on the lookout for a new hate figure or something to whinge about.

I recently went back and watched some old football matches.
The most recent being the United Arsenal match in 1999 at Highbury where United came from behind to win 1-2 (Keane scoring both). It felt like watching a match from a genuine bygone era, lots of things took place in the match that most people moan about nowadays, but back then it was called an exciting incident packed game.

1) Fergie running to the touchline and roaring at the referee Graham Poll for not giving a freekick for a foul on Giggs. Poll just walked away and laughed it off. Nowadays everyone thinks it is a disgrace if a manager says anything to a ref. They're grown men, they can handle this cauldron. Stop treating referees like sensitive little babies.

2) After scoring his first goal to bring United level, Keane stood in front of the home fans and stared them down. They shouted obscenities at him and gesticulated that he was a wanker, but that was it. Nowadays fans are such pussies they throw stuff at players for celebrating in front of them. And the players actually get blamed for being hit by bottles and coins because they stood in front of the opposing set of fans. BOLLOX. Players should be allowed to celebrate wherever they like and anyone who says 'they were asking for it' are complete tossers.

3) Keane had a bit of a kick out at Vieira after winning the ball. Vieira reacted to it by headbutting Keane and then trying to punch him. Graham Poll saw it all and tried to stop it. Then the usually serene and docile Jaap Stam had a word with Vieira and the two of them tried to murder each other. It erupted in 22 players and the referee trying to calm the melée down. Not a single person was sent off and it was all called 'handbags.'

Why is football becoming more and more and more and more diluted?
I'm not some old fart who longs for muddy pitches and keen-shattering tackles, I am 27 for pete's sake.

But I would like to see football go back to its roots a little.
That brilliant Arsenal United match was only 13 years ago but it might as well have been from the fifties the way football has gone these past few years.

Not sure where the hell this rant came from, I didn't even talk about the FA Cup.

As you were.

just announced the fifa team of the year and they are all real or barca players with the exception of falcao! suppose it wud be difficult for forwards playin in the premier league to get in that team especially with ronaldo falcao and messi in it! dont think players like ramos and marcelo shud be in it though i dont think they are the greatest defenders!

I'm very disappointed in FIFA's World 11 of the Year.

Some notable players left out and the team fails to recognise what certain players did for their clubs and instead picks some players either on their reputation or just who they play for.

Here is the team FIFA picked:

----------------------------Iker Casillas-----------------------------

Dani Alves------ Gerard Pique---------Sergio Ramos----------Marcelo---

------------Xabi Alonso----------Xavi--------------Iniesta------------

Messi--------------------------Falcao---------------------Ronaldo---

I strongly disagree about Dani Alves and Pique being in that team, as they have hardly been magnificent and Pique hasn't played much and has been out of form.

I remember last week CNN's Pedro Pinto made his FIFA World 11 and he gets all of his picks spot on in my opinion.

Here is the team he picked:

--------------------------------Cech----------------------------

Ramos------------Chiellini----------------Kompany---------Alba------

----------Yaya Toure-----------Pirlo-----------Iniesta---------

Messi--------------------------Falcao-------------------Ronaldo------

I know Malicious Fan has his reservations about Ramos, but he has been fantastic for Real Madrid this season and for Spain in Euro 2012 as a centre back.

Cech should have been included because of his heroics in helping Chelsea win the Champions League and FA Cup.

Cheillini should have been in the team because he was instrumental in Juventus's success in winning Serie A and going unbeaten for a whole season and for also helping Italy reach the Euro 2012 final.

Kompany should have been included because he was fantastic in helping Man City win the Premier League.

Jordi Alba deserves to be included in the team because he has been magnificent for Valencia, Barcelona and was one of the players of the tournament in Euro 2012.

Yaya Toure was arguably Man City's best player in helping them win the Premier League and he was also voted African Player of the Year.

Pirlo like Cheillini should be included for the exact same reason except like Alba he was arguably the best player in Euro 2012.

By the way Vicente Del Bosque won Manager of the Year.