2011-12 EPL Thread

[The Coon Dog]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

Neil Warnock sacked as manager of Queens Park Rangers

Queens Park Rangers have sacked manager Neil Warnock after a run of eight Premier League games without a win.

The 63-year-old took charge at Loftus Road in March 2010 and led Rangers to promotion last season, but leaves with them lying 17th in the top flight.

A statement on the club website said: "The board's commitment to retaining our Premier League status ultimately led to this decision."

Article in full...

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

They don't wait long do they.

Interesting the 'coaching differences' in that respect to AFL.

[Remi Moses]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

All this and Steve Keen remains!
Don't know what these new owners expect
Mark Hughes would be a dead set cert

[Topdog]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

Probably to have at least 1 win in their last 9 games and not to be 1 point out of relegation.

[Remi Moses]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

Probably to have at least 1 win in their last 9 games and not to be 1 point out of relegation.

They've just been promoted !
They have a mixture of good championship players and a few reasonable Premier league players. Sometimes owner expectations and reality are a galaxy apart.
Pretty harsh league as well

[westdog54]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

They've just been promoted !
They have a mixture of good championship players and a few reasonable Premier league players. Sometimes owner expectations and reality are a galaxy apart.
Pretty harsh league as well

This.

The Premier League is beyond harsh. It is cutthroat. Some owners/boards need to be able to take a step back and seriously consider whether a change of manager so late in the season is really what is necessary to ensure the ongoing success of the club, particularly one that is fighting to stave off relegation.

Look at Leeds United when they made the drop. David O'Leary leaves the job early in the season, Eddie Gray comes in and the club falls further, and they we're pretty much already gone when Gray got his marching orders.

[LostDoggy]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

They've just been promoted !
They have a mixture of good championship players and a few reasonable Premier league players. Sometimes owner expectations and reality are a galaxy apart.
Pretty harsh league as well

Yep.

Love to see the figures on how many new and relegation threatened teams over the past ten years have sacked the manager then sprung to life. Numbers would be very low.

[Twodogs]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

Mark Hughes would be a dead set cert

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/football/mark-hughes-confirmed-as-new-qpr-manager-20120111-1pu4z.html

[Twodogs]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

Notice more & more managers (generally of losing teams) now blaming refs after a game?

Seems there are 3 or 4 each week where a clear cut penalty should have been given, it wasn't a penalty, he was offside, there was a handball in the lead up etc...

Must have a thick skin to be a ref with so much scrutiny.

Who would want to be a ref, umpire etc nowadays with all the slow mo's, replays etc.

I'll confess to having a man crush on Arsene Wenger. It's not as big as my man crush on Thierry Henry but I still love the man. However I wish he'd shut the *!*!*!*! up with the whinging about refs at each and every post match presser or complaining to the fourth official while games are in progress.

Once or twice a season I could put up with but 38 times every season is a bit much.

[The Coon Dog]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

I'll confess to having a man crush on Arsene Wenger. It's not as big as my man crush on Thierry Henry but I still love the man. However I wish he'd shut the *!*!*!*! up with the whinging about refs at each and every post match presser or complaining to the fourth official while games are in progress.

Once or twice a season I could put up with but 38 times every season is a bit much.

No one does righteous indignation quite like Arsene, do they?

Commenting on the 4,216 red cards issued under his tenure, Arsene pushed the play button on his tape recorder, "I didn't seee zat".

[Rocco Jones]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

I'll confess to having a man crush on Arsene Wenger. It's not as big as my man crush on Thierry Henry but I still love the man. However I wish he'd shut the *!*!*!*! up with the whinging about refs at each and every post match presser or complaining to the fourth official while games are in progress.

Once or twice a season I could put up with but 38 times every season is a bit much.

I feel exactly the same. My man crush on Thierry is even bigger now!

[LostDoggy]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

This.

The Premier League is beyond harsh. It is cutthroat. Some owners/boards need to be able to take a step back and seriously consider whether a change of manager so late in the season is really what is necessary to ensure the ongoing success of the club, particularly one that is fighting to stave off relegation.

Look at Leeds United when they made the drop. David O'Leary leaves the job early in the season, Eddie Gray comes in and the club falls further, and they we're pretty much already gone when Gray got his marching orders.

It's stupid. I've been reading some fantastic interviews with former Premier League managers and owners, and a lot of the owners have admitted to being too quick on the trigger, especially in 50/50 situations. Sometimes there's a dead-cat bounce effect for a game or two (which owners get sucked into especially near the end of a close relegation race where they think the extra 3 or so points may make all the difference) but by-and-large it's just pointing the finger at the wrong person -- there's not a lot of 'being realistic' in some of these clubs.

Of course, the biggest problem isn't actually firing managers, it's constantly hiring the wrong people in the first place. It continues to amaze me how rubbish managers keep getting jobs simply based on how long they've been around, who they know, their playing record etc. The fact that Zola, who was an absolute failure at West Ham, was even considered for the QPR role says it all. Wonderful player, pretty hopeless coach.

[westdog54]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

I'll confess to having a man crush on Arsene Wenger. It's not as big as my man crush on Thierry Henry but I still love the man. However I wish he'd shut the *!*!*!*! up with the whinging about refs at each and every post match presser or complaining to the fourth official while games are in progress.

Once or twice a season I could put up with but 38 times every season is a bit much.

Nail, hammer head.

Arsene has a particular inability to see past what is good for him.

A few years ago there was consternation about whether EPL players should be released for world cup qualifiers. Wenger labelled the idea 'heresy'.

[LostDoggy]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

Nail, hammer head.

Arsene has a particular inability to see past what is good for him.

A few years ago there was consternation about whether EPL players should be released for world cup qualifiers. Wenger labelled the idea 'heresy'.

What a nutbar.

I love Arsene as a football philosopher, and he absolutely plays the type of football I like and agree with, and I've heard him a couple of times lecture on specific tactical aspects, and he's a pretty amazing thinker as far as the creation and exploitation of space goes...

BUT

He has massive blindspots, like the red card issue, pragmatism, and defensive tactics. His eye for talent is pretty poor when it comes to defenders and goalkeepers -- he loves the guys who can play it out from the back, but seems to forget important parts of their function (like stopping goals). He won all his trophies on the back of welding his amazing attacking principles (and players) to a very stable, experienced and professional defensive unit (Adams, Seaman, Keown etc.) built by George Graham, but he's proved unable or unwilling to recreate this unit in any way, shape or form. He should get an assistant who is a gun defensive coach (Avram Grant, Martin Jol etc.) and just hand over the entire 'without the ball' part of the team's tactics to the new guy.

[Twodogs]

Re: 2011-12 EPL Thread

No one does righteous indignation quite like Arsene, do they?

Commenting on the 4,216 red cards issued under his tenure, Arsene pushed the play button on his tape recorder, "I didn't seee zat".

Righteous indignation is the right term. Sometimes I think it just excuses errors or lack of effort by players. Not every loss or poor performance is the ref's fault.

I feel exactly the same. My man crush on Thierry is even bigger now!

I didnt think it could get any bigger, but it is now. He could do with losing the bum fluff though.

Nail, hammer head.

Arsene has a particular inability to see past what is good for him.

A few years ago there was consternation about whether EPL players should be released for world cup qualifiers. Wenger labelled the idea 'heresy'.

Yeah I remember the heresy line and thinking "This isnt going to end well"

What a nutbar.

I love Arsene as a football philosopher, and he absolutely plays the type of football I like and agree with, and I've heard him a couple of times lecture on specific tactical aspects, and he's a pretty amazing thinker as far as the creation and exploitation of space goes...

BUT

He has massive blindspots, like the red card issue, pragmatism, and defensive tactics. His eye for talent is pretty poor when it comes to defenders and goalkeepers -- he loves the guys who can play it out from the back, but seems to forget important parts of their function (like stopping goals). He won all his trophies on the back of welding his amazing attacking principles (and players) to a very stable, experienced and professional defensive unit (Adams, Seaman, Keown etc.) built by George Graham, but he's proved unable or unwilling to recreate this unit in any way, shape or form. He should get an assistant who is a gun defensive coach (Avram Grant, Martin Jol etc.) and just hand over the entire 'without the ball' part of the team's tactics to the new guy.

Isnt that Pat Rice's job? Rice played most of his career as a dour defender and has been Arsene's right hand man since Wenger arrived at the club. It doesnt help that Gibbs and Santos have been out for so long with injuries. It also doesnt help that Mertesacker just doesnt seem to be comfortable wih the pace of EPL. I just dont know why we wouldnt go hard after a player like Gary Cahill. Still after the goalkeeper's spot being such a problem for us over the last few years it's good to see Szczesny making the job his own over the last year.