Mails: LVG will never win the PL title

Got anything to add on any subject? Mail us at theeditor@football365.com

 

It’s called progress
Under Moyes as a Manchester United fan I used to want to look away every time the opposition had the ball, this season I want to look away whenever Manchester United have the ball. Van Gaal’s making some progress I guess…
Dan, Edinburgh

 

Man United need Pep or Carlo to win PL
I can categorically state with all conviction that Man utd will not win the league under LVG; not this season nor the season after. That dreadful, boring, slow possession football which is the epitome of the term sterile domination will just ensure top four behind City and Arsenal. If we were not rubbish at penalties, we may at least bore our way through the domestic cups, as for the UCL, the first decent team will gently nudge us out (after a 99% possession of course). I appreciate he has steadied the sinking boat, trimmed the crew and is at least sailing not too far from the big boys. I’m not going to start on the negatives and baffling issues that has United fans across screaming their lungs out.

My major concern is the next managerial appointment after LVG, there can be no more experiments after the disaster of Moyes, and the confused philosophy of LVG; which is why I don’t subscribe to the anointment of Giggs. No one knows how he’ll perform, too much of a gamble which in the EPL of today is too risky. So the question is who are the best options?

My personal first choice since the dark Moyes days is a certain bearded German who now leads that lot in Merseyside. So it’s now between Pep and Carlo…the important thing is to spend wisely, get in the right players, play attacking football and maybe win something, but more importantly play good attacking football with players expressing themselves not being hindered or caged.

Both managers play attacking football, Pep does possession but with lots of pace up front. They are both winners, tho Pep edges it on league titles, Carlo is more suited to the cups.
Will prefer Pep if he can be convinced to forget London, what are your thoughts mailboxers?
Godled Chimere, MUFC, Lagos (sick and tired of philosophy,isn’t logic a branch of philosophy?)

 

…LVG is a good manager due to his past achievements but as a united fan we look at his current achievements. He brought us to the top four but rather than comparing him to Ferguson let’s compare him to his predecessor. Boring, turgid football…both have it in their locker. The use of players in rigid systems and told to not lose games. Very apparent in both sets of teams.

Even the staunchest of supporters agree on one thing – our football is dire. I understand the building of the defence so as to then think about the attack. We have one of the best defences in the league, so when is this transition going to take place? LVG bemoaned a lack of pace up front last year when he ended up getting Di Maria. Now players such as Rooney and Mata (on the wings) make the play entirely predictable because their defensive counterparts know they can beat them on strength and speed alone.

LVG should leave because his insistence on a playing a specific way is his main strength and weakness. Wenger and Guardiola have been previously slated for doing something similar. The change in fortune came when their teams mixed it up a bit. LvG has shown he clearly will not change his playing style at any point and that’s the reason he should leave.

I’m sure the next response will be fans don’t know anything about football and I’m plastic….I love it when people say that it’s in our DNA to back our manager. NO!! The manager has a right to please the fans. I’ll back a manager who shows me progress. LVG has spent 1/4 of a billion (250 mill for those who cant maths). There’ll obviously be progress, picture Moyes having the same amount or Sherwood or Redknapp or any other mediocre crazy manager. They would buy wingers, a big second striker, keep Rooney as Moyes and LVG have done. We would probably still be in the same place. The difference being they would know all the fans will be on their backs because they’ve seen how their previous teams have set up.

If any hard-boiled united fans watched LVG Bayern’s team or properly watch the Dutch World Cup team. They were so bad when playing with mid-level teams and countries and would show up at times when they meet good teams but the best teams would crush them. Under LVG we will not win anything, more importantly we will not win the league.
Nelson MUFC (don’t get me started on Giggs as manager)

 

Man United need wingers
Another weekend, another decent performance from midfield and yet again the worrying trend of few chances created continues.

I know that everyone wants to blame Rooney for that because he’s the nominal striker, but that really misses the point – he’s not getting much in the way of support, and no striker can do anything without it. You can try to claim he’s not showing movement, but the linking up with Martial should (though it won’t) put that to bed. But the reality is, we should be creating a lot more chances than that for him to get on to. Had he managed to sneak his toe to it, it would only have papered over the crack. Once again, I saw Wayne trying to link up play, making astute passes and being available but with not much going on around him.

I have a feeling that we’re a dam about to burst forth with goals, but also fear it’s just hope rather than based in anything. It’s not that we’re not finishing our many chances, but that we’re not creating them. It’s ideal for the CL, but not the league.

Where is the problem? Personally, I think it’s probably the lack of speed through midfield, and the transition into a supported attack. Most of us have grown up with Sir Alex’s fast and open football and 442. That Rooney and Ronaldo break wouldn’t happen now.

I fancy that if we moved back to that (rather than wingers who cut in), with Martial and Rooney paired up front, supported by just two from Mata, Herrera, Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin and then two wingers, things would be so much better. The only way to win is by scoring goals, but if you overload a midfield, you starve a game of air.
Guy S (Rooney and Martial could be an incredible partnership)

 

LVG tactics only works with a superstar
Another poor display, the same people not performing and even a few new ones thrown in as well. Not really much point repeating the same points that have been made so many times before. This week could be difficult for Utd, Moscow looked well organised in the first leg, as do WBA who have also kept a few clean sheets of late. These limited but well organised teams are exactly what Utd struggle against now. It wouldn’t surprise me to see another blank or even twi. The pressure on Van Gaal and Rooney is increasing week by week now. He needs to get them scoring more goals.

I think Cabaye said that Utd have nothing against an organised team, and he is right to a large extent. The only way this set up will work in the PL is if you have a Bale/Suarez/Ronaldo/Messi type player who can score from nothing. Utd don’t have that. As I have said before, Van Gaal has done a good job stabilising the team. They are more solid in defence & midfield and have a better squad (albeit a thin one). I would hope that Woodward is at least considering other options for next year. I don’t think LVG should be sacked now or anything but if Pep and Ancelotti are available in the summer, then he should be considering that option. If they are hell bent on giving Giggs the job at some stage, then maybe a year or two working with Ancelotti would be good for him. It would also be good for the fans to see the team attack again!
Dan, Ireland, MUFC

 

I will not miss LVG when he goes…
I am neither pro nor anti LVG but after the Palace game, where United were not just ‘bad on MoTD highlights’ levels of awful but an entire 90 minutes of eye-gouging cack, his biggest concern was that we gave the ball away too much.

“The main factor today was that we didn’t keep the ball, and that’s very important in football. Because of that, we don’t create so many chances.”

This is patently not true. For the bulk of the first half we dominated possession but made no chances. Possession does not equal chances. It feels like he thinks good football will create goals rather than creating goals being good football. It is a small but subtle difference and one that can take a team from functional to fantastic, from good to great and, most importantly, from dull to dazzling.

I’d rather we were dominating and controlling games with blistering attacking football, taking games away from teams rather than just taking the ball away from them.

He will be gone in 18 months and will likely leave behind a Champions League club with a squad capable of great things. I will be grateful for what he will have done, but I cannot say I will be sorry to see him go.
Andreas Hunter, St Albans

 

Rooney: punch-drunk boxer
I never write in to criticise a Utd player after bad results, and this isn’t necessarily an attack on Rooney for the result.

However, I mentioned on here a few years back that Rooney has the lifestyle and character of a Ricky Hatton-type of person and suggested he will burn out a little too early in his career.

You only need to compare the lifestyles of top players to notice how long they last.

Ronaldo spends his summers eating healthy and keeping the fitness levels fairly high whilst enjoying the sunny holidays. He’ll be scoring 20 goals a season when he is 33.

Rooney spends his summers eating junk, piling on the pounds while smoking and drinking on the sunny holidays. He’ll be scoring very little when he is 33.

Just like Hatton, the lifestyle has caught up. Inside Rooney, there is still a good footballer, but the legs are gone and as a result the confidence is shot. He knows it. There is nothing he can do to change that.

In boxing, Hatton fought on and took a serious hammering in his last few fights which was sad to watch (even though I detested the man). The same is now happening with Rooney.
Gary B (Makes me sad watching videos of Rooney pre-2012 in comparison to now)

 

Seriously…stop moaning
I know this follows the regular format – bad performance from a big team, teams fans whine then other fans write in to say stop whining.

But seriously, stop whining. We’re fourth and four points off top, admittedly we’re garbage to watch but there have been wholesale changes at United since last season and we are naturally lacking some fluency. Rooney has been absolute dog turd but think where we could go if he improves/gets dropped? I’m not for a second expecting us to improve and jump up the table any time soon, but I am still confident of a strong second half to the season, mainly because we spent loads of money and that pretty much determines where you finish, so…we’ll finish top three?

Oh and Mohamed, you were ‘BORN a Manchester Utd supporter, not made’ – what in the shuddering f*ck does that mean?! I’m genuinely curious? You came out of the womb singing about the Busby Babes? I’ve been reading this site for over a decade and that is without doubt one of the stupidest things I’ve read. Seriously, if you make statements like that make them in private.
Jack (Made not Born) Manchester
Imagine if United had listened to Best
I’m probably in the minority at this point but I still support LVG and expect he will turn things around. I can understand why many find his decisions baffling, frustrating and can see why he would turn most clubs’ supporters against him considering how poor our football is right now. I suspect we may never get the free-flowing football we crave as United supporters with LVG, however he will do a lot of good during his stint at the club. Let me explain.

Once upon a time Fergie faced the same wrath of many United fans and players, much like LVG has in recent weeks. On the anniversary of Ferguson’s third year at the club, during a match against Crystal Palace (eery isn’t it?) in December 1989 a banner was flown by a section of United supporters stating ‘Three years of excuses and its still crap…Tara Fergie’.

But it wasn’t just the fans that were demanding for his sacking, ex-United legends like George Best famously stated “I wouldn’t walk around the corner to watch United play these days” summing up his feelings towards Fergusons brand of football being put on offer.

Imagine if the board had listened to fans and Bests pearls of wisdom in the winter of 1989, where would United be now?

Now I’m not for a second stating LVG is in on par with Ferguson, nor am I stating he will bring in the same level of success, he obviously can’t. However, I am simply bringing some perspective to proceedings here.

It was never going to be easy post Ferguson and the first few managers after Fergie were always taking up a poisoned chalice. But I personally believe LVG has done a great job so far considering the depth of the rebuilding that was required post Ferguson. Fergie left an aged defence with Rio & Vidic calling it day and Evra leaving the following year. As for the midfield Fergie decided to neglect this area completely and rely on aged players like Scholes and Giggs to shore things up, even calling Scholes out of retirement. Finally our forwards consisted of Rooney, RVP who had only had one great season behind him and a confidenc- crushed Chicca and talentless Welbeck. Add in the dead wood around the place like Nani, Bebe, Fletcher, Anderson and you soon realise how big a task LVG has had since July 2014. Using the club’s expenditure as a stick to beat him with is void for me because quite clearly between Ferguson and Moyes the club was in need of a rebuild.

The man is here roughly 15 months give or take, considering he arrived late last summer and didn’t really get time to analyse his squad that summer. So he’s realistically had last winter’s transfer window and this summer to work with. He has bought wisely for the most part, Di Maria of course the stand out casualty, however he is still struggling in Paris from all reports so perhaps this isn’t down to another LVG fall-out? Looking at Darmian, Shaw, Herrera, Martial, Memphis and Schneiderlin they all look like they could well be wise investments for the future and will no doubt make up the spine of future United teams.

If LVG fails to deliver league or cup success then so be it, he will keep us competitive and remain around the top four and leave a squad in a very healthy condition and for his successor to work with, to tweak and add attacking flair he may not get time to do.
Kirk Loco

 

Klopp > Rodgers
Saturday’s result justifies the over-the-top reaction to Klopp’s arrival. If Rodgers was at the helm on Saturday, Liverpool do not win that game, simple as that.

The performance by Liverpool shows the gulf between a manager like Klopp and a manager like Rodgers. Let us remember that NONE of the players playing in red on Saturday are ‘Klopp’s guys’ yet he still got a result. A bloody good one at that.

I would like to echo Eoghan, LFC from this morning’s mailbox by saying let’s not get ahead of ourselves saying Liverpool is nailed on for fourth place. Let’s just take it one game at a time and be happy we are back to winning ways. Remember we are a Skrtel injury away from a Lovren-Sakho CB partnership.

Speaking of Lovren, top trolling by Klopp to put on the much-maligned center back on in midfield so he and his yellow boots could stroll around the midfield while the traveling KOP sand “You’re not special anymore!”
Brian (I would like to take this space to praise Winty. She got the 16 conclusions spot on and I don’t think she gets enough credit on this site quite frankly) LFC

 

Saturday: Turning point for all
I may be stating the bleedin obvious here but I truly reckon that Saturday’s game was a big turning point for both Liverpool and Chelsea. I had a feeling Chelsea might use this match to pull it all together on Saturday and feared the worst after a few minutes. I thought that this maybe was where their season changed But clearly their problems really are deep and I now feel that they are mortally wounded and can only see their confidence and strength sapping even more. They have a trip to Stoke at the weekend – not really where they would choose to go – but I honestly don’t see any team being one they would relish at the moment. I think every team in the Premiership should go for the kill with Chelsea while they are down. I think even Sunderland could put them under pressure at the moment.

Who is going to rally them together because that is clearly what they need at the very least – and it was obvious on Saturday that their usual spirit and togetherness was non-existent. The powers-that-be at Chelsea have some tough decisions as it really does seem to be do you side with Jose or the senior players who are clearly not with him? I think we are seeing how remarkable and how rarely we will ever see again, the power that Fergie had at Utd. This would not have happened to him – no matter what he had done – the club backed him over everybody and everything. It will be interesting to see if Jose has similar power. I doubt it. In world football only Wenger really has anywhere near that type of hold of the reins due to his length of stay at the club.

On Liverpool – again I think it could have gone either way – if they had been beaten their confidence could have been really dented. As it was I thought they played excellently – considering the personnel they had on offer. Their passing and movement at times was very impressive – really quick and sharp – they ran Chelsea ragged. Shows what I know though as I will admit to thinking after 15 mins when Coutinho had been booked – get him off now and bring on Benteke. I honestly thought it was the obvious move. And I was still thinking it until the 48th minute.
Steven Hunt, LFC

 

Any normal club would sack Jose
The biggest problem Chelsea have is they appear to be a club that’s trying to backtrack and act with class – but for the past decade or so that’s been an alien concept at the Bridge.

They’ve seen how the two decade managers Ferguson and Wenger are worshipped by their fans so Chelsea’s fans (at least those at the stadium) are trying to rally around Mourinho like he’s been their only manager over the past decade.

The problem is it wasn’t Mourinho who won them the Champions League nor the league and cup double (League Cup doesn’t count). He was fired after his first three years in charge last time. A lot of these players aren’t his players and there’s no point pretending that they are.

What Chelsea need is someone who can build a team from the ground up and do it over a long-term period. I’m not sure Mourinho has it in him to be there for the long haul even if he says he does.

Sticking by your manager is an admirable trait but in this instance it seems rather foolish. In the cold light of day some of these players are no longer playing for the manager in a team that was champions.

The choice is sell all of the players who aren’t putting in a performance or sack the manager. Any normal club would opt for the latter but Chelsea isn’t a normal club.
Graham Simons, Gooner, Norf London

 

Chelsea: Not boring anymore
Wow! Just wow. I never imagined myself saying these words, Chelsea are really exciting to watch. Remember that debate we had not long ago about Chelsea being boring, I take that back. This is the most scintillating team to watch at the moment in the league! Their defenders are really providing us with top notch entertainment. At this rate I think their match-day ticket should be increased to be in line with the quality of entertainment they are providing.
Posab (Keep it up Jose) Botswana

 

Jose’s substitutions make no sense
After using the ‘parking the bus’ metaphor to describe Tottenhams tactics at the Bridge under Martin Jol after a 0-0 draw, it’s often been thrown back in Jose’s face as his own default tactic.

With the game locked at 1-1 on Saturday he withdrew his midfield marshall Mikel for Fabregas even though Matic was on the bench. I believe he did this as he was aggrieved at the non-sending off of Lucas and with Mikel having already been booked, thought he would get a second and be sent off himself.

This is console game football management. Mikel, for all the criticism levelled at him, was helping hold the performance together. Chelsea were by no means out of the game. It was a moment of tactical madness and naivety from Mourinho which cost them the match and for that reason he needs to shoulder the blame for defeat.
Baz (LVG wants Jol’s Arriva job now) Dublin
…Out for a walk this morning and it suddenly hits me: why did Mourinho substitute on Falcao on Saturday? Remy is on the bench, so what person who is still thinking straight puts on Falcao? I mean, Falcao?

Mourinho may or may not have lost the dressing room, but he definitely seems to have lost any common sense he may have had.
Seán (also that Mikel and Ramires midfield?), LFC, Limerick

 

Defending Chelsea and Costa
I’m sure writing in defence of Costa and Chelsea right now is a losing battle. So I will pre-emptively accept that people will laugh at me for being a bitter, whinging sore loser.

This mail may come across that way, but believe me, I am not. I fully accept that Chelsea deserved to lose, and that Liverpool played extremely well. And again, defending Costa is difficult, because the man is a panto villain of the highest order who frequently oversteps the mark.

But for those who truly believe he is the devil incarnate, did you know he followed up THAT game at Arsenal with a trip to Peppa Pig world? Not with his kids. Just him. Can you really hate a man who tears up defenders on a Saturday and unwinds on Sunday by going to Peppa Pig world, on his own?

Anyway, the key talking point from Saturday’s match in this morning’s mailbox? Costa’s brushing of Skrtel with his boots. An incident the referee saw and decided, rightly or wrongly, wasn’t worth doing anything about. The second was how Chelsea players rolled around and dived and appealed for Lucas to be sent off while Skrtel manfully dealt with Costa’s latest dirty episode.

But nobody’s mentioned Skrtel’s elbow on Costa early in the first half. I have a BT box, so was able to watch it several times, as apparently it didn’t merit a proper replay. It was a clear and absolute sending-off, and a deliberate attempt to hurt an opponent. I will note at this point that Costa also did not try to get Skrtel sent off – something I believe the Liverpool man reciprocated later on.

The second thing to note is that Lucas carried out three yellow card worthy challenges in the first half, and how he wasn’t booked for at least one of them is beyond me. So the fact that he was even on the field to commit his fifth of the game understandably grates.

Finally, for those who didn’t watch the game live and therefore missed Howard Webb’s half-time analysis – referees are ordered to play as close to two minutes as possible, only extending this time (hence the minimum) for subsequent substitutions and injuries. Playing two or three seconds extra is allowed but allowing a long final attack like Clattenburg did is not. But still, play to the whistle and all that.

Anyway, everything seems to go your way when you’re on a roll, and when you’re stuck in a rut like Chelsea, every piece of bad luck seems to stack up.

But the truth is that Chelsea have not really been hard done by. When your all-round play is dreadful and you have obvious, glaring, flaws like Chelsea do, you tend to make critical mistakes that are easily punished. See Liverpool goals one, two and three on Saturday.

As I think someone here said, the game is passing Jose by. He’s stuck in a mindset of allowing the other team possession and capitalising on their mistakes. But Chelsea don’t counter with pace, they don’t control the ball and they don’t press high enough up the field. Why, if the team looks nervous and concedes an average of two goals a game, does he get them to defend a one-goal lead on their 18-yard box for 85 minutes?

Much as I want him to turn it around, I don’t think he will get the time. He will be our greatest-ever manager for a long time to come, but he wasn’t backed in the summer and the current team looks out of shape, unmotivated and completely exhausted.

My bet, having read Dan Levene’s Eurosport article this morning, would be that he’s going after the Stoke game. Two week international break follows…and another ex in the form of Carlo or Guus.
Harry, CFC, (For the last time…these are parentheses, brackets are square) London

 

Get out of your cage, Johnny
So I assume you’re sending John Nicholson to Chelsea’s next press conference, because we’d all like to see someone stand up to Jose and his pathetic antics? Or does he only bark from the safety of his cage?
Toby ‘CTFC’ Hudson

 

…Following John Nicholson’s latest piece, please please please please please please get him some credentials and get him into the next Mourinho presser.

Two possible, glorious outcomes, (a) Nicholson is revealed as a coward, who won’t put his own todger in the fire, but will urge others to do so or (b) Nicholson and the Special One going mano a mano in the Stamford Bridge car park while the assorted hacks hold the coats and chant “Fight Fight Fight”

If cash is the problem, I’m sure we can crowdfund this in about 30 seconds.
Phil (who do you think would win?) Stokoe

 

Get Paxman
I’ve become increasingly frustrated with the post-match interviews with Jose Mourinho, and the failure of the interviewer to ask sensible questions. They’re just playing into his hands and allowing him to control the wider debate.

On Saturday he managed to make the point that “in the second half we were good until that point [Lucas not getting sent off]” without anyone pointing out that a) Costa should have already gone, and b) “You were good until nothing changed. That doesn’t make sense.”

I understand that Jerremy Paxman is out of work at the moment and wondered if it would be possible to engage him on MOTD for a few weeks. Imagine how the interview might have gone…

J: “Jose, in recent weeks you’ve complained about a conspiracy at the FA. Do you think they’re conspiring to allow Diego Costa to get away with stamping on Liverpool player. He should have been sent off again shouldn’t he?”

Or

J: “Jose, you’re clearly unhappy about the Lucas challenge, but isn’t the real issue the fact that your team have been utterly rubbish all season?”

Followed by…

J: “You’re not answering the question. The officials have nothing to do with this. Chelsea are rubbish. What is the problem?”

Repeat until petulant Portuguese storms off…

J: “Come back and answer the question, you big girl’s blouse”
Rob

 

Coming over here, taking our jobs…
I have been hearing a lot of criticism of Aston Villa’s impending appointment of Remi Garde based on firstly him not being British and secondly the fact he has no Premier League experience, this despite having played three seasons in said league.

Even ignoring this fact I just do not understand why people see this as an issue. Looking at the current top eight Premier League teams, all have foreign coaches of which only two had Premier League management experience before starting at their current club. Conversely 80% (before Sherwood’s sacking) of the teams in the bottom half of the league are managed by British coaches of which six had Premier League experience before taking on their current role.

Of course I am not saying that having a foreign manager with no Premier League experience equals surefire success but equally the opposite is not true (and yes I know that if Eddie Howe gets Bournemouth to finish 17th this is a success).

On top of this I feel that we have to give Randy Lerner some slack here. In nine seasons he has employed British coaches in every season except one solitary season with ‘Premier League experienced’ Houllier. In fact I would argue that Villa’s insistence on employing only British managers (in 140 years, Villa have been managed for only two seasons by Johnny Foreigners) has been part of the reason why they have fallen so far behind.

I believe Garde could have a similar impact to Pochettino, Koeman, Flores or Bilic and that Lerner has earned the right to make this ‘gamble’.
Paul, London

 

Why Watford are excellent
Admittedly we’re only eleven games into the season (insert marathon/sprint cliché here), but it should already be very clear why Watford are likely to survive while Norwich and Bournemouth are significantly less likely. While Alex Neil and Eddie Howe have put their faith in a well-drilled attack, Quique Flores has put defence first. The back four sit deep, two holding midfielders protect, and the attackers do what they can. When Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo are on form, it works a treat. When not, at least there’s a chance at a draw. It’s not a romantic approach, but this is 2015. And as of now, they’ve won more games than they’ve lost.

What makes Watford’s record even more impressive is that they’ve done it without much of a contribution from José Manuel Jurado, signed as their chief playmaker. He started the season poorly, then got injured. Somewhere along the line he should be useful, and that’ll give them another attacking option.

Again, we’re a long way from the finish line. But if the squad stays healthy, it’s be a surprise if they’re ever in serious jeopardy.

And Quique Flores has a great beard.
Peter G, Pennsylvania, USA (lookalikes: Jack Butland and Ricky Gervais)

 

Thanking Mediawatch for Anya love
I have a new favourite footballer and his name is Ikechi Anya. What an absolute gem!

Is it too much to ask for other footballers to learn from his humility?
Andrew (Unfortunately I think we all know the answer) Stevens

 

More credit for Leicester please
I used to be an avid reader of Football365, in the past year or so though I stopped reading it, no reason really just sort of moved away from it.

Anyway today I thought I’d take a look.

My side Leicester City are undoubtedly one of the stories of the season so far, a lot of pundits wrote us off as relegation fodder and predicted Ranieri would be sacked come Christmas.

Now being a Leicester fan I am always thinking the worst could happen so I’m not shouting from the tree tops that we will be playing in the Champions League next year, for me the quicker we get to 40 points the better and I can start to relax.

My issue is I logged onto your website and on the home page there is not a single mention of us, nothing. A side third in the table with an England striker scoring for fun and having come from a goal down away from home to a very mean defence to take all three points. Nothing, zilch.

I wonder if it’s perhaps embarrassment, “look lads we all thought they’d be rubbish and they’re showing us up by winning all these games”.

It’s not just us either, you don’t seem to mention anyone really apart from the two Manchester sides, and the big London clubs, and when you do mention the ‘small’ clubs winning it always seems to be from the perspective of how bad the “big” side were.

To be honest I’ve not seen anything that will make me come back to reading your website anytime soon, it’s a shame really as it could be a good site.
Simon Eaton, Leicester

(It’s Monday afternoon and Leicester played on Saturday – of course there is no mention on the homepage. We have written about Leicester notably here and here but we can’t say every week what a great story they are. It makes no sense from an editorial or business point of view – Editor).

 

More credit for Monreal please
Been wondering why our most improved player Nacho Monreal hasn’t been getting any attention. Is it because he’s so consistent in keeping opposing wingers in his pocket? He’s been one of the best if not the best left-back in the country right now. Also, his other Spanish partner playing at right-back isn’t too bad either. Take notice.
Romeo AFC, Toronto

(Credit like this? – Editor)
Is this Sunderland’s year?
For many seasons I have found my hopes for Sunderland to go down (nothing against the people of Sunderland, it’s just the worst away trip in the league!) dashed by their terrific use of the new manager bounce effect joker card. Time and again a new guy has come in, when they’ve looked dead in the water, and turned them around for such a fleeting moment that they manage to survive before finding themselves smack bang in trouble again the following season. For this reason I was delighted that they were hammered against Everton as it suggests their joker card will be ineffective this time and it might finally be the end of them. Knowing how persistent they are though I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see Allardyce with a P45 in early February when they play their second, more effective, joker…
James (not a Newcastle fan) Barker

 

Fat Sam loses grand slam
The self-congratulatory stuff you’ve been doing recently has really grinded (ground?) my gears…but the fact that no-one has lauded your headline from the Everton-Sunderland game has riled me to a greater extent. It appears that the Black Cats are still the very best at being bad, and if things don’t change I think they’ll be down, down, down and out.

Aside from that, If Jose goes this week, I envisage that anybody who is anybody could soon walk through that door.

I’ll stop now.
Alex (I was born to be a dancer now…yeah), Manchester

 

Stranger than fiction
From Winners and Losers this morning, on Jamie Vardy:

‘Not since Harold Kane has a fictional character scored so many goals.’

Wait until you see what they’ve got lined up for next season; something they’re calling Robert Zamora (they could have gone for a more realistic name).

Apparently, this time, he’s back from the dead…
Mike (parenthetically challenged), CCFC, Cork
More Winty please
Just loved reading both the 16 conclusions from the Chelsea v Liverpool game and the Winners and Losers column.

Just loved the tone and audacity to include Daniel Storey in the Losers column.

Great stuff!

More Sarah please
Paul McDevitt