BlufPurdi

Alexi Lalas Carlos Valderrama Marco Gabbiadini

Vinny Jones Fraser Wishart Jason Lee

Theo Snelders.

Christ, people actually took this seriously.

Isn't £12m the alleged minimum release clause price...? [/stir]

Miserable, fought back too late. First-half diagnosis? Second-half diagnosis? Full-time diagnosis? Star man for United? Worst United player? Opposition comment? Toon-pros? Toon-cons? Post-match feelings?

Voted for Big Sam, but would prefer Hiddink. I don't think he's possible though.

Even though he's only half-decent?

SPAIN: Don't really like any Spanish team, but I remember rooting for Barca when they got mauled 4-0 by AC Milan when I was about 10. ITALY: AC Milan - Something has always drawn my attention to them, destroying Barca being one of them. FRANCE: - Aye, right. No-one watches French football. GERMANY: Bayern Munich - Wish our club was run half as well as this lot. A lot to admire in Bayern Munich. blueyes.gif PORTUGAL: No-one watches Portuguese football. HOLLAND: Ajax - Produced some great displays when I was a kid. Stuck with me, I suppose. SCOTLAND Rangers - Grew up in that part of Glasgow, and I never got shit for being English, there's enough of them in Ibrox. Been to just as many Celtic games, though, but Rangers were the closest I ever came to celebrating/enjoying a match.

As much as everyone's having a pop at Vic (unwarranted, in my opinion), there was a reasonable debate within this thread before it got all petty (both sides).

Yes Jose did have the money. Why are you rolling your eyes? He took Chelsea from 2nd to 1st and he did spend a lot of money. They now look like they will finish 2nd again. You're comparing him to Wenger who went a season unbeaten on a fraction of the budget and reached the Champions League final last season. Doesn't really help your argument. Man Utd have spent money but have made a lot of that money through sales. Ferguson built the club up gradually and earnt that money, yet you're undermining this. He's rebuilt his Man Utd team time and time again and won the league year on year on year. Mourinho has 2 league titles but his poor transfer dealings have cost him this time IMO and once again Ferguson has took his team back to the top. Mourinho doesn't deserve more money and might not get it. It'll be interesting to see how he copes, espescially if Man Utd spend well again this summer. Why is Mourinho not allowed to build a team? How can someone be expected to "build" a team in such a short time? Besides, didn't do too badly eh? But mest be trebles all round. Why must he win everything, each year, just because he has more money than everyone else? Was this expected of Man U a decade ago? Were people then writing off Ferguson's prior acheivements because he only managed to qualify for the UEFA cup one year? That is, despite having spent considerable amounts of money the seasons in and around that? I'm not trying to be ridiculous, but when you write off his Porto acheivements due to luck, then ignore the fact Man U were extremely luck themselves to win their one and only CL, and still hold Fergie up (I'm not knocking him, I'm using your standards on him, although you're choosing to apply them only to Mourinho), I think that's harsh. Mourinho has to try and strike a balance. Does he buy the best players in every position? Well no, he said he wouldn't at the start, he wanted to build a team. However, it steamrollered everyone, he lifted the bar, and the rest have simply caught up. Every manager has a blip season, the very best of them. Far too much is made of the money, it's just not as simple as that.

Take that as a no, then.

What half-decent motivator has won the CL? Alex Ferguson Half-decent. what, you think Fergie has a p.h.d in man management now? Well, for arguments sake, let's say fine to him, is that it? Not exactly flooding with CL's these "half-decent motivators", are they?

What half-decent motivator has won the CL? Alex Ferguson Half-decent.

And guess who wanted big Shev... And guess who's showing him up? Drogba, Mourinho's signing.

What half-decent motivator has won the CL?

Why is nothing made of the competition? Not just in England, but teams like Barcelona etc? Why does it just revert back to the money? Why does no-one take into account that because Chelsea are rich, other clubs take them for a ride up the arse? Why is nothing made of the money Man U have spent over the years? Why is "world-class" Wenger still considered the best when he's had, let's be honest, two pretty rotten seasons? I know he didn't have the money, but to go from league champions to 4th twice in two years, is pretty drastic. Why is Porto described as lucky? Was Man U/Bayern not a fucking fluke of the highest order? Where have they been since? I could keep asking questions, but Jose had the money.

And all the best managers do at several times in their careers. Ferguson, Capello, Hitzfeld, Benitez, could go on, have all also been found wanting in the CL at certain times, and all with brilliant teams. Which is often over looked when people focus on a manager and want to run him down on his own. I doubt Capello, Hitzfeld or Benitez would fail to even reach the Champions League final if they had three years with the Chelsea squad and an unlimited transfer budget. Ifs and buts, and regardless of the amount Chelsea have spent, it's not always been on good players. Those other managers have bought shite players too, you know, they just didn't have a minumum of £25m to bid for them. Yes, all managers make good and bad signings, Mourinho has had significantly more money to do so than most. I'm not sure what point you're making. I think people focus too much on the money, and half the signings are fucking Roman's.

And all the best managers do at several times in their careers. Ferguson, Capello, Hitzfeld, Benitez, could go on, have all also been found wanting in the CL at certain times, and all with brilliant teams. Which is often over looked when people focus on a manager and want to run him down on his own. I doubt Capello, Hitzfeld or Benitez would fail to even reach the Champions League final if they had three years with the Chelsea squad and an unlimited transfer budget. Ifs and buts, and regardless of the amount Chelsea have spent, it's not always been on good players. Those other managers have bought shite players too, you know, they just didn't have a minumum of £25m to bid for them.

As the old saying goes, you make your own luck. I agree he may be overrated like, and that was the risk with taking the easy (in my opinion) job at Chelsea, the success was always going to be doubted. I don't hold it against him for not winning the CL with them though, you're up against the other best managers in the world at the late stages. To be found "wanting" is no shame, as your opponent was probably found wanting the year before.

Agree with all of that, bar the Cole bit.

And all the best managers do at several times in their careers. Ferguson, Capello, Hitzfeld, Benitez, could go on, have all also been found wanting in the CL at certain times, and all with brilliant teams. Which is often over looked when people focus on a manager and want to run him down on his own. Agree with Brewer on Cole like.