LucaAltieri

It's a facade. He gives the media what they want in order to divert focus. There's a reason he can say what he wants and still share a bottle of wine with just about any manager in the league. They all know what's up. He's a great manager, in part down to his media presence, but even ignoring that he's tactically very good. It's seldom players fail to perform under him. Chelsea's striker situation being a notable exception, and something he inherited. As much as I rate Klopp and Wenger neither are as good as Mourinho. Guardiola is a fair shout. It's also with noting that while Barca were at their peak very few teams could handle them. Mourinho regularly worked out ways to best them and while at multiple clubs too. He did it at Inter, at Real, and was within a referees decision of doing it with Chelsea the first time around. The man is the best on the modern game. Don't let his distraction tactics fool you.

Can't help but love the man. Best manager around today.

I kind of just continued on with the debate in the Liverpool thread. Had Solskjaer and Hernandez lined up next week... Why not Kevin Phillips and James Beatie?

http://tunein.com/topic/?TopicId=60669517 About 20 minutes in, some interesting discussion on Altidore.

It's more than just a question of getting a striker. They lack goals but that's in part down to them having no invention or creativity in the team. A striker may do the trick if it's someone who can singlehandedly win games like an Andy Carroll type - someone who can play route 1 boring football successfully. Otherwise they need to bring in a creative midfield player who can get the likes of Altidore chances even he can't miss.

And in that time have scored 1 goal. 0-0, 0-0, 1-0(pen). I still say they're fucked.

They're still having trouble scoring. Today they picked up a 1-0 win via a penalty. Unless they do something about their attacking options in January then they're still down.

Merry Christmas everyone. Except Ronaldo. He's still a turd someone forgot to flush.

Completely obvious. If he was going to sack him he'd have just sacked him. Trying to force him to resign was a clear sign that he wasn't gong to get the sack. Presumably it's too expensive to get rid of him and/or no fucker else wants the job.

Why though? I honestly don't get the grief. He still racked up over 700 career appearances so it's definitely a case of 'as well as', as opposed to 'rather than'. I just prefer footballers to keep themselves to themselves and go about trying to be the very best footballer they can be. To become famous for doing what they do better than almost everyone else. He's always come across as far too desperate for publicity and fame. I always compare him to Paul Scholes, about the same age, same team, same training, same managers etc. One will go down as one of the best midfielders of his generation and the other married a spice girl, became a walking clothes-horse and hawked his brand at every possible opportunity to maximise his status/fame. I know which one I've got the respect for. As per Middsy nails it. Indeed. Ultimately he'll be remembered more for his nonsense off the pitch. Will he fuck, football fans will remember him as a top player who played for Man Utd, Real, AC and England with distinction. Only your celeb obsessed brain dead sun reading morons will remember him for marrying a Spice Girl, wearing a dress etc. I don't get the Beckam hate like. He is one of the best English players of all-time, is a thoroughly nice bloke and on the pitch gave it his all. So what if he's a huge star away from the pitch, good luck to the man. In an age where the likes of Joey Barton are fawned over or Ballotelli regarded as legends, Beckham really is a global football icon, someone we should be applauding not slagging. The man has made the absolute most of his career and life without being a cunt, flaunting himself or going off the rails. He was never in that very top bracket of players but there is no denying he was a great player. That performance for England against Greece remains one of the best individual performances I've ever seen. I've yet to see a better all-round passer or crosser of a ball either, traits often downplayed as key attributes in the pace and skillz obsessed mindset of the FIFA generation these days. David Beckham will be remembered as one of the greatest players England has produced and indeed one of our most successfull. 100% Some fuckers were just born to hate everything.

Bob Bradley.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151752100636886

All of South America has used it for over a decade I think. In fairness, though, you ARE a bunch of cheating bastards.

I just caught the highlights. I do love that MLS makes those available within a couple of hours of full time. They get put up on youtube, you can watch them on mobile, embed them in other sites, no restrictions whatsoever. Also means I sling them up on the tv via my chromecast. That's probably an indicator of how few people actually watch them, though

Out of shot is he holding his phone and bitching in the Pardew thread?

Do you accept handshakes from people not even looking at you? In those glasses I'm not sure I could even if I wanted to.

I always look over my shoulder before accepting a handshake, like.

What do you see in him? Lovely beard, that voice, and a sense of charm not usually associated with PL bosses. Can't argue with that.

What do you see in him?

It is just guess work. Whether I'm right or wrong I still don't rate him. We'll probably never find out.

That's rubbish imo. It's mourinho being a c*** as per usual to anyone who disowns him. Maybe. I have no inside knowledge. It's just a gut feeling. But it's well known the reason AVB left was because he wanted more responsibility. Jose had him working as a scout and refused to promote him. Then they had a falling out. The fact Mourinho didn't want to promote him speaks volumes to my ears. or shows that Mourinho is a complete c*** since AVB has hardly been a complete disaster and utterly clueless since he became a manager. Maybe it was all ego. Who knows? All I know is Mourinho didn't promote him and, to me, AVB comes across as a chancer. He hasn't been a total disaster, no. But he has his UEFA licences. He's had his training to the point where he can manage professionally. But outside of that I can't see anything that separates him from the bloke on the street. I think he's very fortunate to be where he is. Jose Mourinho always had a local assistant where he went - Clarke (Chelsea), Baresi (Inter), Karanka (Real), Steve Holland (Chelsea). Unfair to whack AVB with 'he's not good enough' when it's clear Mourinho has his preferences when it comes to appointing his assistants. Jose was happy giving him a scouting role but wouldn't promote him. Obviously I can't know what his reasons were but the long and short of it is that he didn't want AVB heavily involved in the team. As a result AVB left and they're no longer mates. Jose knows AVB way better than most and he either didn't like him, didn't trust him, or whatever. Also worth noting that AVB has alienated the squad in both of his last two jobs. Jose is very into his psychology and motivational techniques. My guess (and it is only a guess) is that AVB is a massive prick who does not play well with others.

Neymar and Pogba? How do they unearth these gems before anyone has heard of them?

That team is destined for a better 2014. Not that it could have been much worse. Still, strange to see DC spending money. What changed?

Makem mate on FB: The optimism is back. This is going to be beautiful.