Premiership 2017/18

[Goat Boy]

It's funny that last year some people were saying Guardiola had been found out by the Premiership, the "hardest league in the world" and all that.

Of course there's still plenty of time to slip up but it's looking like a procession.

Nice to see Mourinho continue to come off second best.

[Penk!]

One wonders if Mourinho will be there at the start of next season. Surely the fans are disgruntled at his negative tactics in big games and the evident gap between them and City? Is that bus-parking really what Manchester United are about?

[Goat Boy]

He was looking pretty sulky on the touchline yesterday. Grimacing away.

PSG next?

[Darkness_Fish]

oooooooh

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... ester-city

10 points deduction all round, I think

"Romelu Lukaku was said to be prominently involved"
I've never seen a clearer basis for a false news accusation.

[Rayge]

oooooooh

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... ester-city

10 points deduction all round, I think

"Romelu Lukaku was said to be prominently involved"
I've never seen a clearer basis for a false news accusation.

[Diamond Dog]

^^^

Very good indeed.

[KeithPratt]

Burnley seem to be ignored by everyone but they're doing brilliantly.

[Dr Markus]

Aye feel sorry for Dyche. I think a bigger club's biggest fear is giving him the ability to spend more than 20 mil on player when he hasn't really done that before.

[The Modernist]

Aye feel sorry for Dyche. I think a bigger club's biggest fear is giving him the ability to spend more than 20 mil on player when he hasn't really done that before.

I wouldn't feel sorry for him. It won't go unnoticed. He'll be snapped up by someone over the summer, but it would be nice to see him remain loyal to Burnley for a while longer.

[Diamond Dog]

That Dyche wasn't (apparently) even considered during Everton's managerial search recently will remain one of the great mysteries of this season.

[KeithPratt]

I wouldn't feel sorry for him. It won't go unnoticed. He'll be snapped up by someone over the summer, but it would be nice to see him remain loyal to Burnley for a while longer.

If they do well (like qualifying for Europe), then I think he'll stay longer. It strikes me that some managers, the longer they are at the club, the better they become. The chance to become a "dynastic" manager is much more appealing, especially as Burnley look like they can potentially move away from being a yo-yo club bouncing between the Prem and the Championship.

Obviously, if enough money is offered and he has "ambition", then he'll move on. But I do think that Moyes' spell at United could be instructive for future managers of his ilk seeking bigger jobs. It doesn't often end that well, given the bigger demands of the club's hierarchy and their squads.

He's built Burnley from scratch, and I sense that their success is predicated on a solid defence more than their attacking play. Wrest him away from that and it might end up being harder for him. It looks like Burnley are a team not overly reliant on individuals.

[Diamond Dog]

They've also been superb in the transfer market and moved players on for a lot of money when, maybe, they really weren't worth that.

He is doing an outstanding job and, whatsmore, I really like his honesty and humour. He's clearly a very grounded individual and realises that the current position is probably unsustainable, so isn't getting caught up in all the hoopla.

He will move on to a 'bigger' club though within the next 18 months, I'm sure. He'll reach a point where the financial constraints at Burnley will mean he really can take them no further and will want to build something new elsewhere.

[Jimbly]

still feel sorry for him though

[Dr Markus]

Aye feel sorry for Dyche. I think a bigger club's biggest fear is giving him the ability to spend more than 20 mil on player when he hasn't really done that before.

I wouldn't feel sorry for him. It won't go unnoticed. He'll be snapped up by someone over the summer, but it would be nice to see him remain loyal to Burnley for a while longer.

Can't see what else he can do with Burnley, maybe try and win the league cup? Thing is that will affect their league position unless he gets a bigger squad.

[borofan]

He's built Burnley from scratch, and I sense that their success is predicated on a solid defence more than their attacking play. Wrest him away from that and it might end up being harder for him. It looks like Burnley are a team not overly reliant on individuals.

He's in a very similar situation to Eddie Howe a few years ago. He built Bournemouth from scratch and then went to Burnley and flopped badly. Back down south he's done a great job in getting his club into the PL and managing to stay there. I wonder if Dyche is a similar case of finding the right club, and I wonder if he would be able to transfer his method elsewhere.

[The Modernist]

I don't see why not. I suspect his success comes down to fairly straightforward skills in organisation, coaching and man management.
The real issue was touched upon by Toby above, and that is that he's been given time to do it at Burnley. Obviously being at a club that don't have particular high expectations in terms of immediate success has helped him slowly build some very solid foundations which enable him to practice these skills.
The scandal of the game is that the vast majority of owners and chairman still have very little understanding of how to create a successful football environment at their clubs. Instead they view it all as a crap shoot where they'll continually try different managers until, mainly through luck and circumstance as much as anything else, a good one will come along and they can enjoy a couple of seasons of relative success. And so the cycle continues.

[Diamond Dog]

He's in a very similar situation to Eddie Howe a few years ago. He built Bournemouth from scratch and then went to Burnley and flopped badly. Back down south he's done a great job in getting his club into the PL and managing to stay there. I wonder if Dyche is a similar case of finding the right club, and I wonder if he would be able to transfer his method elsewhere.

I saw a really good interview with Howe lately - his move to Burnley coincided with a huge family issue that completely (in his words) threw him out of kilter, necessitating his move back down south.

I'm fairly sure if Howe goes somewhere else now, he'd be okay (he was incredibly young at the time too).

[KeithPratt]

I don't see why not. I suspect his success comes down to fairly straightforward skills in organisation, coaching and man management.
The real issue was touched upon by Toby above, and that is that he's been given time to do it at Burnley. Obviously being at a club that don't have particular high expectations in terms of immediate success has helped him slowly build some very solid foundations which enable him to practice these skills.
The scandal of the game is that the vast majority of owners and chairman still have very little understanding of how to create a successful football environment at their clubs. Instead they view it all as a crap shoot where they'll continually try different managers until, mainly through luck and circumstance as much as anything else, a good one will come along and they can enjoy a couple of seasons of relative success. And so the cycle continues.

I think if you asked most owners they would love a manager of that ilk, but the reality is that clubs are never in the perfect situation. They all have differing pressures, some of which require immediate short term fixes.

[The Modernist]

I don't see why not. I suspect his success comes down to fairly straightforward skills in organisation, coaching and man management.
The real issue was touched upon by Toby above, and that is that he's been given time to do it at Burnley. Obviously being at a club that don't have particular high expectations in terms of immediate success has helped him slowly build some very solid foundations which enable him to practice these skills.
The scandal of the game is that the vast majority of owners and chairman still have very little understanding of how to create a successful football environment at their clubs. Instead they view it all as a crap shoot where they'll continually try different managers until, mainly through luck and circumstance as much as anything else, a good one will come along and they can enjoy a couple of seasons of relative success. And so the cycle continues.

I think if you asked most owners they would love a manager of that ilk, but the reality is that clubs are never in the perfect situation. They all have differing pressures, some of which require immediate short term fixes.

Of course they would, but you also have to know how to create the right infrastructure for that manager or coach to thrive, and also have realistic expectations. I'm afraid most modern owners really don't understand either of those things.

[KeithPratt]

West Ham improving slowly but surely. Obviously reinforcements are needed, but Arnautovic put in a proper shift and we defended well enough.