The Football.....

[Glow worm]

Good win for Norwich tonight - didn't see that coming at 2-0 down with 13 minutes to go away to a very lively Watford side. Our first away goals of the season. Great to see Hooper score (twice) and young Murphy as well. Only the league cup, but might inject a bit of confidence for our league fixtures too hopefully.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I want to protest about Spurs! They don't seem to have let a goal in since August, and that was in a friendly against Espanyol. This is not the team that I found myself, as a neutral, enjoying for their sheer unpredictability. It's not fair. Besides, I hardly recognise any of them this season.

 

[AndyRM]

Well played Morton!!

 

[mark st1]

I want to protest about Spurs! They don't seem to have let a goal in since August, and that was in a friendly against Espanyol. This is not the team that I found myself, as a neutral, enjoying for their sheer unpredictability. It's not fair. Besides, I hardly recognise any of them this season.

Gooners beat em 1-0 DM.......

However there last 9 results including Europa League make pretty frightening reading scored 21 conceded 1 won 8 lost 1.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Gooners beat em 1-0 DM.......

However there last 9 results including Europa League make pretty frightening reading scored 21 conceded 1 won 8 lost 1.

Oh blimey, so they did. No memory and inability to read a list of results on my part.

 

[bof]

Oh blimey, so they did. No memory and inability to read a list of results on my part.

Spurs had fairly dreadful pre-season friendly results. The year they had really good ones, they were on 2 points after 8 games...

Chelsea on Saturday will be the first big test of the new Spurs - however their conversion to ruthless flat track bullies of the lower orders is what will get them near the top this season.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Wey hey, full house!

Andrew_P, have you got something against Everton?

 

[Andrew_P]

£15 million pounds hefty salary, young gifted talent that needs some game time and all the poor sod does is sit on the bench. Oh Zaha :-( Though he might have got a run out yesterday.

 

[Andrew_P]

Wey hey, full house!

Andrew_P, have you got something against Everton?

just think they have flattered to deceive, or some such.

 

[Spartak]

just think they have flattered to deceive, or some such.

They've been flattering to deceive for years.
Moyes NEVER won a trophy with them & wasn't very successful on their European forays !!!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

They've been flattering to deceive for years.
Moyes NEVER won a trophy with them & wasn't very successful on their European forays !!!

I don't have a particularly expert opinion on them but I was always under the impression that he got the most out of the players in an under resourced team that he built himself. Not the same as getting the most out of a well resourced team built by someone else.

 

[MarkF]

I think Moyes is a safety first merchant, who got 100% effort and determination from a collection of niggardly footballers for many seasons. He used a style of football that could only get Everton so far, no further than many other good managers could have taken them, they are a big club. I have no idea how his CV made him the best candidate to become manager of Manchester United.

 

[Boris Bajic]

I think Moyes is a safety first merchant, who got 100% effort and determination from a collection of niggardly footballers for many seasons. He used a style of football that could only get Everton so far, no further than many other good managers could have taken them, they are a big club. I have no idea how his CV made him the best candidate to become manager of Manchester United.

Despite this early uncertainty, I disagree. I do not think he is another Ferguson, but there isn't one (and I write this as a Gooner).

But... I thnk that Ferguson (the selection panel for his own replacement) saw in Moyes a keen student of the game who sticks to his guns, won't accept second best and can lead a group or a team.

The set-up SAF leaves behind him in 2013 is on another planet from what he found when he arrived. SAF joined MUFC as a football manager, but Moyes comes in as an Operations Director in all but name. He has excellent coaches, excellent advice, excellent facilities and will grow into the role over the first season.

I do not know, but I think he could finish 6th or 7th and not lose his job. MUFC seem to have concentrated on stability and transition.

Meanwhile, what a corker of a season ahead. Any one of five (six?) clubs could win the EPL. It's going to be fascinating to see which team finishes a distant second to AFC.

 

[AndyRM]

Ferguson had seasons of uncertainty when he first arrived in Manchester, and he'd come from a big and successful club. For Moyes to be given any less time to establish himself would be incredibly harsh. I appreciate that this may be a naive viewpoint but there we go.

I think he is an excellent manager, who has done well with f*ck all money. He can clearly get the best out of his players and I expect that Man Utd will be an excellent side in the next two or three seasons.

 

[RedRider]

Despite this early uncertainty, I disagree. I do not think he is another Ferguson, but there isn't one (and I write this as a Gooner).

But... I thnk that Ferguson (the selection panel for his own replacement) saw in Moyes a keen student of the game who sticks to his guns, won't accept second best and can lead a group or a team.

The set-up SAF leaves behind him in 2013 is on another planet from what he found when he arrived. SAF joined MUFC as a football manager, but Moyes comes in as an Operations Director in all but name. He has excellent coaches, excellent advice, excellent facilities and will grow into the role over the first season.

I do not know, but I think he could finish 6th or 7th and not lose his job. MUFC seem to have concentrated on stability and transition.

Meanwhile, what a corker of a season ahead. Any one of five (six?) clubs could win the EPL. It's going to be fascinating to see which team finishes a distant second to AFC.

Put it this way, as a Liverpool supporter I'm delighted Moyes left Everton for Man Utd. Puts question marks over both clubs' ability to match their previous showings. Moyes is a decent manager but there's major doubt in my mind he can get his teams producing the sort of football Man Utd supporters expect, even with the club 'set-up' by Ferguson. There was a Hodgson-esque interview the other day where he seemed to imply Man U won the title last year because the challengers were poor. This may be true but it's not the sort of thing supporters or his players want to hear. Presumably he'll have money to blow in January and this may see the squad through to an acceptable season, maybe not. We'll see how patient supporters/board will be but even if he's capable of adapting his 'philosophy', and he's clearly an intelligent man, I doubt he'll be given more than a couple of seasons to do it. Even Ferguson would've been out on his ear after a couple of fruitless seasons if he were starting out with Man U today.

As for the title... Man City or Spurs, I'm afraid.