edd_jedi summed it up well, but lejackal does have a point. I dunno what it is but big clubs seem to either go for a proven winner, normally a foreigner, or someone with no experience who "knows the club". I guess us fans are partly to blame. If the Board turned round and said "we are taking a chance on so-and-so who is an up and coming manager in the championship" the fans wud gurn that surely their club could do better and that the Board were showing a lack of ambition. Whereas if it's someone who knows the clubs then he has his reputation as a player to placate the fans. He is effectively seen as one of them. Or if it is someone from abroad nine times out of ten he has won a league or done well with his previous club. Something that you can't really do in the PL.
I guess as well the fact Barca and Real have had success with inexperienced managers (Pep, Zidane, Enrique, Rijkaard) tempts English clubs to try the same. The difference being La Liga is a two team league and those teams have been packed full of super stars.
Being guaranteed that even in a "bad" season you will finish no lower than 3rd and, thanks to CL seeding and your country's coefficient, you are all but guaranteed to get out if your group, is very different to the PL where there are 6 sides fighting it out for the CL spots most seasons. Seven this year with Leicester. Albeit you could make a pretty strong case to exclude Arsenal and Spurs from the six.
Ps, how **** were Barca and Real. Real were pish poor and Barca really are a man 1 man team with a few ageing stars and a bunch of nobodies alongside him. A lot of work required there to make them both competitive at the CL level. Given Barca's Bournemouth-esque transfer record and Madrid's obsession with flavour of the month players, I don't see either side sorting themselves out anytime soon.
Ohh and it was nice to see the Lyon boys diving, time wasting and fouling GBH style miles from goal against Juve. Nothing like getting a taste if your own medicine.
As for the free kick Juve got in injury time that Ronaldo twatted into the wall. Who saw that coming!? His record from free kicks is soooo good. What is it, 1 or 2 goals from them in how many years!? And he takes them ALL for club and country. :roll:
They would have more luck if they let the keeper take them and told him to treat it like a goal kick.
Not many chances left for Ronaldo to win another CL now. He is starting to get on a bit. Even great players like him can only last so long.
theforceuk said:
The trophy still looks nice though, saying that I just don't see Utd winning it. Can't put my finger on it, hope I'm wrong. That Seville side that won 3 in a row was ridiculous when it came to the El, they lived for that competition.
I dunno, that cup has Utd's name on it IMO. It's between them and Sevilla for me. I would love to see wolves win it but I can't see them having enough to beat 3 of the sides left it. Maybe the fact it is single leg ties from here on will help them. Who knows. It will be interesting to see how it works out.
OK they got knocked out of the CL, but still. Apparently they want Poch, not convinced that's a wise move because for all his talents, he is not a winner. You can't say the same about Sarri, having succeeded at winning in his last two short stints.
