The managers are feeling a bit peakish; one quit, one on the verge of the sack and the other too tired to attend the aftermatch news conference (used to be called press conference but hey, with the Pieman just the latest electronic commentator on the block it’s an outdated phrase so put that in your Pie and munch it!)
Roy Keane walks out at Sunderland, Paul Ince faces the chop at Blackburn after ten Premier League matches without a win and Phil Scolari can't face the after-Chelsea match chat because he is knackered from the pressure and whacked trying to speak English properly. I know the feeling, Big Phil! Try a Pukka Pie...........
Keane has always been different. Outspoken, a loner and at times intolerant! A brilliant player but hardly managerial material with his characteristics. Sunderland's classy chairman Niall Quinn has gone to great lengths to praise Keane for his contribution to Sunderland. Accepted, but he has not confirmed that for the most part they conducted business by text. Strange on Keane's part who is also believed to have resigned by text to Quinn who also talks about Keane unable to attend the club every day. Strange way of trying to do a difficult job in the first place.
What has not been said yet is that top footballers make so much money that they can afford never to work again. It makes walking out on a job much easier than in the past! I doubt if Keane will be back. I don't like quitters! And Keane spent £80 million of Sunderland's money to provide players Keane wanted. I am sorry but I think he owed it to them to at least see out his contract.
I feel sorry for Paul Ince because he wants to stay at Blackburn. I do think they should give him longer because the Premier League table is so tight it is not certain yet which three teams will go down. Much is being made about Ince being the first British black Premier League manager and a vendetta (Ince makes this claim) against former Manchester United players who become managers. I do not hold with either claim. It is nothing to do with either. It’s a results business. We also do not know what the relation is with his chairman John Williams. It may be great or it may be poor. We will soon find out. Personally, I think Ince is struggling to survive there but I would hope they will give him a bit longer. Clubs talk about the transfer window next month and Blackburn look set to lose a couple of key players but by and large it is difficult to sign quality. Loan deals are best for January. Clubs argue a new manager will be better placed to pick longterm players. It does not often work in January....
So where is Emile Heskey going? Many expect the Wigan and England striker to join Spurs. It won't happen. The Pieman predicts that Heskey will join his old Leicester manager Martin O'Neill. It would be a great move for all three - player, manager and club but it would cost quite a few million which Villa do have to spend. The losers would be Wigan and manager Steve Bruce, big time..........
Chelsea need to beat Cluj at home on Tuesday to secure a place in the European Champions League knock-out stage. One way or another they will join Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal in the next stage. Poor old Phil, key players injured; the club saying no loot for the new players he needs (the Russian owner is starting to feel the credit crunch poor lad and previously he thought credit crunch was a new biscuit!); and he is worn out with the pressure and the difficulty of learning English. When you are on millions a year - guaranteed by the way with a large pay-off if it goes belly up! - I get fed up with pressure and tiredness. That should be reserved for being skint, not knowing how to pay the bills and not having a job!
Finally for now, my favourite Sebastian Coe (now Lord Coe) story. The former Olympic great who brought the next Olympics to London is a mad Chelsea supporter. Years ago the then Chelsea chairman Ken Bates always used to leave Seb two Directors Box tickets home and away when he could make it. He turned up at the old Oxford United stadium where they had the worst "Jobsworth" of all time.
"Name, Sir", says Jobsworth to Coe.
"Coe".
"No tickets for a Mr Coe, Sir, and it’s more than my job is worth to let anyone into the Directors’ Room and Box at Oxford United without the right tickets."
A now frustrated Coe, a modest man, says reluctantly, "I don't think you understand. I am Sebastian Coe and I am with Chelsea".
To which the Jobsworth retorts, "The Chelsea hooligans, Sir, are the other side of the ground and if you say who you are, Sir, it should not take you too long to get round to that side!"
That's all for now, folks - enjoy your pies and keep those emails coming...
Have fun!
The Pieman
Roy Keane walks out at Sunderland, Paul Ince faces the chop at Blackburn after ten Premier League matches without a win and Phil Scolari can't face the after-Chelsea match chat because he is knackered from the pressure and whacked trying to speak English properly. I know the feeling, Big Phil! Try a Pukka Pie...........
Keane has always been different. Outspoken, a loner and at times intolerant! A brilliant player but hardly managerial material with his characteristics. Sunderland's classy chairman Niall Quinn has gone to great lengths to praise Keane for his contribution to Sunderland. Accepted, but he has not confirmed that for the most part they conducted business by text. Strange on Keane's part who is also believed to have resigned by text to Quinn who also talks about Keane unable to attend the club every day. Strange way of trying to do a difficult job in the first place.
What has not been said yet is that top footballers make so much money that they can afford never to work again. It makes walking out on a job much easier than in the past! I doubt if Keane will be back. I don't like quitters! And Keane spent £80 million of Sunderland's money to provide players Keane wanted. I am sorry but I think he owed it to them to at least see out his contract.
I feel sorry for Paul Ince because he wants to stay at Blackburn. I do think they should give him longer because the Premier League table is so tight it is not certain yet which three teams will go down. Much is being made about Ince being the first British black Premier League manager and a vendetta (Ince makes this claim) against former Manchester United players who become managers. I do not hold with either claim. It is nothing to do with either. It’s a results business. We also do not know what the relation is with his chairman John Williams. It may be great or it may be poor. We will soon find out. Personally, I think Ince is struggling to survive there but I would hope they will give him a bit longer. Clubs talk about the transfer window next month and Blackburn look set to lose a couple of key players but by and large it is difficult to sign quality. Loan deals are best for January. Clubs argue a new manager will be better placed to pick longterm players. It does not often work in January....
So where is Emile Heskey going? Many expect the Wigan and England striker to join Spurs. It won't happen. The Pieman predicts that Heskey will join his old Leicester manager Martin O'Neill. It would be a great move for all three - player, manager and club but it would cost quite a few million which Villa do have to spend. The losers would be Wigan and manager Steve Bruce, big time..........
Chelsea need to beat Cluj at home on Tuesday to secure a place in the European Champions League knock-out stage. One way or another they will join Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal in the next stage. Poor old Phil, key players injured; the club saying no loot for the new players he needs (the Russian owner is starting to feel the credit crunch poor lad and previously he thought credit crunch was a new biscuit!); and he is worn out with the pressure and the difficulty of learning English. When you are on millions a year - guaranteed by the way with a large pay-off if it goes belly up! - I get fed up with pressure and tiredness. That should be reserved for being skint, not knowing how to pay the bills and not having a job!
Finally for now, my favourite Sebastian Coe (now Lord Coe) story. The former Olympic great who brought the next Olympics to London is a mad Chelsea supporter. Years ago the then Chelsea chairman Ken Bates always used to leave Seb two Directors Box tickets home and away when he could make it. He turned up at the old Oxford United stadium where they had the worst "Jobsworth" of all time.
"Name, Sir", says Jobsworth to Coe.
"Coe".
"No tickets for a Mr Coe, Sir, and it’s more than my job is worth to let anyone into the Directors’ Room and Box at Oxford United without the right tickets."
A now frustrated Coe, a modest man, says reluctantly, "I don't think you understand. I am Sebastian Coe and I am with Chelsea".
To which the Jobsworth retorts, "The Chelsea hooligans, Sir, are the other side of the ground and if you say who you are, Sir, it should not take you too long to get round to that side!"
That's all for now, folks - enjoy your pies and keep those emails coming...
Have fun!
The Pieman
No comments:
Post a Comment