Football

Oddly dignified post. Are you in the wrong thread?

I assumed that the (self-)banning of the more rabid contributors might have increased the dignity in here. I'm a very infrequent visitor these days.

Ranieri is a genius, he got a pre-Abramovich Chelsea into the CL and he might do it again with Leicester.

keep forgetting who supports who, but whichever of alfie/vince supports Leicester I'm assuming they're not being as balanced as you are...

I know the hive mind thinking is that you don't have the depth of squad, or that vardy and mahrez can't keep up this pace, so your slide out of the top four spots is inevitable, but would be interesting to see this narrative disturbed, plus of course the rehabilitation of Ranieri's coaching reputation.

I remember when Ranieri was appointed manager and I thought to myself 'that is a very shrewd move'

You don't get to be manager of Chelsea and Juventus if you're shite. Fair play to him and all at Leicester but not one of those players would get in the Everton team, although I'd like Schmeichel instead of Howard.
We'll also twat you at Goodison in 3 weeks

We'll also twat you at Goodison in 3 weeks

I feel like this bit might come back to bite you...

Do me a favour

Maybe not individually, but it's all about the collective. innit.

So, Hull v Derby Friday night. Big game for both. Derby to go top if they win.

When Ranieri was at Chelsea he set a club record for least goals conceded, so he knows a bit about defence. The Vardy/Mahrez phenomenon is not the only reason they are top of the league.

The problem Ranieri had was learning English. If he'd picked it up faster he might have stayed in the Premier League.

Pfft. Like that'll happen.

wonder if that is the case in Spain or Italy, where if you can't speak the language as the manager you're derided in the press and made out to be an idiot that couldn't manage their way out of a paper bag?
Or whether they are looked at as amusing eccentrics who've come over to try something new?

Cruijff, van Gaal and Beenhakker all got torn to bits by the press in Spain back in the day. Problem with the Spanish sports press is that there is no impartiality. You're either a pro Madrid rag or a pro Barça rag.

In general they do it with a sense of humour but there's plenty of xenophobia in Spain.

The above is disregarding the regional differences, a barça manager is very much expected to be able to answer questions to the press in Catalan.

Well Jan Molby learnt Scouse BITD

Well Jan Molby learnt Scouse BITD

Have you been listening to "The Anfield Rap" again?

Should have won the Friday nighter a few weeks ago against forest. If we'd one that we'd be top now with them in the relegation spots. One can but dream.

As not many managers from the UK head over to the continent wasn't sure if the press over there was as dismissive if you blunder through the language as you acclimatise yourself to managing over there.
Remember Sid Lowe writing about Coleman in Spain, as being viewed as a lovable, if lonely figure out there, who was still able to get something out of his squad. Not sure how Moyes was perceived, and despite his mangling of the dutch accent McClaren isn't as vilified as Ranieri and other foreign managers who don't fit the title winning mould do over here...

If you've won a couple of titles, you're given the benefit of the doubt and then when it goes tits up, the media boots go in twice as hard...

You can always rely on a Derby fan to prove the levels of dignity haven't increased.

Anyway, we're sliding towards relegation even without your assistance.

I'd pretty much say that Moyes and Coleman (who i really don't rate at all) are prime examples that learning the lingo is a requirement in Spain.

The Dutch on the other hand couldn't care less. There's so many players and coaches over the years from all over the globe that these days the language on the pitch is somewhere close to pidgin English.

Howard Kendall, John Toshack, Bobby Robson and El Tel didn't do badly in Spain. Of the four I think only Toshack spoke Spanish. But that was before football was invented.

was going to include those, but thought they were a bit to far in the dim twilight of the past.
And Sir Bobby was beloved wherever he managed...

Oh Daniel

Sturridge seems to be a bit of a layabout. How can someone be so injured

#thanks4thecash