bradley headstone
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Posted: December 21st 2009
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In a Christmas way, not a Leslie Phillips way you understand. I’m wondering who in football will be having a happy Christmas this year.
Not Mark Hughes I suspect. His tenure at City was predictably cut short this week. I say predictably because for all the ‘positive vibes’ coming out of Eastlands since the money came rolling in, nobody really thought that the comedy of errors that is Manchester City had sobered up. Hughes was on thin ice from the moment he arrived.
He looked like the ideal man to ride the storm of the Takhsin era, but from the moment Robinho’s signing was announced the whole of the football world collectively thought…that’s not Sparky’s choice!
What I can’t understand is why nobody had the common sense or guts to just say, right at the beginning, sorry Mark, we can’t have some permanently frowning grey bloke in charge…unless he’s called Arsene.
Stepping seamlessly into the comfy seat is the delightfully coiffed Roberto Mancini, a winner we are told. So that’s that then. City is now guaranteed a top four finish and will probably be presented with the Carling Cup before the semi final. It couldn’t go wrong could it?
The general football opinion is that Mark Hughes wasn’t given enough time. It’s not unanimous, self-appointed special one Jose Mourinho showed managerial solidarity was something only mere mortals indulge in by suggesting that this was a fallacy. Had he not appeared at the Chelsea Village Hotel and turned them from nobodies into world-beaters…overnight!
Really Jose? Had Vialli and Ranieri not already established Chelsea in the top four…have I imagined all that? So really there is no comparison and one wonders if the Portuguese man o’ phwoar isn’t a little annoyed that potential payday and escape route from his unhappy spell at Inter has disappeared.
Jamie Carragher, a favourite of this particular blog will probably be mostly enjoying the festive season. Obviously Liverpool’s new focus on the Europa League is not as exciting as being competitive in any other competition, Carragher is generally exempt from too much blame as his role of local chancer made good is still in place. He has, however, been quite vocal in the media recently. How strange, you’d think he’d want to keep his head down? It’s been a year or so since he was so much in evidence…what could be the link? Could his book, released last year, be out in paperback…I wonder.
So Jamie, Fabio Capello wants you back? Really? I know I’ve a bit of a downer on anyone who declares themselves retired from International Football, especially if they are fairly ordinary players, which is the category that Carragher falls in to, but why? Is JT’s mum travelling to SA and they need someone to distract her or what? I know Rio is broken and outside Upson there is a lamentable dearth of decent defenders, but frankly I’d rather Fabio went the ‘Mad’ United route and played a collection of midfielders than recall a player who was never ever better than 6th choice England central defender. Jamie…shush!
Sol Campbell is having a cracking Christmas. His ploy of using Notts County to land the prestigious role of Widow Twanky at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham has paid dividends.
And me! I’m going to have a cracking Christmas. My team has imploded surprisingly early this year, so I can settle down to a completely football free festive period. No worry, no stress, no desperate checking of the mobile phone whilst queuing to return all those M&S socks.
Happy Christmas everyone.