Maybe they will actually get relegated?
That would indeed be highly entertaining. But teams, especially teams with decent talent, seen to generally get a bump right after they change managers. Which might be dangerous for my slumping Southampton.
Yeah, they are too talented to just fall apart I guess. But damn. I wonder who they will get to take his place in the short term.
They’re going to park the Gus.
Listening to Neil Ashton on Talksport, it seems like Hiddink was a done deal before the sacking was annnounced.
They all are though. You don’t leave yourself exposed.
Dang it! Mourwhinger was so perfect for them, this season more than any other! Oh, well. Now they might improve. No one wants to see that.
ManU lose and Spurs are in 4th after dismantling Southampton and only 3 points off 3rd. Leicester have 38 points (!) on the season and will hold on to first place no matter what happens in the Arsenal/ManCity game.
This is easily the most exciting season of the premiere league that I have watched since I started following the EPL 5 years ago. It feels like anything can happen. The only thing that seems certain right now is that Villa will be relegated. Is it possible for them to save themselves from this far back?
People excited about Chelsea’s win need to realize that there’s often a spike in performance after a change in leadership. Liverpool were galvanized into positive football after Klopp joined, same thing with LvG during the pre-season matches in 2014. That said, there were apparently a lot of internal issues among players (see: Costa) and “The Special One” that led to some piss poor performances, and maybe this sacking will have a more lasting change.
As a United fan, I think it’s time to say bye bye to LvG. At the very least, I want to see a manager at the touchline, talking to players, not sitting on the bench waxing philosophical about strategies that ARE NOT WORKING. Even Giggs, who for many reasons is not the man for the job, would at least switch back to a more fluid 4-4-2 formation w/ counterattacking emphasis.
How would you feel about Mourinho taking over at ManU?
Here is a great articlein The Economist about the craziness that isthis year’s epl season.
If they get as many points from their final 21 games as Leicester did last year, they will survive. Leicester had 10 points at this stage, whereas Villa have 7. Leicester finished with 41, with 36 needed for safety.
A fine result. Could easily have been 3 or 4 to 1. Still looking for more consistent finishing when golden opportunities present themselves. Having said that, Walcott’s goal was superb.
I don’t see Leicester being able to sustain their recent form, and now with Vardy pulling a hamstring, we’re seeing the inevitable toll of the grueling Premier League season. How they handle it will be interesting.
He’s said he wants to stay in England, and I presume managing a top flight club. That leaves very few options at the moment, unless he’s willing to wait for the season to end. I think LvG will probably be gone by the end of the season (maybe sooner if United drop to mid-table quickly), and Mourinho managing United would be interesting, as he’d certainly have a lot to prove to himself and others. I do think he’d do a better job than LvG, but who knows how long he’d stay at United. Mourinho has a tendency to crash and burn.
I don’t think Vardy’s going to be out for too many games, but he is on the older side for a professional soccer/football player, so this injury might linger. However, I do think at this point, Leicester are at least going to be playing Champions League football next season. They’re on par with so many of the metrics that PL winning teams have at this point of the season, but they also lack the depth in their squad that a richer team would have.
I am still incredulous that they can keep it up. Maybe I am biased because of where they are coming from, but they are playing way over their heads. I hope I’m wrong, I think they are awesome, but I think they are one injury and a couple of matches where the luck goes against them instead of for them away from dropping 4 or 5 spots.
I think so, too. It’s been a lot fun watching them; I’ve enjoyed their success and wish them well. Nonetheless, I don’t see their position as sustainable. They just don’t have the depth to cover the inevitable injuries to those players they absolutely must count on game after game.
Being wrong about this wouldn’t bother me! (Provided, of course, that they don’t finish above the Gunners!)
ETA: For example, Alexis Sanchez, one of our best players, is out until at least Jan. 20, for what seemed like a relatively minor hamstring problem he sustained on Nov. 30. It was original only supposed to be three weeks. These things can keep top players out for way longer than you’d think. Don’t be surprised if we don’t see Vardy back until at least after the New Year.
You guys are probably right, but I am willing to give Leicester their due after proving doubters wrong for so long. I also hope for the sake of English football that Vardy is healthy for at least a few years.
My coworker Man U fan claims that LvG is gone before the end of the year to be replaced by Giggs. I don’t know where he heard that from but he’s gotten a few rumors right before.
Unless United can score a hatrick in the next 20 minutes, Van Gaal is out.
I strongly suspect that he wouldn’t be scoring even a tenth of those goals without the likes of Mahrez behind him.