: Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:29 pm  

flipper wrote:

he always seem to try and employ a 'what we have we hold' convservative attitude, and seemed to lack or be able to implement a plan B if plan A wasn't working.

Good job we didn't pay him much.

: Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:32 pm  

I hope Newcastle crash & burn.

: Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:39 pm  

Billy Banter wrote:

Good job we didn't pay him much.

You mean we had to pay him

: Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:41 pm  

Billy Banter wrote:

Good job we didn't pay him much.

well to be fair he was good at getting us to finals, and generally negotiating groups, but in the knock out phases we always seemed to go ultra cautious if we went a goal up (portugal / brazil) and particularly against portugal we seemed to invite them on to us.

: Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:43 pm  

flipper wrote:

well to be fair he was good at getting us to finals, and generally negotiating groups, but in the knock out phases we always seemed to go ultra cautious if we went a goal up (portugal / brazil) and particularly against portugal we seemed to invite them on to us.

Is he still at Mexico?

: Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:44 pm  

Last i heard he was

: Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:54 pm  

flipper wrote:

he always seem to try and employ a 'what we have we hold' convservative attitude, and seemed to lack or be able to implement a plan B if plan A wasn't working.

Definitely, I agree.

I still think the most disappointing aspect of his regime was his neglect of Paul Scholes, however. Instead of shunting him onto the left wing as a poor fix he should have built a team around him IMO, and maybe then we wouldn't have lost who I regard as the best English player of the last 20 years to a disillusioned retirement.

: Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:00 pm  

In bigger news

Poland 10-0 San Marino.

: Thu Apr 02, 2009 4:14 pm  

It doesn't seem too hard to please the geordie faithful, just appoint a former legend and all is rosy in the garden. Hope it turns out well, would be horrible for them to turn on Shearer should he not be successful, or would that then be Ashley's fault?

: Thu Apr 02, 2009 4:33 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Is it just me that is totally blind to what various club and national managers have seen in Ashley Cole?

He's got a great engine and is quick, but his actual skill levels are lamentable.

He's an ex-Arsenal player. He's given the media plenty of ammunition to paint him as an utter tvvat. He has acted like a petulant child a few times with refs.

Even with those factors, I doubt there's more than a handful of Chelsea fans who think that Cole has been anything other than a very, very good player for Chelsea.

Can't comment on last night because I don't bother to watch England matches, but if he was poor then I'm just glad it was with England because he's usually very good for us.