Fitba' 19

[Mme Erzulie]

I know there's been a few others, but Gomes has to be the goalkeeper with the biggest discrepancy between his highest and lowest standards.

[Black Wizard]

That's Arsenal's title challenge over then. From the radio commentary it sounded like they dominated possession but, as per usual, wouldn't shoot. This makes it five years without a trophy now I think despite Arsene Wenger's promise that they would win something this year, how long before Arsenal fans begin to get impatient with Wenger?

[BigFatCoward]

Player of the year nominations are out. Tevez, Fabregas, Drogba and Rooney

young player Milner, Fabregas, Hart and Rooney

no real surprises, no obvious ommisions.

anybody know why they are only doing 4 this year, and isnt Rooney 24 now? that's hardly young!

[Renasko]

no real surprises, no obvious ommisions.

Pfft, little do you know. What about Lucas Leiva, I ask you?!

[Slick Mongoose]

Pfft, little do you know. What about Lucas Leiva, I ask you?!

And Almunia.

[Renasko]

They need to create an award for bad performances, like actors have. If they did, I'm sure both would be strong candidates.

[Black Wizard]

Lucas has actually played really well in the last two European games at Anfield. It seems like he's an attacking player rather than a holding midfielder.

There needs to be a worst signing award. My vote would go to Kyrgiakos at Liverpool, or Mido at West Ham. Does anyone know why the hell West Ham signed Mido?

[polishgenius]

Anyone who didn't cost anything in transfer fee and only 1k a week in wages can't be worst signing.

My vote goes to Aquilani.

[Hereward]

Aquilani was my first thought. My second thought was Tevez, or more exactly the worst non-signing.

[Alcibiades]

If I weren't restricted to signings from this season I'd have to say Berbetov. Simply hasn't been worth 30 million pounds.

This season: Michael Owen has been erratic and injured, but he was cheap. Benzema at Real Madrid has to be in this discussion; I think he was 35 million.

And yah, Aquilani has to be in this discussion. If only for pounds spent per minute played.

How about worst manager signing? Tony Mobrary at Celtic. Maybe Iain Dowie at Hull City.

[Renasko]

Benzema, in a way, yeah. His ability is quite high, though, and his value wouldn't have dropped that much from the amount they spent to acquire him. Although, I don't want to think about the kind of wages he and his colleagues are earning at the Bernabeu.

Alberto Aquilani is...well, a bad one, definitely. He should never have been signed by Liverpool, especially for the amount they paid. Everyone in the sporting world knew he was an injury prone player, so it was a big gamble by Benitez. I would wait until next summer before really judging him as a Liverpool player, as I feel he needs a full season to prove himself at the club.

Michael Owen has not been injured. I don't know where you're getting that from. He was injured in the Villa final game and has missed the last month of the season. In the grand scheme of things, that is nothing. A good signing, in my opinion. One Liverpool should have made.

Also, count me out, but how the hell is Mido only earning 1k a week at West Ham? Did I miss the news on this? I don't read the sporting newspapers too often, as I find they're generally rubbish.

[Slick Mongoose]

Also, count me out, but how the hell is Mido only earning 1k a week at West Ham? Did I miss the news on this? I don't read the sporting newspapers too often, as I find they're generally rubbish.

He offered to play on the cheap to get back playing in the premiership.

[BigFatCoward]

How about worst manager signing? Tony Mobrary at Celtic. Maybe Iain Dowie at Hull City.

Zola?

is anybody else sick to death of the whole ex footballer manager merry-go-round. how many places does someone have to do a shit job before he never gets another call, Bryan Robson, Dowie, Graeme Souness, Sam Allardyce etc etc etc. 2 of the great managers of recent years, Mourinho and Wenger have almost no playing experience whatsoever.. why don't more clubs look outside the box and try to do something a little bit different?

to quote mourhino 'you don't have to have been a horse to be a jockey'

[Renasko]

I'm amazed that Mido is only playing (or not playing) for 1k a week. I'm surprised another club didn't try and pick him up, like say Liverpool, who only have Torres.

[polishgenius]

Allardyce is a very good manager, but it's a fair point with the others. Although I think Sounness is unlikely to ever get another manager's job.

[mormont]

Allardyce is a very good manager

In almost twenty years, he's yet to show it. Leaving it a bit late, isn't he? ;)

Seriously, in that list, Allardyce is the one you pick out as an unfair inclusion? If anyone can explain how he got the Blackburn job without using the word 'ex-footballer' I'll give them a pie (stolen from Fat Sam). At least Sounness actually won some trophies.

It does have to be said that there are many ex-footballers who've been successful straight out of the traps (Guardiola being the latest example). Enough to explain why chairmen keep trying it, anyway.

[DJDonegal]

Worst signing was a West Ham player, but it wasn't Mido. It was Benni McCarthy.

[Slick Mongoose]

In almost twenty years, he's yet to show it. Leaving it a bit late, isn't he? ;)

To be fair, he did a good job at Bolton.

[Fireball07]

But why? Change is bad? Or it should be really really difficult to score? (Rather than just really difficult?)

Once I got over my whole "change is bad" viewpoint, I have no reason not to approve of widening goals. Although, if somebody can think of a good reason, i'm happy to change my mind again. :)

I play defender quite a lot. I don't need more opportunities for strikers to score.

But I play striker too, I suppose, but still, I think the goals are the perfect size.

[Fireball07]

And worst signing has to be Aquilani.

Best signing is also a tough one. If you're counting value for money, it'd be close, but Vermaelen, Duff and Bent have to up there.

But value for money is probably Kranjcar.

And why isn't Allardyce a good manager? I think he's very efficient. He got Bolton from Division 1 to Europe within a few years. They were consistently a top half side once they hit their stride in the Prem.

He's not done a bad job at Blackburn, almost ended Chelsea's hopes of winning the title (if they had lost to Man Utd), and pretty much ended Man Utd's.