Football 19: A Clash of Kicks

[The Inquisitor]

Aguero to Real Madrid?

[Horus Ex Machina]

Mark Hughes quit at Fulham. So I guess it's on at Villa now. Lol at "this decision is not affected by another party". :rolleyes:

[Alcibiades]

Mark Hughes quit at Fulham. So I guess it's on at Villa now. Lol at "this decision is not affected by another party". :rolleyes:

Oh damn.

I wonder if Fulham would contemplate getting Rafa to replace him.

[Renasko]

Fair play to Fulham! ;) Mark Hughes will lead them to success.

Errrrrr. :unsure:

[Alcibiades]

Errrrrr. :unsure:

Hehe, fair play to Mark Hughes. He left early in the summer, giving them plenty of time to find someone new.

I guess that Rafa and Martin O'neil are the highest profile people actively looking for managerial work in England now? Now that Big Sam is at WH and Hughes is presumably going to Villa.

[mormont]

MO'N would be a fairly good fit at Fulham, actually. The Phoney Pharoah would have to push the boat out a bit for his wages, but I'm sure his famously creative approach to accountancy could cope.

[Alcibiades]

Yeah, I think you're right mormont. If O'neil was considering the West Ham spot, Fulham would look like paradise by comparison also. I forgot to include Ancelotti in that list of high profile managers looking for work in England. The media are all saying he wants to stay. Course, now the guardian says that Hughes isn't getting the villa job, haha, so maybe Carlo can go there.

Anyway, anyone whose interested in the United States' role in the whole FIFA fiasco needs to read the new Grant Wahl piece:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/grant_wahl/06/02/fifa.2022/index.html

It comes down to a bit of soccer realpolitik.

Blatter may be a ruthless strongman presiding over an organization rife with corruption, but you know what? From U.S. Soccer's perspective he's a ruthless strongman who's still in charge and happens to be on our side. And in the end, Blatter provides the best chance the U.S. has to take over the prize that matters most to Gulati: hosting World Cup 2022 in the United States.

"He may be a son of a bitch, but he's our son of a bitch!"

Also:

There are a few things to keep in mind here from the American perspective. One, Blatter almost certainly voted for the U.S. against Qatar last December. Two, Blatter may feel like he owes a big favor to Chuck Blazer, the U.S. member of the FIFA executive committee who turned in the detailed bribery allegations that led to Bin Hammam's departure from the FIFA presidential race. (Bin Hammam was Blatter's only nominated challenger.)

And three, Blatter announced this week the formation of a new "Solutions" committee that would identify problems in FIFA, including corruption, and have the power to conduct supposedly legitimate investigations. Some of the members of this committee might come from outside FIFA, said Blatter, who mentioned two names in particular. One was Johan Cruyff, the legendary Dutch player, and another was (wait for it) former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, a soccer fan and Blatter friend who also happened to be on the U.S.'s World Cup '22 bid committee.

Wahl speculates about the possibility of reopening the 2022 process, and essentially says that USSoccer is trying to keep the door open in case something happens to discredit Qatar 2022.

[Horus Ex Machina]

I still have a problem if they take it from Qatar. It seems like corruption is cool so long as it benefits the US or one of the major Western nations. Hello Salt Lake City! :rolleyes:

Now as much as I'd like the WC to come back here, it sets a precedent that they almost started in 2010 in South Africa, ie if you're not one of us, then we have no confidence in you. Whatever went down, we lost. It's that simple whether it's bc we didn't "play ball", (c'mon we're suddenly above doing that now?) or whatevs, I don't care. I have no love for Qatar, and won't benefit from it at all, but I hope they keep it.

[Alcibiades]

I'd rather see FIFA cleaned up than get 2022. I reconciled myself to loosing out back in December, and would rather just see a better process going forward. We could bid again under a cleaner and more transparent process.

[Horus Ex Machina]

I'd rather see FIFA cleaned up than get 2022. I reconciled myself to loosing out back in December, and would rather just see a better process going forward. We could bid again under a cleaner and more transparent process.

Now I can agree with that.

[Padraig]

I have no love for Qatar, and won't benefit from it at all, but I hope they keep it.

Its a tough question. If Qatar seriously bribed their way to victory then the bid itself could be fundamentally unsound. I defended the bid initially but the subsequent confusion about hosting it during the summer or the winter wasn't a good sign. A winning bid should have a definite plan. They shouldn't have major factors like that still up in the air.

And i'd be unhappy with the idea of letting Qatar go ahead because we let other bribes work out. OTOH, Qatar won, so they have to be given the benefit of the doubt. If they lose it (and to be honest, it would be too humiliating for FIFA to allow such a scandal probably) then there better be resounding evidence against it.

[Lord Baelish]

The funny thing about Hughes leaving Fulham is that Aston Villa have apparently put out a statement saying they aren't interested in him. While this could be because they aren't allowed to speak to him until July 1st, it could also mean that, well, they aren't interested in him. And the odds of Ancelotti taking over at Villa have been slashed from 20/1 to 6/4 in the last day. So Hughes could be left in limbo. Which would be great, because I can't stand the man.

[BigFatCoward]

hughes is still well liked at chelsea!

[Renasko]

I'd prefer Ancelotti, Benitez and Hughes, and whoever else the media are spinning about, stay away from Premier League football. This won't happen, though.

Wonder who's going to Villa...

And how strong are these Young to United and Downing to Liverpool rumours? I put them down to exactly that: rumour. But it has generated more talk than usual. Seems like it may happen.

[Stubby]

Losing Downing would suck.

I still don't know enough about managers' influence to have a view on who would be good. In coaching terms from an Oz football POV, I don't see Villa as a team that wuld be wanting a nOOb manager (at the top level) but think they would want someone with a proven track record.

As to the local mob, Fowler has packed it in and they have signed this bloke Liam Miller from Ireland. Opinion seems divided.

[Renasko]

Liam Miller is a great player, but a HUGE waste of potential. Showed immense potential when he broke into our first team. MON tried to calm the bhoy and introduce him slowly, but ah well. Can't expect talent and sense to go hand in hand together. Shame.

"I have heard a lot of wonderful things about the City of Perth but football is the most important thing."

Surely if that were the case, he'd remain in Britain? Australia's league is barely attended and is on verge of collapse. Or so I've heard from a local friend.

[Horza]

Surely if that were the case, he'd remain in Britain? Australia's league is barely attended and is on verge of collapse. Or so I've heard from a local friend.

Your friend talks bollocks.

[Renasko]

What are league numbers like? Don't they spike during WC years and then completely die?

[Horza]

What are league numbers like? Don't they spike during WC years and then completely die?

Nope. Peaked in 08, have fallen back by a third. There's a lot of hyperbole about the A-League and the worst of it spread by football fans like your mate.

[Alcibiades]

Is the A- League set up in a classic ownership style with the clubs as independent entities? I feel like the A-League is similar to our MLS. It's a newer league trying to make its way in the world. I think the single entity system for the MLS is serving us well; it makes the league much more resilient and prudent. We don't have clubs overspending and getting into trouble.