This Week In Football I look at two managers facing battles to save their jobs following, or ahead of, derby day fixtures.
Manchester United's 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool was a shocking new low in what has been a horrendous season for the Barclays Premier League champions. Shocking in that Liverpool only managed to score three goals. Two penalties from captain Steven Gerrard and a goal from Luis Suarez gave Brendan Rodgers' side an unbelievably easy victory. Liverpool would have been disappointed it wasn't six or seven. What would have hurt the home fans the most would have been the players' lack of urgency, fight, and ultimately discipline. To concede three penalties is pretty shameful, and to be honest, referee Mark Clattenburg could, maybe even should, have given Liverpool five. United were getting overrun in midfield; it looked like 12 men against ten at times. Juan Mata was out of position again. If you don't play him in the No.10 role, you may as well put him in goal. The gulf between the two old rivals was apparent for all to see, and it proved that David Moyes, despite his defiance in press conferences before and since, is on borrowed time at Old Trafford. If United are knocked out of the Champions League by Olympiacos and then lose at home to Manchester City in the Premier League, I am reasonably confident that the United hierarchy will act. We all expected a transitional season, but 7th in the table is an absolute failure.
Speaking of managers who may be up against it, Billy Davies is allegedly facing a battle to hang on to the Nottingham Forest hot seat after a poor run of results and an FA charge, which has brought a touchline ban, subject to appeal. It gives me no pleasure as a fan of his and of the club to see his position brought under threat by an increasing band of supporters who have had enough of his antics and percieved lack of tactical nouse. In all fairness, find me another team in the Sky Bet Championship who wouldn't struggle to maintain a good run of results with almost their entire starting XI out with not insignificant injuries. The Billy Out Brigade will point to the fact that the club is in no better position now than a year ago, when they ultimately missed out on a play-off place on the final day, but he needs to be given the chance to see out the season. If Davies isn't the manager, who will be? Last time he left, he was followed by Steve McClaren, Steve Cotterill, Sean O'Driscoll and Alex McLeish, a glorious period in the club's history it wasn't. On Saturday Forest travel to the iPro Stadium to face local rivals Derby County. Needless to say, the Reds fans aren't all that confident, illustrated by their struggle to sell out their ticket allocation for the match. Following the reverse fixture at the City Ground in September in which Forest won 1-0, Derby sacked Nigel Clough. I am just hoping that the roles aren't reversed on Saturday afternoon.
Showing posts with label Billy Davies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Billy Davies. Show all posts
Tuesday, 18 March 2014
Monday, 18 March 2013
TWIF 5 - McManaman madness, Rio out, Forest on the up
Sunday afternoon's game at the DW Stadium saw Wigan Athletic beat Newcastle United 2-1 to boost their hopes of Barclays Premier League survival, but the Latics' crucial victory was overshadowed by a horrendous tackle by Callum McManaman on Massadio Haidara, which left the Newcastle player in hospital. McManaman caught the Frenchman halfway up the leg and left him with suspected ligament damage. We got the usual 'he's not that type of player' defence of a man who was making his first Premier League start, but whether he is or not is irrelevant. It was quite possibly the worst foul I have ever seen in English football, and one which 99 times out of 100 would be punished by a red card and at least a three-game ban. Except this was the one time it wasn't. Referee Mark Halsey didn't even give a free kick. His view must have been blocked by the Newcastle player between himself and the incident. Lets hope that's the case, because due to our FA's outdated laws, only unseen acts can be dealt with retrospectively. Hopefully McManaman gets the punishment he deserves. As for Dave Whelan, I'm not sure what he was thinking in coming out in defence of what he called a 'fair tackle'. Speaking as someone who had his own career ended in similar fashion, he ought to have thought before he spoke, although that's something the Wigan chairman finds difficult. No doubt had the shoe been on the other foot, he would have been at the front of the queue to condemn Haidara. I have said before, and I'll say again, I would bring back diving to get rid of coward's tackles like this. It makes me so mad to see careers threatened like this, and as for the Wigan supporters who cheered McManaman off when he was substitued, grow up.
Rio Ferdinand finally got his long-awaited recall to the England squad this week, only for the Manchester United defender to pull out. Ferdinand claims that his personal medical programme means that he cannot join up with the national squad for the World Cup qualifying matches against San Marino and Montenegro. No doubt Ferdinand would have had words put in his ear by his club manager Sir Alex Ferguson, which is more than can be said for England chief Roy Hodgson. It is clear in my view that there has been little or no communication between the two managers. I'm not sure Ferdinand has pulled out due to Hodgson leaving him out of the European Championship, and I'm very sure that it has nothing to do with his situation with Ashley Cole. If he had pulled out for either of those reasons, he would have been cutting his nose off to spite his face. Ferdinand has made it clear that he wants to put the Three Lions shirt on again, and it would have been a very tough call to withdraw. I just hope that he can be considered again by Hodgson. Despite what some people think, his selection wouldn't be a backward step. He is still among the best central defenders we have got, and our squad is stronger with him than without him.
Nottingham Forest continued their excellent form under returning boss Billy Davies on Saturday with a vital 2-1 win away at fellow promotion contenders Hull City at the KC Stadium. Second-half goals from Darius Henderson and Lewis McGugan earned the Reds their sixth consecutive win in the npower Championship - one shy of the club record - and cemented Forest's position in the top six with eight games to go this season. As a fan, I have written about Forest's trials and tribulations a couple of times before on Behind The Goal, and I couldn't foresee the incredible turnaround in fortunes at the club. Since Billy Davies took over from Alex McLeish, Forest have amassed 19 points from a possible 21. Just as well they have; had they lost those six instead of won them, they would be second from bottom of the table. It just goes to show how vital Davies' appointment was. If only it had been done a few weeks earlier, and they may even be realistically challenging for automatic promotion. Forest and the play-offs have never really got on well, but we as fans would all be delighted to give them another go!
Rio Ferdinand finally got his long-awaited recall to the England squad this week, only for the Manchester United defender to pull out. Ferdinand claims that his personal medical programme means that he cannot join up with the national squad for the World Cup qualifying matches against San Marino and Montenegro. No doubt Ferdinand would have had words put in his ear by his club manager Sir Alex Ferguson, which is more than can be said for England chief Roy Hodgson. It is clear in my view that there has been little or no communication between the two managers. I'm not sure Ferdinand has pulled out due to Hodgson leaving him out of the European Championship, and I'm very sure that it has nothing to do with his situation with Ashley Cole. If he had pulled out for either of those reasons, he would have been cutting his nose off to spite his face. Ferdinand has made it clear that he wants to put the Three Lions shirt on again, and it would have been a very tough call to withdraw. I just hope that he can be considered again by Hodgson. Despite what some people think, his selection wouldn't be a backward step. He is still among the best central defenders we have got, and our squad is stronger with him than without him.
Nottingham Forest continued their excellent form under returning boss Billy Davies on Saturday with a vital 2-1 win away at fellow promotion contenders Hull City at the KC Stadium. Second-half goals from Darius Henderson and Lewis McGugan earned the Reds their sixth consecutive win in the npower Championship - one shy of the club record - and cemented Forest's position in the top six with eight games to go this season. As a fan, I have written about Forest's trials and tribulations a couple of times before on Behind The Goal, and I couldn't foresee the incredible turnaround in fortunes at the club. Since Billy Davies took over from Alex McLeish, Forest have amassed 19 points from a possible 21. Just as well they have; had they lost those six instead of won them, they would be second from bottom of the table. It just goes to show how vital Davies' appointment was. If only it had been done a few weeks earlier, and they may even be realistically challenging for automatic promotion. Forest and the play-offs have never really got on well, but we as fans would all be delighted to give them another go!
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