Angry Fans
We’ll be offering a free sports prize to the star contribution each week. This week FAI sensible on Houghton appointment; Media and fans must support new manager; Chant of the weekend; Redknapp on fans bad behaviour; Bad tackles; African Nations Cup; Wenger’s many changes; Bobby Robson’s lifetime achievement ; Good career move Rafa; Rafa losing the plot.
Letter of the week goes Stephen Murphy, Dublin. Can we have the full address please and our glittering prize will be winging its way to you.
LIAM, The FAI's decision to include Ray Houghton as part of the three man team to select the next Republic Of Ireland manager is a sensible one. Houghton is well respected by the fans. His recent work as a pundit on RTE television highlights his in-depth knowledge of the English, Irish and European game and he should prove a valuable asset to the FAI. I think the nationality of the next Irish manager is irrelevant as long as the person chosen ticks the following boxes: (i) he actually wants the job, (ii) he has some experience of European or International football and (iii) he will not use the Irish job as a stepping stone to a managerial position in the Premiership. Whoever is eventually appointed deserves the initial support of both the media and fans. The Republic of Ireland have the ability to qualify for the next World Cup with the current crop of players.
Good points, cogently made yes, it's always nice to hear from John Delaney
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THERE’S only one man to manage Ireland . . . Gerard Houllier. El Tel is a bluffer. As for Samuel Kingston's letter last week he sounds like Roy Keane, it's fine talking about winning trophies but you need the players to do it.
* OUR SHOUT:
Winner of this week's Statin' The Bleedin' Obvious Award. (Apart from the certainty about Hou, obviously).
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CHANT of the weekend was at Stamford Bridge as Liam Miller trudged off past Roy Keane. “Just like your manager” sang the crowd happily. Not a flicker from the man himself. Class.
You know the old saying Cork Blue: one red card deserves another.
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HARRY Redknapp’s not the first manager to say it, but he said it well at the weekend. The behaviour of fans at many matches now, and the stick (he described it as “filth”) is way over the top and it can only be a matter of time before someone loses their cool with a supporter. Clubs are supposed to have rules about spectator behaviour. Are they ever followed? I doubt it.
Exactly what do you expect the clubs to do, Vernon? Mass red cards and an orderly exit by shame-faced supporters? Don't think so. Anyway, in the interests of 'balance', read on...
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WHAT does Harry Redknapp expect? Clubs are always urging their supporters to “get behind the team” and they try to find ways to make it as psychologically uncomfortable for visiting players and managers as possible. Does this really do any harm? We don’t want football grounds echoing to the ripple of polite applause, do we? What’s wrong with a bit of passion? And don’t players in all sports do it anyway. It’s called getting in the opponent’s face and we have just seen weeks of it taking place as Sky hyped everyone up for the fight in Las Vegas. They’re doing the same for this Sunday’s fixtures with their gladiatorial ads and talk of Grand Slam Sunday.
Don't think 'Arry was really on about Richard Keyes losing the run of himself, Dennis, though I wouldn't mind seeing that sight and sound outlawed myself
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SOME of the tackles this weekend have been of the Rocky Horror variety — Eboue, Stephen Ireland to name but two. In fact Eboue should have been sent off twice but he did not pick up even a yellow. No doubt Sky will be boring everyone to death with their endless replays and public outrage. As the FA helpfully changed the rules after a Michael Essien tackle two seasons ago can we look forward to some retrospective action in this case?
Better late than never, eh? Unlike the tackle.
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LIAM — why isn’t the African Cup of Nations being held this summer at the same time as Euro 2008? Or is that a naïve question?
Yes, and the weather would be lovely and mild too.
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BIG mistake Arsene Wenger making all those changes against Sevilla. It disturbed the rhythm and winning mentality of the side and they haven’t looked the same since. OK, losing Fabregas was a blow and all we are learning now is that Arsenal’s squad is not as deep as it needs to be. In fact there is not a single team in the Premier League which looks as dominating as Chelsea and Manchester United have appeared over the past three seasons. That must be a good thing for 2008.
Fair enough, but what odds it'll still be the same top four at the end of the season?
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I WATCHED the Ricky HattonFloyd Mayweather fight on Saturday night and for some time I thought I was at a soccer match so badly did the crowd behave. Then I heard them booing the Star Spangled Banner and suddenly realised that Hatton’s supporters are the same as the England supporters at Wembley. Pig ignorant.
And, like England at Wembley, he lost too!
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BOBBY Robson’s lifetime achievement award, presented by Alex Ferguson, was well deserved and an overdue honour for a real gentleman of the game. Always courteous and always thoughtful, it’s just a pity that he came to the Irish game when his best days were long behind him. A great performer at Ipswich; a good international manager who I always respected for correctly describing the cheating of Diego Maradona not as “the Hand of God” but the “hand of a rascal”. He was also one of the first international managers to be roundly abused setting a precedent for all the nonsense that has followed. I was lucky to meet him a couple of times and he remains a charming man with the best interests of football at heart.
Sentiments well expressed and shared in these parts. Have our Letter Of The Week prize Stephen.
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GOOD career move Rafa. Lose your unbeaten record just as you face a must-win game in the Champions League and with Manchester United arriving on Sunday. And with the bosses coming over for “talks.” Excellent timing.
I THINK Rafa has completely lost the plot. If we can come back from three goals down against AC Milan then we can certainly pull back two goals against Reading. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw first Torres, then Gerrard and then Carragher being withdrawn. When is he going to get the message? Liverpool fans want the League title. And if Gillett and Hicks want to please the supporters then that’s what they will be saying as well.
HOW many more times is Benitez going to mess around with the team and set us up to fail against opposition we should blow away?
OK, the Reading game backfired . . . but consider this. In the next 10 days we have got Marseille, United and Chelsea. Our squad should be good enough to deal with the likes of Reading and conserve their energies for bigger matches. That is what champions do.
Sounds like the natives are getting more than restless. Time for the ultimate rotation? (And if they move quickly enough, we can add Rafa's name to the Irish succession stakes. What fun!)
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