Manager Merry Go Round 2013.

If they brought him in he would make too many changes and it wouldn't work, he'd have to change it slowly and bring in the players needed because right now Stoke haven't got those kind of players to play a possession game.

At Chile if I re-call correctly he used a 3-3-1-3 formation that like Sexton said contained a lot of high pressing and quick attacks.

Here's an interesting article on Bielsa's tactics from the 2010 World Cup http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/06/08/marcelo-bielsa-chile-world-cup-2010-tactics/

Sexton Hardcastle wrote:

Mackem wrote:

I haven't heard of marcelo bielsa to be honest. Stoke will be a hard team for anyone to manage. What's Owen coyle upto these days?

He was the Argentina manager for their olympic win, Chile manager when they attacked every team full on, nearly ruining Spains dominance, then at Bilbao beat Man Utd at OT and got to Uefa cup final, got to the Copa Del Rey final. It's the way he does it though, midfielders in defence, mad formations and full on pressing and possession football.

The same guy was behind all that...

Mackem wrote:

Sexton Hardcastle wrote:

Mackem wrote:

I haven't heard of marcelo bielsa to be honest. Stoke will be a hard team for anyone to manage. What's Owen coyle upto these days?

He was the Argentina manager for their olympic win, Chile manager when they attacked every team full on, nearly ruining Spains dominance, then at Bilbao beat Man Utd at OT and got to Uefa cup final, got to the Copa Del Rey final. It's the way he does it though, midfielders in defence, mad formations and full on pressing and possession football.

The same guy was behind all that...

Playing alot of the time with, in essence, one true defender

The way he makes an entire team of average, attack minded players, defend from the front and not allow other teams to play how they want is brilliant. Pep Guardiola called him the greatest manager in the world. He's the tacticians tactitian.


Gonzalo Jara is available on a free now too, Beausejour probably would leave Wigan. Stoke could in essence sack their entire team and start again

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22453159

Why join that sinking ship? I know they're still regarded as a big club, but anything other than promotion in the first season will be regarded as failure considering the money that they will have to spend.

lifelong Wolves fan, much higher wages and ambition to reach the Premier League. Davis isn't a mug, he has eyes for the top and could probably see himself doing it within 2-4 years with Wolves. There is something about him that will force success on a club and it's players. It will all boil down to what being "head coach" really means though. I think he fell out with the northwich board when he was player/manager because they broke promises etc.

O'Driscoll is a life long Wolves fan too supposedly and has said he never wants to manage them.

At Crewe can he do much wrong though, undoubtedly your academy will continue to produce players who will be sold on, while continuing to do that the club should be reaching top 10 I would imagine, using money from players sold. He's on to a bit of a winner where he will get offered a championship job at some point.

Wolves are in chaos atm and I can see a lot of players leaving this summer (despite the amount they will get to buy new players as well)

He didn't apply, so it will all depend on the interveiws. They are obviously keen on him so will be pitching ideas to him, instead of him trying to prove himself. He'll be judging how serious the clubs ambition is and if they can't match his ambition, he won't accept.

hodge13 wrote:

Wolves are in chaos atm and I can see a lot of players leaving this summer (despite the amount they will get to buy new players as well)

Do Wolves have a lot to spend, though? They still have players like O'Hara on premiership wages, no billionaire backer anymore...

Billionaire backers mean fuck all in league 1 thanks to financial fair play, clubs can only spend 60% of their turnover on wages, Wolves' parachute payments from the premier league count towards this. So they get £16 million odd for free pretty much meaning they can have a much higher wage budget than anyone else in the league.

Also was O'Hara signed last year? Think there something about players signed the season they go down not contributing to the 60% as for us Baldock, Cunningham don't count towards it.

Financial fair play means sod all in reality - it's a nice idea, but it won't work. Clubs will always find a way round it. Exeter have worked out that cash gifts don't count towards the turnover - the Supporters Trust donations used to be counted as a loan, meaning that if we get bought out by a billionaire, all the money any member of the Trust paid in they'd get back. it's now been switched to a gift, so everything raised by the Trust essentially is free money to the club.

O'Hara was signed when they were in the Premiership, definitely remember him playing for them then. Having checked their squad list, they also have Roger Johnson (signed for pretty decent money), Wayne Hennessy, Berra, Kevin Doyle... all of those have to be on something close to Premiership money.

Chuck in paying off Dean Saunders, whatever money they gave Doncaster for him, that bald dude who was in charge before him, plus if they go and get Davis from Crewe whatever money they need for that, plus the associated back-room staff... that £16 million could get eaten up pretty damned quickly.

all contracts have clauses to reduce wages if relegated as standard, dont they? I think O'Hara was on loan at first, don't know when it changed to contracted.

I love how the financial fair play is being fucked with though, why do clubs risk it in these times. Portsmouth must be a warning!

We must be the only club taking financial fair play seriously then as we've reduced our wage bill drastically to come into line with it. Yeah all wolves players would have relegation clauses to reduce wages so it would have happend when relegated to the championship and again to league 1. But still like I said wolves are in a mess and I dont think most managers if in a comfortable job would want to touch that job.

We take financial fair play pretty seriously, we have one of the lowest wage budgets in league one, and we make good profits from players, so it's a longer term security. For many years we even refused to do a deal if an agent was involved and still avoid it if possible. Some of the many reasons our chairman has won the first ever LMA special merit award that has been awarded to a non coaching/playing member of a club

Dario is also keen on promoting one of the youth coaches to manager if Davis leaves, to keep the club in the family. I'd expect some more ex players to pop up on staff soon too

Craig Hignett has just joined Hartlepool as assistant to their new manager.

According to Sky:

Mark Hughes will be confirmed as Stoke manager in the next couple of days.

Roberto Martinez is being interviewed for Everton in the next 48 hours.

Although I'd love it if Everton decided against Martinez, and he quit Wigan for nothing.

I have a bet on Martinez going to stoke. Someone I know knows someone who works at stoke and they will offer him the job. Of course he has to accept. This will be a big season for Martinez. Either totally transform how stoke play or he'll have the pressures of a team chasing champions league football.

Mackem wrote:

I have a bet on Martinez going to stoke. Someone I know knows someone who works at stoke and they will offer him the job. Of course he has to accept. This will be a big season for Martinez. Either totally transform how stoke play or he'll have the pressures of a team chasing champions league football.

you win some you lose some.

Former Schalke manager Ralf Rangnick has been interviewed for the vacant Everton manager's job.

Thankfully Davis' comments were more true than the rumours. When he was made favourite for the Wolves job, I thought there was some insider knowledge from the bookies, but obviously not. Kenny Jackett takes over as Wolves boss

We can get on with our Ex Player pre-season tour now. Neil Lennon awaits for a practise match/joint training excercise with Celtic

Sexton Hardcastle wrote:

Craig Hignett has just joined Hartlepool as assistant to their new manager.

Loved higgy when he was playing for boro, he has joined Colin Cooper to take over hartlepool, both were looking after the midlesbrough youth team. So I can see a few loan moves going to them.

Ah, they were together at Boro academy then. I knew Higgnett was involved with their academy. It will be good to see how they do and if they use a young squad and build up pools academy too. unfortunately I was too young to have seen Higgnett's first spell at Crewe, but he did rejoin on loan for a while so at least I have that. It's really pleasing to see Dario's boys becoming successful coaches, they really need to look into a knighthood, his influence on the game at all levels will long outlive him.

Kenny Jackett is Wolves' new head coach

Mourinho back to Chelsea on a 4 year deal.

Everton have agreed compo with Wigan for Martinez.

Martinez confirmed as Everton manager on a four year deal.