Remi Garde - Departs Aston Villa

[rob_bridge]

I think players in England are generally pretty thick. As stated Graeme Le Saux was to all intent isolated because he wanted to read a paper that was beyond the comprehension of the average 8 year old.

[damon loves JT]

The hilarious thing is that Graeme le Saux isn't even that bright. But because he's spent his life in the company of people like Robbie Fowler, he thinks he's Yoda just because he reads 'The Guardian'

[Mister E]

I'm really looking forward to Sunday - not because I believe I will see a totally-transformed side or a win but because the choices RG makes in team selection and subbs will be fascinating. And the crowd reaction to him will be interesting, too.

Central MF is critical and I hope that he sees the need for us to be tight and compact. Who he plays upfront to provide something different will give some clues about how he wants us to play; and, his FB selection will be really interesting.

All round, whilst I'm not expecting miracles, I'm hoping for some reasons to be hopeful.

[VILLA MOLE]

Hvaing watched that Class of '92 - Salford thing (which I've actually enjoyed) it appears footballers at every level are thick.

football fans in phone ins are just as bad

talsksport have had a handful of rugby League fans on today talking about their game re Sam Burgess,
everyone of them knew there stuff put there points over well and generally embarrassed the presenters by actually knowing what they were talking about

Re football phone ins they always seem to be the same callers who ring up. I get the impression they think they are the fans correspondent for their club or they think they are a pundit ? 

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Le Saux had a university education and has always come across as thoughtful and intelligent in his comments when interviewed or in his later role as an "expert", pundit etc.

I don't think he ever thought of himself as better than anyone else, just that the majority seemed to think he was strange because he came across as thoughtful, intelligent etc

Stan and Southgate always came across as thoughtful and intelligent communicators...Gabby hasn't but seems to be stereotypical of the modern British footballer.

[Toronto Villa]

The hilarious thing is that Graeme le Saux isn't even that bright. But because he's spent his life in the company of people like Robbie Fowler, he thinks he's Yoda just because he reads 'The Guardian'

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king...

[Chris Jameson]

When Chelsea were given a day off Pat Nevin flew to Paris to see the Cocteau Twins but didn't dare tell any of 'the lads' who spent their days in the pub and/or on the golf course

[garyshawsknee]

He use to buy two copies of the NME, as he knew one would be torn up by his team mates.

[brian green]

Trevor Brookin is regarded as an educated footballer. They must have gone easy on his spellin.

[Richard E]

He use to buy two copies of the NME, as he knew one would be torn up by his team mates.

His team mates weren't completely philistine dullards then, have you seen the NME lately?

[Percy McCarthy]

He use to buy two copies of the NME, as he knew one would be torn up by his team mates.

His team mates weren't completely philistine dullards then, have you seen the NME lately?

They wouldn't tear it up now.

[passport1]

In fairness to O'Neill his Celtic team, with Henrik Larsson in brilliant form, were very unlucky to lose the 2004 Uefa Cup final against Mourinho's Porto.

Thank you Eamonn. I think Larsson said that MON gave the most inspirational pre match team talk he had ever heard. Porto apparently had to resort to cheating in the end to get the better of them.

And if the criteria is the size of his trophy cabinet, how many trophies did it add to his record?

Managerial[edit]

Wycombe Wanderers[20]
Football Conference: 1992–93
FA Trophy: 1990–91, 1992–93
Football League Third Division play-offs: 1993–94

Leicester City[20]
Football League First Division play-offs: 1995–96
Football League Cup: 1996–97, 1999–2000

Celtic[20]
Scottish Premier League: 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04
Scottish Cup: 2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05
Scottish League Cup: 2000–01
UEFA Cup Runners Up; 2002-03

Awards and achievements[edit]

[20]
Premier League Manager of the Month: September 1997, October 1998, November 1999, April 2007, November 2007, December 2008, April 2010, December 2011
SPL Manager of the Month: August 2000, December 2000, February 2001, August 2001, April 2002, November 2002, October 2003, November 2003, January 2005,
SFWA Manager of the Year: 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04


I think you will find it contains  a runners up medal along with the aforementioned .


 

[brontebilly]

I don't think they are actually as thick as they come across but they ape their peers. They want to be seen as part of the football in crowd so they hang about with flash birds in night clubs because they think it is expected of them and they want to conform. They would die before they admitted to liking to read books. In the early days Gary Lineker was embarrassed by his wife being a world authority on the architecture of Antoni Gaudi. They divorced and he was free to become an authority on crisps.

  Lineker for one is nowhere near as stupid as the Walkers crisps/MOTD caricature he has become

It does stagger me how inept tactically British educated players are, witness Ciaran Clark's pathetic efforts to play RCB the other night reminiscent of John Terry's efforts to play RCB at the 2010 World Cup. Gazza, Gerrard, Rooney, Scholes - teams had to be built around them or else they couldnt cope on the highest stage particularly at international level. Sure players have favoured positions but they shouldnt sink without trace if asked to play a different type of role. Even the likes of Alli, Barkely, Wilshere etc other great white hopes, again clueless when to run with the ball or pass. Helter skelter is the EPL way.

Other European football philosophies like the Dutch, encourage players to play in all positions as part of their development

[curiousorange]

There was something I watched not long ago - Football Focus, possibly - and whoever it was still chuckled indulgently at the memory of Graeme Le Saux bringing the Guardian to training.

I also recall there was an interview where Pat Nevin said he'd rather watch the Cocteau Twins than have a threesome.

[Villa in Denmark]

In fairness to O'Neill his Celtic team, with Henrik Larsson in brilliant form, were very unlucky to lose the 2004 Uefa Cup final against Mourinho's Porto.

Thank you Eamonn. I think Larsson said that MON gave the most inspirational pre match team talk he had ever heard. Porto apparently had to resort to cheating in the end to get the better of them.

And if the criteria is the size of his trophy cabinet, how many trophies did it add to his record?

Managerial[edit]

Wycombe Wanderers[20]
Football Conference: 1992–93
FA Trophy: 1990–91, 1992–93
Football League Third Division play-offs: 1993–94

Leicester City[20]
Football League First Division play-offs: 1995–96
Football League Cup: 1996–97, 1999–2000

Celtic[20]
Scottish Premier League: 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04
Scottish Cup: 2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05
Scottish League Cup: 2000–01
UEFA Cup Runners Up; 2002-03

Awards and achievements[edit]

[20]
Premier League Manager of the Month: September 1997, October 1998, November 1999, April 2007, November 2007, December 2008, April 2010, December 2011
SPL Manager of the Month: August 2000, December 2000, February 2001, August 2001, April 2002, November 2002, October 2003, November 2003, January 2005,
SFWA Manager of the Year: 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04


I think you will find it contains  a runners up medal along with the aforementioned .

The question was specifically referring to that Europa League final to which the answer is zero.

Manager of the Month awards?  Really?

Compare his list of actual trophies with Celtic, with that of McLeish over the same period. O'Neill's got 3 league titles to 2. McLeish has a couple of cups more. And no one else won anything because it's a 2 horse race, where anything around 50% success is just par the course. Anything significantly away from that is someone either under or over performing. MON was on a par with McLeish (who also managed a league cup down here with some plucky over achievers.)

Anyone comparing winning records and including Scotland is only being fair if both managers have had a few years with Celtic or Rangers.

Otherwise it's like trying to argue that Graeme Hick was a top class test batsman based on his batting average which is scewed by him having helped himself to huge scores against the likes of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh but delivering very little against more challenging opposition.