Football Focus

[Rhinestone Cowboy]

Hello all

looking to get to Dulwich Hamlet Game on 14th Aug does anyone know if you have to get tickets in advance or are we back to normal rules of just showing up

thanks

[mikeb]

I've got the same question as Rhinestone Cowboy - anyone know the arrangements for the match this weekend?

[BrandNewGuy]

It's back to pay on the door or - which is quicker - pay in advance here:

https://dulwichhamletfc.seetickets.com/search/all

Expecting a good crowd - more than 700 season tickets have been sold!

[mikeb]

Cheers Guy, much appreciated. Looking forward to seeing them live again for the first time since Feb 2020!

[Jah Lush]

Football's back. Best tune ever about being a football fan.

 

[malumbu]

Sounds a bit preposterous to me. (Seen them and sort of know them...)

[Jah Lush]

Arf!

[diable rouge]

I've deliberately waited to post on yesterday's debacle as I didn't want it to be a knee-jerk reaction, but hard not to come to the conclusion that OGS has taken MUFC as far as he can. He's done well to change the toxic culture that existed under Mourinho, but that's more akin to the role of a Director of Football, something we lack and that he's probably better suited to because he does understand the ethos of the club. But when it comes to coaching, tactics, and in-game management he's clearly lacking compared to the top managers. A so-called elite club should have an elite manager, and OGS was never that, and it's obvious now, never will be.

I doubt the club will sack him now, and will instead wait until at least the tricky run of games is out of the way, no point putting additional pressure on a new manager, and then appoint a new manager before the January transfer window.

The problem is there isn't an obvious managerial candidate out there, lots of talk about Conte, but he's Mourinho 2.0 and a bad fit playing style wise. Rogers is probably the best of the PL managers that are attainable, but he's ex-Liverpool and still has a house there, would he want to come and/or would Utd fans accept him?

My leftfield choice would be Christophe Galtier at Nice who took Lille to the French championship last season, watched them yesterday come back from 2-0 down to beat Lyon and go third in the table with a game in hand, right style of football but ultimately a huge gamble...

[diable rouge]

A couple of recent snippets from the Manchester Evening News...

''Arnold 'holds talks' with Glazer over Solskjaer's future

Richard Arnold has held talks with Joel Glazer over Solskjaer's future today.

That's according to The Guardian who report that United's managing director, Arnold, is understood to have cancelled all appointments on Monday to hold crisis talks with Glazer.

Solskjaer is under serious pressure after Sunday's Liverpool debacle.''

''The latest on Solskjaer's future

It's all quiet on the western front. There has been no response from United to queries about the manager's position so far and there's no sign of black or white smoke, if familiar with how succession is signalled in the Vatican.

Given United have a free midweek, today would be the logical day off ahead of the Tottenham trip on Saturday. There are eerie parallels with the manner of Jose Mourinho's dismissal already: Sunday defeat to Liverpool and a suspiciously quiet Monday. Mourinho was sacked on Tuesday morning.''

[diable rouge]

MEN definitely running with OGS could go sooner rather than later...

''Manchester United are considering sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager.

The Manchester Evening News understands the club hierarchy is giving serious consideration to dismissing Solskjaer before United's next game at Tottenham on Saturday. United have failed to respond for comment on the manager's position.''

''Given the PR noises from players' camps and rumblings from United board today, this has moved faster than most expected. Solskjaer close to the edge and it all feels inevitable, albeit quite sad that it's come to this.''

''Latest on Solskjaer's future at United

If United follow through with the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it follows a pattern of the manager losing their job two days after their final match in charge.

Easter Monday delayed David Moyes's execution, Louis van Gaal's tenure ended with the FA Cup final and Jose Mourinho spent his Monday off in London before he was summoned to Carrington on the Tuesday and returned back to London later that day.

The noise around United is now quite ominous for Solskjaer. There are umpteen reasons for the 'delay' (if you can call it that) to the decision - provided United decide a change of manager is needed.

There is the manager's compensation to finalise, a potential interim coach has to be identified, and, most crucially of all, a permanent replacement. Decisions have to be made over which coaching staff members are retained and released from their contracts. There is a lot to plough through.''

[maxxi]

Some managers improve on their second coming but Moyes is spoken for I'm afraid. Time to ask Jose to come back.....?

Whaddaya mean joking!?

COYI

[Alan Medic]

diable rouge Wrote:

> My leftfield choice would be Christophe Galtier at

> Nice who took Lille to the French championship

> last season, watched them yesterday come back from

> 2-0 down to beat Lyon and go third in the table

> with a game in hand, right style of football but

> ultimately a huge gamble...

I was reading his Wiki page. Ironically he left Lille because he thought he had taken them as far as he could.

[diable rouge]

maxxi Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Some managers improve on their second coming but Moyes is spoken for I'm afraid.

No need for Moyes, Rice and Soucek will do though, IMO the best Defensive Midfield pairing, although that label does them a big disservice, as they offer much more than that.

A shame WH probably won't be at full-strength tonight, reckon on current form they would give MC a game and could even beat them...

[diable rouge]

Alan Medic Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I was reading his Wiki page. Ironically he left

> Lille because he thought he had taken them as far

> as he could.

Yep, perhaps a disguised dig at the Lille board and a lack of investment/selling their best players...

[maxxi]

diable rouge Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> A shame WH probably won't be at full-strength

> tonight, reckon on current form they would give MC

> a game and could even beat them...

Doing so well in Europa League atm that Moyes may well be resting players but be nice to do the Manchester double.

[diable rouge]

Now that Europa League qualification looks a sure bet, he should switch priorities to EFL Cup, only 3 rounds to Wembley...

[maxxi]

2 rounds now, Manchester Double done and dusted. :) Great night for the Irons (& Mark Noble after that penalty fiasco that cost us points against the 'other' Mancs).

[diable rouge]

Recently it's been oft quoted that Guardiola thinks that Graham Potter is the best English manager in the PL.

Seemed quite a bold statement, so I checked who the other English PL managers are....Dean Smith and Sean Dyche :)

[Alan Medic]

Without looking it up, who was the first non British manager in the EPL?

[diable rouge]

Good question, no idea, Spurs were one of the earliest to sign continental players and kits, so maybe a former manager too?

Are you doing anything on Superbru for the Autumn Internationals?...

[Alan Medic]

Wasn't thinking of doing anything for the Autumn Internationals, but why not? I'll send out invites to the previous participants and see what happens.

[maxxi]

Bring on the Scousers!

😎⚒🥳

[Alan Medic]

diable rouge Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Good question, no idea, Spurs were one of the

> earliest to sign continental players and kits, so

> maybe a former manager too?

>

Yep. Ardiles.

[diable rouge]

Really? I can't remember him being Spurs' manager, I could only think of Santini but that didn't seem to go far enough back...

[diable rouge]

Oh, Nuno is no more.

A bit harsh, same problem at Utd, a board that continuously makes errors in the appointment of managers yet never held to account.

Spurs had a good manager in Poch but wouldn't back him in the transfer market.

Appointed Mourinho, that was only going to end one way.

Appointing Nuno who they didn't really want.

The Kane transfer fiasco, that turned out well.

All on the board and Levy in particular, yet he'll remain...