Friday 6 July 2007

The Chop

JJ here,

While I’m looking forward to the league coming back in August there are a few teams that I hope to see very little of. I think you can probably guess them as they’re most likely the ones you’re dreading as well.

There’s the all new long ball worshipping Fulham who will be dire to watch under Sanchez.
Then there’s Derby who have a man in charge so foolish that he believes £3.5 million for Robert Earnshaw represents good business.
What about Wigan where Chris Hutchings will now field a side with both Emile Heskey and Titus Bramble in it.
And of course, Boro, as always, will be terrible.

Everton may also be as horrendously dull as usual but their new young strikeforce of Vaughn and Anichebe look like they could provide a spark where once there was only the lumbering James ‘Isn’t that your fourth cheese sandwich’ Beattie.

Of those mentioned above I think Bill Davies, Lawrie Sanchez and Hutchings will all be under threat of being sacked from the first moment of the new season. Hutchings has a track record of failure at Bradford and his signings leave a lot to be desired in a team that played very poorly last year.

Sanchez will turn Fulham from a team that everyone rooted for into hoof merchants that will alienate fans in their droves. Mohammed Al Fayed has all of a sudden become more visible around the club again and I think this may lead to some tension should results go against them.

Davies though has made the most questionable decision of all by allowing the appointment of former Scotland manager – and one of the most boring pundits on the planet – Craig Brown as ‘football consultant’ for Derby. For a man who is managing in the Premiership for the first time this wreaks of someone who is trying to make himself appear to have as professional a set-up as possible. Instead I’m predicting he’ll lose several of his first ten matches (which include games against Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal and Sven City) and get the sack.

The board will then look around the table and see a former international coach who can not only take the job but do so on the same pay as they have him on now.

Davies has, I think anyway, made a major error. He may have a contract until 2010 but faced with a losing team the Derby chairman Peter Gadsby would have to weigh up a settlement with Davies or losing £30-50 million by dropping out of the league. Then again, maybe he’ll do brilliantly, though I doubt it with their squad.

So there you have it folks, my choice for first manager to be sacked is Billy Davies, followed by Sanchez and then Hutchings (only because his chairman is so f**king pig headed he’ll stick it out for a while longer). The Derby manager is currently available for 8-1 on PaddyPower.com, Hutchings at 4-1 and Sanchez at 10-1. I’m off to the bookies to put my money where my blog is… so who’s your pick?

4 comments:

Mr C said...

I think Sanchez will be the first to go. Al-Fayed sacked Coleman somewhat rashly and the faults in the squad that got him sacked still haven't been altered. No decent strikers yet- Kamara doesn't count. He was rubbish in the P.L. with Portsmouth & Championship goals mean little when you consider the substantial difference in class between the average standard of the leagues' defences. Too many central midfielders, no width on the flanks. 10-1 looks quite generous me thinks.

Anonymous said...

I have to agree with Sanchez sacking, at some stage, but there are a lot of candidates next year, Davies may last it out, they will probably get relegated but their squad is very weak. Southgate will probably last but i wouldn't bet on it, Tottenham may get itchy if 4th or 5th goes out of range, and there will be pressure on Benitez, I think

Anonymous said...

Hmmm... well Sanchez hasn't had much money to spend so I think there's a chance Fayed may already be thinking of getting him out. I just think that overall Fulham will most likely get a better start to the season than Derby.

Plus Davies has that 'lower division manager look' about him (see Paul Sturrock, Dave Jones etc). I know it's not much of a reason but deep down you know that I'm right.

Parrotbait said...

What I can never understand about clubs who are promoted who actually probably didn't really deserve to be is how their managers are almost always the first for the sack. Take Boothryd(can't spell his name and can't be assed looking it up) for example. He took a really really crap Watford team into the Premiership so I think he should be exempt from getting the sack the following year, they wouldn't even be there if it wasn't for the manager why dump him straight away? If he gets relegated and then goes on to do crap in the Championship then get rid of him but give him a chance. Similarly with Davies he got Preston up but is already favourite for the sack, probably just fickle fans who forget the previous season and dumb chairman showing no loyalty but it kinda pisses me off.

My tip for the sack, Chris Coleman in about two/three months into the season. Saw on Sky Sports that he said he has no budget for transfers and said players coming across from England tend to be expensive so he's going to have to work with what he has and sign Spanish players and can't even do a 'souness' and just sign crappy English journeymen looking for a holiday in Spain. Combine that with the fact that more than likely has zero knowledge of the spanish first division, no Spanish to give team talks or work in training or talk to players he's looking to get in and the fact that Sociedad's best players are probably gonna get snapped up by bigger teams in Spain I think he's well and truely screwed. Should make for entertaining stuff!