matfabian

On a more random note - who is the bloke who does the spoken word bit right around when Macca is singing? The one who has shades of Stallone...

As a SoS member, I must say that I was disappointed with the Union's correspondence to FSG. I, like every supporter I imagine, wants only what is best for our club in the long-term. I agree that a dialogue needs to be maintained with the owners, albeit in reasonable doses that respect each sides commitments and schedules. I agree with all of that.... however, I don't agree with the tone of the communication that was sent. I don't see what we have to gain by being so confrontational and aggressive. Firing off what essentially amounts to a list of demands is not the way to open and maintain a constructive discourse with our owners. To me, the tone and manner of our correspondence should take into account the following: 1. That FSG have come in and spent £300m and in doing so have cleared us of all meaningful debt (besides those ones that make sense to keep - overdraft and stadium exp). They did not HAVE to do that. 2. FSG have done nothing to indicate that they are the same as H&G. Yes, we should not offer blind faith, but their actions thus far have ranged from good to impressive, and that deserves some recognition. 3. FSG and JWH have offered more open and honest dialogue in their short tenure than many owners do in their entire time at a club. Give them some credit for answering questions on RAWK, on LFCTV, etc. They're busy people, with all their interests and the massive job they have on their hands at LFC - which is, I am sure, one of the reasons they would like a singular fans council rather than individual contact with a variety of supporters groups. I think that JWH's response definitely indicated that he was far from impressed with the tone, and I would be too if I were him. I can understand his desire to speak more about the future, and their plans for the club, than the past. The best example I can think of is that of a new relationship. Let's say I had been wronged by a woman and after breaking up with her I had entered a new relationship. If I spent all my time speaking to my new girlfriend about all the ways I was wronged in the past, and constantly seeking reassurances that she wouldn't do the same, I can imagine that she'd get jack of that pretty quickly. I understand that the situation is different, however the principles are the same. By all means, it was right to make them aware of our feelings about what transpired during H&G's reign, but once it has been said and they have acknowledged it has been said, move on. Keep a watchful eye on their actions, and ensure that they are sticking to their end of the bargain, but don't hassle them. I think that we need to accept that the proposed supporters council (forget the official name) is a sensible idea. I know it won't necessarily satisfy each of the individual supporters groups, and I can understand that, but we need to be willing to share. The owners time is finite, and they are as busy as any of us. Between a variety of business interests and trying to rebuild LFC, I can only imagine that I get more hours to sleep than they do. The most workable solution for them is to have one big group where a reasonable cross-section of all stakeholders is represented. This allows everyone to have their say, equally, and for the process to be open and transparent for all supporters to see, whether they are a member of a union or not. I agree that any system is going to have it's flaws, but this is by far the most scalable solution for LFC. So... If SoS want to ensure that they are represented on this council, it would probably be best to adopt a slightly more conciliatory tone, or a more respectful one at the very least. I am sure than my opinion will differ with some, perhaps even those that wrote the letter...but then again, that's all it is - my opinion. P.S. Bring on the Chavski's....

Living the dream, the man who stood up to Mourinho Matt Hughes 1 minute ago Once a protégé of the Special One, Porto’s successful coach is now being eyed by the likes of Liverpool, Matt Hughes says The remarkable story of André Villas-Boas could have been taken from The Boy’s Own Paper or the myriad similar publications aimed at daydreaming youngsters in the more innocent days of the previous century, which would have been appropriate because he seems to possess an English fairy godmother. Or two, to be precise. Without the friendship between Margaret Kendall, his English grandmother who moved to Portugal to start a wine business, and the late Sir Bobby Robson, Villas-Boas may have been watching tonight’s match between Beira-Mar and Porto from the press box rather than the visiting team’s dugout. With respect to many friends and colleagues in the Fourth Estate, that would have been a waste. The most extraordinary aspect of Villas-Boas’s journey, however, is not its unusual origins, but the distance he could have left to travel. At the age of 33, in his first full season in coaching, he possesses the best record in Europe, superior during this campaign to those of Sir Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola and his other mentor, José Mourinho, one of the many reasons they are no longer close. The idea of future battles between master and apprentice appears to have been too much for Mourinho to contemplate. Under the leadership of their rookie coach, who was appointed after only 23 matches in charge of Académica last season, Porto were the last team to be beaten anywhere in Europe this season, their solitary defeat at the start of this month coming in the League Cup. As a result they are eight points clear at the top of the table, having won 14 of their 16 matches, a huge improvement from last season, when they trailed in third behind Benfica and Sporting. Villas-Boas was a curiosity among Mourinho’s backroom staff when he joined Chelsea’s twilight zone of opposition scouting in 2004, where his youth and English links would have given him an interesting tale to tell had he been allowed to speak, but he has since developed into a leading figure in his own right. Liverpool are likely to consider an approach if Kenny Dalglish does not stay on as manager beyond the summer, while several Italian clubs are also monitoring his progress. Having been given the job of his dreams only recently, Villas-Boas is in no hurry to leave Porto, but he will hanker after new challenges before too long, particularly a return to England. “My expectations are to have a career I can be proud of,” he said when we met in Oporto yesterday. “I want to win this championship, I want to win more competitive leagues, but I also want to explore different leagues. I like other types of social and cultural behaviour, and am looking for that kind of stimulus. “The Premier League is one of the most exciting leagues in the world. It’s not new for me what the Premier League means as I was there before. To get a job in the Premier League, you have to show you have quality, and I feel I still have to learn and evolve to get that kind of job. I want to work in other leagues, but this is a position I always wanted in my life and am not ready to give it away easily. I know I’m lucky that I got my dream job so quickly.” That dream was born after a meeting with Robson, who invited him to attend Porto’s training sessions and even arranged for him to attend coaching courses at Lilleshall while under-age, but really developed after Mourinho joined the club in 2002 and gave him responsibility for compiling scouting reports on the opposition. There is a slight sadness in the air as he discusses the cooling of their relationship, which he is unwilling to address in detail, although that is offset by the sense of liberation at being allowed to be his own man. “I’m associated with José, naturally, because I worked with him, but it’s not something I promote,” Villas-Boas said. “We have different personalities and different views towards the game. I respect José, but don’t want to be a Mourinho clone. I want to be able to work freely, without restraint, without worrying what he thinks.” The shadow of Mourinho will hang over him until he starts to win silverware of his own, despite his insistence that their similarities are superficial. Although they rarely speak after Mourinho took umbrage at his decision to leave Inter Milan and was further annoyed by his return to Porto, Villas-Boas is full of praise for a man he believes will be remembered as the best coach of all time. “There’s curiosity in two careers that look the same, but are not,” he said. “José is a PE teacher. I was unable to go as far in my studies as him as I took another route. To go back to university would have taken time and I was excited by the stimulus of an early start. “We both coached young guys, but evolved differently. José went into professional football in a position on the pitch, whereas I observed the game. It’s very easy to compare things, but if you look at our personalities and what we have achieved, it’s very different. I don’t see myself reaching that level of success. “José is a person who extracts the best from you. He expects you to be the best at what you do, which keeps you on your toes. You have to constantly perform for him so he can perform and bring success. I was happy to be part of such a technical set-up.” Villas-Boas was always going to follow his own path, with sources at Chelsea recalling that the redheaded twentysomething was the only member of Mourinho’s coterie prepared to challenge him in public. Whereas the rest of his coaching staff would leap up from the dinner table at the first sign of restlessness from the boss, Villas-Boas would often stay and linger over his coffee, an early — if trivial — sign of defiance. His footballing philosophy is also different, one closer to Arsène Wenger’s view of the game as a grand spectacle rather than Mourinho’s grim, strategic battle. This more relaxed approach has been welcomed by Porto’s young players, who had little time for the authoritarian style of his predecessor, the 64-year-old Jesualdo Ferreira. “I love creativity in my players and the unpredictable part of the game,” Villas-Boas said. “I believe that for the players to express themselves to their full potential, they must be able to take choices during the game. I’m not a dictator. I give them freedom of choice, bearing in mind the foundations of our organisation. I believe that with freedom the players can achieve their potential and make better decisions.” This attitude chimes with Robson’s oft-expressed belief that football is a simple game, while the former England manager would also have been heartened by the progress of an unknown career coach with no playing history in this celebrity-obsessed era. “Bobby gave me the stimulus to start my career,” Villas-Boas said. “I was planning to go into sports journalism, but had the opportunity to confront him about my club, how they were doing and the way the team played. Only an open-minded person like Bobby would accept such arrogance from a young kid. “This is the job I always wanted to have. It’s my own club, my own town and the club I always defended as a boy. It will always be a gamble for someone as young as myself, but I was sure I’d be able to give the club success. I think there’s a new respect for coaching. As José used to say, you don’t have to be a piano to be a good pianist. People can rise in the game via various different routes.” Whatever his future holds, Villas-Boas has already demonstrated that some boys’ dreams do come true. Life and times • Born in Oporto on October 17, 1977 As a 16-year-old met Bobby Robson, who arranged for him to watch Porto training sessions and take his FA coaching badge at Lilleshall Began coaching Porto’s youth teams at 17 before spending a year as director of football of the British Virgin Islands, at 21 Appointed head of the opposition observation department at Porto in 2002 by José Mourinho, whom he followed to Chelsea and Inter Milan Left Inter in 2009 to take his first coaching job in Portugal at Académica, averting relegation Appointed coach of Porto, where he has set a club record of 36 matches unbeaten this season Background Both men are from wealthy families, with André Villas-Boas boasting a count and a baron among his relatives, although he was not born into footballing aristocracy like José Mourinho, whose father was a Portugal goalkeeper. Villas-Boas’s chief advantage in life has been his intelligence and industry, as well as having the sheer nerve to approach Bobby Robson at such a young age. Image If not a natural pin-up like Mourinho, the younger model possesses a similar sense of style, usually wearing dark suits and white shirts, with a hint of stubble adding gravitas to his youthful complexion. At 33, he is 14 years younger, but the sensible side-parting in his auburn hair is reminiscent of Robert Redford, in contrast to Mourinho’s silver fox likeness to George Clooney. Temperament As with many redheads, Villas-Boas possesses a fiery temperament, with a Mourinho-esque disdain for authority. Frank Rijkaard tried to punch him after one of Chelsea’s volatile clashes with Barcelona and it was Villas-Boas’s testimony that led to the infamous Anders Frisk affair at the Nou Camp six years ago. He has been outspoken in his criticism of Benfica in Portugal this season, although his language is less colourful than Mourinho’s. Playing style Villas-Boas has stayed faithful to the 4-3-3 formation that has brought Mourinho success in four countries, but places more emphasis on attacking football. Villas-Boas shares Arsène Wenger’s view of football as entertainment, with his players given freedom to express themselves and Porto’s wingers encouraged to play farther up the pitch in support of a central striker. Trophies Given that Villas-Boas is in his first full season of coaching, he cannot hope to compete with Mourinho’s extraordinary haul of two Champions League titles, a brace of domestic championships in Portugal, England and Italy as well as several cup triumphs, but he has not started badly. He has broken one of Mourinho’s records, helping Porto to set a club record of 36 matches without defeat. Silverware should follow.

No, the table doesn't lie... it proves just how ill-conceived the appointment Roy was. We do have to start ASAP, but can you blame the owners for not jumping at the chance to hand Roy a bundle of cash? I think it would have been irresponsible to waste money in the first two weeks of the window on the kind of guff that Roy would have targeted - especially given the fact his position was under review. Given the circumstances, and what was going on behind the scenes, it's perfectly reasonable for FSG to have waited a week or two.

You cannot be serious....? :wallbutt: Kenny and Steve Clarke have not even had a week with the squad. You can't undo 6 months of shithouse tactics, poor coaching and horrible signings in a matter of days. The squad needs some serious strengthening, but I still firmly believe that were it not for the negligence endured (Roy + Mike Kelly) in the first half of this season, and the resultant shattering of any confidence the team had, we wouldn't be in the position we are in now. Our squad isn't top-4 by any stretch of the imagination, but we're definitely capable of better than 13th with a negative goal difference. As for the transfer window... how many clubs have concluded deals thus far? Personally, I will be reserving judgement until the end of the window; that much is only fair.

Deschamps or Villas Boas for me. At this point, I think NESV (or FSG, forget what they are called these days) can afford to be bold and take a bit of a risk. Both are managers who are young, hungry and seem to be reasonably progressive... they would definitely freshen things up a little! We can't afford to make another short-term appointment in my opinion. We need to bring in a manager who will play attacking football, bring fresh and modern ideas to training sessions, freshen up tactics and be here for the long-haul. I know that may be a bit idealistic, but I think it is possible.... we're more likely to find those qualities in someone young and hungry though, rather than someone who just sees LFC as another feather in their cap.

I hope to god that you are right. While I don't agree with the notion of player power, in this case the decision couldn't be simpler. Who offers more for the future of LFC? Reina or Hodgson/Mike Kelly? I hope John Henry takes swift and decisive action to repair what damage has been done, and to retain the services of every one of our best players...particularly one who is as dedicated and passionate as Pepe Reina.