Great Players, Bad Managers

We’re underway in 2010/11, and whilst some players are taking their first steps into management, others are wishing they hadn’t bothered.

Middlesbrough’s relegation leads to their star player being released, which is Juventus’ gain

marteinsson to JuveMeanwhile, this guy is French!?

dailly to strasbourgI decide to get in on the act and sign the current footballer of the year

Keita to LiverpoolThe traditional season opener is the Charity Shield, but it’s a very mundane start for me

CS 2010My 10th and final taker plays up front for goodness sake, what a fool. Anyway, it’s a kind Champions League group draw so that should help. Forest lose in the Prelims to Fenerbahce so I’m flying the Champions League flag solo

CL Group drawGary Neville, who has just retired with 100 caps to his name, decides to take up management in the warmer climbs of Tenerife

GNev to TenerifeBut it’s bad news for his best friend

beckham sackedCan you sack David Beckham? Anyway Beckham gets over it by joining Gary in Spain, taking over as Albacete manager. How is this for a replacement!?

hendrie to bolton

Another England legend under fire is Alan Shearer, player manager of Notts County

shearer notts countyThings to note here, one, he is 40, and still plays himself every game. Secondly, he took over with Notts County near the bottom of division 1 – they now reside in division 3. It’s fair to say it hasn’t gone well.

shearer sackedThat is no surprise. But when you’ve sacked big Al, where can you turn? Ah yes

carl cort notts countyMy old pal Carl Cort from my very first job in this game, I’d love to say he’ll do a great job but I would be lying.

Radomir Antic is removed from his role, leaving Alex Ferguson & Nigel Spackman as the only managers who are still in the same jobs they were on 16th July 1997.

antic sackedMeanwhile at Liverpool, it’s been easy in the Champions League with 4 wins out of 4 but the league form hasn’t been as good. Here’s the squad

Liverpool squad 2010It’s a good squad, really, but with Marco out injured it exposes the lack of depth in the quality. Wiltord, picked up on a free from Villa after their relegation released him, isn’t all that good. Keane has always been hit and miss whilst Bakayoko is an old man now. Ramasut, or the reincarnation of Ryan Giggs, is used sparingly mainly because he’s not a forward and I don’t play wingers, so it’s tricky. Junior Brookes has just been capped by LVG, which is tremendous.

brookesThe main man is still Austin Blades though, a starter for England now

bladesUnfortunately he hasn’t looked like getting near the 25 goals he got last season. Here’s the table

prem top nov 10Roy Evans, you old fox. Keegan’s Birmingham in second too, whilst you can’t underestimate the job Mark Hateley is doing at WBA. Meanwhile, at the bottom:

prem bottom nov 10Bryan Robson’s Coventry look set for an early return to Division 1, likewise for Gerry Wilson (who?) and his Watford team. The aforementioned Spackman completes the bottom 3. McManaman’s clubs new and old are also in deep trouble, but there’s a long way to go.

Can I make it 3 titles on the trot? Will I win the coveted Super Cup? All big questions that will be hopefully be answered in the next update

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