2010/2011 Season Thread

[stuartmaxwell]

Aye Scorge, I'll be fucked if I am paying good money every year to watch diddies that I could probably do a shift for turn up at Links Park....

Saying that, after Saturday, I'll be fucked if I am going to continue to pay money to watch the current fayre.....

[Shaki]

Don't kid yourself. They'll be taking sizable salaries and bonuses etc out of the clubs that they run for a start...

I don't have the facts and figures at hand but I'd be surprised. I think this idea you have that these folk are into owning Scottish football teams for their own financial gain is wide of the mark. As I said it is a crap investment and more likely a labour of love (or in some cases status) than anything else.

[Hugh_Jazz]

Anybody who owns a football club, and has put large sums of their own money into it in the pursuit of success, is frankly more than entitled to take a modest sum out of the club as a salary/bonus.

That said, I think it's a total nonsense to suggest that any club chairmen, particularly in Scotland, are making significant financial gains out of their clubs. I'd be surprised if they were making gains of any kind whatsoever.

[RossP]

Doesn't look like ICT are up for a 10 team league: CALEY JAGS WARY OF 10 TEAM SPL | ICT News | ICT News | News | Inverness Caledonian Thistle

But I'll wait to see if the other chairmen mention the favour they gave us when allowing a groundshare with Abdn...

[Alphas]

Anybody who owns a football club, and has put large sums of their own money into it in the pursuit of success, is frankly more than entitled to take a modest sum out of the club as a salary/bonus.

That said, I think it's a total nonsense to suggest that any club chairmen, particularly in Scotland, are making significant financial gains out of their clubs. I'd be surprised if they were making gains of any kind whatsoever.

I'd imagine there are a lot of losses made by chairmen if anything. They buy into clubs as they have money rather than buying clubs to make money. Directors who are employed at the clubs will no doubt be on a pretty penny mind you.

[Chris]

Neil Doncaster was on Sportsound tonight speaking a fat load of shite. I've just got a horrible feeling that guns are going to be held to clubs heads to force this through regardless of what everyone actually wants.

The rhetoric he was coming out with is strikingly similar to the stuff from ACSEF and Sir Ian Wood surrounding Union Terrace Gardens. Awesomely one sided and saying the status quo will lead to oblivion but short on details why and unwilling to listen to reasons why their own batshit mental scheme won't work.

[Sam 45]

Leon Best has just scored a hat-trick on what i think is his first ever Premiership start. I have no idea how this has happened. Man City are playing like Rangers in Europe right now.

[RossP]

Neil Doncaster was on Sportsound tonight speaking a fat load of shite. I've just got a horrible feeling that guns are going to be held to clubs heads to force this through regardless of what everyone actually wants.

The rhetoric he was coming out with is strikingly similar to the stuff from ACSEF and Sir Ian Wood surrounding Union Terrace Gardens. Awesomely one sided and saying the status quo will lead to oblivion but short on details why and unwilling to listen to reasons why their own batshit mental scheme won't work.

I too have this horrible feeling. Even if the voting goes 10-2 or 9-3, I still think they'll change the rules so that the 10 team reduction is carried, based on a 'marjority' decision.

I'm away to email the ICT chairman in the hope that he sticks to his guns and votes AGAINST the proposal.

[Chris]

I'm away to email the ICT chairman in the hope that he sticks to his guns and votes AGAINST the proposal.

Your Chief Exec was on Sportsound as well sounding like he really didn't fancy the 10 team idea at all and stated he was unhappy with how the decision was reached. Came across really well and also revealed the 4 clubs is actually 5 against the proposals now.

He's meeting Doncaster tomorrow ahead of an ICT board meeting on Friday.

Edit: Lol@ Liverpool and West Ham.

[Lemonade]

So who's first on the dole queue tomorrow, Hodgson Grant or Ancelotti?

[ca_gere]

Avram Hodgelotti for the chop!

[Moose]

So who's first on the dole queue tomorrow, Hodgson Grant or Ancelotti?

I was just thinking the same thing! I think Grant will be gone by tomorrow, although I don't think he deserves it. Liverpool were absolutely terrible by the looks and sounds of things. Liverpool need 4 new defenders. Glen Johnson is unbelievably pants!! What happened to Joe Cole, he used to be a good player too. Martin Olsson's goal took the piss out of Liverpool's defence. Terrible team. I wish Woy was still at Fulham.

[ca_gere]

[Lemonade]

Talksport reckons Houllier is first for the chop. Seems a bit harsh, he'd only been in the a couple of months.

[Guest Gladstone]

None of them should get sacked really though. The conveyer belt mentality will never do a club any good.

Saying that though, these clubs haven't been that guilty of punting managers that quickly, have they?

Liverpool - Benitez was there for a good few years, same with Villa and O'Neill. Maybe they've just realised their replacements have been shit, and if they get them out quickly and a better one in, they might salvage something from the season.

I question that thinking though - are there any saviour type managers out there that could turn their shit form into good form within a few games? Maybe the three of them could just move round the three clubs and see if that works.

Houllier for West Ham

Grant for Liverpool

Hodgson for Villa

Everyone's a winner.

[Hugh_Jazz]

I'd imagine there are a lot of losses made by chairmen if anything. They buy into clubs as they have money rather than buying clubs to make money. Directors who are employed at the clubs will no doubt be on a pretty penny mind you.

Sure....but then if I was working full time at a club, I'd want to get paid for it too!

As an aside, I get a bit pissed off when Stewart Milne is accused of only being interested in AFC because he has some ulterior motive to build some lucrative development on the Pittodrie site after we've moved to Loirston.

Pittodrie is a fairly modestly sized area in a pretty average area of town....and Stewart Milne will have developed many larger sites over the years, without any of the abuse he's received during his time at Pittodrie. The notion that Stewart Milne would simply linger around at Pittodrie because of the land, just sounds like bollocks to me. At times, he (and his family) has suffered appalling abuse......frankly he could have made the same money he stands to make from Pittodrie at any number of other sites, without all the hassle he's had over the years.

He might not be the best chairman at times.....but like most chairmen, I think he's totally in this for emotional reasons, and not financial.

[Lemonade]

None of them should get sacked really though. The conveyer belt mentality will never do a club any good.

Saying that though, these clubs haven't been that guilty of punting managers that quickly, have they?

Liverpool - Benitez was there for a good few years, same with Villa and O'Neill. Maybe they've just realised their replacements have been shit, and if they get them out quickly and a better one in, they might salvage something from the season.

I question that thinking though - are there any saviour type managers out there that could turn their shit form into good form within a few games? Maybe the three of them could just move round the three clubs and see if that works.

Houllier for West Ham

Grant for Liverpool

Hodgson for Villa

Everyone's a winner.

Dalglish seems favourite to get the Liverpool job, but personally I think they'd be better off with Martin O'Neill.

[Guest Gladstone]

I forgot O'Neill was out of a job. He'll get one of them I'm sure, and Liverpool might be it. He'll surely not land back at Villa and West Ham would probably be viewed as beneath him these days.

Saying that, will Fergie eventually retire in the summer? O'Neill probably fancies himself for a go at the Man Utd job.

[Lemonade]

I forgot O'Neill was out of a job. He'll get one of them I'm sure, and Liverpool might be it. He'll surely not land back at Villa and West Ham would probably be viewed as beneath him these days.

Saying that, will Fergie eventually retire in the summer? O'Neill probably fancies himself for a go at the Man Utd job.

I've got David Moyes down for the Man United job

[Adam Easy Wishes]

Jimmy Calderwood's holding out for the United job.

[Guest Gladstone]

Dream team of Mowbray & McGhee

[Bigsby]

Jimmy Calderwood's holding out for the United job.

The Hayes and Yeading United job. And he won't even get that.

[Soda Jerk]

None of them should get sacked really though. The conveyer belt mentality will never do a club any good.

I agree in theory, but I think Roy is on borrowed time. I think he's proven that with his business on the market. Miereles is guff and Poulsen is even worse. It's no secret that Liverpool are desperate for another striker, but he seemed to ignore this. I hate to see managers get the boot after less than a season, but despite Liverpool being average on paper, I still think they are better than a mid table side.

Ancelotti shouldn't be sacked though. It's not his fault Wilkins got the axe. Clearly he was the staple of their success since they have slumped since his departure. Apparently it was money issues, but instead of cutting John Terry's 160k a week, they chop Wilkins who was reportedly on 90k per year! Mental.

[Shaki]

Sure....but then if I was working full time at a club, I'd want to get paid for it too!

As an aside, I get a bit pissed off when Stewart Milne is accused of only being interested in AFC because he has some ulterior motive to build some lucrative development on the Pittodrie site after we've moved to Loirston.

Pittodrie is a fairly modestly sized area in a pretty average area of town....and Stewart Milne will have developed many larger sites over the years, without any of the abuse he's received during his time at Pittodrie. The notion that Stewart Milne would simply linger around at Pittodrie because of the land, just sounds like bollocks to me. At times, he (and his family) has suffered appalling abuse......frankly he could have made the same money he stands to make from Pittodrie at any number of other sites, without all the hassle he's had over the years.

He might not be the best chairman at times.....but like most chairmen, I think he's totally in this for emotional reasons, and not financial.

I've repeated this to drunken fans in pubs across Aberdeen hundreds of times. It's a stupid, nonsensical rumour. Even if he does use the site in the future there is no way that means the conclusion of his evil master plan.

You always get the fans that moan about the amount of "suits" that work at Pittodrie and see this as the reason that we are in a dire financial state. I worked there in 2001/2002 and can confirm that everyone there at the time was constantly busy doing the things that needed done and staying late/working weekends to do so. A number of hard working people also got laid off. There is a reliance at the lower levels of administration on people who love the club because I can also confirm that the salaries are pish comparative to similar roles in different organisations. When you are talking about the high level roles you need to pay professionals a suitable wage to keep them.

I don't know what it is like now and do have some questions about Willie Miller's role when there are others still there that did a similar thing but generally I believe the club are doing what they can with the limited resources that they have.

[Paranoid Android]

Just skimmed all the pages since I was last here.

Agree with everyone about how shit of an idea going back to 10 teams is. I've stated before my support for a 16 team league but the SPL don't seem to be reading am-music looking for my wisdom so there's probably not much point going over it all again.

Good festive period for the dons, just marred a bit by that goodwillie goal. I'm pretty confident about the rest of the season now.

Don't really know what to say about Chelsea, how can they be so bad? Still don't think Ancelotti should be sacked although every time I expect the recovery to start another inexplicable result comes along.

United are going to win the title, I just hope they do eventually lose a match. It would be awful to see this shit team celebrate being unbeaten through a whole season.

Thankfully Liverpool will always be around to brings the laughs. I think they let Hodgson see out the season if he was going to hover in mid-table but now I think the board will actually be worried about relegation I expect to see him booted out soon enough.

Will Houllier get sacked? Hasn't he only been there a couple of weeks? Pretty amazing how awful he's been.

Avram shouldn't be sacked after last night. Teams with players that bad will always lose a few games like that. It was their first loss in five games so he should be given a little longer.